Are Pomeranians Aggressive (11 Types Of Dog Aggression)

Pomeranians are so cute and fluffy but, are Pomeranians aggressive?

Pomeranians are not aggressive dogs. They have a long history of being companions and can become very attached to their owners. Pomeranians are known to follow their owners everywhere they go. Although Pomeranians are not aggressive they can become very protective.

In this article, I discuss the different types of aggression, why dogs can become aggressive, and what to do if your Pomeranian is aggressive.

Aggressive dogs are very common and are the number one reason dog owners seek out professional help.

Are Pomeranians Aggressive

Pomeranians as a breed are not known for aggression. These little balls of fluff are better known for being lapdogs.

Every dog is different and even though Pomeranians are not known as being an aggressive breed it is possible for any dog to have triggers that can result in aggressive behavior.

What Is Dog Aggression

Dog aggression is classified as behaviors that are hostile toward people or animals that sometimes lead to harmful injuries or the destruction of property.

Why Are Some Dogs Aggressive

There are many reasons why a dog has aggressive tendencies.

• The dog may be territorial and want to protect its home, family, or belongings
• Dogs can show food aggression when they are eating
• A dog may have feelings of fear and act on them with aggression
• Dogs will sometimes become aggressive if they are in pain
• Some dogs have strong prey drives which can be expressed through aggression

Is It Natural For Dogs To Be Aggressive

Dogs are natural pack animals that descend from wild animals. In the wild most animals will become aggressive when protecting their home, territories, and their young.

In a pack, dynamic aggression is also used to maintain the pack’s order and peace within their community.

What Are The Characteristics Of An Aggressive Dog

We’ve all had that experience where we have sensed the energy or read the body language of a dog and have backed off before the dog snapped at us.

Let’s look at the characteristics of an aggressive dog and how to spot behaviors that can lead to aggression.

What Does A Friendly Dog Act Like

Before we get into the body language and behaviors of a potentially aggressive dog let’s review what a happy and friendly dog looks like.

• Wagging tail
• Relaxed tail
• The happy expression on its face, maybe even a smile
• Relaxed ears
• Happy submissive behaviors like rolling over and exposing their stomach
• Playful bows or prances showing excitement
• Leaning towards you or nudging for playful attention
• Soft expressive eyes

What Are The Signs Of Aggressive Dog Behavior

Being able to read a dog’s body language and reacting before an aggressive action happens can be critical in avoiding tragedy or injury.

If a dog shows any of these behaviors it’s best to back off and make sure the dog is secured by its owner.

• Look for signs of anxiety which include scratching, sniffing, panting
• Tense body, becoming rigid and still
• Leaning their bodies forward
• Lunging forward or charging
• Ears pinned back or forward
• Showing the white portion of their eyes
• Eye contact
• Closed mouth
• The tail raised high with a slow wag
• Tail tucked between their legs
• Showing their teeth
• Muzzle punching, hitting a person with their nose
• Growling

What Behaviors Seem Like Dog Aggression

Sometimes puppies and dogs express natural behaviors that can appear as if they could lead to aggression but, they generally do not.

Some of these misunderstood behaviors are.

Playful Puppies

Young dogs tend to play a lot and playfully bite and chew while they are teething. Sometimes this playtime can get rough and lead to a nip or bite that can hurt. Your puppy is not becoming aggressive they are just learning and having fun. It’s best to stop a puppy that is getting out of hand and let them know that biting is not allowed.

Rough Housing

Dogs love to play and wrestle with each other. Sometimes they can get rough or become vocal during their play with growls and barking. As long as neither dog is scared or getting hurt playing roughly with each other is a natural non-aggressive dog behavior.

It’s a daily occurrence at my house for my dogs to engage in wrestling matches. It usually starts with my 4.5lb black Pomeranian tugging at her big 10lb brother Murphy. Murphy loves the rough play and will generally wrestle on his back. He’s very vocal and makes distinct noises that he uses only during play.

What Are The Different Types Of Dog Aggression

There are many types of dog aggression that can appear in aggressive dogs. Here are the top 11 reasons a dog is aggressive.

