Looking After Pets

Maybe your Dog’s behavior has gotten a bit out of hand? Would you like to control that behavior and have a well mannered, loyal dog? Does your dog have several aggression issues that has just about brought you to your wits end?

If your answer is Yes to any of these questions you are among the vast majority of dog owners who wish to correct the behavior of their dogs.

Dogs are amazing pets and, rightly trained, there is no limit to how loyal and affectionate they can be. Unfortunately many puppies are not housebroken well. This (in addition to future failures to train them properly) can lead to aggressive dog behavior. This can often lead to the dog attacking strangers and other dogs if it feels the slightest threat. If left without a remedy this can possibly have disastrous results.

I say this with some degree of certainty – a number of you have dogs that sometimes bark too much. When you leave home your dog will not stop barking and continues the incessant barking when you get back home. You might even find your neighbours just about banging your door down when you get home because of what they have to put up with. Dogs are pack animals; barking is a way of life for them. Your aim is never to stop their barking completely but to lessen and control it. Learning about how to stop a dog from barking can effectively go far in controlling any aggression problems.

Did you know that the easiest way to train a dog is to associate the correct behavior with sounds? Picture this… your dog does something you appreciate, for example they sit patiently when you say “sit”. You reward this behavior with a sharp sound, a click or something similar. By doing this you set in your dog’s mind what the correct behavior is, that is, the behavior that pleases you. As time goes by, whenever he hears you say “quiet” he knows the correct behavior to perform. Ultimately this behavior will come stamped inside the dog’s mind and you will no longer have to reward him for his behavior. This forms the basis of clicker dog training, a basic and powerful training tool if used the right way.

Combined with the proper obedience dog training later in his life you can be rest assured of a well mannered dog who only performs the behavior that pleases his owner.

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

However, this behavior is preventable if you understand why your dog develops aggressive traits.  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.

The fact that there are several different kinds of aggression in dogs is news to many dog owners.  The two most common are aggression towards strangers and aggression towards family members.You’ll need to deal with these two types of aggression in canines differently because they have different causes.

Aggression Towards Strangers

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

Your dog will startle at the smallest sound, and will be jumpy and nervous.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.You’ll need to teach your dog that strangers aren’t necessarily bad.

Aggression Towards Family Members

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

First, he’s defending something that he thinks he owns from a person he considers to be 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.

You need to learn how to deal 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 aggressive dog behavior.  Just click on any link in this article to find out more.

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.If you always leave your dog alone at mealtime, he may get the wrong idea.  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 aggressive dog behavior 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.

You can progress to the next step in about ten days; put out a half-full bowl of kibble for your dog.  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.Keep your control over him by not allowing him to eat until you release him from the 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. 

Don’t continue to live with the potentially dangerous problem of canine aggression.  Click on any link in this article to learn how a good dog training program can help to end this aggressive dog behavior.

Aggressive dog behavior is what everyone wishes to avoid, especially when there are children present. Learning how to raise and train your puppy properly is the key to avoiding unwanted behavior. Most negative behavior is learned, so using proper technique from pup age is vital to ensure a well mannered canine.

Understanding the evolution of our furry friends is the first step to properly training aggressive dogs and eliminating unwanted behavior. If you are raising your dog from a pup, this can be achieved quite easily.

Canines have been around for thousands of years and were not born domesticated. They often ran in packs which were led by the dominant male, referred to as the alpha. This leader knew his place and would rarely be challenged by his peers.

The first domesticated dogs were most likely wolf pups, orphaned or abandoned by a pack for some reason. Their aggressive dog behavior was valued, as they would guard their master’s domain from other predators.

This relationship continues today, however taming the primeval instinct is important, as dog behavioral problems are often an issue. When living in town, canines must be well trained on how to interact with strangers, other dogs and especially children.

Puppy aggression should be dealt with as soon as it is noticed, or it will become a real issue later on. Distract the pup with a toy and use praise when he listens to commands. Take the role of alpha, the leader, and be stern but never use violence to punish.

Your dog will look to you for guidance as well as love and praise. Establishing your role as leader is important, or he may test your authority. Never waver from your position as alpha, and always use direct eye contact to show you are the leader in every sense.

Most aggressive dog behavior is learned rather than inherited. If an owner mistreats the dog, uses force and other violent means to train, the animal will become fearful and snap or bite as a way to protect itself.

By treating your dog with love and respect, he will reciprocate and seek out your approval with good behavior and obedience. Both humans and canines share the need for close bonds. Training with respect will ensure success in training aggressive dogs.
Dog behavioral problems can arise at any given time. Paying close attention to their needs, and interacting with them on a daily basis will allow you to notice any changes in behavior. For instance, excessive chewing is often an issue if a routine is disrupted suddenly.

Separation anxiety is common in puppies if left alone for extended periods of time, so this should be considered, or puppy aggression may develop out of frustration. Human contact is crucial at this point.

