bluesky said:The most common reason that dogs are aggressive I would say is because they are:
1. Mistreated and/or don't get enough exercise
2. The dog think that the person is inside their territory and is a threat to the dog and it's pack.
Most of the time problems with a dog is actually mostly a problem with the owners, talk to them first before you try any other solution, maybe the owner should get a better leash for their dog or even put up a fence around their garden. Explain the situation to them and how you feel about it!
If you do get attacked by a dog at some point don't behave like your instincts tell you to, instead remain calm an relaxed, don't look at it, DON'T RUN, DON'T FIGHT, close your fists so that it can't bite your fingers and just ignore it completely. This way of behaving has worked for me many times when dealing with feral dogs in the woods. I usually carry a gun with me as well but I have never had to use it so far.
Exactly. Ive trained several of the dogs ive owned. First and foremost - dogs are pack animals. Not that they 'have' to be in a pack, but they look to a 'leader' to bring them into focus/task at hand. Dogs dont live in the past or present, they live in the 'now'.
Aggressive dogs/problem dogs typically have pent-up/misdirected/mis-channeled energy DUE TO THE OWNERS (PACK LEADER/S) not responding to the needs of the dog breed itself. For instance, pit bull/terrier breeds are highly notorious for being a HIGHLY energetic breed. They're BULL TERRIERS, they were bread to be used in herding bull/cattle. Raising a terrier its really important to hike/walk/run with the dog multiple times a week. Lots of pullin exercises with a chew rope/ tough chew toy, multiple times a day. Fly ball, disc golf, agility games, etc are great things also to work out that primal drive.
The above's just one small example of a breed and it's specific requirements for a happy, healthy life. Every breeds different, and respond differently to different things, it's up to the responsibility of the owner/s to become knowledgeable and apply that knowledge to their dog/s and specifically their own life.
Dogs simply reflect what their leader/s exhibit, and over time those patterns start to stick, and before long, those negative patterns brought on by the owner/s start to become apparent in the dogs behavior.
The thing is, even severe case dogs can always be rehabilitated, whether it be weeks or months. Dogs dont live in the past dwelling nor do they look to the future in anticipation, they live RIGHT now and they look to a leader - point blank. And total success in rehabilitation doesnt completely fall on the person/place doing the rehabilitating, as it falls just as much on the owners after their dog is rehabilitated.
Dogs require a constant, consistent dialogue to lead a happy, healthy, balanced life. And once again..that type of dialogue will depend heavily on the specifics of the breed.
Sorry for the rant, im just really passionate about being knowledgeable when it comes to things, especially co-living with another being of totally different requirements. When a dog bites or consistently harms others, the owners should be the ones charged to the fullest extent, not the dog. If anything, the dog should be taken to a rehabilitation center and worked with, upon completing should be opened up for adoption or for sale via a store/shop/ad, paired with owners that are willing to do their homework for that specific breed.
Of course if i was in a complete life/death situation with an extremely aggressive dog and had to defend myself or another loved one, I would. All im saying is that people really need to educate themselves before taking on the life of another.
Not to get off track.
The above post about the spray sounds like a great alternative for a situation like this.

Till we meet again
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