Aggressive behaviour in dogs

Abstract

Behavioural problems in dogs are very important in daily practice, such behaviours being one of the most common causes of abandonment. Aggression is the first problem owners mention as a motive for giving up their dogs, along with the lack of knowledge on how to extinguish such behaviour. Looking at aggression as a general trait, it is difficult to assess the best method of approach, thus evaluating the aggressive behaviour and the exhibited type can reduce the abandonment caused by undesired traits. This paper’s objective was to evaluate the type of aggression exhibited in dogs with owners, from several cities in Romania. The assessed dogs came to veterinary clinics for consultation purposes in Timișoara, Arad, Oradea and Bucharest. The dogs subjected to our assessment had at least 18 months, which is known to be the average age of puberty. The method of evaluation was by using a behavioural observation sheet. The total number of evaluated dogs was 100, and in 94 of them some type of aggressive behaviour was shown, 30 (32%) exhibited aggressive behaviour towards family members, 27 (29%) exhibited aggressive behaviour towards visitors, 20 (21%) towards strangers and 26 (28%) towards other dogs. These findings further prove the importance of early appropriate socialization and appropriate environment exposure in the critical periods of behavioural development in puppies.