A dog is an instinctively aggressive creature. In the wild, aggression came very useful: dogs needed aggression to hunt, to protect other creatures, and defend resources such as food, a place to sleep, and a second. The selective breeding over centuries has refined to a minimum and this trait significantly, but there is not only to around him: dogs are physically capable of inflicting serious harm (just look at the teeth!) Because that is how they survived and evolved. And Mother Nature is very clever - it is difficult to counter the power of instinct!
But that does not mean that we, lovers and dog owners are totally powerless when it comes to handling our dogs. There are many things we can do to prevent the aggression of its ugliness, in the first place - and even if prevention has not been possible (for whatever reason), there are still steps we can take to recognize and deal with it effectively.
- Different types of aggression --
There are several types of canine aggression. The two most common are:
- Aggression towards foreigners
- Aggression toward family members
May you wonder why we bother this kind of classification: after all, aggression is aggression, and we want to turf it now, not waste time with details - right?
Well ... not quite. These two different types of aggression stem from very different causes, and require different types of treatment.
- Aggression against foreigners --
What is it?
It is very easy to say when a dog nervy around strange people. He is nervous and on edge: either he can not sit and constantly fidgeting, leaping at the smallest sound, and pace around whining and barking, or is veerrrry still in effect, sitting rock-steady in one place, look hard at the object of his suspicions (a visitor, The Mailman, an approach to him in the street when he connected with the outside of a store .)
Why?
There is one main reason why the dog does not like strange people: he never had the chance to get used to them. Remember, your dog depends 100% on you to broaden its horizons for him: without being taken on many trips to see the world and realize for himself, through consistent and positive experiences, that the unknown does not necessarily equal bad news for him, How can he realistically expect to relax in an unfamiliar situation?
What can I do?
The process to accustom your dog in the world and all the strange people (and animals) that it contains is called socialization. This is an extremely important aspect of your dog education: indeed, it is very difficult too how important it is. Socialize your dog means exposing him from a young age (usually when he has had his vaccinations) to a wide variety of new experiences, new people and new animals.
How to prevent foreign aggression socialization?
When you socialize your dog, you opt for him to learn through experience that new sights and sounds are fun, not fear.
It is not enough to denounce an adult dog to a crowd of people unfamiliar to him and say "settle, Roxy, its OK" - he has to learn that its OK for itself. And he must do puppyhood for the lesson to sink in.
Other types of people and animals he meets (babies, toddlers, teenagers, elderly men, women, people wearing uniforms, people wearing motorcycle helmets, people carrying umbrellas, etc) in a fun and relaxed context, more comfortable and happy - and the security around foreign - will be in general.
How can I socialize my dog so that it does not develop a fear of strangers?
Socialize your dog is very easy to do - its more of a general effort of a specific training regimen.
First, you must take him to puppy preschool. It is a generic term for a series of easy group-training classes for puppies (often performed at the veterinary clinic, which has the added benefit of teaching your dog positive associations with the vet! ).
In a puppy preschool class, about a dozen owners of puppies are found with a qualified trainer (often there will be at least two trainers present - the more there are, the better, because it means you get a longer time with a professional) and start teaching their puppies the basic obedience commands: sit, stay, and so on.
Even if the obedience of work is very useful and is a great way to start your puppy on the road to be a dog trusted adult, really the best part of puppy preschool is the play sessions: several times in the whole class, puppies are encouraged to run around off-side and left them.
It is an ideal environment for them to learn good social skills: there is a lot of unfamiliar dogs present (which teaches them how to interact with strange dogs), there are a lot of people unaware (which teaches them that new faces are nothing to be afraid of), and the environment is safe and controlled (there are at least one certified trainer to make sure that things do not go out of hand).
Socialization does not stop with puppy preschool, though. It is a continuous effort throughout the life of your puppy and dog: he must be taken to a whole bunch of new places and environments.
Remember not to overwhelm him: slow start, and gradually develop tolerance.
- Aggression against family members --
There are two reasons why a dog is aggressive towards members of his own human family:
- He is trying to defend something he thinks of her as a perceived threat (you).
This is known as resource protection, and May if its safety, theres actually a lot more going on here that your dog simply trying to keep its Kibble himself.
- Hes uncomfortable with the processing and handling is it you or other family members.
What is the protection of resources?
Protection of resources is quite common in dogs. The term refers to too possessive behavior on behalf of your dog: for instance, snarling at you if you approach him when he eats, or give you the "eye" (a flint in their eyes, watch live) if you reached your hand to take a toy away from him.
All dogs can be possessive from time to time - it is in their nature. Sometimes they are possessive about what conceivable without value: inedible trash, Balled up pieces of paper or tissue, old socks. More often, however, resource protection becomes a problem more points with a very real and understandable value: food and toys.
Why?
