Dog reacts aggressively to visitors

If dogs react aggressively when visited, it is usually due to a lack of socialization or strong territorial behavior. In individual cases it can also indicate unintentional training errors, existing pain or even illnesses.

In principle, aggression can manifest itself in three different strengths, in addition to a tense posture:

Barking: The dog barks at a very low pitch.
Growling: The dog bares its teeth and growls.
Biting: The dog snaps.

This is an absolute nightmare for dog owners. Because they are liable for any damage the dog causes. And personal injuries can cost over 100 thousand euros in an instant. [1]

For this reason, I strongly recommend taking out dog liability insurance. It is not for nothing that it is compulsory insurance in many federal states.

Below you will learn about the causes behind aggression against visitors and what helps against it.

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Causes

To solve the problem, it is important to limit the potential causes. Because the better you understand the trigger, the easier it is to work on it.

#1 Territorial behavior

Dogs instinctively defend their territory. This is an instinct they largely inherited from wolves. Because a territory is essential for survival.

Even today, dogs are 99.9% genetically identical to their ancestors. [2] At the same time, the aggressive behavior towards visitors was also seen as a warning.

This is what dogs have been trained to do since the dawn of domestication. The growling and barking can therefore simply be an alarm signal for the pack or family.

#2 Existing pain

When dogs are weak or are struggling with pain, their behavior usually changes. It is a survival mechanism.

In the wild, weakened animals often become prey for other predators. Because of this, they react unusually aggressively to demonstrate strength.

If you suspect something, I recommend you visit the vet. The most common causes of pain in dogs include:

Inflamed joints
stomach pain
Urinary tract infection
Splinter injuries
Ear infection
Toothache [3]

#3 Lack of socialization

Dogs must first learn how to interact with people at a young age. Otherwise, they usually react instinctively aggressively towards strangers or visitors.

This behavior is particularly common in dogs that are kept in a kennel, chained, or have lived on the streets for long periods of time.

This type of anxiety disorder also often occurs when dogs are separated from their mother too early. Here fear and insecurity are also the cause of aggression.

#4 Breed-specific behavior

Outside of Germany, dogs are still largely used as guard dogs to this day. Because hardly any country is as safe as our homeland.

For this reason, in the past some breeds were specially bred and trained to react aggressively to visitors and to snap if necessary.

This protective instinct is particularly strong in all Great Dane species and some Pinscher species. Intensive socialization is a must here.

#5 Training Mistakes

In many cases, the ignorance of many first-time owners is behind the behavior. The most common training mistakes are:

Lack of feedback
Too late feedback
Aggression is rewarded

The latter sounds paradoxical, but it happens often. Because if the dog becomes aggressive with visitors and is then petted, it associates it with a reward.

This is particularly common with puppies. Because there aggressive behavior is still considered cute and is not taken seriously. But here too it is important to be strict. [4]

#6 Toxic person

In contrast to humans, dogs are so-called “macrosmatics”. This means that they perceive their surroundings primarily with their nose and only secondarily with their eyes.

This also explains why, according to studies, dogs' sense of smell is said to be between 10,000 and 100,000 times better than that of humans. Unimaginable, isn't it? [5]

It becomes a problem when some people consume certain foods, medications, alcohol or drugs. The dog can smell these poisons from a distance.

This can usually be recognized by the fact that the dog only reacts aggressively to certain visitors and is completely friendly and trusting to other strangers.

#7 Jealousy

In the case of lap dogs and generally very trusting dogs, jealousy can also be behind it. And yes, dogs can be extremely jealous.

It is usually triggered by the fact that some guests have received more attention than the dog in the past.

To prevent this, many dogs react aggressively to all visitors. But that is just an expression of: “Go away! I don’t share my attention.”

#8 Strong hunting instinct

Some hunting dog breeds have such a strong hunting instinct that they will literally hunt anything that moves. This is particularly dangerous for children and babies.

