{"id":66187,"date":"2022-04-16T11:03:17","date_gmt":"2022-04-16T11:03:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/how-can-you-tell-the-difference-between-aggression-and-fear-in-dogs\/"},"modified":"2022-04-16T11:03:17","modified_gmt":"2022-04-16T11:03:17","slug":"how-can-you-tell-the-difference-between-aggression-and-fear-in-dogs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/how-can-you-tell-the-difference-between-aggression-and-fear-in-dogs\/","title":{"rendered":"How can you tell the difference between aggression and fear in dogs?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_17 counter-hierarchy counter-decimal ez-toc-grey\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"display: none;\"><i class=\"ez-toc-glyphicon ez-toc-icon-toggle\"><\/i><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1\"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/how-can-you-tell-the-difference-between-aggression-and-fear-in-dogs\/#How_can_you_tell_the_difference_between_aggression_and_fear_in_dogs\" title=\"How can you tell the difference between aggression and fear in dogs?\">How can you tell the difference between aggression and fear in dogs?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/how-can-you-tell-the-difference-between-aggression-and-fear-in-dogs\/#Can_fear_based_aggression_in_dogs_be_cured\" title=\"Can fear based aggression in dogs be cured?\">Can fear based aggression in dogs be cured?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/how-can-you-tell-the-difference-between-aggression-and-fear-in-dogs\/#What_are_the_signs_of_fear_in_dogs\" title=\"What are the signs of fear in dogs?\">What are the signs of fear in dogs?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/how-can-you-tell-the-difference-between-aggression-and-fear-in-dogs\/#Is_my_dog_protective_or_scared\" title=\"Is my dog protective or scared?\">Is my dog protective or scared?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/how-can-you-tell-the-difference-between-aggression-and-fear-in-dogs\/#How_do_you_break_a_dog_of_fear_aggression\" title=\"How do you break a dog of fear aggression?\">How do you break a dog of fear aggression?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/how-can-you-tell-the-difference-between-aggression-and-fear-in-dogs\/#What_are_signs_of_aggression_in_dogs\" title=\"What are signs of aggression in dogs?\">What are signs of aggression in dogs?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/how-can-you-tell-the-difference-between-aggression-and-fear-in-dogs\/#Can_you_fix_a_fear_aggressive_dog\" title=\"Can you fix a fear aggressive dog?\">Can you fix a fear aggressive dog?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/how-can-you-tell-the-difference-between-aggression-and-fear-in-dogs\/#How_do_you_reverse_fear_aggression_in_dogs\" title=\"How do you reverse fear aggression in dogs?\">How do you reverse fear aggression in dogs?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/how-can-you-tell-the-difference-between-aggression-and-fear-in-dogs\/#Can_fearful_dogs_recover\" title=\"Can fearful dogs recover?\">Can fearful dogs recover?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/how-can-you-tell-the-difference-between-aggression-and-fear-in-dogs\/#What_causes_fear_in_a_dog\" title=\"What causes fear in a dog?\">What causes fear in a dog?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/how-can-you-tell-the-difference-between-aggression-and-fear-in-dogs\/#What_are_the_fear_stages_in_dogs\" title=\"What are the fear stages in dogs?\">What are the fear stages in dogs?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/how-can-you-tell-the-difference-between-aggression-and-fear-in-dogs\/#What_are_signs_your_dog_is_protective\" title=\"What are signs your dog is protective?\">What are signs your dog is protective?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/how-can-you-tell-the-difference-between-aggression-and-fear-in-dogs\/#How_do_you_tell_if_a_dog_is_aggressive_or_scared\" title=\"How do you tell if a dog is aggressive or scared?\">How do you tell if a dog is aggressive or scared?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/how-can-you-tell-the-difference-between-aggression-and-fear-in-dogs\/#Can_fear_aggression_in_dogs_be_cured\" title=\"Can fear aggression in dogs be cured?\">Can fear aggression in dogs be cured?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/how-can-you-tell-the-difference-between-aggression-and-fear-in-dogs\/#How_do_you_fix_fear_aggression_in_dogs\" title=\"How do you fix fear aggression in dogs?\">How do you fix fear aggression in dogs?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/how-can-you-tell-the-difference-between-aggression-and-fear-in-dogs\/#What_is_considered_an_aggressive_dog\" title=\"What is considered an aggressive dog?\">What is considered an aggressive dog?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/how-can-you-tell-the-difference-between-aggression-and-fear-in-dogs\/#What_triggers_dogs_to_be_aggressive\" title=\"What triggers dogs to be aggressive?\">What triggers dogs to be aggressive?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/how-can-you-tell-the-difference-between-aggression-and-fear-in-dogs\/#How_do_I_fix_my_dogs_aggression\" title=\"How do I fix my dogs aggression?\">How do I fix my dogs aggression?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/how-can-you-tell-the-difference-between-aggression-and-fear-in-dogs\/#Can_an_aggressive_dog_be_cured\" title=\"Can an aggressive dog be cured?\">Can an aggressive dog be cured?