Dog aggression is a leading cause of euthanasia and relinquishment. Evidence-based understanding of its causes and treatment is essential for improving welfare outcomes for affected dogs and their owners.
Dog aggression is both a welfare crisis for dogs and a safety concern for humans. Dogs that display aggression are often suffering — from fear, pain, or frustration — and their behavior is frequently a response to how they have been trained, managed, or socialized. Evidence-based treatment that addresses underlying causes, using desensitization, counter-conditioning, and environmental management, can resolve or significantly reduce aggression in many cases. Dogs should be given the benefit of behavioral assessment before euthanasia decisions are made.