Before you can tame an aggressive dog you must determine from where his aggressiveness comes from. Aggression has served the canine population well. Dogs in the wild use aggression for hunting, defending themselves as well as protecting their resources such as their den, mate and food. Though selective breeding, humans have significantly reduce the amount of aggression our dogs have today, but the fact is: there is still a bit of aggression in every dog.

It can be very difficult to counteract a basic instinct such as aggression. But, as dog owners it is our responsibility to properly socialize our pets and train them to accept and abide by the rules of our world. There are many steps we can take during the life a dog to prevent his aggression from ever showing up at all, and techniques to recognize and treat dog aggression effectively.

There could be as many aggression types as there are dog breeds, in this article we will focus on the two most common:

Aggression toward strangers and aggression towards a family member.

For some of you out there you may just want me to get on with it and tell you how to deal with or stop dog aggression. Well, the two common types of dog aggression have two different ways of dealing with them. So, by identifying the type of aggression your dealing with will direct you to the proper way to handle it.

Dog aggression toward strangers.

If you are having problems with your dog's aggression with strangers, all you need to do is socialize. Dog like people can get scared in unfamiliar situations. With some time spent in a save comfortable atmosphere your dog can be introduced to more people and places, which builds confidence. Once your dog becomes comfortable with meeting new people the aggression should subside. It's up to you to socialize your dog and expose him to as much as possible.

Dog aggression towards a family member.

Aggression toward a family member is much different than aggression toward strangers. If the family member has spent a good deal of time in the same house with the dog and your dog still hows aggression towards that individual then there is a dominance problem. The dog feels as though he out ranks the family member in his pack (family). In the dog pack world aggression is how a dog maintains and moves up the social hierarchy. To curb this type of aggression you need to introduce some obedience training and brush up on your alpha dog techniques.

Learn more about dog behavior. Stop by Matt Closson's site where you can find out all about train your dog to listen and what it can do for you and your dog.

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Written by Matt Closson using tags: animals, dog training guide, dog training tips, Dogs, Home, Pets