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/how-can-you-tell-the-difference-between-aggression-and-fear-in-dogs\/#Do_dogs_grow_out_of_fear_aggression\" title=\"Do dogs grow out of fear aggression?\">Do dogs grow out of fear aggression?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/how-can-you-tell-the-difference-between-aggression-and-fear-in-dogs\/#Can_a_fearful_dog_be_cured\" title=\"Can a fearful dog be cured?\">Can a fearful dog be cured?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_can_you_tell_the_difference_between_aggression_and_fear_in_dogs\"><\/span>How can you tell the difference between aggression and fear in dogs?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>What are the warning signs of fear aggression? <b>A fearful dog will not look like an aggressive dog.<\/b><b>Aggressive dogs try to look large and threatening.<\/b><b>Fearful dogs try to look small and invisible.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_fear_based_aggression_in_dogs_be_cured\"><\/span>Can fear based aggression in dogs be cured?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>While <b>there is no &#8216;cure&#8217; for fear aggression, there are many positive things you can do to help manage the problem and get your dog to a place where she can exist in harmony within an environment which she previously found scary.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_the_signs_of_fear_in_dogs\"><\/span>What are the signs of fear in dogs?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>There are several signs look out for to determine when your dog is feeling fear or anxiety.<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Flattened ears.<\/li>\n<li>Lip licking.<\/li>\n<li>Yawning.<\/li>\n<li>Cowering.<\/li>\n<li>Tail tucked between the hind legs.<\/li>\n<li>Raised hair on the back of the neck.<\/li>\n<li>Avoiding eye contact\/averting the eyes.<\/li>\n<li>Scratching self frequently (when he was not previously itchy)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>30 Mar 2020<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_my_dog_protective_or_scared\"><\/span>Is my dog protective or scared?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Dogs are likely to act with protective\/aggressive behavior, even if they don&#8217;t feel any immediate threats nearby. If a dog feels like their keeper is someone special, it may sit down nearby to guard them. This is more likely to happen whenever people are relaxing or eating somewhere.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_you_break_a_dog_of_fear_aggression\"><\/span>How do you break a dog of fear aggression?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&#8211;<b>Use your dog&#8217;s own body language to keep him calm. Try turning away from the scary thing and pretending to yawn. Keeping yourself calm can help keep your dog calm. Back away from a cage or crate door after you open it and use treats to get<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_signs_of_aggression_in_dogs\"><\/span>What are signs of aggression in dogs?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Here are the most common signs of aggression in dogs:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Stiff body posture.<\/li>\n<li>Ears pinned back.<\/li>\n<li>Growling.<\/li>\n<li>Baring Teeth.<\/li>\n<li>Snarling.<\/li>\n<li>Bites of different intensity (from light snipping to puncturing bites)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>30 Nov 2017<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_you_fix_a_fear_aggressive_dog\"><\/span>Can you fix a fear aggressive dog?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Fear aggression is unlikely to improve with time. Consult with your veterinarian to rule out physical causes for aggression. Your vet may be able to recommend over-the-counter anti-anxiety products, provide a behavior modification plan or refer you to a positive-reinforcement trainer in your area.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_you_reverse_fear_aggression_in_dogs\"><\/span>How do you reverse fear aggression in dogs?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&#8211;<b>Use your dog&#8217;s own body language to keep him calm. Try turning away from the scary thing and pretending to yawn. Keeping yourself calm can help keep your dog calm. Back away from a cage or crate door after you open it and use treats to get<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_fearful_dogs_recover\"><\/span>Can fearful dogs recover?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Will my dog get better? It&#8217;s possible! <b>Most fearful dogs gradually improve with time, training, and trust. But they won&#8217;t likely become outgoing if they&#8217;re naturally nervous or shy.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_causes_fear_in_a_dog\"><\/span>What causes fear in a dog?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Extreme fear and anxiety can occur in dogs for many different reasons. For example, <b>loud noises, storms, fire, and unfamiliar people and places could all trigger fear and anxiety. Fears may also be caused by bad experiences, such as trips to the veterinarian or time spent in boarding kennels.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_the_fear_stages_in_dogs\"><\/span>What are the fear stages in dogs?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>There are two major fear periods in a puppy&#8217;s socialization. One is at <b>8-11 weeks and the other is 6-14 months. These fear periods are evolutionarily programmed and are protective for dogs in the wild. Even though dogs live as pets now, these genetically determined behavioral patterns are still present.