Dog aggression causes suffering in both attacking and attacked dogs and is a leading reason for euthanasia. Understanding underlying causes enables effective management and welfare improvement.
Dog aggression welfare encompasses both the welfare of aggressive dogs and their victims. Aggressive dogs frequently experience chronic fear, anxiety, and frustration that underlies their behaviour. Managing them through punishment suppresses behaviour without addressing emotional state, often leading to escalation. Welfare-positive management identifies the triggers and underlying emotions driving aggression and systematically addresses them through counter-conditioning and desensitisation. Pharmacological support with anxiolytics often enables behavioural modification by reducing the anxiety threshold. Dogs with aggression problems deserve assessment by veterinary behaviourists rather than immediate euthanasia, as many can achieve significantly improved welfare and safety with appropriate intervention.