• Fear
• Reactivity
• Leash Reactivity
• Guarding Resources
• Territorial and Protective
• Social Aggression
• Frustration Aggression
• Redirected Aggression
• Hormonal Aggression
• Pain Aggression
• Prey Instinct Aggression

Why Do Dogs Show Aggression When They Are Fearful

Fear is the number one reason why a dog can become aggressive.

A dog can be fearful for many reasons lack of socialization, a history of mistreatment, or abuse.

When a dog is scared its natural response is to run away to protect itself. Sometimes a dog may feel trapped and not able to run for escape. In this situation, they may snap and bite as a way to protect themselves.

If a dog is showing any signs of fear it’s best to back away from the dog and give it some space. Even when you have the best of intentions towards the dog it may not understand and still see you as a threat.

Will Some Dogs Overreact And Become Aggressive

Some dogs have a lack of training, socialization, or genetics that can cause them to lose self-control and overreact becoming aggressive in friendly situations.

Many aggressive dogs will have triggers that can set them off in a normal social atmosphere.

Some examples of triggers are men in general, men with beards, people wearing hats, children, loud noises, and being on a leash.

Never approach a dog that appears to be nervous or reactive even if the owner says it’s ok.

We were camping a week ago and my kids wanted to pat a cute little dog that was walking by with its owner. The owner said it was ok that the dog was friendly. A few moments later my husband walked up and joined us. At that moment the dog completely changed and started barking in an aggressive manner. The owner told us the dog doesn’t like men.

My advice would be to get training for your dog if they have a trigger and not allow strangers to pat your dog if there is anything that could cause your dog to become aggressive in a moment.

Why Are Some Dogs Aggressive When They Are On A Leash

I mentioned briefly before that some dogs react negatively and can become aggressive when they are on a leash. It’s worth talking about as is its own form of aggression.

Sometimes when a dog is on a leash they feel cornered and trapped. When they come across anything that feels like a threat their first response would be to run away. Since they can not do that, the next best thing is to scare off the threat with aggressive behavior.

Dogs that feel threatened on a leash tend to show behaviors like growling, barking, and lunging forward.

Why Are Some Dogs Only Aggressive When They Are Eating

We all know that we should leave a dog alone when they are eating because many dogs may growl or snap at you.

A dog will naturally want to protect its food and resources as a survival instinct that dates back to its ancestors the grey wolf.

Even though most dogs do not need to fight and protect their food to survive many still respond to this instinct with anything that they find valuable, food, water treats, toys, people, and sleeping spaces.

Why Do Dogs Become Aggressive When They Are Protecting Their Territory

Dogs are very territorial animals, this instinct is embedded in their genetics coming from their deep history of descending from wild wolves.

Wolves naturally protect their territory and will drive off any intruder even if it’s from its own species.

Our domestic dogs will do the same thing protecting their territory. They can show aggression towards strangers and even those they know if they feel as if their territory is being threatened.

The dog will determine its own territory boundaries, it could be your home, the entire property line, or even the inside of a vehicle.

Puppies generally do not express territorial aggression. Territorial aggression usually develops as a puppy moves into adulthood, around one to three years of age.

Are Some Dogs Aggressive When They Are The Alpha

Social aggression can be a confusing topic to unpack and understand. There are many different variables that come into play when a dog is aggressive socially.

In pack animals, there is a hierarchy that determines the social interactions and lifestyle of the animals. The pack establishes the hierarchy order ahead of time so there is no need to fight over food, sleeping areas, and mates on a daily basis.

The alphas will often show aggressive behavior towards pack members below it in order to keep the pack in check.

Our relationships with our domestic dogs are a lot more complicated than those of wild pack animals but, when a dog feels like it is the alpha it may show aggression towards those it feels are below it.

A Jekyll And Hyde Dog Within Your Home

Dogs that perceive themselves as the alpha above other humans in your home can cause situations that feel like your dog is “Jekyll and Hyde”.

Your dog may be a perfect angel to you but, snaps and growls or shows other aggressive behaviors towards others in your home including children.

Your alpha dog feels as if the member that’s “below” him or her has overstepped their boundaries and needs to be set back into its social place.

