10 Popular Excuses I Hear From Owners With Aggressive Pets

“He’s just scared.”

Of course, he is! Fear aggression is the number-one type of aggression that vets observe. Unfortunately, an owner who offers this explanation is often suggesting that his pet isn’t truly aggressive, just frightened.

“She was abused as a puppy.”

If this comment is true, there must be an army of puppy kickers out there just waiting to abuse the next litter. The reality is far less sinister: Most of these pups were not physically abused, but they were deprived of opportunities for socialization, which is abuse, of course, just not the kind most people believe could possibly lead to serious fear aggression. Moreover, the fact of abuse shouldn’t keep owners from recognizing that their dogs have a serious problem that deserves significant attention.

“He's just playing!”

OK, let’s just say that you’re right and I’m wrong. I’m still going to have to ask you to put that muzzle on him.

“People think that she's bad because she’s [insert adjective], but she’s really not.”

I would never think that she’s “bad,” but I do know that she’s aggressive, based on what her eyes, ears, hackles, head and tail are broadcasting loud and clear: “I dare you to come closer!”

“He’s never liked men.”

While it’s true that many pets have a gender preference, and fear is a big motivator in this regard, owners who use the man thing by way of explanation for aggression fail to understand that the thus far latent aggression toward women may well be simmering close to the surface. And it’s no excuse for not trying to help the pet conquer his fears.

“She’s just mouthy.”

You call those tooth marks on my hand “mouthy”? Maybe if she were a puppy or she’d been playing instead of receiving a nail trim. I mean, why would anyone not take that kind of event as a serious sign of aggression? Yet they do — and often.

“He only hates vets.”

I do believe that he doesn’t much care for my presence, but hate is a mighty strong and uniquely human word that doesn’t adequately describe aggression, especially given that pets tend to react aggressively toward veterinarians because they’re fearful, not because they’re hateful.

There’s also the erroneous implication that all the aggression this pet will ever manifest will always be directed toward a veterinarian, which is not a smart assumption if fear is the motivator. After all, opportunities for fear are unlikely to be restricted to a vet’s presence alone.

Ultimately, every owner needs to realistically consider a pet’s capacity to do harm. Even those whose pets have never demonstrated even the slightest tendency toward aggression should remember the common refrain employed by many top trainers: “Every pet is fine . . . until he’s not.”

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