Why is my dog aggressive in the morning?

If your dog is often aggressive, in the morning, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you six common reasons why dogs do it and what you can do to get it to stop.

So, why is my dog aggressive in the morning? Possible reasons why your dog is aggressive, in the morning, are hunger, fearfulness, an issue with its diet, an issue with the room it sleeps in, or injury.

Your dog might be doing it for multiple reasons and it might be due to a combination of them. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main reasons and there are many things you can do about them.

Reasons why your dog is aggressive in the morning

Below are a number of reasons why your dog might be doing it and what would make each of them more likely to be the main reason.

Encouraging the behavior

It could be the case that your dog has learned that the behavior gets rewarded. If you tend to give your dog things such as toys, treats or extra attention, when it is aggressive in the morning, it will likely do it more in order to get more rewards.

Hunger

The reason why it does it might be that it is hungry. This would be more likely if it is not aggressive after getting fed.

Fearfulness

Another possible cause is that something has actually been causing it to be fearful. This would be more likely if it tends to do it more when it might be fearful such as when there are noises like thunder outside.

An issue with its diet

It might also be the case that an issue with its diet has been causing it to behave that way. This would be more likely if it has started behaving that way suddenly since a change in its diet or if it does it more when it eats certain foods.

An issue with the room it sleeps in

Another possible cause is that there is an issue with the room it sleeps in. The room might be too noisy, bright or there might not be space for it to lay down.

Injury

It might also have been being aggressive due to an injury. This would be more likely if it has started doing it suddenly and it has been showing signs of being injured. In this case, it would help to take it to a vet.

Things to consider

Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason why your dog has been behaving that way.

What else happened when it first started doing it

If your dog was not always aggressive in the mornings, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it might be due to things such as learning that the behavior is encouraged or getting an injury.

What is different when your dog is not aggressive

If it is not always aggressive, in the morning, it would also help to consider what is different when it is not aggressive. For example, if it does not do it when it sleeps in a certain room, it might be the case that it normally has an issue sleeping in the room it normally sleeps in.

What to do about your dog being aggressive in the morning

Below are some things you can do about it.

Avoid encouraging the behavior

As mentioned above, it might be the case that it has learned that the behavior gets rewarded. Instead, it would help to avoid giving it things such as treats or extra attention when it is aggressive and to give it rewards when it is being calm.

Get help from a vet

If it has started doing it suddenly and it seems like it could be due to an injury, the best option would be to take it to a vet. By doing so, you should be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular dog and to rule out injury as a possible cause.

Get help from a dog behaviorist

Another option would be to get help from a dog behaviorist. By doing so, you should be able to see how to get your dog to stop behaving that way in a secure manner.

Ensure it is getting the right diet

As mentioned above, it might be the case that there is an issue with its diet. It would help to ensure that it has been eating the right amount of calories, that it has been eating what it should be and that no one else has been feeding it without telling you.

Ensure its sleeping environment is ideal

It would also help to ensure that it is able to sleep comfortably in the room that it normally sleeps in. It would help to ensure that the room is not too hot, bright and that there is space for it to lay down.

Limit reasons why it might be anxious

It would also help to limit reasons why it might be anxious during the night such as by letting it pee before bed and limiting things that might cause it to be fearful.