If a dog redirects aggression toward a person or animal by barking, snapping, growling, or biting at you after you interrupt the behavior, this is called what?

• A. Redirected Aggression
• B. Redirected Destruction
• C. Resource Guarding
• D. Play Behavior

Answer: (A)

Redirected aggression occurs when a dog is highly aroused by a trigger but can’t reach that target, so the aggression is redirected to a nearby target, often a person, after someone interrupts. In this case, you interrupt the dog’s behavior and it responds by barking, snapping, growling, or biting at you, showing that the arousal was redirected toward you. It’s different from resource guarding (aggression centered on protecting a resource like food or a toy), and from redirected destruction (aggression directed at an object, not a person). Play behavior would not involve a real threat or intent to harm.