Fear Aggression

How can you tell if it is fear based aggression?

With nervous and fear aggressive dogs, you will find that they will react similarly to any dog, regardless of whether it is male or female. The behavior is often worse if the dog is on the lead or is cornered, especially if close to the owner, who backs up the behavior, (though unwittingly) by becoming nervous and agitated as another dog approaches.

This manifests itself in a tightening up on the lead and shoulders because of the expectation of conflict. Nervous owners experience a rush of adrenaline which the dog instantly detects and causes it to look for what is causing the concern. It sees the dog approaching and reacts accordingly. This type of dog is also normally a barker, it will lunge and bark at the approaching dog but generally will not snap, unless all its options have run out (i.e. flight or freeze) and after all it’s threatening behavior the other dog still gets too close.

This problem can often be diagnosed if someone who is confident around dogs (that the dog does not know well) takes it out on the lead. It will not get the same fearful vibes from the owner, therefore the reaction to another dogs approaching will be less intense. It is a good way of finding out if your dog suffers fear aggression as the behavior will either not be exhibited or will be less pronounced. The owner can then use a desensitization program for both the dog and themselves.