Some dog breeds which are considered to be aggressive are rottweilers, pit bulls and Dobermans. There is a preconceived notion that these dogs are naturally aggressive and do not make good family pets.

Any dog can be aggressive. How you treat an animal will determine its disposition. As stated before, aggressive dog behavior is learned, not inherited. If you properly train your dog, it will be gentle and obedient in any normal situation or surrounding.

Training aggressive dogs can be difficult. Determine the cause of the undesirable behavior if possible and you should uncover they key to eliminating it. Perhaps another canine is provoking him, if you have multiple pets. Or a neighbors dog or cat.

If the dog has been adopted, it may be due to mistreatment, in which case extensive training will be needed, along with a lot of love and patience. Seeking expert help in aggressive dog behavior is recommended.

A good relationship with your pet is vital if you want a well mannered pooch. Remember that social interaction, love and respect are something we both share.

copyright Danny Taylor

Who said aggressive dog behavior is only found in big dogs?  Little dogs are sometimes a lot more aggressive because they can get away with it.  I have two little dogs, two dachshunds, and one of them, I hate to say, used to embarrass me a lot. 

I love my dogs dearly, no less because she was aggressive and crazy, but it scared me that she could get hurt or hurt another dog.  She mainly didn’t like other dogs too much and would growl and want to fight with them when they came close.  It made me nervous and I was always having to pull her leash really tight so she could not get the other dogs, even in passing them on the sidewalk.

Not only that, but she would pick on a lot bigger dogs too.  I knew if I didn’t put an end to her aggressive dog behavior she was going to get me and her in trouble. 

One day while we were at the park playing fetch another dog suddenly came up to her.  I knew this could be trouble, because she was very possessive of her ball and would not share it or let another dog near it.  But I had no time to get close before she started attacking the other dog. 

Well by the time I got to her and was able to separate them she was hurt, and bleeding all over.  Even though she started the fight and it was her fault, it broke my heart.  I know I never want to see that kind of scene again.

So I decided I had to put an end to her aggressive dog behavior right then and there.  I had to find a way to train her.  I did not want to pay a dog trainer.  That was out of the question.

I started trying to do the things that I thought would work, like give her commands and reward her with treats.  But I needed more help, as this was only working when I had the treats, and not all the time.  I needed a much deeper understanding of how to train a dog.  I needed some insider information from professionals.

So I finally found a system that really worked and helped me understand what I needed to do so I could help myself and then help her with her aggressive dog behavior.  She is really so much better.  I wouldn’t say she is a totally submissive dog, but a far cry from where she was.  She still pulls on the leash some, but not as much.  And, she doesn’t try to fight other dogs anymore, which was my main concern. 

I heartily recommend the #1 system for stopping aggressive dog behavior.

This dog training system will give you insights to every aspect of training your dog.  It will help you see through your dog’s eyes and understand what they think.

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, you’re teaching him that hiding, growling, and even snapping at someone will be rewarded with your attention and praise.

Second, listen to the sound of your voice when you’re reassuring your dog.To your canine, the tone of your voice makes him think it’s a dog whimpering.  Your dog doesn’t understand your words, but he does understand the sound.Because your dog interprets your voice as a whimper, he’ll become even more nervous about the stranger.

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.

Don’t allow a stranger to approach your dog and try to pet him.Your dog should be the one 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.Learn if other dog owners who have used the course are satisfied with it by reading testimonials.

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.

Too many dog owners don’t know that there is more than one type of aggression in dogs.  The two most common are aggression towards strangers and aggression towards family members.  It’s necessary to deal with these two types of aggression in canines in a different manner because they are caused by different things.

Aggression Towards Strangers

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

He’ll act nervous and will be jumpy, startling at the smallest sound.  You’ll notice agitated behavior, including acting fidgety, pacing around, and barking or whining.

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 be taught that strangers aren’t always 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.  The term for this behavior is “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.

You can learn how to handle 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.  Just click on any link in this article to learn more.

Aggressive dog behavior should be taken very seriously.  We all know what an aggressive dog can do.  He can get into a lot of trouble and get you into a very troubling situation.  Besides getting you into a legal mess, he can cause you a lot of stress and embarrassment with his unacceptable behavior.

Aggressive behavior manifests in many ways.  Of course, biting and growling at people or other dogs is the most obvious.  But you should always be aware of different kinds of dog behavior that are sometimes overlooked and can get out of control.

Aggressive dog behavior includes:

1. Walking ahead of you on a leash, or going in and out doors ahead of you.
2. Being demanding, whether whining or barking, to get your attention.
3. Being stubborn and willful, and not listening to your commands.
4. Jumping or putting their paws on people.
5. Pushing you to pet them or play with them by nudging you.

Aggressive dog behavior does not happen overnight, so you should watch out for signs of developing dominant behavior.  Also, all aggressive dogs do not exhibit biting and growling, but they may have one of the other signs of dominant behavior. 