The acts that can set your dog off are seemingly harmless to us.

• Kissing or hugging the dog
• Trying to pick up the dog
• Grooming the dog
• Scoulding the dog
• Pointing at the dog
• Disturbing the dog as it sleeps
• Touching the dogs food or toys
• Touching the dogs feet or ears
• Trying to take away something the dog has stolen
• Holding the dog back from something it wants to get at
• Pulling at the dogs leash
• Bumping the dog
• Forcing the dog into a submissive position

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Can Dogs Become Aggressive When They Are Frustrated

The game of keeping away can cause a dog to act out aggressively.

Sometimes when dogs are held back from something they want badly they can show that frustration with acts of aggression.

These dogs don’t have the intent to harm but, can learn to associate certain feelings with negative aggressive behaviors.

A dog that has been held back from things and felt frustration may start to show aggressive behaviors when they are created, leashed, behind a fence, or picked up to allow others to enter or exit your home.

What Is Redirected Aggression

Redirected aggression can occur when a dog is focused on something or is involved in a heated situation with another dog or animal.

A case of redirected aggression would be when you are trying to break up a dog fight, sometimes the dog will snap at or show aggression towards the neutral person or animal when they weren’t the ones who originally caused the anger.

What Is Hormonal Aggression

Dogs will often show aggression when they are interested in gaining the attention of a potential mate.

It’s a natural response for both male and female dogs to make sure that they have the opportunity to mate and will often try to fight off the competition.

Why Do Dogs Become Aggressive When They Are In Pain

Any animal that is in pain wants to be left alone and many will show signs of aggression when they are approached.

If your normally friendly pup has shown aggressive behaviors that are out of character it may be best to bring him or her to the vet.

What is Prey Aggression

Some dogs have a strong prey drive that can cause them to express signs of aggression like chasing and snapping.

We’ve probably all had a similar experience where we were riding our bikes as a child and got chased by a dog. It’s a frightening situation that is based on the dog’s natural wild instinct to chase down prey.

Some dogs will chase people, cars, and other animals, and will usually bite their victims if they are caught.

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What Causes Dogs To Be Aggressive

In this section, we will discuss some of the reasons why dogs are aggressive.

Are Some Dogs Just Mean

Dogs are not naturally mean unfortunately there are many reasons that influence why a dog can develop behavioral issues and show aggression.

A dog may become aggressive due to the following reasons and most likely is due to a combination of the reasons.

• Genetics
• Lack of socialization
• Early life socialization
• Lack of training
• Improper training
• Diet
• Exercise
• Treatment of the mother during pregnancy
• Premature weaning
• Abuse
• Neglect

Can Genetics Make A Dog Aggressive

Although genetics is a contributing factor to dog aggression it is not the main reason a dog becomes aggressive. The biggest reason why a dog is aggressive stems from the human interactions it has experienced.

With that said there are some dogs and dog breeds that will instinctively choose to fight versus flight when they encounter a fearful situation. It’s very important that these dogs receive good training and socialization to avoid future behavior problems.

Can Dog Aggression Be Corrected

Aggressive dog behavior can be improved but, there isn’t a guarantee that an aggressive dog can be completely cured.

The level of aggressive behavior correction will depend on the dog, owner, training, and maintenance after the training. A dog that has shown aggression in the past is always vulnerable to triggers that have sparked their aggressive actions.

If you are the owner of an aggressive dog working with a trainer and maintaining that training is very important for the future of your dog and the people and animals it encounters.

It’s always best to act on the side of caution with an aggressive dog and never assume it’s fully cured even after years since signs of aggression.

How To Deal With An Aggressive Dog

The best thing you can do when you have an aggressive dog is to remove that dog from any dangerous situations or situations that may trigger an aggressive response. After that has been done seek out professional help to assist you and your dog.

Questions You Should Ask Yourself When Your Dog Has Shown Aggression

• Who was the person or animal that your dog was aggressive towards?
• When did the aggressive situation happen?
• Where did the aggressive situation happen?
• What else was going on around the dog when the aggressive act happened?
• What happened to your dog right before is was aggressive?
• What stopped your dog from being aggressive?
• What actions didn’t stop your dog from being aggressive?

