Categories: Training

Aggressive Golden Retriever : Recognize Aggression Signs & Fix it

Aggressive Golden Retriever : Recognize Aggression Signs & Deal with it?

While most people do not think that agressive golden retriever is a problem, it can be depending how the dog was raised. If a dog or puppy is abused from early on and then you adopt this dog, it can have some aggressive dog behavior that needs to be corrected as soon as possible.

The kind, friendly, and confident manner of Golden Retrievers have made them so popular that many unscrupulous breeders were attracted towards them. As a result, careless breeding of Golden Retrievers have developed several health and temperament problems. Unprovoked Golden Retriever aggression is one such problem that has developed due to irresponsible breeding. Though aggression is an instinctive nature of Golden Retrievers, they were never unwanted. Golden Retrievers had shown aggression to hunt, to defend themselves from other creatures, to defend resources such as food, a place to sleep, and a mate. Golden Retriever aggression has been classified in several ways — dog aggression, food aggression, aggression towards strangers, and aggression towards family members are some of the common types.

Aggressive Golden Retriever Dog : rare but it can happen.

It is rare for a Golden Retriever dog to turn out to be aggressive, but it can happen. There are many causes for this type of behavioral issues. In some cases, poor propagation can result in an aggressive Golden Retriever. Golden Retrievers usually don’t truly care about dominance and tend to be very good at accepting their status as a subordinate member of your family pack. Even so, that doesn’t mean that it can’t happen. Dominance issues are one of the most common reasons for aggression.

Most often times, Golden Retriever dog aggression issues will simply be acting out of fear. This is acknowledged as defensive aggression. For instance, if your golden was hurt by a big dog or young child when she was youthful, she may react aggressively when uncovered to these triggers later on in life. Dealing with defensive aggression can be scary and irritating at the same time. While you do not want to scare your dog or cause more emotional trauma, you naturally want to decrease the incidences of aggressive behavior.

One of the most important things you can do when dealing with defensive aggression is to not disregard the problem. It is important to deal with the issues as soon as possible mainly because aggression can increase over time if not properly addressed.

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Facts About Golden Retriever Dog Aggression.

Aggressive behavior can begin with some Golden retriever dogs when they are as youthful as five or six weeks old! At this point, many dogs or puppies are still being weaned and haven’t even left the breeder. This is why it is very important to invest in your golden retriever from a reputable breeder. You should also take the time to meet your pup’s parents to see if they have any behavioral issues.

One good way to stop aggressive behavior is to make sure that your dog or puppy is properly socialized. A critical period for socialization is from the time a dog is 6 weeks old until he or she is 14 weeks old. Following your puppy is weaned and has received her first sequence of shots, you can take her out in public. Some people choose to socialize their dog in public before she has acquired shots. You can minimize the risk of your dog contracting a virus by holding her while out in public. immediately after your dog has been properly immunized, you can take her to family outings in the park, to the dog park, or even to the pet store. taking your dog out to these spots is a great way to expose your dog to people and other pets

How to Recognize the Signs of Aggression In golden Retrievers.

Aggressive behavior in any dog is easy to spot, ears will be laid back, teeth showing and body more in a downward slant as if to attack its prey. In addition, you should be able to recognize the signs of dog aggression to learn how to deal with an aggressive golden retriever dog. This signs can include:

  • Dominate aggression is typically the bully type of aggression, which can lead to food dominance or having problems with dogs or people.
  • Fear aggression typically happens when the dog is so afraid that they go into a fight or flight mode. Typically their tail may be between their legs even when they are showing signs of aggression.
  • Territorial aggression happens when there is typically more than one dog in the home and one is territorial over food or toys.
  • Some dogs become very aggressive when they are possessive of their owners. This means that they may bite or growl if others approach their owner.
  • Many dogs become aggressive with punishment which is the direct cause of humans. This means harsh punishment (which is abuse) can lead to the dog becoming aggressive to protect itself.
  • Some dogs display aggression when they are in pain, especially a senior dog, therefore it is important not to lift a dog that is in pain.
  • Maternal aggression, if your golden retriever dog just had a liter of puppies, you might not want to begin playing with the puppies straight away because this can cause the motherly instinct to kick in and make her aggressive toward you. This typically happens during the first few days after giving birth, and it is the mama dog’s responsibility to protect her babies.

It is important to recognize the type of golden retriever aggression that your dog is displaying because sometimes it is just situational, such as pain aggression. Dogs are like people and they deal with pain differently, which means that some dogs want you to comfort them when they are in pain and others want you to leave them alone.

It is vital you know the cues your dog is giving you so that you understand if it is situational or if your dog needs obedience training. While golden retrievers are not know for their aggressiveness, any dog in certain situations can become aggressive.

