Chiropractor for Dogs With Aggression
Dog aggression is a tough situation regardless of the cause. Pet owners scour the earth to find solutions for their dogs’ aggressive behavior, picking up each and every rock to find a magic cure or some positive nugget of hope that will bring peace. As a dog trainer, and someone who has shared her home with aggressive dogs, I completely understand the search for a solution.
With that said, I’ve recently discovered newer modalities that promise to reduce aggression and I’m intrigued. It seems regular chiropractic adjustments are helpful for certain causes of dog aggression. But it’s not a magic cure.
Dog Aggression Caused By Pain
Depending on the cause of your dog’s aggression, regular chiropractic adjustments from a qualified practitioner can help. Many dogs growl, lunge, snap and even bite because they’re in pain. So many times, we completely miss or ignore our dogs’ body language indicating that they’re suffering. Then, a well-meaning family member pats or walks next to our dogs and unfortunately they lunge, snap and bite.
Know the Signs
Since pain can cause aggression in dogs, it’s important to rule out disease or any abnormalities that may be causing your dog discomfort. If, at any time, your dog begins acting strangely, bring him or her to your veterinarian immediately. When dogs are in pain, their symptoms aren’t as obvious as limping, whining, whimpering and so forth.
Some suffering dogs will distance themselves from family members by hiding in another room. Because all dogs are different, some dogs will stiffen up as you reach out to pet them while some will turn away, leave the room or growl. When in doubt, check it out.
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How a Dog Chiropractor Can Help
Chiropractic adjustments not only bring your dog’s body back into alignment, but they also allow energy to move better. While this may sound a bit “woo woo” to some, I’ve witnessed it work on myself and my dogs. Chiro adjustments provide great results for arthritis, chronic tummy issues, ligament strains, injuries, chronic illnesses and so forth.
Each chiropractic adjustment builds on itself, which means each adjustment is like taking a step forward in the right direction. Many dogs feel relief immediately during or after their first adjustment. Stella, my Bull Terrier, rams into walls like a small tank while playing. Our vet adjusted her neck and she was a totally different dog afterwards. She slept for 3 days, and her typical crankiness was gone!
Find a veterinary chiropractor here.
Can Chiro Adjustments Reduce Other Types of Aggression?
The simple answer is we don’t know yet. Some dog-to-dog aggression cases have benefited from regular chiropractic adjustments while others saw no change in behavior. Without solid research, it’s hard to say for sure. However, knowing that pain can cause dog aggression, I do believe regular adjustments can certainly help.
As I’ve dabbled in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), I’m pretty impressed with the results so far. Keeping an open mind to all modalities will most certainly benefit dogs and my clients, but I’m not quick to assume one thing can change everything.
It Takes a Combination Approach
As I’ve said before, I wish magic wands worked for dog behavior. If it were that simple, our local shelters would be empty. Be careful of quick-fix promises because they’re extremely rare. I believe a combination approach works best for changing dog behavior. Relieving your dog’s pain, or bringing his body into alignment will help, but it’s vital to teach your dog how to react differently around triggers too.
Regular chiropractic adjustments are certainly worth a try!