Sheepadoodles are often considered as one of the most tolerant breeds there is. Friendly and caring, they usually manage to stay happy with other pets and family members.
But are Sheepadoodles aggressive? No, Sheepadoodles are typically not known to be aggressive and they are one of the most gentle breeds around. But if not raised properly, there are several things that can make a Sheepadoodle aggressive including abuse or neglect. Lack of socialization can also lead to a Sheepadoodle becoming aggressive.
Read on to learn more about Sheepadoodle aggression.
What is the Cause of Aggression In Dogs?
There can’t be given a 100% complete answer to what is the cause of aggression in dogs, and why it’s more apparent in some dogs than in others. In a recent research study by Yuying Hsu and Liching Sun from Taiwan, they discovered that some of the key factors linked with aggression included:
- If the dogs are on “guard-” duty and training
- Not enough time together with their owners
- Living in a rural area
- Physical reprimands throughout training
- If the dog was acquired as a puppy or later
Basically, Sheepadoodles’ aren’t aggressive by nature, but if they come from a poor background it can lead to unwanted behavior.
What Are Some Causes of Sheepadoodle Aggression?
There are some things that we definitely can say causes aggression when we talk about dogs in general.
And of course, there is obviously some variation from each individual case to the next, we can typically point to a specific experience or situation that are a lot more likely to bring out aggressive tendencies in even a mild-mannered dog like a Sheepadoodle.
I like to look at Sheepadoodles puppies as basically a blank page where you get to set your fingerprint on them and the kind of personality you want them to have as they mature.
Take a look at this list of things you should watch out for that could cause aggression in any dog.
Neglect (Especially Lack of Feeding)
This is sadly something that we see quite a lot, and neglecting a dog will ensure that it will have a much higher difficulty trusting anybody in general.
Always ensure that you feed your dog a balanced and rich diet from the best possible manufacturers.
A malnourished dog that suddenly gets access to food will be extremely protective of it, and this is especially often a problem when it comes to dogs from a shelter.
When they finally get a nice home where there’s plenty of food, they are still to act as they did in the shelter and will protect their food from any potential threat, and this also means small children.
This is, from my own experience, the most common reason for small children or other pets and animals getting hurt by a Sheepadoodle.
New and Scary Events
There are a lot of challenges that come with owning a dog and one of those is that we simply can’t know how they process new experiences until it happens.
A large number of professional dog-trainers believe that dogs don’t transfer prior experiences to new situations as quickly as we do, or if they even do it at all.
And being in a new situation can therefore very likely create anxiety in a dog that suffers from a fear of anything unfamiliar.
Physical Harm
Even to this day and age, there are some dog trainers that still believe in and preach the term tough love, but more often than not, the only thing that will lead to is getting an unreliable dog.
Physical harm and abuse will just show a dog how people will normally treat them and they will expect to get hurt by every human they meet. And if that was the case for you, you would probably strike back eventually.
If you ever find yourself to be near a dog that has been physically hurt in any way, you have to be very careful with how you act and talk around them. Even your posture and body language must be looked at from the dogs’ perspective.
A 65 lbs angry dog equipped with 42 sharp teeth isn’t something to mess around with.
Pain
When a dog is sick, they usually prefer to be left alone, and will also be overly protective of themselves, and that is the same situation if a dog is in any kind of pain.
Their natural sense of self-preservation can get them to snap and growl, and while it’s not the most pleasant to be around a dog that is snarling at us, it’s not exactly something that’s notably rare.
How long is your own fuse typically when you are in any kind of pain? Perhaps you won’t try and bite anybody who gets’ too close, but you will probably react differently than if you weren’t hurting.
Lack of Physical Exercise
A dog that has a lot of energy stored up can often turn quite destructive.
This will typically just seem like a small cry for attention, but if it’s something you don’t address immediately, destructive behavior can quickly become a habit of your’ dog.
Illness
When it comes to illnesses dogs’ have in common with humans that it usually comes with a sense of uncertainty and discomfort.
If you attempt to play with or in any way move a dog that is sick, you will only make that discomfort feel even worse, and in such a situation it isn’t uncommon for a dog to lash out.
And while this isn’t something I would consider as a dog being generally aggressive, some people could look at it as such, so that’s why I’ve included it here just to show that this can also be a situation where you might see a Sheepadoodle react aggressively.
A Sense of Impending Danger
Just as a Doodle might become aggressive if they feel the need to protect themselves, they will also react the same way if it’s somebody they love that they feel they need to defend.
And this is also why you shouldn’t be surprised if your Sheepadoodle suddenly starts growling at strange and unusual sounds in the night.
