Dog aggression towards people is a complex welfare issue affecting both the dog and humans, requiring thorough behavioral assessment before management or euthanasia decisions.
Dog aggression welfare involves two simultaneous welfare considerations: the welfare of the dog experiencing fear, pain, or conflict that drives aggression, and the safety of humans who may be harmed. Pain-driven aggression is treated very differently from fear-driven aggression — missing an underlying medical cause leads to ineffective and potentially harmful behavioral management. Welfare-positive aggression management begins with thorough veterinary and behavioral assessment, identifies modifiable risk factors, implements evidence-based management strategies, and makes euthanasia decisions based on genuine risk assessment rather than reactivity or public pressure.