Aggressive Behaviors in Puppies & Dogs

Aggressive play behavior in puppies & dogs is a very common issue that some pet owners have to deal with. There are many types of aggressive behavior in puppies & older dogs and each one was must dealt with as soon as it arises because any type of aggressive behavior in a cat or kitten makes this a dangerous situation for everyone.

One familiar type of agression seen in puppies and older dogs is food agression. This occurs when you are giving your puppy his food and you may be just walking back past him and he either growls or tries to bite you. You may even get bit when you want to take his food bowl and place it somewhere else. This type of behavior is easily fixed but needs to be addressed while the puppy is still young and learning how to behave properly. Here is how you stop food agression in puppies

If your puppy or even older dog growls while they are eating when you just walk past them, the first thing you do is go pick up the bowl of food and put it out of reach. Wait for twenty minutes and set it back down and as they start to walk over to the food, pick it right back up and hold your hand up and say wait. Set the bowl back down and if he/she runs back over to the bowl, pick it back up and repeat the steps: pick the food bowl up, hold your hand up and say, wait. Within just a few minutes they will get the message that this is your food not theirs and that they will be allowed to eat whenever you say it is okay.

Whenever a puppy or dog growls at you if they are eating and you want to either give them a little more food or pet them and they growl and or snap at you, the way to stop this is by the same method as above. I had a 120# Alasksan Malamute/German Shephard Mix and I could walk over to him while he was eating and stick my hands in his food bowl and take the food out and he kept right on eating and never growled or snapped. The very first time I went to pet him and give him a little more food while he was eating and he snapped at me, I followed the above method and by that day's end he was a different pet. It takes patience but food agression in pets does not take long to stop as long as it is attended to at the first signs and if not, then professional help will be needed to solve the problem.

One very common type of puppy/dog aggression seen is play/predatory aggression. Rough and predatory behaviors are often displayed during playtime by puppies and older dogs, and this allows them to practice and develop skills needed for them to survive in the wild in packs. However, when this behavior is directed at humans or other animals, this becomes very dangerous situation. Sometimes we unintentionally encourage these behaviors through the way that we play with our pets while they are very young.But, as our pets grow older, their biting and scratching become more painful even though they still believe it is just play time.

In other times, puppies act aggressively because of fear and stress. They are taken away from their mother and then are taken to a new atmosphere. If a puppy or older dog feels the need to protect itself, it will go on the defensive to ward off the perceived situtation in which they feel threatened. In many cases, behavioral therapy carried out by a qualified animal trainer or behaviorist may be required depending upon the severity of the agression. Just make sure that the professional is fully qualified and has appropriate experience in this area or this could seriously affect your pet's treatment and can make the problem much worse and bigger than it was to begin with. In some cases, socialization of the animal and interacting with other pets as well as strangers and behavioral changes will be the focus of the treatment.

The very first time your new puppy or dog shows aggression towards you during playtime is when you take the first step in letting them know who is boss and who runs the roost around there and it is not them! Any type of aggressive behavior in a pet is unacceptable. When our pets bite, snap, nip and scratch only when they are playing with us and they show their teeth and growl, this is the time to nip this problem in the bud. There are some pets that show aggression to their owners even when they are being petted.

I remember one day when I was working at a veterinarians office as a technician, a woman came in and brought her 10 week old chow puppy in to start the vaccinations on him. The doctor began his examination and I was holding this puppy and as soon as I went to hold this puppy who was named of all things, Honey, this little puppy started growling and nipping and trying to find anyway to bite me. I eventually had to grab this puppy by the scruff of the neck to keep myself from being bit and I looked at the doctor and told him that this was going to be so much fun! We did eventually get an exam done but not a thorough one because when I went to open the puppies mouth open he bit my thumb. The doctor then told the owner that unless she gets control over this puppy now while he is still young to show who's boss, that the older this puppy gets the worse his behavoir would become. This was just a tiny fur ball and so cute but this puppy was El Diablo himself! A few months later when the owner came back in she had a new puppy and had given the other one away.

The best time to begin training a puppy to be a loveable pet is right at 8 weeks of age. At the first sign of aggression during playtime such as growling and tugging at a toy, stop what your are doing and take the toy and put it up and walk away from the puppy. Leave him alone for a few hours and then go back and take the toy with you. Then return with the toy and follow the same steps for food aggression.

Sources:

Personal experience while working as a vet tech.

DISCLAIMER:

I am not a licensed vet but I did learn many useful tips and information during my years working for one. The above information is intended for educational purposes only and shall not take the place of seeking professional advice from a licensed veterinarian or other licensed pet professionals.