The thing with dogs and aggression is that many pet owners think that there is only one type of aggression. However there are many different types of aggression amongst dogs and the whole subject of aggression is a lot more complex than first thought.

I thought that I should explain each type of aggression in dogs because regardless of the breed, size or sex of the dog, if a dog bares his teeth, growls or snares at something or someone it should be taken seriously. Especially as every year there are many accidents that involve aggressive dogs attacking someone causing a serious injury or even death.

Below are the different types of aggression explained in detail.

Type 1: Dominance Aggression

This type of aggression will be displayed when your dog comes across another dog. One dog will think it is more dominant than the other leading both to be aggressive towards each other and fight. This is because both dogs will not want to show weakness. This type of dog is dangerous and will usually pull on a lead. If you have spotted dominance aggression from a young age then it should be dealt with as soon as possible. If, however, the dog is not a puppy, then some proper training needs to be done; teaching your dog to walk close and not pull on a lead is one way of solving this problem.

Type 2: Fear Aggression

When a dog is afraid or feels insecure then they can aggressively snap out at any disturbance whether it is at a noise, or a person approaching that the dog does not feel safe around. Many pet owners interpret this aggressive behaviour as protective behaviour. However, a lot of the time they are incorrect and have suffered serious injury because of it. Pet owners who think the dog will overcome this are mistaken and will need to seek some professional help.

Type 3: Territorial/Overprotective Aggression

This type of aggression is when a dog is overprotective of its current territorial location. This can be anywhere such as out walking, in the garden or in bed. The dog may growl, bite or lunge at any animal or person that approaches or violates his space. A dog that displays this type of aggression can be especially dangerous around small children left on their own with the animal.

Type 4: Possessive Aggression

Possessive aggression is when a dog displays aggressive behaviour (such as growling, biting, snapping or baring his teeth) towards a person or animal that tries to touch anything the dog believes is his or hers. This can be food, a toy or even a blanket. If this is the case with your dog it is likely that it started from a young age. If you notice this behaviour in a puppy then you should modify this behaviour through training. This will help to avoid any serious injury being caused by your dog later on in life.

Type 5: Punishment Aggression

This type of aggression occurs when a dog is punished or ‘told-off’ by its owner for doing something it shouldn’t be doing; such as knocking over and breaking a vase. It is often a response rather than an attack but it is still counted as aggressive behaviour. The more this type of dog is told-off, the more aggressive its response is likely to be.

Type 6: Pain Aggression

Dogs, just like people, have a thresh-hold for pain and when that limit is reached the dog can act out aggressively. This usually happens when a dog is in discomfort and the owner is trying to find the source of the pain; if touched it can cause the dog to lash out. This can also happen if the owner is grooming the dog without realising the dog has any injury.

Type 7: Predatory Aggression

Predatory aggression is when a dog’s natural predatory instincts take over and cause the canine to chase after any moving thing. This can be a jogger, a cyclist, a cat or even another dog. This may be a natural instinct of the dog but if it frequently occurs then it can be due to aggressive behavioural issues. The dog may not hurt the moving thing once it has caught it but that is not a risk an owner should be willing to take.

Type 8: Maternal Aggression

This type of aggression is mostly found in female dogs that are looking after their new litter of puppies. A dog that has a litter will more than likely snap, bite or growl when somebody approaches them; they do this on instinct to protect them.

Type 9: Dog Aggression

This often happens between two dogs of the same sex that are competitive, territorial and are completely focused on dominance. The barks, growling, lunging and biting in older dogs is usually seen in puppies when they are learning and playing. Teaching and modifying dog’s behaviour when they are at a young age is vital. This is because when developed over a long period of time, these aggressive tendencies become habitual and instinctive making them harder to break.

Type 10: Redirected Aggression

This type of aggression usually occurs when a dog is already in the midst of being aggressive due to one of the above reasons. An actively aggressive dog will have adrenaline pumping round its body and so if a person or animal interrupts or tries to approach, then the dog’s aggression will turn and focus on that person/animal.

Thanks for reading this article about Dog Aggression. Keep checking back for future blog posts by our writers here at Animal Friends Also, keep an eye open for next Wednesday when I write about how to look for signs of aggression. In the meantime get a quote for your animal friend.

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