Aggression in Dogs due to an Overprotective Attitude of Owners


Taking care of your pets and giving them love is essential to ensure their healthy and happy development, but excessive humanization could cause aggression due to an overprotective attitude. This is dangerous for both people and animals.


Aggression in dogs due to overprotectiveness: the dangers of humanizing an animal

First of all, it is necessary to make you understand that when you humanize an animal, you no longer respect its nature. If you force or encourage him to behave like a human being, you could cause them physical or behavioral disturbances.

It is not difficult to find examples of dangerous humanizations in a pet’s daily life. And nutrition seems to be the most obvious aspect.

If you share the food with your 4-legged friend, the result will inevitably be negative. At best, you will lay the groundwork for unconscious and harmful training. In addition to this, you will cause serious pathologies to your digestive system.


Clothing and accessories

Another example is the production of dog shoes. Although they are attractive from an aesthetic point of view, their effects are not always positive for the health of the animal. Among other things, because  the fabric they are made of prevents the legs from breathing, and they gradually wear out from contact with the ground.

Humanization also causes behavioral problems. And the worst part is that people repent and reject such conduct later on.

Aggression and possessiveness in dogs due to an overprotective attitude on the part of the owners are serious disorders, and are often associated with an education based on excessive humanization. As a rule, they arise from the fact that the owner is unable to divide their space from that of their pet.


Why are we overprotective of our animals?

Overprotectiveness begins when we project the image of an innocent baby onto our pet. We begin to believe that the dog needs to be defended and we ward off any kind of external threat.

Although it seems a demonstration of affection, the cures excessive represent the beginning of humanisation. Protecting your pet too much will not increase their strength and endurance, but quite the opposite. It will prevent your furry friend from developing his instincts properly, making them even more vulnerable.


Why is it so difficult to treat animals as animals and people as people?

Most psychologists say this is a clear sign of the transformation of the concept of family. In the beginning, this phenomenon was aimed at the individualism of our times, while today an animal appears as the only link for many families.

However, this demonstrates the human difficulty in communicating with one’s fellowmen. Furthermore, there is a tendency to doubt the fidelity of human beings and to consider animals more honest.

There are various studies in psychoanalysis which indicate that this excessive devaluation leads to damage to our self-esteem and our ability to socialize.


How to avoid aggression in dogs caused by an overprotective attitude?

It is the pet owners who have to take the first step to avoid aggression in dogs. This means to stop humanizing them and start setting boundaries between your moments and their moments.

The dog must learn to respect the spaces reserved for people, and everything starts with small demonstrations. For example: don’t get them used to getting on the bed or asking for food while you are at the table.

You must also take into consideration the fact that animals have their own needs, their own way of understanding and perceiving the world around them. Their organism is not like ours, and neither is the language and the way they express themselves. If you understand all this, you will respect your best friend and give them a proper education.

You must make the animal feel part of the family, but not the leader of the house. A dog that assumes the role of alpha develops aggressive behaviors more easily due to having to protect its “pack”. And for this, of course, it will demonstrate their overprotectiveness towards other unknown people and animals.

It is essential to learn to tell them no. Like it or not, denying something is necessary for peaceful coexistence.

In this regard, many specialists emphasize the importance of teaching the dog basic commands and obeying. It is also important to start the socialization process during the first 20 weeks of life.

To optimize the pet’s learning process, it is essential to use positive reinforcement to reward good behaviors; in addition to not using any kind of “corrective” violence.

Finally, it is important to remember that overprotective aggression can occur in dogs of all breeds and ages. Therefore, it is essential to educate your 4-legged friend from the first weeks of life.


Dog BehaviorDog Food and Nutrition
Dog TrainingDog Grooming
Dog HealthTips for Dog Owners
PuppiesDog Breeds
Dog AdoptionTravel with Dogs