Aggressive Dogs Don’t Fix Themselves!

If you have an aggressive dog, the dog will not change. You need to do something. Your dog is a walking time bomb.

Most people respond to violent dogs by being abusive or violent themselves. You should never let a dog change your character in that way. Although violent or harsh discipline may work for a while with a naturally dominant dog or an alpha dog, over time he may become even more aggressive. This is because his natural reaction is to fight back against threats. The dog will develop a hair-trigger violent response to stimuli that you can’t see coming until it is too late.

If you have a dog that displays aggressive tendencies, toward you, your family or other animals, I urge you to immediately locate a trained behaviorist or dog trainer who is knowledgeable about aggressive dogs. An aggressive dog is not something that most people can handle with any degree of safety or confidence simply because the pet is very unpredictable.

Second guessing an aggressive dog is futile. When it comes to treating aggressive or irritable canine behavior, an animal behaviorist is preferred as they generally have a more experience and knowledge about the specifics of animal behavior. However there are some fantastic dog trainers out there as well who can assist with aggressive stuff as well.

To find either a dog trainer or animal behaviorist, look first in your local yellow pages. You can also ask at the local humane society and phone veterinarian offices for local referrals to find these types of professionals in your area. Friends can also recommend a good behaviorist if they were once in the same pickle as you.

Before you commit to hiring the behaviorist, try to find out what kind of behavioral training the professional trainer or animal behaviorist uses to correct your dog’s behavior. Avoid those that use violent and inhumane methods such as electric collar trainer or the Koehler method. Before you select a trainer or behaviorist visit their office, ask for references and certificates and make sure that he or she has never lost or hurt a dog for any reason. It also helps to try and gain information to see if the professional has a history of any of the dogs that were trained in the past as having to being euthanized.

Usually your local humane society, veterinarian or Better Business Bureau can also give you information about a trainer. If you do have an aggressive dog, seek help immediately. If you own an aggressive dog, it means that you have lost control as the master of your pet. This means that anything can happen, including an attack from your dog that could result in him having to be put down. This should be totally unnecessary in this day and age when we know so much about dogs. Still so many people refuse to heed the warning signals that there dog is about to snap and don’t do anything until they are litigated by somebody who has been bitten!

Gaining The Trust of An Adopted Dog

One way to gain the trust of an adopted dog is to speak very gently to it and to feed it treats. This might be a good idea if you need to lure him out of a hiding place. At first, try to speak softly to the dog while extending treats to him. Be sure to feed him a treat each time he lets you touch him. Eventually you can start trying to get him to focus on you by hand feeding him.

It is very important to not leave your new adopted dog alone at first. Try to be with the dog 24/7 for at least the first three weeks after you bring him home. If you are unable to do this, the dog could develop panic and anxiety. Many adopted dogs will display panic if you leave them alone. You need to teach the adopted dog that if you do leave you will always come back.

To get your dog used to being by himself, try leaving the house for two minutes and then re-entering and then extending the period of time until the dog stops freaking out when you leave. This helps create a trust bond between the two of you. Another way to gain the trust of your adopted dog is to try and play with it. Few dogs can resist a good game of tug of war. Try to holding out a cloth, stick or sock while you hold the other. Many dogs like a dirty old tea towel.

Make sure that if you do choose a stick that you do not hold it in a threatening manner especially if you do not know the dog’s history. The worst thing you could do is trigger a bad reaction in a dog that has been hit before. He could hide and you wouldn’t see him much.

Your dog thrives on approval so the only thing you have to remember is to not give him affection after he misbehaves. However if you give a dog a good reason to behave, he will probably exceed your wildest expectations when it comes to obedience. An adopted dog can be especially rewarding emotionally this way. T

he best way to create a snarling, snappy disobedient dog is to continually humiliate or criticize it. This is what will sabotage his trainer faster then affection ever could. This is especially true if the dog has been traumatized in the past. Nothing makes a dog happier than making eye contact with you and then hearing and feeling praise and affection.

A dog may start obeying commands simply because it means he gets to spend more time with you so it is a good idea to be as affectionate with the dog as possible when it is appropriate. Make the dog feel owned. After your dog seems more confident and trusting of you, you can take him outside and reward him with plenty of fresh air and exercise. Just one more thing to remember when it comes to training your adopted dog –never harshly disciplines a dog from a pound or shelter. You could get bitten.

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