Guide to Help Your Sheepadoodle Act Appropriately
So, now that we have looked at some of the things that can cause a Sheepadoodle to become aggressive, let’s see what you can do to avoid it.
As with most issues with behavior, the easiest thing is to do it when your dog is still a puppy. This is the period where you can guide his future behavior rather than having to change something already wrong.
In this case, the same thing applies to dogs as it does to humans: habits are a lot easier to create than to change.
Prevent Sheepadoodle Aggression
Let’s look at some of the things that you can do to help your Sheepadoodle puppy not be aggressive as he matures.
Socialization
Surprisingly this is something a lot of dog-owners don’t think about, as socialization is typically one of the most underrated parts of raising a puppy. But it is essential that you start the socialization process the second you get your new puppy home.
Socializing your Doodle puppy basically just means that you will get him/her to as much of the whole wide world as possible, while they are still young.
Some of the numerous different things you should socialize your dog to includes:
- Animals
- People
- Places
- Sights
- Sounds
- Smells
Socialization is important in a lot of ways. Not only does it help your dog know about the world outside, but it is also an excellent way to train your furry friend.
Try taking your dog on a lot of walks to nearby dog parks, down the street across your home, or near a playground. This way he will meet numerous different people and objects and slowly but surely learn to understand their behavior.
It will also teach your dog about many different animals, sounds, noises vehicles make, and human interaction.
Your dog’s observations will help improve his/her understanding of all these things and form a response and can eventually rule out any chance of Sheepadoodle aggression.
When you do take your Sheepadoodle out for a walk, make him sit, stay, and heel and guide him through all of these new things.
Continue using these basic commands regularly until your Doodle has them fully memorized. This is also one of the best ways for you to establish yourself as the leader in this relationship.
If you are looking to adopting an older dog, you have to make sure his behavior is as predictable as possible, as you have no idea what that specific dog might have been through during its’ life. He may have been badly hurt and abused or had other bad experiences. And these experiences will typically affect his current behavior.
An example is that some rescue dogs are terrified of people, this can be anything from a specific kind of person in particular, or to all humans in general.
But the good news is that by giving the dog a happy, safe, and caring home, most dogs are able to overcome their problems with enough time and love given them.
Reliable Schedule
Have a reliable schedule is also something that is underrated and over-looked by many first-time dog owners.
A reliable schedule will help your dog feeling a lot more confident regarding his/her expectations for the day.
Any dog that is certain that he/she is going to be well-fed during that day is a lot less likely to be overly protective of the food he/she gets.
This same thing goes for a dog that has a specific schedule every day, which allows them to get out and get properly exercised.
Routines are very good for your Sheepadoodles mood and their outlook on life.
Tons of Love and Playtime
As I said earlier, I really do think that every Sheepadoodle puppy is a blank slate.
How your dog ends up when it is fully grown is usually a reflection of your qualities as a dog owner.
A loving, happy and confident dog won’t have to rely on aggression to overcompensate for any’ lack of confidence.
Spending plenty of time with your dog in a loving and productive way pays back in huge amounts for all the years to come.
How To Deal With An Aggressive Sheepadoodle
Having to deal with an aggressive Sheepadoodle may seem like an impossible task as Sheepadoodles are typically so extremely lovable and well-mannered, but it’s exactly due to this their mild-mannered personality that it will often make it easier to solve any aggression issues.
Socialization and training from an early age will make an enormous difference. This is something that can’t be stressed enough.
If you have a puppy that spends enough time with a well-behaved and obedient dog, it will help the puppy. pick up on that behavior and copy it.
A dog is very unlikely to turn out aggressive if it is with a well-mannered dog that’s usually just minding his own business.
Do remember that Sheepadoodles are very sensitive dogs, and yelling and screaming at them and punishing them won’t help your dog get better manners, but will only increase the risk of the aggression happening over and over again.
Sheepadoodles respond a lot better when using large amounts of praise and positive reinforcement training.
If you’re specific situation is where the dog hasn’t had the proper socialization when it was younger, fear not, it’s still not too late to fix it.
It will most likely take quite a while longer, but with plenty of proper training and even more patience, the dog will eventually understand the difference between correct and incorrect behavior.
Sheepadoodles love praise and will respond well to that.
As long as you remember that it can take a bit longer to properly socialize an older Sheepadoodle to not be aggressive, it is still very much possible, and the reward in the end will make all the work and effort worth it.
Final Words
Sheepadoodles are typically not aggressove dogs, but caring, loyal and amazing ones that make wonderful companions and family pets.
Given proper amounts of socialization and consistent training, this dog usually won’t show any inappropriate aggression and will mature into exactly the kind of dog that has made this hybrid dog so popular all around the globe.
Sources:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159110000365
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233995885_Breed_differences_in_canine_aggression
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