Dog Aggression - Factors Contributing To Aggression

Factors Contributing To Aggression

Factors contributing to the likelihood of the development of dog aggression include:

• Anxiety, fear or phobia
• Lack of structure
• Lack of proper exposure to other dogs during the critical socialization period
• Early imprinting by an aggressive or nervous dam
• A traumatic experience
• Territorial behavior
• Thyroid malfunction or other medical conditions
• Abuse from owners
• Medical or physical ailments
• Breeding and genetic predisposition

Dog aggression manifests at the age of adolescence to social maturity (6 months to 4 years). Warning signs such as fear and/or nervousness around other dogs, displays of aggression only under certain circumstances (while on leash, in the presence of food, in the presence of the owner, etc.), or most commonly, over-the-top play behavior can be seen at any stage of the dog's development. Play behavior such as tackling, chasing, mouthing, nipping, pawing, and wrestling are all normal canine behaviors that serve the evolutionary function of preparing the young dog for later combat and hunting. Young dogs that engage in excessive amounts of these behaviors are much more likely to develop dog aggression as they age.

Dog-dog aggression should not be confused with dog-human aggression (in the past, this was referred to as "dominance" aggression when directed at the owner, but is now simply called owner-directed aggression).

Many people commonly mistake fear and anxiety-related aggression as "dominance aggression," which is inaccurate. Dominance is rarely the cause of aggressive behaviors in dogs, with fear and anxiety being the greatest cause of both dog- and human-directed aggression.

Lack of exercise is not a cause of aggressive behavior, although exercise boosts serotonin levels, which offset stress hormones such as cortisol, and can complement a behavior modification program. However, it is a common misbelief that aggressive dogs are "not exercised enough." Many aggressive dogs are exercised regularly.