How to Find the Cause of Aggression in Older Dogs
Detect aggression with unfamiliar people or pets., Watch how your dog interacts with other dogs., Notice if your dog becomes easily startled., Look in your dog’s mouth., Observe your dog’s ability to move., Take your dog to your vet., Tell your vet...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Detect aggression with unfamiliar people or pets.
Older dogs do not always adjust well to change.
If you bring unfamiliar people or pets around your older dog, it could become very anxious and display aggression toward that person or pet.Dogs with dementia have trouble recognizing familiar faces.
If your dog has dementia, it could become aggressive toward familiar people or pets because it can’t remember who they are. -
Step 2: Watch how your dog interacts with other dogs.
Aggression in older dogs can occur in multi-dog households.
If your dogs are of different ages, the younger one may start challenging the dominance of the older one.
In turn, the older dog may be aggressive toward the younger dog to try to maintain its dominant position.Aggression can also occur between older and younger dogs because the older dog is no longer clearly communicating with the younger dog, possibly because it's physical unable to do so.
Without proper social signals, aggression could occur between the dogs., Older dogs that have lost their vision and/or hearing receive less sensory input from their environment, meaning they’re less aware of what’s going on around them.
For example, if your dog can’t hear very well, it won’t know when someone is approaching it.
This can startle your dog and trigger aggression.If your dog can’t see, but can still hear, it may become startled when it hears a sound but can’t tell where it’s coming from.
An older with hearing and vision loss can become even more startled, leading to aggression. , Pain can cause an older dog to become aggressive, due to irritability from the pain.Dental disease can be very painful and is a common underlying health problem related to aggression in older dogs.If your dog will allow you, look in its mouth for signs of dental disease:
Bad breath Gingivitis (red, irritated gums) Bleeding from the mouth Loose or missing teeth Plaque buildup on the teeth , As dogs get older, their joints can become stiff and painful, making movement difficult.
If your dog can’t move away from a situation it finds threatening or annoying, it may respond by becoming aggressive.Take notice if your dog has trouble standing up after lying down, or can’t move up and down the stairs like it used to.
In addition to making movement difficult, arthritis can be very painful.
If your dog has painful arthritis, it may display aggression to avoid being touched., It can be hard to see your older dog become aggressive.
Before the aggression can be treated, though, its cause needs to be identified.Your vet will examine your dog, get a history from you, and perform diagnostic tests to determine what’s causing the aggression. , Because aggression in older dogs can have many different causes, your vet will need detailed information about your dog’s aggressive behavior.
During the appointment with your vet, include the following information about the aggression:
When the aggression started What the aggression looks like (snarling, growling, baring teeth, nipping) When the aggression occurs (meeting new people, interacting with other dogs, when you try to touch your dog) Any aggression problems when your dog was younger, and if those problems were treated , Your vet will do a physical exam of your dog, looking for any physical problems that could be causing your dog’s aggression.
For example, your vet will look in your dog’s mouth for signs of painful dental disease and check your dog’s joints for arthritis.
Your vet will also perform a neurologic exam to determine if your dog has a neurologic disease, such as dementia, that could be causing the aggression.Your vet may also conduct tests to assess vision and/or hearing loss in your dog.
If your dog is in a lot of pain, your vet may want to briefly sedate your dog so they can examine your dog’s mouth and joints more safely. , Based on the physical exam findings and the information you provided, your vet may want to perform additional diagnostic tests.
If your dog’s joints seemed stiff, your vet may recommend x-rays to take a closer look at the joints.
If your dog’s mouth looked unhealthy, dental x-rays would help your vet determine the extent of dental disease.
Blood work may also help your vet determine if an underlying health problem is causing the aggression. , If a medical problem is not causing your older dog’s aggression, then a behavioral issue could be the cause.
Your vet may refer you to a qualified animal behavior expert who can conduct a more detailed behavioral assessment of your dog.Animal behavior experts have various qualifications, including Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and board certification in veterinary behavior.Use the website http://iaabc.org/consultants to find a qualified animal behaviorist in your area. -
Step 3: Notice if your dog becomes easily startled.
