Dominance Aggression, Canine - contd.

ClinicalSigns
Growling, snarling, lunging, snapping or biting owners or other familiar people. The dog typically will have a dominant body posture.

Symptoms
Owners frequently report that their dog becomes aggressive without being provoked. Usually, they are unaware that they have unintentionally challenged or competed with the dog. This is very understandable, since the trigger for the aggression can be something as subtle as petting the dog or looking at it.