Is Your Dog Aggressive?

People have lived alongside dogs for centuries, and this has been a mutually beneficial relationship. As the saying goes, a dog can be your best friend, or at least a great pal. A dog can be a member of the family, a valued worker or law enforcement helper, guide to the blind, protector of the home, and serve many other roles.

Sometimes, however, the canine-human relationship is not completely harmonious. Unfortunately, dogs can inspire irritation and even fear in people. What does a dog owner do when faced with an aggressive or downright vicious animal that he or she cannot seem to control?

Aggression is the most serious problem faced by dog owners. It can take many forms. Your dog may have a problem with other dogs, with children or with just certain people or in certain environments. So, first of all, you should narrow it down and pinpoint the exact issue.

The first thing you should do is take your dog to a trusted veterinarian. This will rule out medical causes for your dog's behavior. Once this has been addressed, you should be sure to keep your dog (as much as possible) away from situations that provoke the aggressive behavior.

In other words, do not tempt fate. If your dog tends to fight with other dogs, until you can get a handle on the situation, you really need to isolate your dog from other dogs. The same, of course, is true for dogs who are aggressive towards people. If necessary, use a muzzle. Be sure to warn people not to approach a potentially dangerous dog. You do not want to deal with lawsuits, or other repercussions of your dog attacking someone, whether human or another animal.

In some sad cases, as when you have a dog who is a threat to a young child, you may have to give up the dog. In most cases, however, the problem can be remedied with some perseverance. One thing that often helps is to increase the amount of exercise your dog gets. Often, an aggressive dog is one who has too much unused energy.

A note about exercise --playing with your dog is great, but make sure you don't play too roughly and unknowingly encourage aggression. For many dogs, it's fine to play rough, but if your dog has an issue with aggression, you should not be playing in ways that foster this.

Is your dog left alone for long periods? This can cause problems in some cases, as dogs are sociable animals. Make sure your dog has room to run (not tied to a stake or tree for example). Preferably, if you have to be parted from your dog for long periods, try to arrange it so someone else is around for part of the time.

The above are basic suggestions and will not be enough to correct a serious behavioral problem. The truth is, an aggressive dog needs some serious attention. You will have to hire a qualified dog trainer to help, or take the time to work on your dog on your own, which will take some time, patience and education.

You can't simply ignore the issue of an aggressive dog. Most dogs, the vast majority, are trainable and are potentially wonderful companions. Some dogs, however, require some extra guidance and attention on the way to this goal.

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