Many dog breeds are natural protectors. Take the Akita, for example, a breed originally used to guard the royals and nobles of feudal Japan, or the Malinois, a Belgian breed known for its work in the police and military.
Even if your dog is not recognized as a protective breed, he or she may display aggressive behaviors under certain circumstances. You may be wondering, “At what point should I be concerned?”
According to DogsBite.org, 31 dog-bite fatalities occurred in 2016. Non-fatal dog attacks may result in injuries, lawsuits, psychological damage to loved ones and others. These facts alone make it imperative for you to analyze whether your dog is dangerous.
Here are a few signs of aggression:
- Growling, barking, snarling, snapping or lunging at people on walks
- Aggression toward visitors to your home
- When in a backyard, aggression toward children or adults on the other side of a fence
- Killing one or more cats
View more signs to indicate whether or not you should be worried about aggressive canine behavior as well as how you can take action to prevent any harm to yourself, others and your dog.
Photo credit: Caro108, CC BY-SA 2.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5873153