This entry was posted on 2014-09-10 by Schalk.

Some dogs can be threatening to humans or other dogs, while they are consuming food. Actually dogs tend to show aggression when guarding things they consider theirs, such as bowls, objects they find or steal, toys and food. Dogs also tend to be very territorial, defending any area they believe to be theirs e.g. its home.

Would you consider this behavior dangerous? Defiantly. Nevertheless, this is something that is very common amongst dogs. Dogs are bred for protection so at times the aggression could be a matter of learned behavior and training. One solution could be to erect a secure fence, but keep in mind that no fence is completely secure. In most dogs these behaviors can be altered, but firstly you need to figure out the cause of this behavior.

Symptoms

·       Raising of the upper lip

·       Lunging

·       Hostile barking

·       Biting

·       Growling

·       Snapping

·       The ring of your doorbell generates aggression

·       Aggressive reaction to someone entering your dogs space e.g. the garden.

Reasons

At times your dog may develop the habit of being aggressive whilst defending its objects, territory and food as this has worked for him in the past. Here are some more common causes:

·       Not much socializing as a puppy

·       Medical conditions

·       Inbreeding

·       Being sexually mature

·       Pack hierarchy behavior

·       Genetics or usual to the particular breed

·       Environment

Diagnosis

Firstly your vet will make sure that your dog doesn’t have any medical conditions. If your vet can’t find out the cause for this behavior, you will usually be advised to go and see an animal behaviorist who can help you train your dog.

Remedy

It’s not very likely that you will be able to cure your dog of its aggression, but rather learn how to control it. Your success can be seen in a decrease of aggressive incidents. Management and safely tools can be developed with the help of a specialist in dog training.

Your primary concern should be safety. Steer clear of situations that may cause your dog to act aggressively. If the behaviorist recommends you use training techniques involving punishment and dominance you may want to consider another option as this can rapidly increase aggression. There are far better ways of dealing with this issue.

When feeding your dog do so in a confined space and ensure that you don’t give him objects that my encourage aggression. Put your dog in a place where humans can’t be seen or heard. Lastly you can teach your dog to be comfortable wearing a basket muzzle and head halter.

In very severe cases, it may be best to have your dog euthanized, as this may be the only way to protect others from injury. Particularly if your dog has previously been involved in an incident or incidents.

Handling and living

Consistency and patience is needed to alter behaviors. The results will also only become perceptible over time. Whilst around aggression-provoking stimuli try using techniques such as counter-conditioning and desensitizing. For safety purposes put as basket muzzle on your dog while you are working with him.

Firstly teach your dog to relax and sit using a verbal instruction. Conduct this exercise within a neutral environment and use food as a prize. To steer clear of food aggression try breaking up the food into small pieces, give your dog rewards for non-aggressive behavior as well. Slowly increase the amount of stimulation, making sure you are positioned away from the threshold that causes the aggression. Always keep in mind that patience is key, as it will take time to see any progress. As soon as you think you have achieved positive results, there may be indications of a delay. It’s very important to always be firm with your training.

Today you can actually buy medications that are said to help this behavioral disorder but they are not advised. If your vet does authorize a medication, you must only use it in alliance with behavior modification. You should never use the medication by itself, as it will not help the issue.