Dog Becoming Aggressive With Age

Do you have an older dog becoming aggressive with age and you’re wondering why? It may just be part of normal aging.

Dogs get a lot of the same ailments that humans do as they age. And if you know any older people, then you know how they can get cranky with age. You know they may just not feel good.

When a dog gets older, they may not feel so good. Unlike humans, they can’t just say, leave me alone I just don’t feel good. They communicate in a different way, they may snap at you, or growl. It’s their way of saying, Leave me alone.

Try not to get upset. Getting mad at them won’t help. Just try to understand, and maybe you can help them to feel better.

A lot of issues can be attributed to health

If you’re noticing your dogs’ behavior becoming more aggressive all of a sudden, a trip to the vet would probably be a good idea. Health problems can cause your dog to be aggressive.  As your dog gets older more frequent visits to the Vet are advised.

Dogs have a lot of the same health issues as humans as they get older. They get arthritis, diabetes, heart problems, hearing and sight loss and more. Good diet and exercise should be a part of their daily routine. These are things you can help them with.

Dementia in dogs

Dogs can develop canine cognitive dysfunction as they get older. It’s dementia in dogs. As their cognitive powers decline, they may not remember things. They might not even remember members of the family that they’ve been around all their life. If you are not recognized as someone they know, they could get aggressive. Don’t take this personally, they are just acting out because they’re confused. You just need to reassure them, just let them know It’s OK they’re all right. They’re safe.

Hearing/vision loss

Hearing and or vision loss can be a common reason for aggression in a dog as they get older. If they aren’t able to see well enough to know what’s coming they may be startled if grabbed or ran into. If there are other dogs in your house they may show aggression if approached or ran into by other dogs. They could be startled by you or the other dogs in the house because they just don’t see what’s coming. This is a common reason for a dog becoming aggressive with age.

Hopefully, other dogs will learn to give them a wide birth. You need to be a little bit careful of how you touch them and pet them. Start at their nose and let them smell you so they know you’re there and about to touch them.

With a hearing loss, they can also be startled easily. So be a little more careful try not to surprise them.

Exercise for older dogs

As dogs get older they can become less active. You may need to help them get exercise. They’re not going to be as exuberant as they were when they were younger. They’re going to be slower, however, they do need exercise. If they aren’t interested in going for a walk anymore, at least get them to get up and get some kind of exercise. This can help with reducing aggression.

One trick you can use is a dog treat puzzle toy. This is something they have to put some effort in to get the treat out. This gets them a little exercise and helps with their cognitive skills.

Keep their weight down

Keeping your dogs’ weight down is important no matter what age they are. However, in dogs of an older age, it can be even more important. Joint pain is common in older dogs carrying around any extra weight can be more work and cause pain. Keeping their weight down can be a help. Less pain, less aggression. Try a dog food made for senior dogs.

Check their teeth

If they haven’t had their teeth checked in a while then this is something that could be causing problems. Bad teeth can be very painful, and being grouchy can be expected. If your dog will let you take a look at their teeth, then take a look. They may not let you look, be careful, don’t get bit. If their breath is bad or they have plaque build up then get them to a Vet.

Pack mentality 

If you have more than one dog, then how your senior dog gets along with others can be a factor. As your older dog gets slower, the other dogs may start to take advantage of that. They’ll get to the food faster, they’ll get through the door quicker.

This, of course, will aggravate the senior dog. If you can give your older dog a little more attention. Maybe keep the other dogs out of the way. Give him or her a separate bowl or whatever you need to do to keep the other dogs from taking advantage of your senior dog. Reducing stress and conflict is key here.

See your Vet

Your dog is getting older and is slowing down. He or she may just be dealing with the things that older dogs have to deal with. Like not being able to hold their own with the other dogs. Aggression may be their way of keeping their dominance over other dogs.

However, if you see other signs of not feeling good. Or the aggression started all of a sudden without any apparent reason. Then a trip to the vet might be a good idea. Be sure to tell your vet everything you can think of that your dog is doing, especially if they’re things that he or she wasn’t doing before. Not sleeping well, loss of interest in things that he or she used to like. Things like making a list before you go to your vet can help.

Be patient

The best thing you can do for your dog is to be understanding. Have patience.

Hopefully, this article helped with understanding your dog becoming aggressive with age.

Below is a video with some tips on how to care for a senior dog