Having an aggressive dog can be extremely challenging. If your dog is lunging, biting, or attacking other dogs or people, you may feel helpless and wonder if your dog can be rehabilitated. The good news is that most aggressive dogs can be helped with proper training, management, and in some cases, medication. However, it takes time, patience, commitment and often outside help to turn an aggressive dog around.
What Causes Aggression in Dogs?
There are many reasons a dog may show aggression. Genetics and breeding can predispose some breeds like Pit Bulls and Rottweilers to be more reactive and aggressive. However, any breed can develop aggressive tendencies.
Oftentimes, aggression stems from fear and anxiety. Dogs may show fear-based aggression if they lack proper socialization and have negative experiences during their sensitive developmental stages. Pain or illness can also cause dogs to bite defensively. Hyperthyroidism, brain tumors, dementia, and other medical conditions could prompt sudden aggression.
Dogs can also show aggression over resources like food, toys, and attention. This is known as possessiveness. Even normally friendly dogs may react aggressively in situations where they feel threatened or challenged.
Common Types of Aggression
There are several types of canine aggression:
- Territorial aggression – Protecting property, yard, house, car, etc.
- Possessive aggression – Guarding food, toys, treats, etc.
- Fear-based aggression – Biting when frightened or uncomfortable.
- Defensive aggression – Lunging, growling, biting when approached.
- Pain-induced aggression – Biting when hurt or in pain.
- Predatory aggression – Chasing/attacking joggers, cars, bicycles, etc.
- Redirected aggression – Lashing out at another animal or person.
Identifying the specific triggers and context for your dog’s aggressive behavior will help determine the best approach for modifying it.
Can Aggression Be Treated Successfully?
The short answer is yes. An aggressive dog can be rehabilitated, managed, and in many cases, aggression can be resolved completely. However, it depends on the individual dog, the owners’ commitment, and the resources available.
Factors That Affect Rehabilitation Success
Several factors influence whether an aggressive dog can be helped:
- Severity – Milder cases are easier to resolve than severe aggression involving biting and attacks.
- Duration – The longer the dog has shown aggression, the harder it is to change.
- Consistency – Owners must be committed to counterconditioning, training, management.
- Professional help – Working with a veterinary behaviorist or certified trainer greatly improves success.
- Health – Any underlying medical conditions must be treated.
- Breed traits – Some breeds are genetically harder to handle and train.
- Early socialization – Dogs lacking proper socialization have higher aggression risk.
The earlier aggression is identified and treated, the better the prognosis. Puppies and young dogs are easier to rehabilitate than mature adult dogs that have been aggressive for years.
Creating a Rehabilitation Plan
If your dog is aggressive, the first step is having your veterinarian do a full exam to rule out any medical reasons for the behavior. If health problems are contributing, those must be addressed first.
Next, consult a board-certified veterinary behaviorist. Credentialed experts can create an individualized behavior modification plan that targets your dog’s specific aggression triggers.
A comprehensive plan may involve:
- Environmental management – Controlling access to triggers.
- Training – Classical and operant conditioning, counterconditioning.
- Medications – In some cases anti-anxiety meds or others.
- Pheromones – Calming supplements.
- Exercise – Important for anxiety relief.
- Enrichment – Mental stimulation.
- Handling precautions – Muzzle, proper confinement.
With professional guidance, you can implement the plan at home. However, severe aggression cases may require working at a specialized behavior facility for intense rehabilitation.
Management and Precautions
To keep everyone safe while modifying aggression, management precautions are crucial:
- Keep the dog leashed and supervised.
- Avoid exposing the dog to triggers.
- Use baby gates to restrict access.
- Muzzle train the dog.
- Ensure play and social interactions are well-supervised.
- Eliminate opportunities for rehearsing the aggression.
Taking these precautions prevents rehearsal of unwanted behaviors while you work on changing them.
Behavior Modification Techniques
Successfully rehabilitating an aggressive dog requires behavior modification to change its emotional responses and teach alternate wanted behaviors instead. This is a gradual process requiring expertise, consistency and patience.
Common techniques include:
- Classical counterconditioning – Changing the dog’s association with triggers by pairing them with positive things.
- Systematic desensitization – Gradually exposing the dog to triggers at a low enough level it doesn’t react.
- Operant counterconditioning – Reinforcing desired behaviors so they replace unwanted behaviors.
- Obedience training – Teaching impulse control, commands like “leave it.”
- Confidence building – Using rewards, play, training to decrease anxiety.
These techniques reroute the dog’s reactions and teach it new coping skills for dealing with triggers without aggression.
