Become the leader of the pack

Very often a dog's aggressive behaviour is an attempt to take control of the household, challenging your position of the Alpha Leader. You should establish a pecking order in your household with your dog at the bottom and so your dog does not try to challenge you for the dominant position.

Train your dog to learn that you are in charge at all times. Issue strong commands and teach your dog to learn these commands. Use crate training and clicker training if necessary. If this alone doesn't get rid of the aggressive behaviour it will still make it easier to control your dog.

Isolate and Separate problem dogs

If you have more than one dog and they are starting to fight over food for example, then you need to keep the dogs apart at feeding times. Similarly if they cause a problem when out walking then you should take them out separately. You needn't worry about doing this as they are not permanent solutions, but more like short-term fixes to stop the problems getting out of control.

Keep Them busy and Occupied

Many dogs can become aggressive as a response to being bored, or if they are not being given an opportunity to use up their energy by going out for walks or by general play. This problem is quite easy to fix. You simply need to give more attention to your dog, plenty of exercise and give them toys to keep them occupied when you are not around.

Obedience Training

Similar to becoming the alpha leader of the pack, you should consider taking your dog to professional obedience training classes where they will learn to respond to specific commands and submit to your authority.

Plenty of Exercise and Good Food

A happy healthy dog is one who gets plenty of exercise and is well nourished. Sometimes feeding your dog the cheapest store-brand dog food may mean they are not getting the nutrients they need and could exacerbate some aggression problems if they already exist.

Check-up with the Vet

Although it's very uncommon, sometimes dog aggression can be caused by a medical condition in your pet. A lack of nutrition, illness or pain in your dog could be causing it distress and can lead to aggression. If you think your dog might be ill or be in pain then consider taking him to a vet to have him checked out.

Avoid Triggers

It is best to avoid situations which you know trigger aggressive behaviour, for example being around children, or when near cars or traffic. Don't contribute to the aggression, stay away from these negative triggers as much as you can.

Reduce Fear in His Life

A strong factor which can contribute to dog aggression is fear. If you dog is scared then they might strike out for protection. Try and reduce fear by correcting negative behaviour rather than punishing them. Another important thing to consider is to avoid reinforcing existing phobias by giving your dog more attention when they are upset. Try to act normally to show your dog that the fear is unwarranted.

Hire a Professional Dog Trainer

In the unlikely event that you have tried everything above and you are still having problems with dog aggression, then you should seek out the help of a professional. A professional dog trainer will be able to bring your animal under control before something really serious happens.

The most important thing to remember is that dog aggression is a serious issue and needs to be dealt with immediately before it escalates into more serious biting and attacking behaviour.