Every dog has the potential of being an aggressive dog. Many believe that all dogs of a certain breed are naturally aggressive but the truth is, the ones believed to be aggressive are the ones that people often train to be mean.
Let’s take the pit bull breed for example. Pitt Bulls are not overly mean and aggressive by nature. Often they are very sweet in nature and mild tempered. The reason for the misconception is that the pit bull is a very common dog for people to train to be mean.
While it is true that a dog of a certain breed is not guaranteed to be mean, all dogs have a personality of their own. If you find yourself with an aggressive dog then you need to take precautions for your safety and the safety of any children you have.
So what do you do if you get a dog that is a bit on the aggressive side?
Well it depends on how aggressive they are and what it is that gets them going. One form of aggression is when your dog crouches down with their belly close to the ground like they are ready to spring in for the attack while growling and barking.
It is usually best to just pretend that your dog is not even there when they do this. The worst thing you can do is look them in the eye because by doing that you are issuing a challenge and it will turn into a game of who is in control.
Never push at your dog or try to spank him when he is doing this or it will turn into a game. Once it becomes a game for your dog it will be very hard to break him of doing it.
If your problem is aggressive with food then you might want to consider staying around him when he is eating.
Never touch an aggressive dog while he is eating his food.
Start out by just being in the same room as your dog and slowly work your way a little bit closer each meal. Always use caution when doing this and pay close attention to the signs your dog is giving you. If he is getting nervous then do not get any closer.
When you have a very aggressive dog the best thing you can do is to use caution when around your dog and talk to a dog trainer on the best way to handle your individual situation.
It is very common to run into dog training problems. This is normal and with a bit of patience both you and your dog will get past the hurtle and be very happy because of it.
The next time you find yourself wondering “Is my dog getting aggressive?” look for the tell tale signs and train it out of him.