Medications
In some cases, veterinary behaviorists may prescribe medications to help lower a dog’s anxiety, reactivity and impulsivity during the rehabilitation process. Medication can help dogs overcome fearfulness, compulsive behaviors, and low frustration tolerance.
Some medications commonly prescribed for canine aggression include:
- Prozac (fluoxetine) – SSRI
- Clomicalm – Anti-anxiety med
- Buspirone – Serotonin receptor agonist
Medication is most effective when used in conjunction with behavior modification training. The length of time a dog remains on behavior medications depends on their progress. Work closely with your veterinary behaviorist on proper medication usage and weaning.
How Long Does It Take to Rehabilitate an Aggressive Dog?
There is no quick fix for aggression. The time it takes to resolve it varies based on factors like:
- Severity of aggression
- Triggers
- Consistency of owners
- Early intervention
Mild fearfulness or territorial aggression may resolve within 6 weeks with consistent training. More intense aggression cases take 6 months or longer of hard work.
| Aggression Severity | Approximate Duration for Improvement |
|---|---|
| Mild | 4-8 weeks |
| Moderate | 12-16 weeks |
| Severe | 6 months or more |
Don’t expect overnight results. With expert guidance, commitment and hard work, you should see gradual improvements over time. There may be setbacks too. Aggressive tendencies that have developed over years can’t be undone quickly.
Tips for Living With an Aggressive Dog
Managing an aggressive dog requires adjustments to ensure everyone’s safety. Here are some tips:
Supervision
Don’t leave an aggressive dog unsupervised with people or other pets. Keep them on a leash when interacting. Supervise playtime.
Training
Invest time into obedience training, impulse control, and counterconditioning. Well-exercised and trained dogs cope better.
Confinement
Use crates, baby gates and closed doors to restrict access when you can’t supervise. This prevents dangerous interactions.
Consistency
Get everyone in the household on board. Consistency is key in order for new behaviors to stick.
Read canine body language
Learn your dog’s subtle signals like lip licking, yawning, whale eye, and stiffening that indicate discomfort. These provide early warnings before aggression occurs.
Muzzle train
Use a basket-style muzzle to ensure safety and prevent bites when encountering triggers during training.
Avoid punishment
Don’t punish aggressive behavior. This increases anxiety and reactivity. Positive reinforcement methods work best.
Safety first
Your safety is #1. Rehome the dog if you cannot manage the aggression safely.
What’s the Outlook for an Aggressive Dog?
With professional intervention and diligent training, many dogs overcome aggressive tendencies and lead happy lives. However, aggression is a serious problem that shouldn’t be taken lightly.
The long-term outlook depends on:
- Your ability to manage the dog safely
- How early treatment begins
- Your consistency implementing the program
- Genetic factors influencing temperament
- Your acceptance that aggressive tendencies may be managed but not “cured”
In some cases, euthanasia is the safest option if the aggression is extremely severe or the owner is unable to follow safety precautions consistently. Your veterinary behaviorist can help you determine if rehabilitation is realistic.
Realistic Expectations
Aggression cannot be successfully resolved without life adjustments. Expect to make the following long-term:
- Supervise all interactions with people/animals
- Commit to ongoing training & management
- Accept confinement, crating and restricted access will be necessary
- Leash the dog in public places
- Potentially sedate/muzzle the dog in some situations like vet visits
Rehabilitating aggression is intensive work. Consult honestly with your family whether you’re able and willing to make a lifetime commitment to safe management.
When Is It Time to Rehome or Euthanize?
If an aggressive dog injures another pet or person, euthanasia or rehoming may become necessary. This is a last resort after consulting your veterinary behaviorist.
Consider euthanasia if:
- The aggression is severe and unpredictable
- Treatment has not changed the behavior
- You cannot safely implement management precautions
- The quality of life is poor for you and the dog
Consider rehoming if:
- Your lifestyle cannot accommodate safe management
- You do not have the time or resources for rehabilitation
- A breed rescue can safely place the dog in an experienced home
As a last resort, choosing euthanasia or rehoming takes courage but prevents future tragedies. Work with your veterinary behaviorist when faced with these difficult decisions.
Hope Exists If You Stay Committed
Living with an aggressive dog is challenging, but help is available. Despite the severity of your dog’s aggression, there is hope through management, training, medication, and consistency.
Seek out certified professionals, commit fully to rehabilitation, and be patient. With time and hard work, an aggressive dog can learn new, positive behaviors. Your veterinary behaviorist can guide you in determining if your dog can be rehabilitated or if euthanasia/rehoming are the safest options.
Don’t give up easily. With expertise and diligence, many aggressive dogs go on to lead happy, managed lives. Stay safe, yet maintain empathy, patience and hope. Often, an aggressive dog’s behavior stems from fear or lack of training – both of which can be corrected.
