Why Has My Dog Started Showing Aggression?

This is a question that I as a canine behavior specialist hear multiple times per day.  There can be several different reasons for this problem so let’s talk about them and what you can do to fix this unwanted behavior.

Most of the time when I get this call the dog in question is between 12 and 24 months of age.  If you remember from my article titled “What Can I Do With My Puppy To Avoid Aggression Later” the period of socialization for a puppy is from birth to 20 weeks of age.

The dogs in question 100% of the time are UNTRAINED and the owners admit that they kept planning on training the dog but they simply kept putting it off for one reason or another.

Training is IMPORTANT.  Obedience training your dog is what establishes you as the pack leader.  If you do not become the pack leader your dog will assume that position, so start formal obedience training at 4 months of age.

Another cause of aggression is because the owner allowed it to happen gradually.  What I mean is that at 6 months of age the puppy growls or shows some type of aggression and the owner thinks isn’t that cute he is protecting me.

The problem with this scenario is that if the dog is not corrected it then assumes that it is doing exactly what the owner wants.  Over a period of time the aggression gets worse and before you know it you have a dog that has bitten.

So far we have been talking about dogs that are aggressive with people however dogs that are aggressive with other dog is a serious issue as well.  In fact, many of the calls I receive talk about dogs that are great with people however they are dog aggressive.

For some people that are very social and enjoy going to the dog park or to gatherings where people bring their dogs are devastated when they realize that their dog is not welcome because of the dog’s aggression.

Again this is a byproduct of the lack of socialization with other dogs as a young dog.  When I talk about socializing your pup with other dogs I am talking about other dogs away from your house.  Just because you have other dogs does not count as socialization, those dogs are simply part of the pack and that does not count.

Okay, so now that you realize there is problem, what can you do?  Contact a canine behavior specialist.  You want a person that has a bunch of experience dealing with and treating this type of problem.  The average dog trainer simply does not have the needed experience to solve a problem like this.

Your canine behavior specialist will want to start rehabilitation with obedience training and some behavior modification.

So before giving up on your dog give it a chance at rehabilitation with the help of a .

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Does your dog need help with aggression?  We can help. If you are in ,  Chattanooga, TN,  Clarksville, TN, Knoxville, TN, Huntsville, AL and Indianapolis, IN visit our website and give us a call.

If you have an aggressive dog please be sure to visit www.DogAggressionExperts.com for help…

Please remember we can help you with dog training or problem solving no matter where you are located.  In fact we have clients all over the U.S.

P.S. Do you need some advice from a Canine Behavior Specialist?  If so CLICK HERE now!

About Wayne: Wayne Booth is owner of   which is headquartered in Nashville, TN but serves clients all over the U.S..  If you have a dog with aggression, behavior problems or simply needs training feel free to contact him.

Wayne has also been teaching people how to become Professional Dog Trainers since 1990 and he is the Training Director of Canine Behavior Specialists Network.  If you would like to become a Professional Dog Trainer he can get you started.

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