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Does Natural Aggression Exist

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Does Natural Aggression Really Exist?

Chances are, you’ve heard of the term “natural aggression”. Usually its used to refer to certain breeds of dogs which are believed to be more prone to instigating attacks. The most common breeds to fall under this belief are Pit Bulls, Dobermans, Rottweilers, and German Shepherds, among others. Basically, “natural aggression” suggests that certain breeds are predisposed to aggressive, violent behavior. However, is natural aggression real? First, it’s important to understand what aggression is. What is Aggression?
Aggression is a normal aspect of behavior for all animals. This includes humans as well as dogs. That being said, is there such a thing as heightened aggression in certain dog species over …show more content…

Thus, while aggression may seem unprovoked, the dog is likely actually responding to something which they have been taught to regard with suspicion and even hostility. Breeds as a whole aren’t any more likely to show hostility on the simple basis of genetic makeup. What distinguishes some breeds from others in terms of aggression, however, is their strength and ability to do harm. After all, a Miniature Pinscher growling at a stranger passing by is likely to evoke a different response than a Pit Bull doing the same. The reason being that the Pit Bull, aside from already being associated with elevated levels of aggression and hostility thanks largely in part to their popularity in the dog fighting circuit, is a fairly large and powerful dog. Thus, a growling Pit Bull will likely be perceived as more aggressive and dangerous than a growling Miniature Pinscher. While the latter dog may be dismissed as reacting to some kind of fear, the Pit Bull will likely be accused of acting on some innate sense of anger and violence that is genetically linked to its …show more content…

While aggressive behaviors may seem unprovoked they ultimately have some cause, even if we don’t always see it right away. Chances are, the dog is responding, likely out of fear, to something. Its important to look at potential triggers and try to understand why the dog is responding in a certain way to those triggers. Aggression can be caused from a variety of sources both neurological, physical, and environmental. Heightened aggression can also be the result of poor training or a lack of proper socialization from an early age. Be sure to take all of these factors into consideration when determining the cause of aggression for a dog. Too often “natural aggression” is a label used to excuse aggressive behaviors without actually getting to the real cause of them. Because of this, the real underlying problems in a dog’s behavior is never addressed. In short, does natural aggression exist? The answer: only because we’ve created

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