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Posts Tagged ‘aggressive dog behavior’

A fearful dog and canine aggression often go together.  Here’s how you can tell if fear aggression is a problem with your pet.

Whenever somebody comes to your door, your dog puts on a big show of barking and acting brave, but all the time he’s backing up.He regards an unfamiliar person with mistrust and suspicion, and quickly runs off to a safe distance if the stranger gets too close.  These are two classic signs of fear aggression in dogs.

What Causes Fear Aggression?

One of the main causes of this kind of canine aggression is a lack of socialization when your dog was younger.  If your dog doesn’t have lots of opportunities to interact with unfamiliar people and other dogs when he’s between the ages of three and twelve weeks, he’ll have a hard time trusting people and dogs he doesn’t know.  

Unfortunately, another reason for this fearful behavior is that your dog was abused at some point in his life.An abused dog needs lots of love and attention to overcome his fearfulness.

Dog breeds that are more apt to develop fearfulness include herding dogs.  This aggressive dog behavior tends to run in certain breed lines, too.  

Hormonal imbalances may be a factor.  A dog with borderline hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormones) may display canine anxiety.  Thyroid treatment is helpful in these cases.

Will This Type of Canine Aggression Go Away On Its Own?

Unfortunately, no.  A dog with fear aggression may learn that he can intimidate people by barking at them.  Once he figures out that this works very well, his behavior will get worse, especially around people who are scared of dogs anyway.  

A dog may be so successful in hiding his fearfulness with a veneer of aggression that it’s hard to tell that fear is what’s driving his bad dog behaviors.

How Can I Train A Dog With Fear Aggression?

A reward-based technique is usually the best way to deal with aggressive dog behavior that’s caused by fear.  If your dog doesn’t like people, you need to figure out how to teach him that this stranger really does like dogs, and if you dog gets close to him, he’ll give your pup a treat.  

You need a volunteer for this, someone who’s very patient with dogs.  Have your friend sit in a chair and scatter dry food around it.  Your dog can get close or back off if he wants.Eventually, your dog will approach close enough to get the food.  

The next time, have your friend hold the kibble in his hand.  Be patient and let the dog come to him to get the treat.  Don’t pay any attention to the dog if he’s acting fearful.Don’t reward his canine anxiety with your attention by either reassuring him, or punishing him when he’s displaying fear aggression. Wait to praise your dog until he comes close enough to get the food.

You can see that dealing with fear aggression in dogs can be a long and difficult process. Using a natural remedy for dogs that has been  specially formulated to relieve canine anxiety can help make this process easier for both you and your pet.  This homeopathic remedy is also highly recommended for dogs that have been abused, to help them relax and stay calm.  Just click on any link in this article to learn how this remedy can help your fearful dog.

Dog food aggression is a serious problem.  If your dog becomes aggressive around his food dish, here are four tips to end this canine behavior problem.

Don’t Let Dog Food Aggression Get Started

In the wild, the leader of the dog pack is always the first one to eat, usually by himself.Leaving your dog by himself at mealtime can send your dog the wrong message.  This can lead to canine aggression in the form of him snapping or growling at anyone who ventures too close while he’s eating.

When your dog is still a puppy, always feed him after you and your family have already eaten.  This reinforces the idea for him that you and your family members all rank above him in the pack.

When you feed your puppy, anyone should be able to approach him while he’s eating.  Slipping a little treat into his bowl while he’s eating teaches him that it’s good for someone to get close.

Four Steps To Control Food Aggression In Dogs

An older dog who is already using canine aggression to protect his food will require different training.

Spend about ten to fourteen days on each of these steps.It will be necessary to do these things every time you feed your dog.  If your dog is extremely aggressive around food, you may need to keep him on a leash for your own protection. 

The first thing you’ll do is to put his food dish away for a couple of weeks.  Your dog will be eating out of your hand for a while.  Feed him just a few pieces of dog food at a time, until his meal is finished.

