Did you know that switching your dog's diet can halt aggressive dog behaviour? A study conducted by the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, Massachusetts, has shown that such behaviour can be related to nutrition.

Aggressive dog behaviour can be a major problem for dog owners. In some cases, their dogs are so aggressive and threatening that they are afraid of their own pets. Dogs can sense when someone is afraid and this only magnifies the problem. Such behaviour has led to many heartbreaks through injuries, loss of life and loss of a pet. The ones that end up in shelters are frequently put down as they are considered too dangerous to put up for adoption. This is unfair to the dog because there could be another reason for his aggression.

Diets that are high in protein content contribute to this problem, as indicated during the study. Many members of the study group switched their dogs to a low protein diet and saw significant improvement in their dog's behaviour. The tests proved that switching to a low protein diet works.

One of the problems with some commercial dog foods is that they contain too much protein for most dogs. Dog owners think that high-protein is good, but that is only true if the dog is under one year old, pregnant, nursing or is a working dog. In these circumstances, a high-protein diet provides many benefits that those dogs need. For example, puppies require protein to help their bodies to grow properly. Too little protein can lead to serious problems.

Working dogs need a lot of energy to do what they do and for this, they require protein that will provide the energy and help them stay healthy and fit. With insufficient protein intake, the dog will get its energy from the body itself instead of from the food, which would be an unhealthy situation.

According to the study, puppies under one year need a diet of 28% protein content. High-performance dogs can benefit from 32% protein diets.

Dogs are instinctively territorial, and to protect it they need some degree of aggression. If he didn't intruders can kill their young, steal their food and take over their shelter. The difference between a dog protecting his territory in the wild and a domesticated dog is the degree of aggression. If it is excessive, it must be dealt with as soon as possible to prevent injury to their owners and others.

Switching to a low protein diet might be all that is required. Of course, some dogs have behaviour problems that are more extensive and require a different kind of treatment. Dogs that have been abused, isolated or malnourished are likely to have issues that acquire a dog behaviour specialist to overcome them.

Switching to a low protein diet will soon show you whether or not this is the reason your dog is aggressive. Allow enough time to see results, and then switch back to the old diet and see if he changes back to his former behaviour.

You will soon be able to tell whether diet is the cause of the aggressive dog behaviour. If it appears not to be, then your dog might need the help of a dog behaviour specialist who can offer other solutions.

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Sylvia has owned dogs all her life and has put together this special free report, "How To Pick The Right Dog Training Tools" to help you. For more valuable advice, take a free trial of Sylvia's extensive Puppy Parenting Course which offers more valuable advice on how to raise and train a dog properly. It covers everything from choosing the right dog for you and on through all the stages of the puppy's development.