The good news is that for most cases of aggression, there are ways to prevent the aggression in the first place. Ideally, we should always use prevention methods to try and avoid allowing aggression to develop. There are two main methods of prevention: socialization and training.
Socialization
Socialization and exposure to novel things is probably by far the #1 prevention method. Most cases of aggression relate to a dog being aggressive towards something it is unfamiliar with or feels threatened by.
Socialization is not nearly as difficult as many people think, but if you don’t do it, you run the risk of your dog developing aggression. That goes for the 100 pound rottweiler or the 2 pound Chihuahua. Socialization simply means exposing your dog in a positive manner to all sorts of new people, animals, places, experiences, etc.
It is generally accepted that the most vital socialization window is between 8-12 weeks of age, but socialization is an ongoing process. A puppy’s brain continues to develop and mature, and if doesn’t have continued exposure, he won’t benefit from the brief weeks of exposure prior to 12 weeks of age.
Many owners worry when their dog shows aggression towards children. They are often surprised, in fact. Unfortunately, when asked if the dog had ever spent any time around children, the answer is normally no. This is an example of a dog not properly exposed to an age group of people, and then when he is confronted by them, he doesn’t know how to handle it and is fearful or threatened.
It is imperative that you routinely take your dog into the public world. Make sure he has positive interactions with all kinds of people including all races of people, all ages of people, and all abilities of people (wheelchairs, walkers, canes). Make sure he knows what a person wearing a hat looks like, carrying a bookbag looks like, wearing sunglasses looks like, etc. The more unique interactions he has with a variety of people, the better equipped he will be in adult life.
Dogs that lack this positive exposure to the outside world are ill equipped to handle these types of novel occurrences. Some dogs won’t aggress ever but will experience stress in these situations, and other dogs will demonstrate aggression. You won’t know which one a dog will do until it’s too late. Don’t run the risk in the first place!
Training
Training is another key component of avoiding aggression. Many, many cases of aggression are created because there is a lack of initial training with the dog. Dogs learn through training to control their impulses (delaying instant gratification), alternate ways to behave, and to bond to a handler that they listen to. This creates respect.
Without training, there is a class of dogs that wants what it wants when it wants it; this lack of impulse control can lead to aggression if a dog is frustrated and can’t have it now. Additionally, the dog doesn’t learn to listen to anyone for any reason, which then makes it more difficult once a problem does arise.
Training should be started when the puppy or dog first comes into its new home in a positive, behavior contingent manner. Teach the dog skills like basic sit, down, come, stay, watch me, etc. and then remember to every day ask the dog to perform a skill in exchange for something he wants. This forces him to learn that his behavior controls whether he gets his reward (could be dinner, toys, going in and out of the door, attention, etc.).
There are a few skills all dogs should learn. All of these help avoid aggression in certain situations as well as teach the dog impulse control:
• Watch Me: Give me eye contact on command
• Leave It: Don’t touch that item you’re looking at
• Give: Hand the item over to me
• Stay/Wait: Stay in one spot
• Come: Stop what you are doing and return to me
• Off: Take your body or feet off of whatever it is on
These skills should be combined with routine commands of sit, down, and walking on leash. Teaching of tricks can be a great bonding experience as well and for many dogs is a great addition to the training program.
A dog with a good deal of reliable basic skills means that they are less likely to have aggression issues because the dog has an owner that has invested in it. The dog has learned to listen and respond to someone other than himself. This is important.
Final Note
One last note about prevention, in addition to socialization and training, which focus on the dog’s behavior, don’t skimp on veterinary care. There are cases of aggression that have a medical nature to them. At the first sign of aggression, the family veterinarian should be consulted with. Additionally, signs of genetic aggression often can’t be fully prevented. In these cases, socialization and training are imperative to making the dog the best dog he can be.
Dog aggression and behavior expert with 30 years of experience.
