Do You Know The Warning Signs of Dog Aggression?

Every day you can find reports and news stories of dog attacks. In many cases the owners will say something like "he's such a sweet dog", "we've never had any problems before", "we don't understand this" or "we're stunned". In reality, many of these dogs DID have previous behavior that should have sounded a warning that trouble may be brewing. Do you know some of the warning signs of dog aggression?

When I begin working with a new family and their dog I always take about 30 minutes to complete a thorough evaluation of the dog. Many of my questions may seem strange to the family, but if I'm going to be working with a dog I don't like surprises or getting bitten. As a professional, here are some of my "red flags" indicating a dog may have aggression issues:

• Previous history of biting someone - even though many owners may try and dismiss a previous bite as insignificant, it isn't. Any dog that has bitten once is more likely to repeat the act, and each subsequent bite is often worse than the previous one.
• Prey Kills - again, many owners think nothing of a dog that kills a squirrel or rabbit. Such kills increase a dog's prey drive. If this behavior is not corrected these dogs may begin attacking larger animals, including people, in the future.
• Food possessiveness - many owners 'manage' dogs that growl or snap at people while the dog is eating, by isolating the pet during mealtime. This type of behavior needs to be addressed professionally as it can lead to increasing aggression with time. This is NOT normal behavior and isolation is not a fix.
• Toy possessiveness - same as food possessiveness, it's a red flag that needs to be addressed.
• Play biting - this is common in puppies, but should be corrected early or it can escalate to real biting later. In dogs over 3-4 months this is another troubling sign.
• Fears or phobias - these can sometimes lead to a dog that bites, and it can escalate and pose serious risks to the dog and owner.
• Dogs that don't like other animals in the home.
• Dogs that don't like a certain person, certain types of people, or all people.
• Dogs that are generally unfriendly, controlling or dominating.
• Dogs that enjoy roaming or hunting in packs.

You'll notice that none of these warning signs mention specific breeds!

While this list is not all inclusive, they're common problems that always initiate further discussion on one of my visits. If you've seen any of these problems in your pet, working with a professional to resolve the behavior can limit the chances of trouble down the line. As with most things, the sooner a problem is addressed, the better chances are it can be corrected.