However, this is rare in adults. The hunting instinct can be recognized by the fact that the posture stiffens, the fur stands up and he stares at the person.

The problem? This type of aggression towards visitors often only manifests itself when it is already too late. Be careful, especially with American Pit Bull Terriers. [6]

#9 Diseases

Some illnesses not only cause pain, but are also more often accompanied by severe anxiety. This includes:

Blindness
Cushing's syndrome
Hearing loss
Congenital anxiety disorder
dementia

If affected four-legged friends react aggressively to strangers or visitors, then this is simply an expression of their own fear and insecurity.

When dogs growl, bark, bite or express other aggressive behavior at visitors, it is usually due to strong territorial behavior or a lack of socialization. But training errors and illnesses can also be behind it.

Solution

Not all of the following solutions are effective for all dogs. So pick out the ones that sound most promising to your four-legged friend:

#1 Start differently

Territorial behavior in dogs is primarily triggered when a person enters the territory. So what if you skip this moment entirely?

It often helps to let visitors into the house and then bring your own dog in. This signals to him that these are friends of the pack.

This also suppresses the guarding and hunting instincts. The only important thing is that your dog did not see the trespassing of its own territory through the window. [7]

#2 Use tools

The following products have proven themselves in practice for weight loss:

A small device that makes a “click” sound when you press a button. It triggers strong interest in dogs, distracting them from their aggression towards visitors.

Violence is not a solution when training dogs. A spray filled with water also punishes the water-shy four-legged friends – just in a gentle way.

Like a baby gate, but for dogs. Not only can you use it as a room divider, you can also put it together to form a round playpen.

If your four-legged friend becomes so aggressive with guests that he snaps himself, then I definitely recommend a muzzle as a precaution.

At the push of a button, it plays an ultrasonic frequency that is inaudible to us. This also provides immediate interest and is ideal for distracting dogs and giving commands.

#3 Catch up on socialization

Early socialization is usually much more effective than in old age. But old dogs can also be socialized later – so that shouldn't be an excuse.

It is important that you proceed step by step and do not overwhelm your dog. Practice with a friend of yours who is completely new to your dog.

Then let him slowly approach and enter the territory while keeping your dog calm with commands and treats. And that, over and over again.

Unfortunately, socialization does not happen overnight. But with consistent, daily training, you should see significant progress after just a few weeks. [8]

#4 Replace behavior

Drug addicts will tell you that stopping a behavior is extremely difficult. Replacing the behavior, on the other hand, is much easier.

So why not replace aggression in visitors with a different behavior? The commands “down” and “stay” are ideal for keeping your four-legged friend mentally occupied.

Here you should make sure that you give the command before the dog sees the person. This tactic also works if your dog jumps at visitors.

#5 Plan for distractions

If the aggressive behavior is based on instinct, then in some breeds it can also help to trigger the instinct to play or the greed for food.

Squeaky toys and treats are a great choice here. Because both have positive associations in dogs. Playful dogs are most likely to respond to this.

Instead of giving the treats by hand, you can also throw them on the floor as a precaution. After a while it will automatically search the ground for it. [9]

#6 Strengthen self-confidence

If the aggressive behavior towards visitors is due to a lack of self-confidence, then it is important to build this up proactively. Best practices are here:

Use only positive feedback methods
Give your dog attention in front of other animals
Refrain from any physical or verbal violence
Accustom your dog to all potential threats

This also helps with dogs that are very jealous. Here you should temporarily make it the focal point when welcoming visitors. [10]

#7 Professional help

If all the previous tips don't help and your dog still reacts aggressively to visitors or even bites, then I strongly recommend seeking professional help.

You can often book dog trainers for individual lessons. A cheaper and more flexible option, however, is Johanna Kessler's online dog school.

There you will also find an extra module on exactly this topic, in which the topic of aggression is discussed in detail. I can really recommend this course to you.