As our beloved pets age, it can be concerning to observe any changes in their behaviors. It’s not uncommon to notice that a pet dog may become more aggressive with age, and this can be a worrying sign. If you have noticed that your dog is getting more aggressive, you may be wondering why this is happening and how you can help. This blog post will explore some of the potential explanations for why a dog’s aggression may increase with age, and will provide some advice for how to deal with the situation. From changes in physical and mental health to changes in environment, there are many potential causes for an increase in aggression, and it is important to understand these causes in order to better manage the behavior. So if you are worried about your pet getting more aggressive with age, read on to find out more.
How to Stop Older Dog Aggression
A vet should be consulted as soon as possible to assess the problem of an older dog who has suddenly become aggressive. You can start addressing the issue with treatments and exercises as soon as your veterinarian pinpoints the underlying cause of the change in temperament.
Specific Geriatric Behavior Problems and Their Behavioral Treatment
Increased Sensitivity and Irritability, Increased Fear of Unfamiliar Pets and People (Sometimes Associated with Aggression), Decreased Tolerance of Touch and Restraint, Increased Following and Desire for Contact, and Increased Anxiety When Left Alone are some common concerns mentioned by guardians of aging dogs. Some dogs may become more agitated and vocal due to noise sensitivity brought on by hearing loss. Your anxiety over your dog’s behavior may also be exacerbated by your own frustration and distress.
Some dog owners decide to crate their canines when they aren’t home if house soiling has become a problem. Unfortunately, if a senior dog has never been crated or is no longer accustomed to it, confining him to a crate can increase his anxiety level. He won’t feel at ease in the crate and may try to escape if he can’t control his bowels or bladder, which will make the situation worse. In these situations, confinement may be the source of anxiety rather than the guardian’s departure.
Separation anxiety is the term used when a dog experiences anxiety as a result of the guardian’s departure and absence. The cardinal indicators of separation anxiety are:
The primary indicator that these behaviors are caused by separation anxiety is that they only happen when you are not around. When you or your family members are at home, these behaviors might actually be the result of other problems. For instance, you probably have a house training issue if your dog messes up in the house both when you are home and when you are away. The same is true of destructiveness. It is a training issue rather than a separation anxiety issue if destructive chewing occurs when you are at home.
Geriatric (late-onset) separation anxiety is characterized by the possibility of nighttime anxiety, as if your dog perceives your sleeping as a form of separation. Your dog might disturb you by pacing, panting, and pawing at you while yelling for attention. This kind of separation anxiety may be a sign of an undiagnosed illness, and it can be treated to cure the illness or, at the very least, alleviate your dog’s suffering. If you want to know if your dog’s anxiety has a medical cause, you must have your dog’s veterinarian give him or her a thorough examination.
Desensitization and counterconditioning (DSCC), a behavioral therapy, is used to treat separation anxiety in addition to any underlying medical conditions. It’s also beneficial to recognize and alter any of your own reactions that might be provoking your dog’s behavior. Pheromones and medications can be used in conjunction with behavioral therapy to lower anxiety and enhance your dog’s cognitive abilities. For more information on this condition and how to treat it, see our article on separation anxiety.
Excessive Vocalization If your senior dog vocalizes too much or at the wrong times, like when you’re sleeping, it could be a problem. Anxious vocalizing is usually a plaintive howl or excessive whining. If your dog only behaves in this way while you are away, it may be a sign of separation anxiety. If your dog vocalizes excessively while you’re home, you’ll need a behaviorist or veterinary behaviorist to help you figure out what’s going on.
Your dog may vocalize excessively for a variety of reasons, including hearing loss, cognitive impairment, central nervous system disorders, and medical conditions. If he needs to go more often, if he is overeating and wants you to give him more food, or if he is in pain, he may howl or whine. Your dog may start vocalizing at things that scare or stress him, such as noises or visitors, if he has grown more fearful and anxious. Exhibiting your own frustration or punishing your dog for barking can also make him more anxious and make the issue worse.
Following the treatment of any underlying medical issues and cognitive dysfunction, behavioral therapy involves identifying and changing any personal behaviors that may be contributing to or exacerbating your dog’s behavior. For some dogs, it is successful to train them to be quiet when asked and to reward quiet behavior. Other dogs may require non-shock bark-control collars, such as the citronella collar. If your dog’s vocalizations are brought on by anxiety, drug therapy may also be helpful. For more details on the various causes and remedies for excessive vocalizing, please see our article, Howling.