It is the question of domination. Let me take a moment to explain this concept: dogs are pack animals. That means they are used to a very structured environment: a dog-pack, each animal is placed in a hierarchy of power and position (or "dominance") compared to all other animals. Each animal is aware of the rank of all other animals, which means he knows precisely how to act in a given situation (whether to back down, whether to push the issue as to whether the muscle or not someone else to the lawn, etc etc.)
For your dog, the family is no different for the dog-pack environment. Your dog has ranked each member of the family, and has its own perception of where he ranks in that environment.
This is where it gets interesting: if your dog perceives himself as higher on the social totem pole than other family members, it will get cheeky. If he really had an overinflated sense of its own importance, it will begin to act vigorously.
Why? Because dominance and aggression are the exclusive rights of a senior animal. No Underdog never show aggression or act mainly to a higher rank of animals (the consequences would say, and he knows it!)
Protection of resources is a classic example of dominant behavior: only a higher-ranking dog (a "dominant" dog) would act aggressively in defense of resources.
Clearly if it was clear to your dog, it is not, in fact, the head of the family, he had never even dreamed of trying to prevent you from taking food or toys - because a lower-ranking dog (him) are always agree with what the senior dogs (you and your family) say.
So what can I do? The best treatment for dominant, aggressive behavior is, frequent obedience work, which will highlight your authority over your dog. Only two minutes sessions per day, it will be perfectly clear to your dog that you are the boss, and he pays to do what you say.
You can make this clear to him, rewarding him (with treats and praise) for obeying a command, and isolating him (him in "time-out" or outside the home or in a room by himself) for misbehavior.
- If youre not entirely convinced do it yourself, you May want to consider mobilizing assistance of a skilled dog trainer.
- Brush your understanding of canine psychology and communication, to understand what he is trying to say - this will help you kill all the dominant behavior in the bud, and your own authority more effectively
- Train regularly: keep obedience sessions short and productive (no more than fifteen minutes - maybe two or three of these per day).
Why does not my dog to be handled?
All dogs have thresholds of treatment. Some dogs like many cuddles, and are perfectly content to arms, embraced, and weapons slung over their shoulders (which is the ultimate "I am the boss" gesture of a dog is the reason why which many of them won t tolerate it.) Others - usually those who are not accustomed to much physical contact at an early age - are not too comfortable with full-body contact and get nervy and agitated if someone persists in trying to close.
Another common cause of treatment-induced aggression is a bad grooming experience: nail-clipping and bathing are two culprits.
When you clip a dogs nails, it is very easy to "quick" him - that is, cut the blood vessel that is inside of the finger. This is extremely painful for a dog, and is a better way to cause a long aversion to lawn.
Being washed is something that a great many dogs have difficulty dealing with - many owners, faced with a wild-eyed, half-washed, upset dog, feel that to carry out the washing, they have the strength to remember. This only adds to the dog a sense of panic, and reinforces the impression of a wash as something to avoid at all costs - if necessary, to defend himself of it with a display of teeth and anger.
Can I "recycle" to take advantage of him being processed and treated?
In a word: yes. It is much easier if you start from a young age - handle your puppy a lot, get him used to being touched and rubbed everywhere. The young dogs are generally to be treated - only the oldest who did not have much physical contact throughout their lives that sometimes find physical affection difficult to accept.
Practice picking up his paws and touching them with the clipper, it takes practice in the bath (or outside, under the tap - what works for you, but hot water is much more pleasant for a dog of a freeze spray of water ice!), and increase throughout this process with great praise and an opportunity to address small.
For an older dog in May who have already had several bad handling / grooming experiences, things are a little more difficult. You need to repair the damage already caused by these bad experiences, you can do by taking things very slowly - with an emphasis on keeping your dog calm.
The moment he began to show signs of stress, stop immediately and let it rest. Try it in a game: give him high praise, tapes, and trafficking.
Take things slowly. Do not push too far: If you are nervous, stop.
Dogs show aggression for a reason: they are warning you to back off or else! If your dog can not seem to accept treatment, no matter how you turn the practice, it is preferable to the job of professionals.
Your veterinarian will clip his nails for you (be sure to tell him first that he was aggressive when the mower to come, your veterinarian can take the necessary precautions!). As far as washing and brushing goes, the dog-grooming business is a flourishing industry: for a fee, you can get your dog washed, cut, brushed, and you need by experienced professionals ( Again, make sure you tell them about your dogs reaction to experience first!)
For more information on handling aggressive and dominant behavior, and many details of a multitude of other behavioral problems dog, please SitStayFetch.
It is a comprehensive guide to the owner of the property, education and training your dog, and it addresses all aspects of dog ownership.
To get the inside word on the prevention and treatment of behavioral problems such as aggression and dominance in your dog, SitStayFetch worth a look.
About the author
Darrin Donaldson
You can visit SitStayFetch by clicking on the link below:
http://www.k9-secrets.890m.com/aggression
