Archive for September, 2009
September 30th, 2009 | 
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Aggressive Dog Behavior
Aggressive dog attacks, whether against people or other dogs, can be one of the worst problems of dog ownership. Dog aggression is a common behavior and comes from the fact that the dog is a pack animal and its normal instinct is to compete, right from the time it is born.
It has to compete for food ( even from the very early days when it is suckling from the mother), it has to compete for status and for respect. When the dog joins a human family, he still thinks of it as a pack and will try to establish his position in the that hierarchy. If the dog is allowed, or even encouraged to believe that he is the Alpha Dog, then you have Trouble!
In most cases, this is the fault of the owner, especially if the dog is aquired as a puppy. A puppy can’t dominate its owner or the household, it is only if dangerous and aggressive behavior is tolerated or even encouraged during adolescence that you end up with aggression in the adult dog. Your dog must Respect You, Trust You and Love you — in that order!
Reasons for Dog Aggression.
It is most important to understand that there are several different reasons for dog aggression. It can be difficult to determine what the real reason is. One of the most misunderstood is aggression due to fear or anxiety. The dog is not looking for trouble, he feels he is defending himself against some perceived threat or danger.
The dog may be exhibiting territorial aggression. This is more common in certain breeds, which have been bred as guard dogs or herding dogs over centuries and have a strong genetic instinct to protect their territory and their family.
Mistreatment or abuse by previous owners may be a factor in the case of an adult dog, adopted from a Rescue Center. Such dogs need a careful balance of kindness and discipline. You must definitely be the Alpha Dog in this situation (as in every other situation).
Where a normally placid dog suddenly becomes aggressive, this may be due to a painful medical condition or ailment and the dog is nervous of increased pain if handled or upset. Vetinary advice is essential if pain or illness is suspected as the cause of the unusual, dangerous behavior.
Overly Aggressive Dog Breeds.
The subject of the most aggressive dog breeds causes much controversy and vociferous debate. Owners of Rottweilers, Dobermans, Pit Bull terriers and German Shepherd dogs spring to the defence of their pets, stressing how loving, reliable and trustworthy they are. When properly trained, socialized and integrated with family, friends and other dogs, this is usually true. However, these breeds have been bred and used for many years with the express purpose of guarding and protecting property, family and livestock. This strong protective instinct is in their genes and is thus more likely to result in aggressive behavior.
These breeds suffer from two further disadvantages with regard to their reputation for aggression towards people and other dogs. Because of the jobs they were originally bred for, they are large, strong and athletic dogs, so when attacks do occur, the damage they inflict is serious. More small children are killed by these dogs than by all other breeds combined. The public perception being what it is, people frequently give the wrong signals to these breeds, with their body language exhibiting signs of fear and submissiveness.
It is important to note that dogs that display dog-aggressive behaviour do not necessarily show aggressive behaviour towards humans. The two types of aggression are not necessarily related, and do not always occur in the same animal.
Aggression over Food
Remember the wolf pack in the wild. The alpha male and female get first servings and the rest of the pack compete for what they can get. It is ingrained in the dog’s nature that he has to be protective of his food and show a certain amount of aggression, otherwise he will starve.
Even in the normal domestic situation, food is important to your dog. Mealtimes are one of the highlights of his day. This is a double-edged situation. It is your ideal opportunity to show your dog who is The Boss. He can’t use a can opener, he can’t operate the microwave, he can’t draw a bowl of water. He is totally dependent on you for his food (and all other needs).
At mealtimes, insist that he sits or lies down a few feet away. If he won’t do it, put the food away and leave him. It won’t take long for him to get the message – the food comes along, only when he he sits and waits for it. Ideally, this routine should be practised when the dog is a puppy, so it will be normal behavior when he grows up. If your dog is already adult and aggressive, then there is all the more reason to implement this method of gaining control.
By: Ken Charles
About the Author:
Aggressive dog attacks, whether against people or other dogs, can be one of the worst problems of dog ownership. Dog aggression is a common behavior and comes from the fact that the dog is a pack animal and its normal instinct is to compete, right from the time it is born.
It has to compete for food ( even from the very early days when it is suckling from the mother), it has to compete for status and for respect. When the dog joins a human family, he still thinks of it as a pack and will try to establish his position in the that hierarchy. If the dog is allowed, or even encouraged to believe that he is the Alpha Dog, then you have Trouble!
In most cases, this is the fault of the owner, especially if the dog is aquired as a puppy. A puppy can’t dominate its owner or the household, it is only if dangerous and aggressive behavior is tolerated or even encouraged during adolescence that you end up with aggression in the adult dog. Your dog must Respect You, Trust You and Love you — in that order!
Reasons for Dog Aggression.