Sleeping More During the Day Canines who sleep more during the daytime sometimes wake up more restlessly at night. Some dogs begin to overreact to things they used to ignore, such as the garage door opening or the delivery of the newspaper. Keeping track of your dog’s nighttime behavior can help you determine what sets it off.
Your dog’s level of sleep may be impacted by sensory changes, like vision or hearing loss. His cognitive dysfunction or other types of central nervous system disorders may be affecting his sleep-wake cycles. To check for medical issues that could cause agitation, discomfort, or a greater urge to urinate, request that your dog’s veterinarian perform a thorough examination. If your dog has any medical issues, you should treat them first before retraining them to resume their regular sleeping and waking hours. Try to increase his daytime and evening activity by taking him on frequent walks, engaging in his favorite activities, training him in tricks or obedience, and providing him with chewables like bones. Additionally, you can discuss with his vet whether you should combine your dog’s retraining with medications to promote sleep or, alternatively, medications to keep your dog more active during the day.
House Soiling As with all the behavioral issues discussed here, a variety of medical conditions, such as sensory decline, mobility-impairing neuromuscular conditions, brain tumors, cognitive dysfunction, endocrine system disorders, and any condition that reduces your dog’s bladder or bowel control or increases his frequency of urination, can cause house soiling.
Your dog may be afflicted with separation anxiety if he only defecates in the house when you’re not home and exhibits other symptoms (please see above, Anxiety—Including Separation Anxiety). To learn more about this issue and how to treat it, please read our article on separation anxiety.
Some older dogs may start defecating in the home if their schedule, environment, or household undergoes a change because they are frequently less adaptable to change. Even if you’ve cleaned the area thoroughly, once your dog has used an indoor location to relieve himself while you’re away, that place may become established as a favorite. To identify the cause of your dog’s house soiling and devise a successful treatment plan, it is frequently necessary to have a thorough behavior history taken by a qualified professional, such as a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB or ACAAB), a board-certified veterinary behaviorist (Dip ACVB), or a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT). Please refer to our article, Finding Professional Behavior Help, to locate one of these professionals in your neighborhood.
You must reestablish proper house training using the same techniques you used when your dog was a puppy after any medical issues with your dog have been identified and treated, such as after his anxiety has been reduced, his pain has been alleviated, or his incontinence has been under control with medication. Close supervision indoors, seclusion in a crate or other small space away from previously soiled sites when you can’t closely supervise, and a regular, frequent schedule of trips outdoors with tasty rewards for outdoor elimination are some of these techniques. In order to accommodate your dog’s need for more frequent urination as he ages, you might need to change your plans. If you can’t, think about getting a dog walker or giving your dog something to relieve themselves in the house, like newspapers, a dog litter box, or potty pads.
Destructive Behavior In order to effectively treat destructive behavior in senior dogs, as with other behavioral issues, the root cause must be identified. Pica (ingesting inedible objects), licking, sucking, or chewing body parts, household items, or family members, as well as scratching and digging, are some destructive behaviors that have been observed in senior dogs. To identify the cause or causes of your dog’s behavior, a comprehensive medical evaluation and behavioral history are required. Each of these conditions may have a different cause. For instance, cognitive dysfunction could be taken into account in dogs who exhibit licking, chewing, or pica. Some issues may get better with treatment for underlying medical issues and cognitive dysfunction, but not others. If your dog experiences anxiety, phobia, or other types of fear, such as fear of certain people, situations, objects, thunder, etc. ), these issues need to be treated. Please see Fears and Phobias below for more information. Making changes to your house and your dog’s surroundings can also be beneficial. Keep your dog away from areas where he may act destructively in the future, and give him new, engaging toys to chew on (such as bones, rawhide, bully sticks, toys with food inside, etc.). ).
Fears and Phobias Anxiety, impaired cognition, and sensory decline are all possible causes of fears and phobias. Controlling underlying medical issues and cognitive dysfunction comes first in treatment. Older dogs may experience phobias and fears related to noise and thunderstorms as well as, less frequently, the outdoors, specific rooms, or surfaces. The issue can also be made worse by dog owners’ understandably frustrated responses to their dogs’ behavior, particularly when punishment is used. Try to keep your dog away from anything that makes him anxious or phobic, or try to drown out the noise with background music. You can also use behavioral therapy under the direction of a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB or ACAAB) to alter your dog’s emotional reaction to things that frighten or upset him and, as a result, alter his behavior. (To find a CAAB or ACAAB in your area, please see our article Finding Professional Behavior Help. Consult your vet about potential medication or pheromone therapy for panic and anxiety, which can also help reduce your dog’s worries and anxiety.