After a couple of weeks, you can progress to the next stop.  Get out your dog’s food bowl again, but don’t put anything in it.  After a while, walk by and drop a couple of pieces of kibble in it.  When he eats it, keep adding small handfuls of food every couple of minutes until his meal is finished.  At this point, he’ll probably be begging you to walk up to his bowl.

Do this for ten days, and then progress to putting out a half-filled bowl of dog food for him.  Walk up to him as he’s eating, and as you go by, drop in a couple of treats.  Then walk up again and add the rest of his food.

The last step is to put a full bowl of food down for him while he’s obeying the sit-stay command.  He does not eat until you release him.  This is where the leash comes in handy, as you have control over him for this step, but hopefully you won’t need to use it.Keep him on his toes by interrupting him a couple of times a week while he’s eating; call him over to you and then reward him with his favorite treat. 

Always use the sit-stay, wait, and take-it commands when you feed him so that your dog understands that you’re in charge of the food.  This reinforces your status as the alpha dog for him.

If your dog starts the old dog food aggression behavior, just begin again at step one. 

Natural Pet Remedies Can Help With Aggressive Dog Behavior

Did you know that there is a natural remedy for dogs with canine aggression problems?  This blend of homeopathic remedies has been specially formulated for dogs and cats, and is safe and effective for promoting normal social behavior in pets.  This natural pet remedy is known to help your dog stay relaxed when stressful situations arise.

Just click on any link in this article to learn how this natural remedy for dogs can help to solve your problem with aggressive dog behavior.

Do you have a shy or fearful dog?  He’s probably very attached to you, but is leery of strangers.  Your pet may even go so far as to growl and snap at unfamiliar people or dogs who get too close.  People may say he’s a “one-person dog.”

It’s important to work on training your shy dog before his behavior escalates to fear aggression in dogs.  This type of aggressive dog behavior is characterized at first by growling at people he doesn’t know, and can quickly progress to snapping and biting.

Why Is My Dog Shy?

Sometimes a dog is shy or fearful of strangers due to a bad experience somewhere along the line.  Some cases are due to genetics.  But most cases of shyness in dogs are caused by one thing; neglecting to socialize a puppy in his first few months of life.  It’s also very important not to stop socializing your dog too soon, as many dogs go through a shy period around six months of age.

Are You Teaching Your Dog To Be Shy?

Speaking softly and reassuringly to your fearful dog in an attempt to calm him down is a mistake.First, your dog is learning that if he hides, growls, and even snaps at someone, you’ll reward him with your praise and attention.

Second, consider the sound of your voice when you’re comforting your dog.It sounds like a dog’s whimper to your canine’s ears.Your dog understands the sound of your voice, even though he doesn’t understand your words.Your dog will become even more nervous about the stranger because he thinks your voice is a whimper.

Training Your Shy Dog

Socializing your dog when he’s a puppy is the best way to prevent your canine from becoming a shy dog.  He needs to be exposed to a wide variety of people, places, and dogs so that he can learn through experience that there’s nothing to be scared of.

If your canine friend is already a shy adult, socializing your dog is still possible.  It takes longer, and you’ll need lots of patience, but  it can be done.

The important thing to remember with training your shy dog is not to rush him.  If you try to force him into socializing with unfamiliar people or dogs, all you’ll do is reinforce his belief that these things are scary.  Plus he may feel that he has no choice but to defend himself, which leads to aggressive dog behavior.

It’s never a good idea to let a stranger come up to your dog and attempt to pet him.Allow your dog to make the first move.  If he doesn’t want to, that’s fine.  If he’s hiding, don’t try to coax him out, as he’ll think you’re praising him for hiding out.

Ignore your dog when he acts shy or scared around strange people or dogs.  Keep him on his leash, and don’t let him get close enough to start displaying fear aggression in dogs.  Let him hang back and check out the situation from a distance.  When he’s ready, he’ll get closer on his own to the stranger.  This is when you praise him lavishly.

A Good Dog Training Course Can Work Wonders With A Shy Dog

You can see how easy it is to give your dog the wrong idea.  The fact is that dogs just don’t think like people do.  Understanding how your dog thinks is crucial to training shy dog properly.

