Dog Aggression

Dominance aggression usually occurs when a dog perceives that his place in the pack hierarchy is being threatened. This position can either be in the family or in just the dog pack if there are two or more dogs in the household. This is more common when there is a change such as getting a new puppy, moving, someone moving out of or into the house, or a change in working schedules.

A superiority complex stems from an inferiority complex. If a dog feels insecure, he will put on a show. He may try to be aggressive or dominant. When dogs are insecure in their place in the pack, they will exaggerate his position.

Some breeds of dogs, and some individual dogs, however, tend to be more dominant than others by nature. These dogs tend to be very intelligent as well, and if you’re not careful they can train you before you realize what has happened. This type of dog, if in the wild, would be the leader of a pack of dogs. They have a strong drive to dominate. They like to be very assertive. They are leaders. Because they are natural leaders, it is it is your responsibility to establish yourself as the leader. All dogs want to serve. You should make this trait more dominant and suppress the other trait. This means that the sooner you begin teaching your dog proper behavior, and the more time you spend teaching your dog, the greater will be his need to serve you. If you feel he is challenging you, enroll him in a basic obedience class as soon as possible.

Once your dog understands and can regularly demonstrate ‘sit,’ ‘down,’ ‘stay,’ and ‘settle’ you can begin incorporating these commands in your daily activities. When you command him to ‘down’ while you prepare his meal, ‘sit’ before you give him a treat, ‘wait’ before he goes out the door, you are taking control of these situations by becoming the “leader” and commanding your dog to ‘serve’ you. This reassures the dog about his proper place in the pack hierarchy.

Some owners give in to their dog’s demands and can trigger such behavioral patterns in dogs.

He deserves respect; however, sometimes people confuse respect with giving in to their dogs’ every whim and desire. Do you move over if your dog wants to lie where you are? Does your dog ‘demand’ when you should play with him or give him a treat? These are simple examples that show you are being submissive to your dog. You should be dictating, setting the rules.

Not your dog. You are the leader of the pack. Do not be Submissive to your dog. Many other instances, sometimes complex in nature, can signify your submissive position to your dog. When a dog does not sense that there is a leader of the pack he will many times instinctively assume the leader role Naturally, once the dog assumes leadership, he may become very dominant and aggressive.

Your dog needs to know where he stands in the hierarchy. He needs to know he is at the bottom, below all humans. This does not mean you should be mean or harsh with your dog.

Unfortunately, harsh methods are used to correct a dog in many obedience classes. Sometimes very dominant dogs will not respond to force, punishment, or other means of a negative nature. Over time, (and sometimes quite quickly) these types of actions can be severely detrimental to your dog. If you use harsh techniques and coercion on your dominant dog, instead of making him feel submissive, it can trigger his ‘survival instinct.’ When dominant animals are cornered, they do not submit. They fight back. The more the punishment, or threats of punishment given, the stronger their inborn survival instinct becomes. Therefore, it is very important that you teach with positive ways and praise.

How do I teach my dog not to dig?

Dogs usually dig out of boredom. They will dig holes to escape when they feel frustrated or bursting with energy and need an outlet. They will also dig when they are lonely since dogs are very social animals.

Dogs also dig to eat the soil if they aren’t getting the proper nutrients in their diet. If this is the case, make sure you give your pet a multi-supplement. You can tell if he is eating the dirt (called pica) if his nose is covered with dirt. It could be anemia, but make sure you have him checked by a veterinarian to make sure. A dog can also get serious bacterial infections from dirt. And the digging and constant abrasions to the nose can cause cancer over a period of time, if left to continue digging holes. One of the best ways to prevent digging is by keeping him cool. When he is cool, he won’t need to bother with the earth as their next choice. Check with your vet. There are mood-altering drugs for the extreme cases to stabilize his emotions.

Spend more time together. This will keep his boredom at bay.