Why do dogs attack?

April 13, 2012

Dogs can be friendly, dogs can be violent, but what actually causes a dog to attack? Dogs depending on the way they are brought up can be very aggressive towards people. They will lash out and even bite. Many people do not realise why dogs actually attack, and I think that it is important that people are informed of this because many dogs attack every year and in a lot of cases it can lead to the dog being put down. This is terrible because it is not always the dog that is at fault, a dog can attack for a variety of different reasons, and this article will be going into detail as to why dogs attack and the various motives behind them. There are many factors which cause a dog to attack and I think it is important that you are aware of these factors.

When a dog gets angry or agitated it can attack, though these are the primary motives for attacking, it can also be driven by fighting over territory. Many dogs like to keep their own personal space and if someone they are not familiar with comes into their personal space they will automatically become defensive and try attacking in order to fend off what they consider a threat.

Another motive which drives a dog to attack is when you look at it in the eyes. When doing this you are in a way intimidating the dog and it has to stand its ground and protect itself so it may begin by barking and to protect itself it may even go as far as attacking you. It is advisable never to stare at a dog directly in the eyes as it may result in it attacking, this is fairly obvious but it is best to mention it just in case.

Dogs just like human beings have a certain tolerance for being agitated. If we were pushed around by someone for a certain amount of time we would eventually reach the point in which we snap out and fight back. Well the same applies for dogs, though in most dogs you will find that they are not willing to tolerate as much as we do and they will often get defensive and maybe even attack those who are causing the agitation.

These are only a few examples of many, dogs are very aggressive animals and it is instinctive for them to defend themselves and their territory. And if you try to invade that territory then you can only expect to see a reaction from them. The problem though is that their instincts are based on trends from thousands of years ago, back then they would be fending for themselves and would have to be suspicious of anything. But even now with dogs as pets you can see the instinctive defences they will put up if put under any pressure at all. Even though the majority of domesticated dogs are in the safe hands of their owners they will continue to be suspicious and aggressive towards anything they might consider a threat. This does not apply to all dogs however, there are still some which are not as aggressive, such examples are usually those which have been cross bred. It varies amongst breed of dog. But you will commonly find that the majority of dogs will be very aggressive towards anything which may cause it discomfort or even put it in danger. But it is obvious now that due to domestication of many dogs there is no real need for these instinctive actions.

Knowing this you are now better educated as to why dogs attack and hopefully this will even help you avoid situations in which a dog does attack. We have discussed a lot and hopefully it will aid you if it ever does happen to you. Just remember, don’t always assume you know best when a dog attacks, think back to this article and hopefully it will help you. But in conclusion to the original question “Why do Dogs Attack?” In general it is a mixed combination of factors. But the strong dominating factor which lies with any dog attack is its defensive instinct, and if a dog get agitated it will become aggressive and use any means necessary to fight away what they consider a threat.