It is most important to understand that there are several different reasons for dog aggression. It can be difficult to determine what the real reason is. One of the most misunderstood is aggression due to fear or anxiety. The dog is not looking for trouble, he feels he is defending himself against some perceived threat or danger.
The dog may be exhibiting territorial aggression. This is more common in certain breeds, which have been bred as guard dogs or herding dogs over centuries and have a strong genetic instinct to protect their territory and their family.
Mistreatment or abuse by previous owners may be a factor in the case of an adult dog, adopted from a Rescue Center. Such dogs need a careful balance of kindness and discipline. You must definitely be the Alpha Dog in this situation (as in every other situation).
Where a normally placid dog suddenly becomes aggressive, this may be due to a painful medical condition or ailment and the dog is nervous of increased pain if handled or upset. Vetinary advice is essential if pain or illness is suspected as the cause of the unusual, dangerous behavior.
Overly Aggressive Dog Breeds.
The subject of the most aggressive dog breeds causes much controversy and vociferous debate. Owners of Rottweilers, Dobermans, Pit Bull terriers and German Shepherd dogs spring to the defence of their pets, stressing how loving, reliable and trustworthy they are. When properly trained, socialized and integrated with family, friends and other dogs, this is usually true. However, these breeds have been bred and used for many years with the express purpose of guarding and protecting property, family and livestock. This strong protective instinct is in their genes and is thus more likely to result in aggressive behavior.
These breeds suffer from two further disadvantages with regard to their reputation for aggression towards people and other dogs. Because of the jobs they were originally bred for, they are large, strong and athletic dogs, so when attacks do occur, the damage they inflict is serious. More small children are killed by these dogs than by all other breeds combined. The public perception being what it is, people frequently give the wrong signals to these breeds, with their body language exhibiting signs of fear and submissiveness.
It is important to note that dogs that display dog-aggressive behaviour do not necessarily show aggressive behaviour towards humans. The two types of aggression are not necessarily related, and do not always occur in the same animal.
Aggression over Food
Remember the wolf pack in the wild. The alpha male and female get first servings and the rest of the pack compete for what they can get. It is ingrained in the dog’s nature that he has to be protective of his food and show a certain amount of aggression, otherwise he will starve.
Even in the normal domestic situation, food is important to your dog. Mealtimes are one of the highlights of his day. This is a double-edged situation. It is your ideal opportunity to show your dog who is The Boss. He can’t use a can opener, he can’t operate the microwave, he can’t draw a bowl of water. He is totally dependent on you for his food (and all other needs).
At mealtimes, insist that he sits or lies down a few feet away. If he won’t do it, put the food away and leave him. It won’t take long for him to get the message – the food comes along, only when he he sits and waits for it. Ideally, this routine should be practised when the dog is a puppy, so it will be normal behavior when he grows up. If your dog is already adult and aggressive, then there is all the more reason to implement this method of gaining control.
By: Ken Charles
About the Author:
There is a load of Free information on Aggressive Dog Behavior at allabout-dogs.co.uk which also covers all aspects of dog ownership, including Dog Training, Dog Breeds, Dog Food and Dog Health.
Compare six of the best Dog Training Courses which are available online.
Compare six of the best Dog Training Courses which are available online.
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Training puppies to not bite can be accomplished in a number of ways and using a distraction is a very effective technique. Often it is simply boredom or too much energy that causes a puppy to bite. By distracting it from its destructive behavior you may find that you have found the answer to puppy training biting problems.
As soon as your puppy begins biting either you or the furniture you can give it a toy. This works very well and is a great way of getting it to bite something that is there for the purpose. A soft rope toy is ideal and it will happily play with its toy rather than your hands.
You may also like to consider using food as a distraction. You should have a way of calling your dog when it is mealtimes. When it is biting use that call. It should stop to see what is on offer. You can then use a small reward to distract its attention. Follow this up with a toy and you should have a very effective technique.
You may also use the call for going out for a walk or some play time as a good method. As it begins to be destructive call for play time. Your puppy will probably come tearing to you and be excited to play. Let the puppy out to run around somewhere safe to burn off that excess energy that is causing the destructive behavior. Puppies need lots of short play times throughout the day. They have a lot of energy and you need to allow them to burn off this energy. Letting them run around will burn off this excess energy and will stop one of the main reasons why puppies bite.
Training puppies not to bite can be accomplished. It just takes a little time and perseverance for you to find the best way to train it. Some techniques work better than others and often you will find a combination of a few techniques is the ideal way to stop biting puppies.
By: Dave Tee
About the Author:
As soon as your puppy begins biting either you or the furniture you can give it a toy. This works very well and is a great way of getting it to bite something that is there for the purpose. A soft rope toy is ideal and it will happily play with its toy rather than your hands.
