Dog aggression towards people is obviously the most undesirable of all dog traits. The sight of a dog hurting people is hard to imagine. Dog aggression should therefore be stopped before your pet can inflict harm on people - including yourself.

Aggression is actually the result of trauma, stress, anxiety or a combination of any of these. Dogs instinctively take strange things as threatening, so a dogs needs to be flexible and be made quick to adapt to new things and new situations. Genetics plays a big factor in the dog's capability to be flexible and to easily blend to new things. But a dog's ability to quickly adapt to new things is not all there is that makes up a well-behaved pet.

One factor that could lead the dog to become aggressive its being lack of exposure to people. In order for dogs to get used to the presence of people, as early as 14 weeks, it should be given a chance to experience the real world where people other animals and different sounds flourish. Exposing a puppy to different scenarios that depict the realities of the world will help the dog see these things as ordinary, preventing them from getting anxious.

Dog abuse, as everyone knows, has almost everything to do with a dog's misshapen behavior, including aggression towards people. An abused dog becomes nervous and distrustful and punishing it for its behavior can only make it nervous and withdrawn.

Treating Dog Aggression Towards People

Dog aggression to humans could be caused by an underlying problem that needs the intervention of a professional behaviorist. This behavior needs to be arrested at the earliest possible time in order to prevent your dog getting into trouble which will surely involve you.

One particular method that professionals use in treating dog aggression is called desensitization. This process needs you to point out all the possible factors that contribute to your dog's aggressiveness. Once these factors are clearly defined, the specialist pairs each one of these with positive reinforcements so that the dog will begin to identify the rewards with the trigger events. It takes a while before your pet learns its new habit, but with constant practice and consistency, transformation can always happen.

In order to facilitate a gradual transition of your dog's behavior, do not expose it to situations that had been known to trigger its aggressiveness; such as bringing it in the presence of children if it is uncomfortable or uneasy with kids. This has to be done gradually and keen observation is needed to be sure that your pet has adopted itself to the situation.

How to prevent the problem

Actually, there is no guaranteed science that can remove dog aggression towards people. But what experts do is formulate effective ways to prevent dogs from developing the behavior.

1. Puppies as young as 12 months old should be socialized to make them get used to the presence of people, children and other dogs;

2. Make your puppy accustomed to human touch until it grows up;

3. Treat your pet with respect and kindness. Acknowledge its positive behaviors to encourage it;

4. If it's okay on your part, neuter or spay your dog; this will make them tamer and even-tempered.

Indeed, genetics is a major factor that influences a dog's basic characteristics. But environmental factors could also play a part in making the dog develop new characteristics. You can prevent dog aggressiveness towards people observing simple rules such as early socialization. A mature dog that manifests aggressiveness should be referred to a professional so that proper desensitization can be administered.