Dog Aggression Training
How to Stop Aggressive Behavior.
When your dog regularly snaps, bites or growls you might have a behavior problem on your hands so it’s important to begin dog aggression training. Aggression is the number 1 reason why dog owners look for help from a professional dog trainer. It’s not only the “intimidating” larger breeds of dogs that are known to be aggressive; any breed can become aggressive under certain circumstances. Although it won?t be cured overnight, there are many steps you can take to push off the aggressive behavior and keep your dog remaining calm.
If your dog is dog aggressive or people aggressive and you need help, call us!!
Anger Management: Why Does Your Dog Behave Aggressively?
Aggressive behavior in your dog refers to any behavior linked with an attack or an attempted attack. This includes becoming rigid and still, growling, snarling, lunging, baring teeth, and biting or nipping.? Anger management is conducive for safety.
The first step toward eliminating this behavior is to understand what’s causing the dog’s aggressive behavior with dog aggression training. Many dogs will growl when someone approaches them while they’re chewing or eating a bone, for example. Others will react aggressively toward strangers or children.
The aggression is not always directed toward a person either. Many dogs show aggression around other animals, only specific animals (cats but not other dogs), or toward lifeless objects, such as yard equipment or wheels on vehicles.
Also, many dogs are bred for traits that endorse aggressive behavior. For example, terriers are bred to attack rodents and other small animals, while guard dogs, such as Dobermans and Rottweilers, are bred to defend property and people. These are natural instincts that necessitate owners to make sure that these breeds of dogs display aggressive behavior only in the appropriate situations through appropriate training.
The key thing to remember is that you can’t draw up with a plan to adjust your dog’s behavior until you understand the reason behind it. The most common types of dog aggression include:
Territorial aggression: The dog protects your home or its space from what it believes to be an intruder.
Protective aggression: The dog protects members of its pack against another animal or a human. Mother dogs are also tremendously protective of their pups and can become hostile toward anyone who is near them.
Possessive aggression: The dog protects food, bones, chew toys, or another object of value to it.
Fear aggression: The dog attempts to retreat in a frightening situation but then attacks when cornered.
Defensive aggression: Like fear aggression?the dog attacks in protection of something rather than trying to withdrawal first.
Social aggression: The dog tries to earn the alpha spot in a group. Dogs that are not socialized correctly with other dogs and people may also exhibit aggressive behavior.
Frustration-provoked aggression: The dog behaves aggressively when it’s limited to a leash or in a fenced yard. Sometimes a dog may become excessively excited, such as before a walk, and bite its handler.
Redirected aggression: The dogs behavior might become aggressive toward a person who attempts to stop a dog fight. It can also happen when the dog can’t hit the target of its aggression, such as an adjacent dog on the other side of a fence.
Pain-elicited aggression: The dog shows aggression when it’s in pain or injured.
Sex-related aggression: Two male dogs become violent when competing for the attention of a female dog.
Predatory aggression: The dog behaves violently without any warning when exhibiting predatory behavior, such as when going after wildlife. This instinct may become a danger if a child is playing chase with your dog. It can possibly start out as an innocent game, but many dogs may quickly turn on and potentially bite the child.
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Talk to our expert dog trainers. To get started we do a 1-on-1 dog training consultation where we meet with you and your dog to find the best solution. The methods used are ones we determine at the consultation.
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How to Stop Aggression
Jotting down when your dog?s behavior becomes aggressive and the conditions surrounding the behavior plays a significant role in determining your next course of action. There are several ways you can manage the aggression and help your dog stay calm, but it will take consistency, time, and potentially the help of a dog training professional.
See Your Vet
Dogs that aren’t usually aggressive but unexpectedly develop aggressive behaviors might have an underlying medical issue. Diseases that can cause aggression include hypothyroidism and congenital or acquired neurological problems such as epilepsy, brain tumors, and encephalitis.
Speak with your vet to determine whether this is the issue with your dog. Medication or treatment may make big improvements in your dog’s behavior.
Call in a Professional Trainer
If your veterinarian has ruled out a medical issue, it’s time to call one of our professional dog trainers. Because aggression is a serious problem, you shouldn’t try to fix it by yourself. Our certified dog trainers can help you figure out what’s creating your dog’s aggressive behavior and help create a plan to manage it.
We Will Create a Plan
Your new dog trainer will help you figure out the best approach for managing your dog’s aggression. In many cases, we will use positive reinforcement (e.g., lots of praise and treats) to teach your dog new behaviors.