It is natural for a dog to have some aggression. Aggression is important to the dogs survival for centuries. Aggression helps a dog hunt and ward of enemies. There aggressive nature helps them protect their mate, their den and their resources. Selective breeding has calmed a major amount of aggression in dogs, but a small amount still remains as fundamental traits in all dogs.

Counteracting fundamental instincts can be very difficult. But as dog owners it is a must that we learn to control our dog’s aggressiveness for the well being of all of us. There are many technique we can use to avoid having dog aggression show it’s sharp teeth in the first place. Even if there wasn’t steps in preventing dog aggression there are things we can do to recognize and deal with it effectively.

Here are the two most common forms of dog aggression.

-Aggression towards strangers -Aggression towards family members.

For some of you out there you may just want me to get on with it and tell you how to deal with or stop dog aggression. Well, the two common types of dog aggression have two different ways of dealing with them. So, by identifying the type of aggression your dealing with will direct you to the proper way to handle it.

Aggression towards strangers

If your dog only seems to show aggression towards strangers, your dog needs a healthy dose of socializing. Opening your dog up to the world with strange places and people is your job. If you want your dog to feel comfortable meeting new people and enjoying new places, you have to expose him to these things. Although best if you start your dogs social interaction as early as possible (after being properly vaccinated) you can still socialize an older dog, take your time and don’t push.

Dog aggression with family members.

If your dog is showing signs of aggression towards a family member, he may be a little confused as to what his status is in the hierarchy of his pack (your family). Dogs thrive on the pack mentality, meaning a clear social order or ladder of dominance. If your dog is showing aggression towards a family member who is not a stranger, he is communicating to that family member that he is higher in rank and stronger than that person. Brushing up on your alpha dog skills and techniques would be a good idea that this point. Also some regular obedience training would help a great deal with this type of aggression

Want to find out more about dog behavior, then visit Matt Closson’s site on how to choose the best dog training guide for your needs.

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