Investing in a good dog training course is essential.  You’ll want to find out what other dog owners who have used the course think of it.Check for testimonials from dog owners who have used the course to train their own pups.

If you’re struggling with a shy or fearful dog, just click on any link in this article to learn more about a dog training course that includes a free consultation with an experienced dog trainer.

Are you just plain fed up with the aggressive dog behavior your pooch is displaying?  Join the crowd.  Aggressive behavior in dogs is the most serious dog behavior problem that you’ll face as a dog owner. 

However, canine aggression is preventable if you understand why your dog develops aggressive behavior.  Read on to learn more about this common problem.

Your Dog’s Aggressive Nature Is Instinctive

Aggression is a valuable behavior in the wild.  A dog needs to be aggressive in order to hunt for its food.  It also needs to be able to defend its kill from other animals.  An aggressive dog also defends its territory and its mate.

In the centuries since dogs were domesticated, people have selectively bred most aggressive tendencies out of dogs, but a few do remain. And since dog do have sharp teeth capable of doing people serious harm, it’s necessary to recognize aggressive behavior in dogs and deal with it effectively.

Most dog owners don’t know that there are several types of aggression in dogs.  The two most common are aggression towards strangers and aggression towards family members.  These two types of aggression in canines have very different causes, and they need to be dealt with differently as well.

Aggression Towards Strangers

This type of dog behavior is very easy to recognize.  You dog may react in one of two ways:

He’ll be jumpy and nervous, becoming startled at the smallest sound.  Agitated behavior, including pacing around, barking and whining, and acting fidgety, is seen.

Or, on the other extreme, he’ll be very quiet, sitting in one place without moving, while staring hard at whatever it is he’s suspicious of — whether it’s a visitor or your unsuspecting mail carrier.

The main reason a dog is aggressive around strangers is because he’s not used to them.  Your dog needs to learn that strangers aren’t necessarily a bad thing.

Aggression Towards Family Members

Your dog may show canine aggression towards members of your family for two reasons. 

First, your dog is protecting something he thinks belongs to him from someone he believes is a threat.  This is called resource guarding. 

In the wild, only the dominant individual acts aggressively to guard resources.  So obviously, your dog thinks he’s the pack leader, not you, when he displays this kind of aggressive dog behavior.

The second reason is that he’s unhappy about how you, or somebody in the family, is treating him. 

Discover How To Handle Aggression In Dogs

You don’t have to be at the mercy of your dog, and you shouldn’t be.  If your dog uses aggressive dog behavior to control you and get his way, this is a very unhealthy situation, as well as being potentially dangerous.  There are many emergency room visits every year because of dog bites.  You don’t want this happening to you or a member of your family, or anyone else your dog interacts with.

It’s necessary to learn skills for dealing with aggressive behavior in dogs.  You need a dog obedience course which includes a complete owner’s guide to rearing and training your dog to prevent canine aggression.  Be sure to read testimonials from other dog owners who have purchased the course to see how satisfied they are with the material.

Do yourself and your dog a favor and learn more about controlling aggression in dogs.

Aggression is instinctive to dogs. Dogs evolved this trait over centuries to survive in the wild. Selective breeding and domestication processes have reduced and refined dog aggression. Below are some reasons why your dog could be displaying aggressive behaviour.

What makes my dog aggressive?

Factors such as lack of exposure to other people and dogs as well as dominance are the most common causes of dog aggression.

Aggression directed at strangers:

It is natural for a dog to be cautious and suspicious. Unfamiliar situations may cause your dog anxiety if it has not had much experience with strangers and new surroundings. Make time to expose your dog to new people and situations and reinforce these experiences in a positive way. Read our Review of Charlie Lafave’s Dog Training Zone for more ideas to stop dog aggression.

What can I do about dog aggression?

