Reasons for Pet Aggression

There have been many stories in the news these days about dogs attacking other dogs, their owners, and other animals. There are two possible solutions: either the world is coming to an end and all of the animals are in revolt, or we are not picking up on the signals or reasons for our pets aggression. I suspect it’s the latter…

There are many reasons for aggression in animals and it’s important to understand all of them. This is a look at the most common causes of aggression in animals (particularly dogs) and what you can do to resolve the problems.

[heading style=”2″ color=”#996633″ style_color=”##996633″]Pain Aggression[/heading]

One of the most common causes of aggression in pets is a result of the animal being in pain. Dogs and cats both learn by association (see “learned aggression” below), so if you or another animal accidentally bumps your pet (particularly if your dog is arthritic or suffering from some type of physical ailment), there is every chance in the world that he will learn to associate you (or the other animal) with pain. They may begin to lash out more often, already anticipating a potential source of injury.

Animals are no more interested in suffering than we are. Before you call in a trainer, think about giving your pet up for adoption (or worse, consider euthanasia), please consult with a veterinarian. You owe it to your pets and you owe it to yourself. (Read about our experience with this in (“Training Diaries: Health Checks”)