Unfortunately for some dogs, something has happened to have traumatized them into becoming very fearful at times. The fear that they are feeling is so strong,  that they may actually respond to their fear with aggressive behavior. Some for of trauma that he has gone through previously has resulted in his fearful disposition. On other occasions some dogs have what seems to be an irrational fear of things such as very loud noises-perhaps the loud sounds of  a thunderstorm or gunshots sets them off.

A dog suffering from fear aggression shows a very distinct body language. The signs of fear aggression are very hard not to notice, and I bet you have seen them before. You can recognize fear aggression when you spot a dog that is cringing and skulking around with a greatly exaggerated submissive posture. The dog that is suffering from fear aggression will also carry his tail tucked between his legs and next to his tummy, his ears will be pulled back, and his teeth will be displayed in a snarl as he moans, whines and even growls. All it takes is one look at a fearful dog  and you know it is really suffering.

Do not try to pet or comfort a dog that is displaying fear aggression. Sometimes a dog going through fear aggression will lash out at anything that is near him-whether it is whatever he is actually so afraid of, or a person nearby. This is an example of misdirected aggression and you want to be sure it is not misdirected towards you.

In order to correct the fear aggression problem, it will mean first diagnosing the actual reason behind the fear itself. What caused this dog to have such a pronounced problem? If you have had the dog since it was a puppy you probably know what happened to traumatize your dog-whether another person or dog abused it or if it has always been terrified by lightning. Your dog may have come to you with pre-existing traumas that caused his fearful ways-for example, he may have been abused by a previous owner. Try to figure out what is triggering his fear episodes by noticing if his fear aggression comes when the dog is around certain types of people, for instance, or maybe when he is around a dominant dog. If your dog begins to act very fearful and becomes aggressive at the approach or another dog or a particular person, you can start to get a pretty clear idea of what is going on inside his poor head. In the case of fear due to loud noises, that is also an obvious one to diagnose. There are time when the root of your dog's fears are not easy to figure out, and may even be due to some sort of mental issues your pet is suffering from.

If the cause of your dog's problem is not apparent, you can consult with a professional dog behaiorist to diagnose the reason for his fear. Remember, in order to correct the fear aggresion problem, you need to figure out what originally brought it about.

Once you hav established the actual cause that triggers your dog's aggression and fear, you can begin to desensitize him and overcome his condition. For a dog that is frightened when around other dogs, you can start his training by exposing your dog to other, friendly dogs in frequent short sessions until he finds he can relax around other dogs without being attacked. You should have him on his leash so he can't run away or make a lunge at the other dog. If your dog is known to lunge when fearful, you may want to also use a muzzle to prevent him accidentally biting you during the training.

Be sure you only use positive techniques while working with your dog. That is because any yelling or punishing, such as hitting him if he makes a  lunge, will surely only aggravate his fear issues. To correct the problem of fear aggression, you are going to have to be very patient and understanding with your dog. The problem of fear aggression is curable, but you will have to make sure to take the effort and the time needed to remove the trauma's effects from your dog's psyche.  Of course, the effort is well worth it, if you can help your dog become well adjusted and happy pet.

I sure hope you have a better understanding of fear aggression so you can get to correcting this problem if your dog has it.

I have many more helpful articles about dog aggression and other dog behavior problems and on dog obedience training techniques for you to read at: www.BehaveDoggy.com.

Please click here to read my full review of the best on line dog training program.

 

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