Canine aggression is the leading cause of dog euthanasia in many countries; evidence-based management through behaviour modification preserves lives while protecting public safety.
Canine aggression creates a welfare crisis on multiple levels. Dogs that show aggression face euthanasia, permanent kennelling, or lives of chronic stress from being managed through punishment that increases the underlying anxiety driving the behaviour. Bite victims experience physical injury and psychological trauma. Yet most canine aggression is rooted in fear — a welfare problem in the dog that manifests as a safety problem for humans. Evidence-based management that addresses the underlying emotional state through graduated exposure and positive reinforcement, rather than suppressing the behaviour through punishment, both improves dog welfare and achieves safer outcomes.