How to Stop Aggressive Behavior in Dogs: Tips for Formerly Abused Dogs

For this Omaha dog training session we worked with 4 year-old Pit Bull Bella on how to stop aggressive behavior in dogs. Lately, her guardians have been concerned that she has been acting aggressive towards men and other dogs.

Since Bella has some dog aggression, she was kept away from Kai, the family’s 3 year-old Rottweiler. I asked for Bella to be loose when I arrived for the session so I could evaluate her human aggression.

Bella was upset while I waited outside the door for her to calm down. Excitement or over stimulation is often a contributing factor to aggressive dog behavior.

I waited several minutes for Bella to calm down. She couldn’t relax, so her guardians had her hang out in the basement. According to them, she spends a lot of time there.

Some dogs are aggressive to people, some act that way to dogs and some to both. Bella fell into the later category so her guardians kept her separated from Kai. Once Bella was away, playful Kai came out and said hello.

How to Stop Aggressive Behavior in Dogs

I spent the first part of the session going over the reasons dogs act aggressive. In Bella’s case, a negative experience with a male who abused her was the primary issue. But her guardians also made an environment where the dog likely feels she must protect the house and its people.

There are many other reasons dogs act aggressive. One of the most common is fear. When a dog feels threatened and can’t escape, they may react aggressively. Signs of fear in dogs include shaking, whining, pacing, barking, or cowering.

Frustration is another cause of aggression. If a dog can’t get what they want, such as attention or a toy, they may act out.

Pain from an injury or illness can make a dog act aggressively. They may be trying to show their discomfort. If a normally calm dog suddenly becomes aggressive, it could be a sign that something is wrong physically.

Some dogs are also aggressive because they are guarding resources like food, toys, or even their owner. Possessiveness can lead to aggression if the dog feels protective over these things.

Finally, a lack of socialization, especially in puppies, can result in aggressive behavior. Without proper socialization, dogs may not know how to interact well with other dogs, people, or new situations.

After sharing some dog behavior tips for a healthy leader-follower dynamic, I want to give tips for Bella. These tips will help her have positive feelings about men. I summarized this lesson for stopping aggressive behavior towards men in the free dog training video below.

It is important for the guardians to practice these positive dog training exercises often. This will help them gain momentum. The more Bella is exposed to men in a pleasant and positive way, the less she will see them as a threat.

Stopping dog aggression involves placing the dog in situations where they encounter what they dislike. This should be done in a way that makes the dog feel safe and not threatened. The goal is to prevent any need for the dog to react. We call this “sub threshold.”

Tips for Stopping Dog Aggression

If the guardians work at Bella’s pace and practice every day or every other, they should notice her aggression decreases progressively. This won’t be an overnight solution. I think we will need a follow-up session soon, where we can work on reducing dog aggression with some BAT training or counterconditioning.

First, the guardians should change the leader-follower dynamic at home. They can do this by enforcing rules and adding structure. They should also pet with a purpose. Finally, they need to recognize and reward good actions and behaviors.

To help the guardians remember the tips from our dog training session, we made a roadmap to success video. You can watch the free video below.