You may have experienced aggression from your dog but have you ever wondered why dogs attack? Causes of a dogs’ aggression can range from illness to frustration, however it’s important to understand why they attack to try and avoid injury to you and your family. In today’s blog our Vet Clinic on the Mornington Peninsula discusses why dogs attack.
A dog that becomes suddenly aggressive may have a disease or illness. It’s important to visit your vet to rule out illness before you make any other changes to your dog’s lifestyle or routine. Visit our vet clinic on the Mornington Peninsula so we can advise you of any issues that may be apparent with your pooch.
A fearful dog may attack. Abuse, neglect or a traumatic event may have contributed to the dog’s fear. However, a dog may be fearful if it feels trapped or in danger, so watch your dog’s body language. A fearful dog will put its tail between its legs and arch its back.
This type of aggression is caused when a dog protects a possession it puts value on. For example, a dog may growl or snap if you try to touch its food, however it may let you pat it if it’s chewing a rubber toy.
A dog may attack a person due to frustration. Dogs that are tied up or restrained often can get frustrated and redirect this frustration towards its owner in the form of aggression.
This type of aggression is often directed towards other dogs however, sometimes it can be directed towards people. In this circumstance, it’s important to always keep watch of small children when they’re close to a dog with this type of behaviour.
If you need more advice on what to do when you dog shows aggressive behaviour or attacks, please ask one of our friendly staff. You can call our vet clinic on the Mornington Peninsula on (03) 9789 3444 or book online today.
If you are interested in reading more about dogs and dog behaviour, feel free to read through our previous blog posts.
