How to calm an aggressive puppy?

January 27, 2022 by Natasha V. Behavior

Educating a puppy is a difficult process that needs a great deal of commitment, patience, and understanding. However, there are occasions when misconceptions occur, such as when a puppy bites or is aggressive, which can lead to misunderstandings.

Knowing how to behave in each situation is critical because training a puppy is a very gratifying process that requires you to understand your furry friend in order for him to live happily and peacefully with you.

We hope that this post will assist you in determining why your puppy is hostile and how to calm an aggressive puppy.

Why is my puppy so aggressive when we play together?

We usually link the growl with a sound of menace and hostility, because dogs use it to signal that they are agitated, and the growl serves as a precursor to the bite.

It's also critical to pay attention not just to the noises your dog makes, but also to the entire set of bodily cues that indicate his mood and attitude if you want to understand him. So, if he's in a playful position, your puppy is certainly having fun.

It's natural for your puppy to growl when playing, either to get you to play with him or because he's pretending to fight or hunt because he automatically sees circumstances as training for when he's an adult.

Multiple reasons for aggressiveness

There are additional reasons why your puppy may be aggressive with you outside of the game to which you should pay special attention since you must know how to manage them properly so that they do not develop into a behavioral problem in the future, such as:

Illness or pain

If your puppy growls when you touch him or hold him in your arms, don't discount the possibility that he's in pain or uncomfortable.

It's possible that your puppy has an injury that causes him a lot of pain when you pet him, and he's expressing his anguish as a result. It's also possible that he's ill and wishes to be alone.

Resource conservation

There is a popular misconception that if a dog growls when you approach anything essential to him, such as his food, bed, toy, etc., it means he is "dominant" or wants to "show you his leadership."

Many people chastise their dogs as a result of this erroneous assumption, which has a negative impact on their behavior.

Fear

Because he feels uneasy, your puppy may snarl at you or bite you if you approach him. This is a rare occurrence, as pups are often well-acquainted with human interaction.

If a puppy growls, why not scold him?

Growling is a sound that signals that something is upsetting him or that he is not feeling well, as previously said. This signal is generally a warning to beg us to quit doing whatever it is that is bothering him.

But what if you punish your dog for growling? You should not interpret your dog's growl as a threat, but rather as a necessary form of communication the animal employs to beg you to stop.

When you scold your puppy for being aggressive with growls, you may be able to halt the growling, i.e., your dog will stop communicating, but this will not fix the primary issue: what is making your puppy unhappy.

Unfortunately, this method will just result in your dog not telling you when he is unhappy or upset, and if he comes to a point where he is truly annoyed in a scenario, he may bite you immediately to urge you to stop, without warning you first.

Calming your aggressive puppy

There are multiple causes why your puppy is aggressive, as you have seen. If your puppy is violent in other instances, such as when you approach him or when you give him something important, you'll need to figure out where his insecurity originates from in order to find the cause of the problem.

Here's what you should do in each situation:

How to calm your aggressive puppy if he is afraid?

If your puppy is new to your family and has a fearful personality because of terrible experiences such as abuse, it's reasonable that he would display fear in the form of aggressiveness if you approach him, pet him, carry him in your arms...

You must be patient and give him time to adjust to his new surroundings and family, given the circumstances.

This means you should avoid putting him in circumstances where he could feel uncomfortable and instead encourage him to approach you by rewarding him, using lovely words, and establishing a positive and trustworthy relationship with him.

How to calm your aggressive puppy if he protects its resources?

To change this attitude, your puppy must not perceive you as a threat attempting to "take" something from him, but rather must link your presence with something pleasant.

If your puppy growls and bites you when you approach his food dish, move away from him until he feels calm, then give him a delicious treat (more than his regular meal) for being peaceful.

If you believe that this problem has become unmanageable as a result of its persistence, the best thing you can do is consult a professional as soon as possible so that he or she can provide you with customized guidance.

How to calm your aggressive puppy when he is ill?

Never discount the possibility that your puppy is growling and biting you with aggressiveness because he isn't feeling well, is in pain from an injury, or is ill and becomes agitated when you touch him.

The most typical symptom is to notice substantial changes in your puppy's regular behavior, such as him becoming more indifferent, losing his appetite, or engaging in bizarre habits such as excessive licking. As a result, you should take him to the veterinarian to get him diagnosed properly.

It’s a marathon, not a race

There are countless causes that could explain a dog's aggressiveness, and you will discover new ones as your puppy grows into an adult.

However, as we have seen previously if we dedicate ourselves to studying the causes from which we suspect that our puppy gets his aggressiveness, it will always be possible to treat him and teach him with love and respect an adequate behavior so that he becomes a loving companion for us and our family.