What To Do When Your Pomeranian Is Aggressive Towards People

In this section, I discuss what to do and why your Pomeranian may be aggressive towards certain people.

If your fluffy little Pomeranian has shown any signs of aggression please seek out professional training.

Why Is My Pomeranian Only Aggressive Towards Strangers

Dogs that are aggressive towards strangers are often acting out in response to fear or territory protection.

Being around strangers can make many dogs nervous and prone to an aggressive response in order to communicate to that stranger that they are uncomfortable.

Other dogs are very protective of their territory and will act out with aggression at any sign of a threat.

The old story of the mailman getting attacked by a dog is the perfect example of a territorial dog chasing off a “threat”.

Why Is My Pomeranian Aggressive Towards Family Members

Dog aggression towards family members can be caused by many reasons including fear, possessiveness, and hierarchy issues.

It can become a serious situation within a home if your dog is showing signs of aggression towards a member or members of the family. It’s best to seek professional help before the situation becomes dangerous.

Why Is My Pomeranian Aggressive Towards Children

Fear, pain, and predatory instincts are the most common reasons a dog will show aggression towards a child.

The unpredictable and ever-changing behaviors of children can often make a dog nervous and anxious, which can lead to aggressive responses.

Children often are unable to read the signs of a dog in pain or a dog that wants to be left alone. In this case, the dog can only communicate their needs in so many ways, they can try to remove themselves from the child’s company or respond in an aggressive way.

The most dangerous form of aggression towards children is prey-driven aggression. Generally, this type of aggression is towards young children or babies. The dog’s natural prey instincts take over and they attack the young victim.

Dog aggression that has been shown towards children can be very difficult to correct and it can be very hard to trust a dog that has shown any sign of aggression toward a child.

What To Do When Your Pomeranian Is Aggressive Towards Animals

Aggression towards animals could be an expression of your dog’s prey drive. It may also be your dog determining where it fits within the pack.

Generally, Pomeranians do not have strong prey drives, most likely your dog is just figuring out how it stands.

My male Pomeranian Murphy likes to chase and bark at our alpha cat to flex his “muscles”. In an instant, that cat may decide to turn and chase him off. They all know that the cat is the boss but, Murphy likes to test his boundaries.

What Should I Do If Dog Training Doesn’t Stop My Dogs Aggression

Make sure that you are seeking out the best professional training that you can get. If you are not satisfied with the training that your dog has received and it has not helped with your dog’s aggressive behaviors I would suggest getting a second opinion.

Will Play Biting Lead To Aggression?

Play-biting is a natural behavior of puppies that can sometimes extend into adulthood. While the majority of the time play biting is harmless it can lead to harder biting and aggression. It is always best to train your dog not to bite in any way.

Will Growling At Toys Lead To Aggression?

How Do I Know If I Have An Angry Pomeranian

It’s possible for play growling to transition into a full-blown case of possession aggression. Be aware of your dog’s behavior and any changes in it over time. Become familiar with your dog’s type of growls and if they growl at you when you try to take away the toy.

What Do I Do If I Have A Mean Pomeranian?

If you have a mean or angry Pomeranian it’s best to speak with a professional dog trainer and determine the root cause of your Pomeranians behavior.

Why Are Pomeranians So Aggressive?

Pomeranians are not usually aggressive. If a Pomeranian is showing aggressive behaviors they may be overprotective, territorial, nervous, or in pain.

How Do I Know If I Have An Angry Pomeranian

Do you have an angry Pomeranian? Angry behaviors can be just playfulness or a sign that your dog is near aggression. Being aware of your dog’s body language and noises can help you determine if the anger being demonstrated is a cause for concern.

Final Thoughts

It can be challenging when were are dealing with an aggressive dog whether it’s our own dog or one you encounter while walking in your neighborhood.

Pomeranians as a breed are not known for aggressive behaviors. They are generally cuddly little companions with big personalities.

If you are concerned about your dog’s aggression look deeper into why you think they are aggressive and find a professional to help.

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