Best Ways to Calm an Aggressive Dog

Some dogs growl, bark, bark, show their teeth, or even bite; a reactive animal can make everyday life a real challenge. Dogs are not born aggressive. However, some breeds naturally have a higher protective instinct and perhaps a lower tolerance threshold.

An animal does not bite for no reason. Every dog can learn to behave appropriately in different situations, no matter what breed. The origin of aggressive behavior in dogs is not so much in their genes but in defects in socialization, fears and phobias, lousy management of frustration, anxiety, excessive excitement, etc.

If you have an aggressive dog in your hands, the main thing to do is accept that our companion has a problem and that we must help him solve it to have a better quality of life. It would be best if you did not blame yourself for your dog’s aggressive behaviors; most of the time, they are a consequence of insecurity and lack of knowledge.

To know how to treat an aggressive dog, it is essential to understand the wide range of causes that can trigger this type of behavior, which, as we mentioned before, can be related to its health or behavior. Sometimes, this attitude is not due to the owner’s mismanagement of the problem but traumatic experiences that the animal has lived.

Aggressiveness results from continued or repeated negative feelings, especially from poor emotional management in the face of fear or that have been reinforced over time. However, the pain caused by an illness can also exhaust the animal and lead to undesired behaviors. Nor does a dog bite because it likes to fight or because it enjoys intimidating or hurting others. An aggressive dog is almost always an insecure animal that does not know how to resolve a situation independently.

If your dog is aggressive is a disease. Usually, this behavior will disappear when the pathology is eliminated or controlled. For this, the help of your veterinarian, who is the one who can examine your companion, diagnose and treat him, is essential. It would be best if you go to him soon to prevent your dog from learning this new aggressive behavior and becoming part of his normal behavior (although this happens very rarely).

If the cause is behavioral and not health-related, the way you will have to deal with the situation will depend on what is causing your dog’s aggressiveness and its characteristics as an individual. In this case, you should consult a veterinary ethologist or a professional from aggressive dog training in phoenix to help you.

In the meantime, to give you some information, these are the general recommendations:

Follow an aggressive dog training in Phoenix program based on obedience and behavior modification through different techniques that usually reward correct behaviors.

Follow pharmacological therapy. Drugs can be helpful if your veterinarian considers them necessary, but they are only a support to the training; without it, medication is not effective in the long term.

That you get involved in the education and handling of your dog and follow particular guidelines, patience and constancy are fundamental.

If your dog is aggressive due to dominance and territoriality and is male, treatment may require castration.
Also, for support, you may be recommended to use some supplements, such as synthetic hormones, or alternative therapies, such as acupuncture. Similarly, getting your dog more physical exercise may help.

Any form of dog aggression can pose a serious safety problem for both people and other dogs, as well as making it difficult for you and your dog to live together. Therefore, if your dog is aggressive, do not hesitate to consult a veterinary specialist and ethologist as soon as possible.