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Golden Retriever Dog Aggression And Biting

Golden Retriever aggression and biting isn't actually that uncommon, it affects thousands of dogs and dog owners each and every year. Half of all the dogs out there bite someone or another dog at least once in their life. Dog biting is not desired behavior, no matter whether it is aimed at humans or dogs you need to put a stop to it as early as possibly can.

By stopping this behavior as early as you can you will be able to prevent the chance of your dog developing anti-social habits.

If you can stop your dog from biting as early as you can then you will be able to have a nice friendly dog which will not be a risk to other dogs or other people.

When stopping dog biting too many people don't stop to think about the actual reasons for it happening, actually Golden Retriever aggression and biting are two very natural things when they are in danger or feel threatened. Your dog might bite because he is scared or for a variety of other reasons.

If your dog is stressed for example then he might bite, just think about what you do when you're in a foul mood. Some people may become aggressive when they are in a bad mood, and dogs are exactly the same. There are different ways that humans can relieve this pressure, however dogs don't have as many options.

In order to stamp out Golden Retriever aggression and biting you need to show your dog that any such behavior is completely unacceptable to you. There are a number of different things that can cause dog biting and aggression, including fear, when they are with young, or when they feel threatened. If you are aware what causes dog aggression and biting then you may be able to avoid all of these things.

The next important step that you want to look at is training your dog, you will be able to train your dog so that he doesn't show any aggression. It's possible to do this training yourself or with the help of a professional. If you train your dog properly then he will be able to know that it is wrong to bite.

There are also a number of other options that you have when you want to find ways to stop your dog biting. If you notice that your dog is biting from a young age then you stand a better chance of getting the problem sorted out easily. You need to socialize your puppy with other people and dogs to make him feel comfortable around strangers.

Try to get your dog used to other people touching and petting him, you can do this by allowing your dog to sniff each new person before they are allowed to pet him. Your dog will enjoy this as it is like a handshake!

Make sure that you do not tease your Golden Retriever dog, teasing your dog might get some good reactions but it's not good for your puppy. Teasing games will only aggravate the puppy and make him annoyed.

So if you have a puppy that is biting then now is the right time to start training him not to bite. A puppy's bites may not hurt at this stage, however they will do very soon! Make sure that you socialize your dog and get him completely used to strangers before he reaches adulthood. If you do all of these things then you should be able to stop your dog being one of the ones that bites other people!

Nobody wants a Agressive Golden Retriever that bites, fortunately you don't have to put up with it any longer! You will learn how to deal with it.

Dealing With an Aggressive Golden Retriever Dog.

When your dog acts inappropriately, it is important that you don’t do the same. This means that you should never discipline your young puppy harshly, especially if she is between 8 to 10 weeks old. When you discipline your dog, do not hit her with your hand or another object, yell at her, or use other harsh discipline methods. This can actually backfire and cause more aggression, especially if your dog is defensive aggressive.

1- Aggressive Golden Retriever Dog : Nature Or Nurture?

In Golden Retrievers, the majority of the cases of dog aggression and food aggression have genetic components. According to one such study, breeding for calmness in Golden Retrievers have messed the fundamental brain chemistry of the dog resulting in unwanted aggression. Selective breeding against the nature of the dog has fastened the process. However, if a Golden Retriever has developed a dog aggression or food aggression we can at least control it through proper socialization and obedience training. Living conditions, excessive punishment, being attacked or frightened by an aggressive dog also influence aggression in Golden Retrievers.

While genetics may play a role in raising aggressive behavior, environment can play a huge role. If your dog is abused or neglected, she will have a very good chance of starting to be aggressive. A dog that has poor living conditions, very harsh masters and no social expertise is very most likely to develop behavior issues.

2- Controlling Aggressive Behavior Once It Has Started.

If your dog shows aggressive behavior immediately after one year of age, you will need to address the problem quickly. You may need to enlist the help of a trained professional to do this.

Recall that it is important to not reward your dog for aggressive behavior. If you deal with your dog or pet your dog immediately immediately after aggressive behavior, you are in essence rewarding that behavior.

If your dog becomes aggressive since it is fearful, you will need to take some time to work on social competencies and socialization. You should also seek the advice of a trained professional who has practical experience dealing with defensive aggressive behaviors.

Aggression can be controlled. Nonetheless, it is very important to take the steps necessary to solve the problem as an alternative of ignoring behaviors and hoping that they will go away on their own.

Here are some tips for Controling Agressive Golden Retrievers Aggressive Behavior :

Firstly you need to work out why your dog is biting. Once you know the reasons then you will be able to isolate these and work on correcting them.

We're going to take a look at a few tips which might be enough to make your life slightly easier.

1. Social Life

While your Golden Retriever puppy is young you should make sure that he socializes with as many other dogs as possible. This will help him to understand that the other dogs and people are not a threat, and in actual fact they can all get on like a house on fire! When your Golden Retriever puppy is young it might look cute when your puppy bites, however it's certainly not cute when your puppy gets older!