Dogs know that they depend on humans for their survival.  They are fed and taken care of by humans.  However, when they know they can get their way by being demanding, they will think of themselves as the leader.  Since we cannot allow dogs to be the leader and let them exhibit all kinds of dominant behavior, such as biting, we need to nip this aggressive dog behavior before it has a chance to develop into more serious aggression.

You can hire a dog trainer to work with your dog.  However, this can be very expensive.  Also, dog training is as much training for the owner as it is for the dog.  The owner needs to be the alpha dog, so you both need to be trained.  You need to learn how to become the leader, and how to show your dog that from now on you are in charge.

Let’s face it, aggressive dog behavior can be very stressful and embarrassing at best, and very dangerous at worst.  You love your dog, and it would be awful if he did something irretrievable that could have grave consequences.

Learn how to stop your dog’s aggressive behavior with the #1 dog training method which has helped thousands regain control of their dog.  Everything you need to know to address aggressive dog behavior and become a leader.

Aggressive dog behavior can be seen in many places.  At the dog park, many times some dogs will start fighting and it can be hard to separate them.  It is usually the same dogs that like to fight, because they are aggressive dogs. 

Aggressiveness in dogs should not be tolerated.  It can be very stressful and embarrassing to have an aggressive dog, to say the least.  It can also be very dangerous.  A big dog with aggressive tendencies can seriously hurt someone.  Even small dogs can cause injuries, especially to children.

If your dog shows signs of aggression, treat this as soon as possible.  Don’t think that you will be able to stop him if he should snap and start attacking another dog or even a person.  I have seen an aggressive dog who had never bitten anyone and one day he went crazy and killed another dog who lived in the same house.  My friend who was his owner was not able to stop him at all.  In fact, she got bitten too.

But aggressive dog behavior does not happen overnight.  There are many ways that dogs express aggression, which you can watch out for and stop these behaviors from becoming worse.  Some signs of  aggressive dog behavior are being demanding, barking and growling, fighting with other dogs when you take them out, dragging you on the leash, nudging you with their nose to get something, and many others signs.  In other words, they have become the leader of the pack and they dominate.

In order to have a well adjusted dog that you can really enjoy, you need to get help.  So what are your options?  You could hire a trainer, but it is expensive.  Besides, the trainer will only train the dog.  The fact is that you need as much training as your dog, in order to take over and become the leader.

Stop your dog’s aggressive behavior before it gets worse, or before there is a regrettable accident.  Don’t be embarrassed or frustrated anymore with your dog’s behavior.  Have the kind of relationship that you have dreamed of with your dog.  Become the leader of the pack.

Here is the #1 recommended method of dog training which has helped hundreds of thousands with their dog’s aggressive behavior.

This method is guaranteed to help you and your dog with his aggressive dog behavior.

Feel Free to vist Cris Santeiro’s Dog Training With Love blog.

Dog aggression is natural. This attribute of dogs evolved over many centuries ensuring their survival in the wild. Some instinctive traits such as aggression have been minimised through selective breeding techniques. Read on to understand why dogs behave aggressively.

What makes my dog aggressive?

Many factors can cause aggression in dogs but the most common is not a lot of socialisation with other people and the issue of dominance.

Aggression directed at strangers:

Caution and wariness are natural behaviours for dogs. If your dog isn’t used to being in unfamiliar situations it may become quite apprehensive around strangers and new environments. If you increase your dogs knowledge and consistently reinforce positive experiences your dog will feel at ease when confronting a new situation. Take a look at our Review of Dog Training Zone for inspiration to deal with aggressive dog behavior.

What can I do about it?

Start with your dog when it’s young and expose it to a wide range of experiences. In your choice of experiences include other people, places and 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. At puppy pre school your dog will meet new people and new dogs. When you and your puppy feel at ease around new dogs and people you will be able to increase your area of socialisation. Socialisation is a necessary process for the rest of your dogs life.

Aggression around family members:

When dogs feel they need to protect something that is theirs, they can react aggressively towards their family members. This is known as resource guarding. If your dog gets snarly or growls at you when you are near where it is eating or playing with a toy, then you know you have a resource guarding problem. Your dog will behave like this if it thinks it has dominance over you. Pack animals such as dogs need to know who is the boss. Packs are structured according to power and position in relation to everyone else in the pack. Dogs rank themselves against their human family as a substitute for a dog family and their ranking tells them how to behave in any situation. If your dog is behaving aggressively then it perceives itself to be at the top of the pack. 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. The message to your dog must be clear, that you are the boss and your dog is a lower ranking member of the pack.

What can I do to change this?

Re-establish your authority with your dog by regular and consistent obedience training work. Regular behavior modification sessions are key to positive and effective progress. Make each training session enjoyable: play a game by giving your dog lots of praise, pats and treats when it has worked well with you.

For more detailed information about dog training and other behavioral problems, check out Secrets to Dog Training. Check out a full review of Secrets to Dog Training at DogHelpdesk.com

« Older Entries