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_signs_your_dog_is_protective\"><\/span>What are signs your dog is protective?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Signs Your Dog is Protective of You<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Constant Vigilance.<\/li>\n<li>Immediate Focus on New Stimuli in the Environment.<\/li>\n<li>Alert but Calm Stance.<\/li>\n<li>Moving Between Owner and Possible Threat.<\/li>\n<li>Growling or Barking at Perceived Threats.<\/li>\n<li>Return to Normal if no Threat is Perceived.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>26 Oct 2020<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_you_tell_if_a_dog_is_aggressive_or_scared\"><\/span>How do you tell if a dog is aggressive or scared?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>How do I know if my dog is fear aggressive?<\/b><\/p>\n<li>Dogs that are fear aggressive will often adopt body postures that signal fear while retreating, such as cowering, lip licking and baring teeth.<\/li>\n<li>If your dog is cornered or has nowhere to run, she might growl, lunge, snap or bite in an attempt to get the threat to move away.<\/li>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_fear_aggression_in_dogs_be_cured\"><\/span>Can fear aggression in dogs be cured?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>It is important to note that while the prognosis is good for many fear aggressive dogs <b>there is no &#8216;cure&#8217; for aggression. Behavior can never be guaranteed in people or in animals because there are too many outside factors influencing behavior, mood and emotion.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_you_fix_fear_aggression_in_dogs\"><\/span>How do you fix fear aggression in dogs?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Fear aggression is unlikely to improve with time. Consult with your veterinarian to rule out physical causes for aggression. Your vet may be able to recommend <b>over-the-counter anti-anxiety products, provide a behavior modification plan or refer you to a positive-reinforcement trainer in your area<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_considered_an_aggressive_dog\"><\/span>What is considered an aggressive dog?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Aggressive behavior in a dog refers to <b>any behavior connected with an attack or an impending attack. This includes becoming still and rigid, growling, snarling, baring teeth, lunging, and nipping or biting.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_triggers_dogs_to_be_aggressive\"><\/span>What triggers dogs to be aggressive?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Most often a dog&#8217;s aggression is motivated by <b>fear, anxiety, conflict about what to expect and what to do and the anticipation of possible punishment (see Aggression  Diagnosis and Overview, (Dominance, Alpha, and Pack Leadership  What Does It Really Mean?, and Canine Communication  Interpreting Dog Language).<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_I_fix_my_dogs_aggression\"><\/span>How do I fix my dogs aggression?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Best Ways to Handle Aggression in Dogs<\/b><\/p>\n<li>Discourage dominant behaviors.<\/li>\n<li>Watch out for signs of resource guarding.<\/li>\n<li>Pay attention to socialization &#8211; both with other pets and strangers.<\/li>\n<li>Use positive reinforcement training.<\/li>\n<p>8 Jun 2020<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_an_aggressive_dog_be_cured\"><\/span>Can an aggressive dog be cured?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>However, <b>there&#8217;s no guarantee that an aggressive dog can be completely cured. In many cases, the only solution is to manage the problem by limiting a dog&#8217;s exposure to the situations, people or things that trigger her aggression. There&#8217;s always risk when dealing with an aggressive dog.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_dogs_grow_out_of_fear_aggression\"><\/span>Do dogs grow out of fear aggression?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Second, and perhaps more importantly  these outlier puppies do NOT tend to significantly change their behavior as they get older. In practical terms, this means that <b>fearful, aggressive, or otherwise atypical pups are very likely to grow into fearful or aggressive adults<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_a_fearful_dog_be_cured\"><\/span>Can a fearful dog be cured?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>One of the most important considerations for owners of a fearful dog is to understand that <b>fear is never cured. Any trainer or vet who tells an owner they can cure their dog is either lying or they lack education in the treatment of fear and fear-aggression.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Table of Contents How can you tell the difference between aggression and fear in dogs?Can fear based aggression in dogs be cured?What are the signs of fear in dogs?Is my dog protective or scared?How do you break a dog of fear aggression?What are signs of aggression in dogs?Can you fix a fear aggressive dog?How do&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"spay_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66187"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66187"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66187\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}