The most common causes include conflict aggression, fear-based, defensive aggression, status related aggression, possessive aggression, food guarding aggression and redirected aggression.
Aussies may become frightened or aggressive when they encounter unexpected people or animals if they are not properly socialized. Australian Shepherds require training as well.
There are a variety of reasons dogs may show sudden aggression towards each other. Some of the most common causes of conflict between familiar dogs include frustration, illness, and resource guarding. You'll need to clearly identify the root of the problem to restore household harmony.
It is a warning growl that indicates their discomfort in a particular situation. For example, some dogs may suddenly growl when there are strangers or new people in your home because they may feel threatened and are being territorial.
For this reason, I advise all my clients and students that it is NEVER wise to punish a dog for growling, even by saying “No.” Dogs that are repeatedly punished for growling eventually may not give a warning and immediately escalate to biting.
Your pup is using growling as a way to ask you to leave her alone; it's not an attempt to assert authority or alpha status over you. Never punish or suppress growling. If you teach your dog not to growl, you'll eliminate her normal warning method, and then she'll likely go straight to biting.
Neurological conditions such as seizures, viruses (such as Distemper) can cause your dog to act scared and shake. Neurological conditions cause involuntary shaking and seizing which can be very scary for your dog and cause them to show fear and to shake uncontrollably.
Increased exercise and regular obedience training may also be effective in reducing aggressively dominant dogs, and some forms of training may be used as distractions, focusing the dog's attention off of negative stimuli in a training technique known as a counter-conditioning treatment.
Aggressive Growling
Sometimes your pup is trying to express their dominance over another animal, such as a cat or another dog. An aggressive growl may sound like a deep rumble. Your dog may be saying, “I am ready to attack.” They may stiffen their body and snarl.
Is training an aggressive dog possible? Yes. Aggression in dogs, whether it be toward a dog's owner or other dogs, is a serious behavior that should be adjusted with the help of a professional dog trainer.
Social aggression is somewhat more common in males than in females and more common in purebreds than in mixed breeds. Puppies are rarely socially aggressive with people, but they can be with other dogs, particularly littermates. Social aggression usually develops in dogs between one to three years of age.
Rage can be to some extent hereditary. It was first identified in Springer Spaniels and was originally called “Springer Rage” until it became apparent that it occurred in other breeds as well. It sometimes occurs in Aussies but is, thankfully, very rare. Dogs with rage syndrome should not be bred.
Dogs in the same household can become aggressive toward each other for a variety of different reasons. Aggression may be dominance-related, territorial, possessive, or caused by fear/anxiety. Some dogs have “alliance aggression”.
There are usually multiple factors at the root of leash aggression. Dogs who are anxious or overly territorial are more prone to it. Lack of proper socialization as a puppy can contribute to the unwanted behavior because your dog never learned how to say a proper “hello” to his four-legged friends.
If your vet has ruled out a medical problem, it's time to call in a professional dog trainer or animal behaviorist. Because aggression is such a serious problem, you shouldn't attempt to fix it on your own. A professional can help you figure out what's causing your dog's aggression and create a plan to manage it.
Most dogs assume a neutral or submissive role toward people, but some dogs will challenge their owners for dominance. A dominant dog may stare, bark, growl, snap, or even bite when you give him a command or ask him to give up a toy, treat, or resting place.
Act like the alpha of the back and show him who is boss. Look him/her in the eye: When you give a command, look straight at your pet. Make sure he can see that you mean business and that it is not a command to be disobeyed. Always hold eye contact with your pet, no matter how big or small he or she is.
Boredom, pain, aging and stress can all cause a dog to act distant from you. Understanding them can help you find the underlying cause as to why they're acting distant, and show you how to get them to engage with you again.
For a dog who is acting out of fear or frustration (for example, a dog who is barking and lunging on leash), using the word 'no' to stop the behavior without helping to alleviate their fear or frustration will often lead to an escalation in behavior, such as growling, air snapping, or biting.
The most common causes include conflict aggression, fear-based, defensive aggression, status related aggression, possessive aggression, food guarding aggression and redirected aggression.
As long as they have not been punished for growling (and we'll talk more about that momentarily), dogs will usually issue a warning growl to humans or another dog if they are uncomfortable. It's important to understand that a warning is a good thing! Most dogs don't want to bite or fight.
Many trainers suggest that all growling is fear based, and for that reason, these dogs should not be corrected for growling because it's valuable communication. Not all dogs growl out of fear, but the majority do.