Aggressions to strangers
due to territory

Not mattering what is its origin, all aggressive behavior results tremendously conflictive, specially when they are directed to human elements.

If the aggressions directed to his own elements of the family are unfortunately, highly usual, with the added factor of how conflictive can be th act of living with the animal it can't be less than when directed to a third person, for not having any kind of affective bond with the animal and because, besides the injuries that can be produced, will have to count with the possibility that the person or persons affected could bring a legal action that will not only affect us but also our dog.

The aggressive reactions that a dog manifests before the presence of strangers can be caused, in a basic way, because of three circumstances: by nearness or intrusion to the territory surroundings, for position or self-defense.

Before strange persons, the aggression for dominance will not be given, due that with respect to them, there doesn't exist any bond that could cause in the dog any aggressive reaction. Remember that to climb positions inside the hierarchic structure, using as means the aggression it is necessary for the stranger to be part of it.

Before all, we must ask ourselves: what do dogs understand for territory? As told before, the dog doesn't limit his territory to his most immediate surroundings, but that also to all the zone in which he usually does his daily activities. Before the purpose of intrusion into his territory by a strange person, all dog will adopt on of these postures:

Stillness accompanied by growls and barks, with the possibility of the folding of his lips letting see his incisive, or
Continuous movement, complemented generally by the rising over his hinds and prolific barking and growls.

On the first body patterns, the dog is in tension, still and prepared to act before the slightest attitude manifested by the invader, can be interpreted as menacing and can function as a detonator to the aggression.

The stillness will be complemented with the rising of the tail, the stretching of the facial muscles, letting see its incisive, and an evident hyperventilation to obtain a better oxygenation of the blood, with the objective that all his muscular structure be ready to respond before the first stimulus given by his brain.

In the second of the frames (traveling through the limits), the affected exemplary will mark the perimeter of his territorial zone with a wild race around it, in case of houses, or with a continuous movement, if he is in an apartment. He will accompany this attitude with a persistent barking, without growls.

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