As a dog owner, you will face a number of challenges and situations that have to be handled in an appropriate manner. Unfortunately, dogs of all breeds have the tendency to develop bad habits, whether chewing things up, digging holes in the back yard, barking excessively, pulling on a leash, and so on.
One of the more serious habits that must be broken immediately has to do with aggression. Although there are some breeds to include Rottweiler, German Shepherd, Chow, Pitt Bull, and Doberman that have aggressive genes, with proper training these and others could become the sweetest, gentlest, and most trusted dogs for the entire family.
However, once aggression on any level has been identified, aggressive dog training would be mandatory.
If you are thinking about buying a puppy that falls within the group of more aggressive breeds, even if no aggressive tendencies were seen, we still recommend that both obedience and aggressive dog training be provided.
If you own an adult dog that is giving you trouble with aggressive behavior, rather than feel frustrated or even defeated, know that proper training would help. This specific problem is one that millions of dog owners face but one that is fixable.
Reason for Aggression
The first step prior to actual aggressive dog training would be to understand the cause of the behavior. As an example, some dogs become aggressive if they do not feel well, others could be frightened, and then there are dogs that are naturally this way.
Aggressive behavior could also be toward a particular person, even someone in the immediate family or perhaps the behavior is geared toward other animals. Regardless, once you discover the cause, you would then have the opportunity to provide the right type of aggressive dog training to correct the unwanted behavior.
A perfect example of this would be having a dog that growled, barked in a protective manner, or even lunged at a stranger while being walked at the local park. In this case, a significant amount of the training would focus on socialization.
This process would be slow, therefore it would require patience but also consistency. However, by socializing the dog in the right way, there is no reason he could not learn to actually enjoy being around other people, as well as animals.
Another example would be the dog that shows aggression toward someone within the family. Obviously, this scenario would be far more serious, especially if a child were involved.
Typically, behavior such as this comes from the dog not understanding his position in the pecking order, which is something that could be addressed with aggressive dog training. On the other hand, aggression of this nature might be associated with mistreatment or mishandling.
Let us say a child were tugging on the dog’s tail or ears or perhaps throwing toys at the dog. In some cases, a dog would react aggressively. Now, in a situation such as this, not only would aggressive dog training be required but also some people training.
Often, teaching family members, again primarily children, the right way to handle and respect dogs is all it takes to solve the problem. Therefore, education on owning a dog to include showing love and respect, but also authority would go a long way in preventing something bad from happening.
Tips for Successful Training
When it comes to aggressive dog training, there are multiple factors to consider but we wanted to offer just a few tips that would make this process more successful.
Socialization – Again, socializing a dog is imperative, especially while a puppy. We strongly recommend that once a puppy is purchased, he is introduced to a variety of situations right away. This would include being around family members, strangers, other animals, and situations.
Instead of just walking him at dusk around the neighborhood, take him to the local park so he can see and smell other people and animals. Make sure he is provided with environments that allow him to be touched and played so he gains confidence and builds trust. The more you can socialize a puppy the fewer aggression problems you would face.
Touch – Just as mentioned above, touch is a key factor when it comes to aggressive dog training. Now, while still a puppy, you and others want to pet him but also pick him up. As long as this is done safely, the dog will again begin to trust and feel more comfortable with touch sensation.
Obedience Training – Provide the puppy with obedience training so he learns basic commands but make sure this is done over several months and in short sessions of no more than 15 minutes each. Sometimes, puppies become overwhelmed with so much new information being introduced, which can cause frustration that leads to negative behavior. If you take your time and keep training sessions short, your dog would have the chance to adjust to various commands and expectations.
Pecking Order – By nature, dogs are pack animals and with some breeds, they will fight to establish themselves as the leader or “boss”. This mindset has to be changed by teaching the puppy that you are the leader of the pack, but also that immediate family members come next and he comes last. If this were the problem, a number of methods associated with aggressive dog training would help set the appropriate pecking order.
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