The key to your dog being at ease with a wide variety of experiences is starting from a young age. You will want to make sure your dog experiences new places, new people and new animals. Positive experiences like this will reinforce in your dogs mind that meeting new people and going to new places is ok. Socialising your dog doesn’t need to be worrying. Puppy pre school is a good place to meet new people and a host of other dogs. Once your puppy is relaxed with new people and dogs, you’ll be able to widen this experience. You will continue to need to socialise your dog.

Aggression with family members:

It is usual for dogs to react aggressively towards their own family members when they feel something of theirs is being threatened. This is known as resource guarding. This can appear as overly-possessive behavior, such as growling if you approach your dog when it is eating, or if you reach your hand out to take a toy away. This sort of aggression is a result of a dominance problem. Remember, dogs are pack animals. Pack structure is hierarchical and depending on your position you will have power over someone else in the pack or family. If there is no dog pack to be ranked against, your dog will rank itself against its human pack and this will determine how to behave in any situation. The top ranking dog is expected to behave aggressively and if this how your dog is behaving, then it believes it has a higher ranking than you. If on the other hand, your dog percieved itself to be a lower ranking member of the family, it wouldn’t dream of growling at you when you are near its food or toys. You need to make it clear to your dog that you are the boss and he is a lower ranking family member.

Is there anything I can do about this?

Regular and consistent obedience training work will renew your authority over your dog. Keep your training sessions short for effective behavior modification and control. The more enjoyable you make these sessions, the more your dog will want to please you and remember to use lots of praise and treats.

Take a look at Secrets to Dog Training for more information about dog aggression and a whole host of other dog behavior problems. Read a detailed review of Secrets to Dog Training at DogHelpdesk.com

A common mistake that many people make when training their dogs, whether house training, obedience training, or teaching them entertaining tricks, is using various forms of punishment when the animal doesn’t do what they want. Misinformed dog owners often use methods such as hiting the dog with a stick or locking them up on their own for ages.

This is very detrimental to the pet-owner relationship, and to the dog’s emotional wellbeing. If you persist on using these punishments whilst training then be prepared to produce a fearful and disrespectful dog who will not see you as someone to follow. If you got your pet from a shelter or rescue things can be a little difficult as these dogs have often suffered in previously abusive relationships making it harder to gain their trust and respect.

Not only is punishment damaging to your relationship and your pet’s emotional health, it’s not effective either. More often than not, punishing your dog leads to defensive, aggressive behaviors. Behaviors of this sort, once set it, will take some work to rectify. The quickest way to seeing the results you want is through positive reinforcement.

Instead of punishing your dog for unwanted behaviors, reward them for good behaviors. This is a great technique which will be very effective in many different circumstances. For instance, if you see your pet going to the toilet on your floor then take it outside as soon as you have firmly told it “no”. Watch your dog very closely. The moment that you notice them using the bathroom in the correct place, praise them in an excited, happy tone of voice, and offer a food or toy treat as a reward.

It won’t take long for your dog to make the connection between the bad behavior and your disapproval, and the good behavior and your praise. Pack leader status will be given to you by dogs and they just love to make us humans happy. This genetic hardwiring of your dog to make you happy works for you in the process of training.

The same principle applies to any situation, be it unnecessary barking, chewing on furniture or objects, jumping on or licking people, or any other of a host of annoying and potentially dangerous habits. The most important part of dog training is your ability to remain patient and consistent. It wont take long before you see that your efforts are really paying off

Food aggression is most often seen in dogs who are rescued from homes where they were abused or neglected. Some types of aggressive food behavior are bites, growls and snarls. You may see your dog snarling or growling at you as you approach its food bowl.

Self-preservation is the most common source of food aggression, and the easiest to correct. In these cases, dogs feel the need to protect their food, from fear of it being taken away. This could be as a result of a former owner of the dog being abusive or that your dog feels neglected and under fed causing it to guard its food. Food aggression doesn’t always come from owner abuse or neglect, however. If your dog’s previous owner had other pets, those animals could have run your dog off of its food.

