Aggression: Other considerations

  • Dogs that are in pain or are ill may be more likely to bite if approached or touched - so owners must try to be aware of their dog's physical state at all times.
  • Something that can make aggressive behaviour worse is that we tend to punish dogs and puppies for displaying the more minor threat displays such as growling, baring teeth or air snapping which dogs use as a warning. When a dog is threatened at a later stage, he may then completely skip the warnings and go straight to biting because he has learnt from experience that he will be punished for showing these ‘lesser’ displays.
  • A dog that shows aggressive behaviour is not a “bad” dog. Biting and aggression is a normal, natural behaviour for all dogs, as are warning displays. However natural, it is unacceptable when dogs live with humans and it is a sad fact that many dogs are destroyed because they have bitten when this could have been prevented.
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