2. Consistent

In order for your Golden Retriever dog to learn anything you need to be consistent. Whenever your dog bites anybody, anything or any other dog then you need to show him that it's just not acceptable. Once he starts to learn that biting is not acceptable then he will slowly learn not to do it.

3. Don't get too annoyed

Dogs thrive on contact with other people and so you cannot just ignore him when he does something wrong. If your dog is agressive then tell him off, then for a few minutes do nothing, however after that stroke him and pet him. You need to show your Golden Retriever dog that you still love him, otherwise he will only get annoyed, just make sure you keep your hands a long way away from his mouth!

4. Don't hit your dog

When you are telling your dog off some people may tell you to strike your dog. However this is never a good idea. It isn't sensible to strike your dog because he is being disobedient, or aggressive. Just give him a warning. Physical punishment is a surefire way to lose your puppies trust forever. Trust is vital for any future relationship you have with your dog to be a success.

5. Don't play too roughly

If your Golden Retriever is aggressive then you shouldn't play roughly as this might encourage him to bite you. By playing roughing you are actually showing him that this behavior is ok. You need to show that it is not acceptable for your dog to do anything you don't like. By playing rough he will think that it's ok to play rough with you too.

Some dogs are harder to stop biting or being agressive than others which may cause you a lot of frustration. However there are plenty of other methods to help you find ways how to get dog to stop biting.

6. Water spray

You could get one of those spray water bottles used to mist plants and put some water in it. Whenever your dog does anything you don't like then you can say no, and spray him with water. This should startle your dog, and as he doesn't like it he should associate it with being bad.

7. Praise

Another option is to reinforce everything good that he does. Whenever he does anything right then give him lots of praise. Positive reinforcement is thought to be much more effective than negative punishment. All dogs love treats and praise, so if you only give it to them when they deserve it then they will soon get the idea.

3- Proper Socialization Can Limit Golden Retriever Dog Aggression.

Though Golden Retrievers are equally amiable with both strangers and those familiar to them, they sometime show aggression towards both of them. The reasons may vary for a Golden Retriever aggression towards strangers and towards family members. One reason why a Golden Retriever shows aggression towards strangers is that they might never have the chance to get used to them. Again proper socialization and lot of outings can solve the problem. Socializing Golden Retriever means that you start exposing them to a wide variety of new experiences, new people, and new animals from a young age.

Aggression towards family members can be commonly because of two reasons— either your Golden Retriever is trying to defend himself from a perceived threat, which he sees in any of the family member or he is not comfortable with the treatment he is getting from you or other members of the family. Golden Retrievers have an overly-possessive behavior and when you try to take away his belongings or you approach it when it is eating, they develop aggression against you. This resource guarding nature of Golden Retrievers which gives rise to aggression actually boils down to the issue of dominance. Your Golden Retriever has a tendency to rank each member of the family, and has his own perception of where he ranks in that environment as well. And a higher-ranked Golden Retriever acts aggressively in defense of resources.

The best way to treat Golden Retriever aggression is consistent and frequent obedience work with lot of socialization. In fact, the earlier you start the socialization process the lesser are the chances of aggression. Golden Retrievers also show aggression if they are not handled and groomed properly. Picking up his paws and touching them with the clipper and taking them into the bath definitely helps in reducing the chances of aggression. Never try to push or punish you Golden Retriever while you are training or playing with him, such things will only promote Golden Retriever’s aggression.

Don’t forget that properly socializing your Golden retriever dog before she is 14 weeks of age can genuinely help to decrease her possibilities of acquiring aggressive behavior later on in life.

Conclusion about how to deal with an agressive golden retriever dog

Agressive Golden Retriever can quickly become a serious problem which is often blamed entirely on the dog.  However your dog doesn't know any better, and so it is actually your responsibility as the owner to get the problem sorted.

It can be very frustrating when dogs bite, however it is possible to stop your dog biting and being agressive today.

So, Keep in mind that golden retriever dogs are smart, therefore, if you recently adopted a full grown dog and it is showing signs of aggression, you should immediately get your golden retriever dog in an obedience training course.

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Patrick Astim

Dr. Patrick Astim (PhD) was born in Northern Ireland and grew up in United States, he attended College for undergraduate studies from 1992-1996 and the University of Veterinary Medicine from 1997-2001. His professional interests include stem cell therapy, immunotherapy, pet therapy, soft tissue surgery, oncology, and internal medicine. In his free time, Dr. Astim enjoys blogging and many outdoor activities including golfing, playing basketball and helping animal shelters. He also enjoys sharing his enthusiasm for Golden Retriever dogs and veterinary medicine with the next generation of veterinarians and is always willing to spend time visiting classrooms as well as mentor current and prospective veterinary students. Dr. Astim is married and has two children: Scot, and Sarah. There are also two Golden Retriever dogs, Leia and Molly and a cat, Nita, that live under the Astim’s roof.

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Patrick Astim