Emotional support animals are very calm and tolerant. They are trained to stay calm and take action when their owners are panicking. Domesticated dogs are friendly creatures and are sure to warm up to anyone that you invite in your home.

As someone who requires the aid of an Emotional support animal, it is necessary that you read between the lines and decipher aggressive behavior before I fully affect your ESA. It is necessary to pay attention to the tiniest differences in your dog’s behavior and take immediate action.

How to Spot Aggressive Behavior

Owners often start questioning the dog’s breed as a choice for ESA, but that is not the case any dog can be aggressive, and the causes are more often than not underlying. The only difference is that a small dachshund will not wreck havoc as a larger golden retriever might. Aggressive behavior is a factor in the training, upbringing, socializing and environment around the dog. There are medical factors that might be the cause of the aggression.

Aggression is often very difficult to pinpoint in dogs as they are hyper and very energetic around other dogs and in some instance may even seem aggressive. But that is their playful state, and they might just be guarding their toy.

There are several types of aggression that your dog might be experiencing such as Dominant aggression, fear aggression, dog to dog aggression and dog park aggression.

• Dominant aggression: Do not risk trying to diagnose this yourself, especially at dog parks or other areas where there are children and people who might get harmed. Dominantly aggressive dogs will be very aggressive and may negate your instructions. The best way to determine this is to call your vet or a professional and work with them.
• Fear aggressive behavior: This behavior includes a change in your dog’s posture, their ears may be held back, they avoid eye contact, and their tails are often tucked between their legs. They might let you touch them if your bond is strong, but they do not like being touched in this state and are sure to bite unpredictably.
• Dog to dog aggression: If your dog is acting very aggressive around another dog or is biting them this may be a problem of attention, but this can also be a problem related to dominance, snarling and growling maybe a part of their play dates but pay close attention to their body language. This is also the reason for dog aggression at dog parks. If you see your dog getting extremely aggressive immediately takes them away from that location.

What Can Be Done About This?

Managing a dog’s aggression requires patience, the best option is to consult a professional and determine the real reason for aggression. If the vet clarifies that it is not a medical issue, you can hire a trainer and work with them to calm your ESA.

• Socializing will help: if your dog is experiencing fear-induced aggression, it is best to socialize your dog with people and dogs you are acquainted with.
• Get it neutered or spayed:  This will help calm down your down and reduce hormone-driven aggressiveness.
• Patience: Your dog will recover, you just have to be patient and supportive towards them. This is the actual time where they will trust you and get back to their normal behavior.

In A Nutshell

As an ESA owner, try to get the help of a professional on your dog’s behavior.  They need to be taken care of when they are aggressive, and a doctor or a professional trainer can be very helpful.