Reasons for Pet Aggression
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[heading style=”2″ color=”#996633″ style_color=”##996633″]Learned Aggression[/heading]
Dogs learn by association and once they have used a negative behavior to obtain results they want, they will begin to do it more often.
For example, Fedex arrives to leave a package. As soon as the bell rings, the dog barks and lunges at the door. The Fedex driver then leaves the package on your step and walks back to his truck.
In a dog’s mind, his barking eliminated the threat. Your dog has just learned that if he barks, the person will leave, and he will then repeat this behavior each time the doorbell rings.
The same premise holds true for other things, such as children. If a dog snaps at a child who is petting him against his will, the child will usually pull away and leave. Snapping becomes an effective method for eliminating a threat.
[bt_quote style=”big-quote” width=”0″]”In the mind of an animal, everything is ’cause’ and ‘effect’.” –Stacy Mantle[/bt_quote]