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Step 4: Look in your dog’s mouth.
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Step 5: Observe your dog’s ability to move.
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Step 6: Take your dog to your vet.
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Step 7: Tell your vet about your dog’s aggression.
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Step 8: Have your vet examine your dog.
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Step 9: Allow your vet to perform diagnostic tests.
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Step 10: Visit an animal behavior expert.
Detailed Guide
Older dogs do not always adjust well to change.
If you bring unfamiliar people or pets around your older dog, it could become very anxious and display aggression toward that person or pet.Dogs with dementia have trouble recognizing familiar faces.
If your dog has dementia, it could become aggressive toward familiar people or pets because it can’t remember who they are.
Aggression in older dogs can occur in multi-dog households.
If your dogs are of different ages, the younger one may start challenging the dominance of the older one.
In turn, the older dog may be aggressive toward the younger dog to try to maintain its dominant position.Aggression can also occur between older and younger dogs because the older dog is no longer clearly communicating with the younger dog, possibly because it's physical unable to do so.
Without proper social signals, aggression could occur between the dogs., Older dogs that have lost their vision and/or hearing receive less sensory input from their environment, meaning they’re less aware of what’s going on around them.
For example, if your dog can’t hear very well, it won’t know when someone is approaching it.
This can startle your dog and trigger aggression.If your dog can’t see, but can still hear, it may become startled when it hears a sound but can’t tell where it’s coming from.
An older with hearing and vision loss can become even more startled, leading to aggression. , Pain can cause an older dog to become aggressive, due to irritability from the pain.Dental disease can be very painful and is a common underlying health problem related to aggression in older dogs.If your dog will allow you, look in its mouth for signs of dental disease:
Bad breath Gingivitis (red, irritated gums) Bleeding from the mouth Loose or missing teeth Plaque buildup on the teeth , As dogs get older, their joints can become stiff and painful, making movement difficult.
If your dog can’t move away from a situation it finds threatening or annoying, it may respond by becoming aggressive.Take notice if your dog has trouble standing up after lying down, or can’t move up and down the stairs like it used to.
In addition to making movement difficult, arthritis can be very painful.
If your dog has painful arthritis, it may display aggression to avoid being touched., It can be hard to see your older dog become aggressive.
Before the aggression can be treated, though, its cause needs to be identified.Your vet will examine your dog, get a history from you, and perform diagnostic tests to determine what’s causing the aggression. , Because aggression in older dogs can have many different causes, your vet will need detailed information about your dog’s aggressive behavior.
During the appointment with your vet, include the following information about the aggression:
When the aggression started What the aggression looks like (snarling, growling, baring teeth, nipping) When the aggression occurs (meeting new people, interacting with other dogs, when you try to touch your dog) Any aggression problems when your dog was younger, and if those problems were treated , Your vet will do a physical exam of your dog, looking for any physical problems that could be causing your dog’s aggression.
For example, your vet will look in your dog’s mouth for signs of painful dental disease and check your dog’s joints for arthritis.
Your vet will also perform a neurologic exam to determine if your dog has a neurologic disease, such as dementia, that could be causing the aggression.Your vet may also conduct tests to assess vision and/or hearing loss in your dog.
If your dog is in a lot of pain, your vet may want to briefly sedate your dog so they can examine your dog’s mouth and joints more safely. , Based on the physical exam findings and the information you provided, your vet may want to perform additional diagnostic tests.
If your dog’s joints seemed stiff, your vet may recommend x-rays to take a closer look at the joints.
If your dog’s mouth looked unhealthy, dental x-rays would help your vet determine the extent of dental disease.
Blood work may also help your vet determine if an underlying health problem is causing the aggression. , If a medical problem is not causing your older dog’s aggression, then a behavioral issue could be the cause.
Your vet may refer you to a qualified animal behavior expert who can conduct a more detailed behavioral assessment of your dog.Animal behavior experts have various qualifications, including Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and board certification in veterinary behavior.Use the website http://iaabc.org/consultants to find a qualified animal behaviorist in your area.
About the Author
Marie Fox
Committed to making practical skills accessible and understandable for everyone.
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