Actually, I kinda like people

I bark and snap at people because I’m scared—that usually makes them go away. Simple. But if I think about it twice… I actually really like people.

Dog guardians often try to label dogs as either fearful or aggressive—they ask, “Is it fear or aggression?” The truth is, most aggressive behavior stems from fear. In fact, fear-based aggression can be the most dangerous and is often the one that leads to bites. But remember: the goal of fear-based aggression is always the same—make the scary thing go away. Barking is meant to keep the “intruder” at a distance.

When working with fear-based aggression, the key is not to suppress the behavior but to eliminate the cause—fear itself. If we only block the behavior while the dog is still scared, the aggression will likely escalate over time.

With dogs who fear strangers but generally like people, the chances of successful therapy—and quick progress—are actually very good.

#barking #fearaggression