Problems with Compulsive and Stereotypic Behaviors Include a Wide Range of Behaviors with Numerous Potential Causes They are characterized as ritualized, repetitive behaviors with no discernible purpose or function. Examples include stereotypical licking or excessive grooming that causes self-injury (such as “hot spots”), tail chasing or spinning, pacing and jumping, air biting or fly snapping, staring at shadows or walls, flank sucking, and pica (eating inedible objects, such as rocks). These behaviors can be influenced or caused by a variety of medical conditions, such as cognitive dysfunction. Compulsive disorders often arise from situations of conflict or anxiety. Your dog may engage in displacement behaviors as a result of things or circumstances that cause him to feel conflicted, stressed, or anxious, and these behaviors could eventually develop into compulsive ones. (Displacement behaviors are those that happen when dogs are frustrated, conflicted, or stressed but outside of their usual context. A dog that suddenly stops in the middle of his journey to his guardian after being called is one illustration. He may be anxious about whether he will be punished and will show it by grooming, licking his lips, yawning, or sniffing the ground. ) Drug therapy is usually necessary to resolve compulsive disorders. However, behavioral drug therapy may not be required if you can identify the cause of conflict early on and reduce or eliminate it (for example, conflict between your pets or inconsistent or delayed punishment from you).
Aggression A dog’s aggressive behavior may become more severe for a variety of reasons. Increased aggression can result from medical conditions that impact your dog’s senses, hormones, appetite, mobility, cognition, or pain threshold. Following a change in the family structure, such as a marriage or divorce, a death or a birth, there may be family member aggression. When a new pet is brought into the family, as a young dog matures, or as an older dog weakens or becomes less assertive, it is possible for that pet to become aggressive toward other animals. Your dog may become more aggressive as he gets older due to his growing anxiety and sensitivity toward new people and animals.
Once the cause of aggression has been identified and diagnosed, it can be effectively treated. To find a certified animal behaviorist in your area, such as a board-certified veterinary behaviorist (Dip ACVB) or a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB or ACAAB), please visit our article Finding Professional Behavior Help. A Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT) is a good option if you can’t find a behaviorist, but make sure the trainer is qualified to assist you. Check to see if they have training and experience in treating aggression, as this is not a requirement for CPDT certification.
One of these experts can assess the circumstance and assist you in managing your dog’s aggression. The specific type of aggression and its cause or triggers will determine the course of treatment, which may include drug therapy, behavior therapy, or changes to your dog’s environment. Desensitization and counterconditioning (DSCC), as well as training to increase your control over your dog, are examples of treatments for fear-based aggression. In these circumstances, avoiding or preventing the causes of your dog’s aggression may be the best course of action. Head halters can increase everyone’s safety by giving you more command over your dog. Please see our article, Aggression in Dogs, for more information.
1Landsberg, G. , Hunthausen. W. , & Ackerman, L. (2003). Handbook of Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat. Saunders: New York.
What can be done for my dog’s aggression?
For an accurate diagnosis and treatment strategy, a thorough history and assessment of aggressive episodes as well as your dog’s behavioral history are necessary. See www. AVSABonline. org for recommendations on how to choose a professional to assist you with your pet’s behavior issue. In general, a behavior modification program will involve avoiding triggers, teaching new responses, rewarding desirable behaviors, using a head halter and leash to maintain control, training exercises for response substitution, and desensitization for the dog’s significant triggers (see Behavior Consultations – Seeing a Behaviorist, Getting Started, Diagnosing a Behavior Problem – Is It Medical or Behavioral?, and Aggression – Introduction).
FAQ
Why is my dog all of a sudden being aggressive?
1 Your suddenly aggressive dog may be suffering from an injury or illness that is extremely painful and stressful. Arthritis, bone fractures, internal injuries, various tumors, and lacerations are a few potential sources of pain. Other ailments that affect your dog’s brain could result in irrational aggression.
Why do dogs get meaner as they age?
When a new pet is brought into the family, as a young dog matures, or as an older dog weakens or becomes less assertive, it is possible for that pet to become aggressive toward other animals. Your dog may become more aggressive as he gets older due to his growing anxiety and sensitivity toward new people and animals.
At what age are dogs the most aggressive?
In dogs, social aggression typically appears between the ages of one and three. It’s crucial to understand that behavior experts have a poor understanding of the complexities involved in social aggression and are engaged in a heated debate about it.