If you feel that this is the case with your dog, all that’s necessary to correct the behavior is time, patience, and lots of love. You have to convey to your dog that you are to be trusted, that there is no competition for the food and that you are the provider for it. Be sure that your dog sees you pour their food and place it for them to eat, rather than readying the food and then letting the dog into the room.

Go slowly. Sitting near to your whilst it is in eating mode is a good place for you to start off. For the first few times, stay silent. You will want to make sure that your dog can see you but be careful not to make them jumpy. As nerves play a big part in aggression you will want to talk softly to them whilst they eat and reassure them that it is ok that you are present. Finally, your dog will trust you enough to let you remove and replace its food bowl without any sign of aggression. If they growl or snap, simply back away, and sit silently. It is imperative that you do not shout at, or physically punish your dog. Instead, praise them profusely when they allow you to handle their food or touch them while they are eating.

If you are consistent with this training, you will see positive results very quickly.

When you first get a puppy you may feel that when your puppy jumps up, he’s so cute. But it ceases to be funny when your fully grown dog is jumping up on people with dirty paws – very embarrassing. So I recommend that you train your puppy or dog not to do this while he is still young. It’s a big mistake to encourage it and then later have to try to stop the behavior.

The most usual circumstance for this behavior is when someone comes into your house or when you meet someone while you’re taking your dog for a walk. So, it’s a good idea to train your dog to sit in these circumstances.

Usually the jumping up is a greeting but in some cases it can be that your dog is trying to become dominant over you. Other problem behaviors can be caused by dominance and this must be prevented. The ideal situation is that you are always the dominant one, the alpha dog.

You should understand the concept of positive reinforcement. There are various options for rewards that you can use as positive reinforcement: tasty treats, affection and praise. It’s vital that you stop giving any reward for jumping up. So rather than giving your dog a lot of attention as he jumps up, you should ignore him while he is excited. Don’t give him any eye contact.

Instead, when he is calm and has all four feet on the ground you can show him affection.

Hopefully, your dog may already sit on command. If so it’s a good idea to get him to sit as your enter the house or as guests arrive. As soon as he sits, reward him with a affection or a tasty treat. If you haven’t already trained him to sit, you should work on this and other obedience training. It’s much easier to start solid obedience training in specific short sessions, away from any distractions. Make sure you and your dog have fun in your training sessions.

It’s important that you get everyone’s cooperation who comes into contact with your dog, so that they don’t undo all your good work. Get them to agree not to enthusiastically meet your dog. They should avoid eye contact with your dog.

Initially, it may be worth putting your dog in another room when visitors arrive, so that the whole situation at the door is avoided.

I hope that this helps with dogs jumping up. Read more about other behavior problems in dogs such as aggression in dogs.

Dogs are instinctively aggressive and we all know that dogs are able to seriously injure humans and other animals. However, there are methods available to dog owners for training aggressive dogs. If you are dealing with an aggressive dog, it is vital that he receives the correct dog obedience training right away, before he injures you or a member of your family.

Here’s a fantastic guide for handling dog aggression that you should take a look at: Stop Dog Aggression.

Aggression towards family members and towards strangers are the most common behaviors shown by aggressive dogs. These two types of aggressive dog behavior happen for different reasons so should be treated differently.

Aggression to Strangers

The most common reason for a dog taking a dislike to a person or another animal is that he hasn’t had a chance to get used to them. Getting dogs accustomed to being with people and animals they don’t know is called socialization. Socialization is a vital component of training your dog. You may be wondering how socialization can prevent aggressive dogs from attacking the postman or pizza delivery boy. A dog that is socialized begins to realize that new experiences can be enjoyable rather than scary.

Your dog should learn this important lesson as a puppy. The more your dog is introduced to different kinds of people (for example, men in uniform, elderly people, young children, teens, people carrying umbrellas or wearing helmets in a relaxed and fun environment, the safer your dog will be around strangers.

Just a reminder, if you are looking for a great free site to help you solve your dog’s aggressive behavior, you should check out: Stop Dog Aggression.

