Dog Aggressive Possessiveness

Taken from John Bisnar’s Publication on Dog Aggressive Possessiveness on December 11th, 2012

Dog Bites – Aggressive Possessiveness

Dog aggression is a serious problem that causes dogs to lash out at other animals, humans, and especially children. Up to 3 million people a year suffer from dog bites with more than half a million causing serious injuries and more than half of those serious injuries were to children.

There are eight different types of dog aggression:

• Fear
• Dominance
• Possessiveness
• Protectiveness
• Predation
• Punishment
• Pain
• Intraspecific aggression

What we are going to focus on is “aggressive possessiveness” , a form of aggression where the dog will bite another dog that it competes with for food, toys, etc..  A dog may also become aggressive if the dog perceives it’s family is being threatened in which case the dog becomes protective thus provoking aggressive behavior. Another type of aggressive possessiveness is territorial aggression. Dogs can become territorial just about any place that they frequent and have marked and can become aggressive toward other dogs that are being walked in the area.

Here are some tips on what to do if your dog is aggressive possessive around other dogs:

• Obedience training is the first recommended step. Dogs need discipline to understand that you are the pack leader. If you are unable to find the time to train your dog then it is recommended that you hire a dog trainer.
• It is imperative that your dog is exercised daily. Not only will it relieve them of the tension that builds from being inside all day, but you can use dog walking as a way to teach your dog good social skills.
• Dogs need affection too. However, according to dog training expert Cesar Millan, your dog should “work for your affection”. Giving your dog love is a good thing, but make him come to you because you are the pack leader and gently and frequently reinforcing this will help you discipline your dog.
• Socializing your dogs will teach them to be less protective and less aggressive. Dogs can become territorial over their entire neighborhood and a dog that has not had much interaction with other dogs will especially be aggressive and possessive towards other dogs.
  • When socializing your dog you will want to reinforce positive behavior. Start by walking them where there are other dogs. When a dog is passing by make your dog sit and give him a treat and compliment him for being a good dog. This teaches the dog  that other dogs are not a threat.
  • One mistake that people often make with a dog aggressive dog is to pull  back tightly on the leash when another dog is passing by. This does 2 things. 1) The dog will automatically resist you and 2) It sends a message to the dog that the other dog is a threat. If you are pulling the dog back and saying no, the dog perceives that as negative and can become even more aggressive.
  • A great tool to use when socializing your dog and breaking aggressive behavior is a shaker that can be homemade. Simply put some small rocks, marbles or whatever you choose to use in an empty plastic juice container, duck tape a handle to it that can be made out of pcp piping and you have a great training tool. This is used to keep dogs from fighting. If your dog and another dog become aggressive towards each other simply shake this between them and it will distract and change their behavior. It is safe and effective. Of course you will want to have treats on hand as each time your dog shows positive behavior you will want to reinforce it by rewarding him.

  The above tips are just a few that are necessary to have a healthy, happy, and friendly dog. For more information go to sources below.

  A dog bite injury in California can be a serious offense leading to a personal injury lawsuit. This can be devastating for the dog bite victim and the dog owner. So, it is in your best interest to know the dog laws that govern your state.