The cynologist called the early signs of aggression in dogs

Many dog breeders are unable to read their pet's body signals and only notice the problem at the stage of growling or attacking. Vladimir Golubev, President of the Russian Cynological Federation, told Izvestia on September 17 about the Ladder of aggression system, which helps dog owners recognize early signs of pet dissatisfaction.

"For some, aggression in an animal is solely a growl, an attack. Although in fact this is only the most extreme stage. And it can all start with quite harmless signs that people may not even understand. With their help, the pet warns in advance that it is uncomfortable, " explained Golubev.

The expert described in detail the three zones of the "ladder of aggression". In the "green" zone, the dog shows the first signs of anxiety: it licks its lips, yawns, blinks frequently, looks away or turns away. These signals indicate the animal's desire to avoid conflict and get away from an unpleasant situation. Already at this stage, the owner should stop influencing the pet and respect his personal boundaries.

The "orange" zone includes more pronounced signs: flattened ears, lowered or tucked tail, attempts to appear smaller in size. The final stage of this zone is turning over on your back, which means an attempt at reconciliation. A common mistake of owners is to perceive this behavior as a feeling of guilt or a desire to play.

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In the "red" zone, the dog goes on active defense: freezes in a motionless position with a fixed stare, shows a grin and growls, after which it can proceed to attack. Golubev noted that a dog does not always go through all the stages sequentially — in case of a direct threat or if the owner constantly ignores early signals, the pet can immediately switch to active protection.

"The owner should be able to pick up the dog's signals well. She doesn't know how to talk, but she can hint at you with certain signs when she's uncomfortable. If she demonstrates one of the signals on the "ladder of aggression", this is a sign for you that you need to end an uncomfortable situation for the animal," the expert concluded.

On September 5, Golubev told how not to make typical mistakes when training a dog. He explained that being strict and dominating an animal is an outdated and harmful approach. The relationship with a pet is not based on the principle of "leader and subordinate", but rather as "parent and child".

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.