Dog Aggression: Why My Dog Bites Me for No Reason?

My Dog Bites MeAccording to the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to animals) just in the United States they estimate that each year more than 6.5 million dogs are abandoned. One of the main reasons for abandonment is the aggression these animals show towards people or other dogs.

Many people who have dogs have already been attacked by them and although generally these attacks do not have a dramatic ending, they are nonetheless traumatic for some. Did once while you were holding your dog while he was barking he finally turned his head to bite you or mark you ? Was your dog ever quietly playing in the park and suddenly a dog attacked him ? If this is the case, on this new article from sparkypup.com we will answer the question: Why is my dog attacking and biting me without reason?

Aggression In Dogs – My Dog Bites Me!

Aggression can manifest itself through a wide range of behaviors and for many different reasons. However, it is possible to observe two types of aggression, offensive aggression and defensive aggression.

The risk factors that trigger your dog’s aggression can be summarized as:

  • the dog’s age
  • the predictability of its attacks
  • the objects that make your dog react badly
  • the factors or circumstances that act as triggers for aggressive behaviors

Ultimately, all that answers: why my dog bites me or attacks me without reason!

Offensive attacks are the ones you absolutely must try to muzzle. The expression of offensive aggression is controlled by the part of the dog’s brain that controls and regulates emotions, memory, hunger and sexual instincts. This aggression is influenced by the perception of the environment (smell, hearing, sight and pheromones) as well as by the learning processes put in place, that is, the socialization of the dog when he was small as well as the experiences lived throughout his life.

Defensive aggression is also controlled by the brain but by a different area. Defensive attacks are also in charge of escape, paralysis in the face of fear, like the so-called deadly bites but it is not they who control the behaviours of stalking and “harassment”.

Why Dogs Become Aggressive

Aggressive dog behavior especially when it is a family pet should be addressed quickly or it may cause danger and scare not only members of your family but also visitors and other people around you. This aggressive behavior is a condition which might have developed since it was a puppy, like being attacked by another dog or it might not like the feeling of being dominated by a master.

Causes of Aggressive Behavior in Dogs

 

The delicate age for a dog behavior development is at the 6th week. Whatever the environment offers makes it influential like socializing with other dogs and training to make them people-friendly. You can apply this to a dog until it is 14 weeks old or can extend longer as you deem necessary.

The things you need to do to bring up a non-aggressive dog are:

  • Let the puppy alone with its litters until 8 weeks old. Avoid using violent discipline to a puppy aged between 8 and 10 weeks but instead treat it tenderly. Talk to it softly and avoid hurting it physically if you want to grow a dog without aggressive dog behavior.
  • The dog must learn to get along with other dogs (many dogs which are highly sociable can get along well with other pets like cats, birds, horses, etc.) and most importantly with people. At age 14 weeks, if you puppy had learned how to socialize you have great chances of an aggressive dog.
  • Provide a conducive and healthy environment when breeding up a puppy, free from mean masters, proper and adequate living conditions with socialization, and protect it from attack by not only other dogs but also other animals.
  • Aggression is also characterized by hereditary and genetics influence…meaning that by nature some dog breeds are aggressive and some are friendly. But it does not follow that a naturally aggressive breed cannot be nurtured to get rid of its aggressive behavior.
  • A dog that wants to establish dominance over a territory shows aggression. Your dog needs to learn that you are the master of the house at a very young age.

 

What to Do When a dog Shows Aggressive Behavior

A dog reaches sexual maturity at the age of 14 months. When it shows signs of aggression at this stage, take appropriate actions immediately. At this time your puppy must have understood it that you are the master. It should not receive any reward after showing aggression out of being scared. That will teach the dog a lesson.

From a dedicated dog training your puppy can easily learn how to follow your commands. Regular, proper feeding and walking train a dog; and teach it that there is a master who attends to its needs. A dog can take freedom in your house if you only allow it.

Aggression in a dog is sometimes a defensive mechanism wherein it can hurt you out of fear. This is the kind of dog which has not learned socialization. Protect your children from it. You need a dog training sessions to improve its behavior and gradually learn how to socialize.

Aggressive behavior in dogs can be prevented before it becomes a problem.  Proper care and attention should be given to growing up a fog and especially a Shih Tzu. However, if the aggressive behavior becomes a threat your ultimate solution is to get a professional to handle the situation or use dog appeasing products like DAP.

 

Does Genetics Influence Aggression?

Many studies prove that genetics is a factor to be taken into account for aggressiveness, thus each breed has a different propensity to be aggressive, that is to say that this probability is not only present in dogs considered potentially dangerous.

A recent study based on goldens retrievers showed that in 80% of cases, aggressiveness is hereditary. Another study carried out on English Spaniel Cocker proved that there is a correlation between genetics and aggressiveness, indeed they demonstrated that levels of aggressiveness could vary depending on the color of the coat of dog hair. In English Springer, aggressiveness is associated with the breeding male.

Nowadays, there is no reliable test to measure aggressiveness. The most reliable information is that given by the people who live with the dogs because they have witnessed situations of aggression in the real life of their dog.

Nevertheless, although there is a genetic contribution to the level of aggressiveness of the dog, the environment also plays a very important role. A good socialization of the dog is crucial in order to avoid all types of problems in the future.

Redirected Aggression

Redirected aggression occurs when a dog is in an aggressive state and redirects it from one source to another. A dog barking at the door may end up redirecting his aggression towards his guardian if he is pushing him from behind. It is more likely that there are redirected aggression problems when there is human intervention, for example, when a person tries to separate a two fighting dogs.

Whenever a dog is in a very intense state of mind, it is possible that he redirects his aggressiveness. Dogs that feel at the top of the hierarchy of the House tend to more easily redirect their aggressiveness to individuals they consider subordinate.

Defensive attacks can also be redirected. For example, a dog who is afraid of unknown people or who is afraid of loud noise can attack the next of person it sees without warning.

The redirection of aggressiveness is nothing more than the misdirected liberation from the frustration that certain situations can cause it.

Why is my dog attacking me for no reason ? – The aggression redirected

How To Calm Down And Treat An Aggressive Dog?

If you have a problem with aggression, you should always go to a specialist to apply the safest and most effective method for the dog and its guardians. Treatment of aggressive behavior may involve a combination of behavior modification techniques:

  • (habituation, counter-conditioning and desensitization)
  • pharmacological therapy
  • surgery (castration, sterilization)
  • and learning to avoid a potentially dangerous situations (inhibition of aggressive behavior).

All cases are unique and the success of a treatment varies depending on the diagnosis as well as the ability and motivation for the training of these animals of companies, moreover, the rehabilitation must be done individually and can not be carried out in group session. Behavior modification is a useful tool for animals with aggressive responses.

Has your dog ever bit anyone or any other dog? Leave us a comment in order to share your experience with us, and as we told you before, in these cases, the most important information comes from the people who live with the dog !

This Post Has One Comment

  1. Kp

    Leave your message…my dog is a 5 pd yorkie I am bruised and bleeding a lot. My dog has a great life but will bite me at times. She even wakes up in the middle of the night an jumps on my other dog. This happens out of no where we’ll all asleep

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