If you are trying to find a good spot for socializing your puppy, group training sessions, often held by large pet stores or at a veterinary office, are a good idea. Your dog will learn how to act with unfamiliar dogs. These sessions will also teach your dog that he does not need to fear people he doesn’t know. He should not feel overwhelmed at these sessions – let your dog’s comfort level increase gradually.

Aggression Towards Family Members

Dogs are often aggressive to their human family members for the following reasons:

• Your dog is guarding his food and toys from his owner or family members. Resource guarding is quite normal behavior for dogs.

• This resource guarding behavior is a clear display of dominance and relates to your dog’s perceived ranking in the hierarchy of your household. Dogs perceive the family make up as being no different from a dog pack. If your dog sees himself in a higher position than you or your family members, he’ll become aggressive.

Resource guarding is definitely an act of dominance – a lower ranked dog would never be aggressive towards to a more highly ranked member of the pack.

Dog obedience training is the best way to discourage aggressive dog behavior, which will make it clear to your dog that you are the “alpha dog”. This fact may be emphasized with rewards such as praise and treats when he obey a command, and by imposing “time out” when he misbehaves.

I hope you have found this article useful. I also have a review of a great product that you might want to see: Secrets to Dog Training Review

You’ve probably heard it a hundred times: “Don’t bother the dog while he’s eating.”  This is probably good advice for small children who shouldn’t be trying to play with the dog at mealtime.  However, a dog that’s always by himself when he eats may be learning a lesson about food aggression in dogs that you’d rather he didn’t.

In the wild, the leader of the dog pack is always the first one to eat, usually by himself.Your dog may get the wrong message if you always leave him alone at mealtime.  This can lead to aggressive dog behavior in the form of him snapping or growling at anyone who ventures too close while he’s eating.

Don’t Let Dog Food Aggression Get Started

When your dog is still a puppy, always feed him after you and your family have already eaten.  This reinforces the idea for him that you and your family members all rank above him in the pack.

When you feed your puppy, anyone should be able to approach him while he’s eating.  Slipping a little treat into his bowl teaches him that it’s good for someone to get close.

Four Steps To Control Food Aggression In Dogs

An older dog who is already using aggressive dog behavior to protect his food will require different training.

Spend about ten to fourteen days on each of these steps.Do these things every time your feed your dog.  If your dog is extremely aggressive around food, you may need to keep him on a leash for your own protection.  

The first thing you’ll do is to put his food dish away for a couple of weeks.  Your dog will be eating out of your hand for a while.  Feed him just a few pieces of dog food at a time, until his meal is finished.

After a couple of weeks, you can progress to the next stop.  Get out your dog’s food bowl again, but don’t put anything in it.  After a while, walk by and drop a couple of pieces of kibble in it.  When he eats it, keep adding small handfuls of food every couple of minutes until his meal is finished.  At this point, he’ll probably be begging you to walk up to his bowl.

After ten days, you can try the next step, which is to put out a half-full bowl of kibble for him.  Walk up to him as he’s eating, and as you go by, drop in a couple of treats.  Then walk up again and add the rest of his food.

The last step is to put a full bowl of food down for him while he’s obeying the sit-stay command.Assert your control by not allowing him to eat until you release him from the “stay” command.  This is where the leash comes in handy, as you have control over him for this step, but hopefully you won’t need to use it.Break things up once or twice a week by calling him over to you while he’s eating and rewarding him with a tasty treat.  

Always use the sit-stay, wait, and take-it commands when you feed him so that your dog understands that you’re in charge of the food.  This reinforces your status as the alpha dog for him.

If your dog reverts to his old dog food aggression behavior, start again at step one.  

Look For A Good Dog Training Course

Food aggression in dogs is a dominance issue that’s usually a symptom of other problems in the relationship between the owner and the dog.Seek guidance from a good basic dog obedience course.  

Look for a course that includes a free consultation with an experienced dog trainer.  Check for testimonials from satisfied customers who have used the course material already.

Take this advice to begin solving your problem with dog food aggression now.