Training An Aggressive Dog

If your dog is what many people call "aggressive" -- he's snarling

, growling, snapping or biting in the home -- then you need to deal with these problems before you even think of training your dog to do other things. These are behavioral issues. Obedience training can't really take place until you have addressed these behaviors. You obviously can't attempt to train your dog to sit and heel if you are afraid that he might bite you.

First things first. You should be aware that dogs do bite people. Dogs bite people they love, both accidentally and on purpose. So, even though you may love your dog very much and he loves you, if you have an aggressive dog or your dog is in a situation where he feels confronted or challenged, he may bite you. For this reason, if you feel threatened or in danger, you should not hesitate to contact a professional dog trainer to help you with your dog.

No matter how much you love your dog and he's one of the family, your dog is not a fur baby. Your dog is an animal. If he has not been properly socialized or if he's been treated badly or if you have allowed him to do whatever he wants, then your dog may show aggression. Although your dog is an animal, there are certain parallels with raising badly behaved kids and juvenile delinquents. You can avoid having an aggressive dog by doing the following things:

1. Socialize, socialize, and socialize puppies and young dogs.

2. Teach your dog good manners (stay off the kitchen counter; don't jump on people, etc.)

3. Insist that your dog follow the rules that you set down for him starting when he's young.

4. Remember that well-trained dogs are happy dogs.

The younger you begin with all of these suggestions, the better.

If you begin teaching your dog some basic obedience lessons when he is a young dog you have a much better chance of maintaining control over him as he gets older. This goes for all dogs, not just dogs that show aggressive tendencies. The fact is that at some point nearly all dogs will go through a rebellious stage and seek to challenge your authority. Even the sweetest dogs will decide that they don't want their nails done or they don't want a bath. They may not growl and bite, but they will give you a hard time. If you have already laid a good groundwork in training them, their rebellion will be short-lived.

Socialization is really the key in avoiding aggression for all dogs. The more you introduce a young puppy to new things and people, the better he will be as an adult dog at adapting to things. Spending time together during socialization also strengthens the bond between the two of you, which is always a good thing.

It's also important to know that aggression is not confined to any particular breed. Any dog of any breed can show aggression under the right circumstances.

The key to training an aggressive dog is to begin early. Lay the groundwork with good socialization and make sure that your dog follows the rules in your house from the time that he's a puppy. If you set the rules and train your dog from an early age you shouldn't have to deal with much aggression from your dog later on.

by: Tristan Andrews

POST COMMENT

Training Your Dog For Agility Easy Dog Obedience Training - Dog Training Guide Review Complete Guide To Dog Training - Easy Dog Obedience Training How To Train Dog To Sit - Easy Dog Obedience Training Sprint Triathlon Training Shock Collar Dog Training The Quick And Easy Way PW0-104 Training Materials Six Sigma Training- Call Center Applications Hypnotism Training - How to Make Money Off of Street Hypnosis Hypnotherapist Training - How to Choose the Best Hypnotherapy Institute Microsoft Dynamics GP User Training Notes Are You Looking for Electric Guitar Training - Where to Go and Where to NOT to Go for Electric Guitar Training! Acoustic Guitar Training - Where to Go and Where to NOT to Go for Acoustic Guitar Training!