You may also like to consider using food as a distraction. You should have a way of calling your dog when it is mealtimes. When it is biting use that call. It should stop to see what is on offer. You can then use a small reward to distract its attention. Follow this up with a toy and you should have a very effective technique.
You may also use the call for going out for a walk or some play time as a good method. As it begins to be destructive call for play time. Your puppy will probably come tearing to you and be excited to play. Let the puppy out to run around somewhere safe to burn off that excess energy that is causing the destructive behavior. Puppies need lots of short play times throughout the day. They have a lot of energy and you need to allow them to burn off this energy. Letting them run around will burn off this excess energy and will stop one of the main reasons why puppies bite.
Training puppies not to bite can be accomplished. It just takes a little time and perseverance for you to find the best way to train it. Some techniques work better than others and often you will find a combination of a few techniques is the ideal way to stop biting puppies.
By: Dave Tee
About the Author:
Training puppies to not bite can be accomplished. Visit biting puppies for a wealth of information
Your dog may bark to tell you that she needs to go outside to do her business or that she senses someone is near your house. However, most dog owners go through hell living with excessive barking and faces complaints from neighbors.
When do barking gets too much? Well, just like human misuse their ability to talk, dog barks when they are convinced that it gets them what they want, such as playing session, meals or just plain attention. And they are not giving up barking as long as you can’t stand it and eventually give in.
Training your dog about barking can be done relatively easily if you know the way. Most of the time, there is an underlying reason why she barks, and barking to play actually signifies that your dog is demanding, although you may think it as cute and go along with it. Know the underlying reason and you are closer to tackling the problem. In this case, dogs are hierarchy animal and you need to tell her that you are the lead of the pack and she should respect you.
A popular reason for excessive barking is lack of exercise and boredom. Dogs are rather active and they need their daily exercise to feel happy and healthy. Take your dog out for a walk or play a game of catch, but do it only when she has stopped barking. This will reinforce your authority and the idea that barking gets her nowhere.
Shower your dog with affection so she does not feel alone or bored. Make her kennel comfortable with clean water and some snacks. Just like human, dogs need to be cozy and feel loved. It wouldn’t be very humane to shut her up without looking into her needs when barking.
Do your dog only bark at the mailman or strangers? If so, this could be a sign of fear. Do not shut her up because she is alerting you of what she sees. You certainly want her to bark when an unknown person enters your house. Instead, you can familiarize her with the picture of a mailman and she will soon get desensitize to it. With your guests, sometimes all she needs is to smell around them to make sure they are friends.
Of course, you can upset a non-stop barking dog with a spray from a water gun. Don’t let her see it’s you. She may be stunned and confused and will think twice before barking the next time.
Sometimes, the best way to stop barking is to do nothing. Well, just make sure she is really making a nuisance out of herself and not barking out of hunger or need to alleviate herself. Ignoring your dog will discourage her barking.
By: Steff X
About the Author:
When do barking gets too much? Well, just like human misuse their ability to talk, dog barks when they are convinced that it gets them what they want, such as playing session, meals or just plain attention. And they are not giving up barking as long as you can’t stand it and eventually give in.
Training your dog about barking can be done relatively easily if you know the way. Most of the time, there is an underlying reason why she barks, and barking to play actually signifies that your dog is demanding, although you may think it as cute and go along with it. Know the underlying reason and you are closer to tackling the problem. In this case, dogs are hierarchy animal and you need to tell her that you are the lead of the pack and she should respect you.
A popular reason for excessive barking is lack of exercise and boredom. Dogs are rather active and they need their daily exercise to feel happy and healthy. Take your dog out for a walk or play a game of catch, but do it only when she has stopped barking. This will reinforce your authority and the idea that barking gets her nowhere.
Shower your dog with affection so she does not feel alone or bored. Make her kennel comfortable with clean water and some snacks. Just like human, dogs need to be cozy and feel loved. It wouldn’t be very humane to shut her up without looking into her needs when barking.
Do your dog only bark at the mailman or strangers? If so, this could be a sign of fear. Do not shut her up because she is alerting you of what she sees. You certainly want her to bark when an unknown person enters your house. Instead, you can familiarize her with the picture of a mailman and she will soon get desensitize to it. With your guests, sometimes all she needs is to smell around them to make sure they are friends.
Of course, you can upset a non-stop barking dog with a spray from a water gun. Don’t let her see it’s you. She may be stunned and confused and will think twice before barking the next time.
Sometimes, the best way to stop barking is to do nothing. Well, just make sure she is really making a nuisance out of herself and not barking out of hunger or need to alleviate herself. Ignoring your dog will discourage her barking.
By: Steff X
About the Author:
For more information to care for your cats and dogs, visit http://www.PawPets.info , a website dedicated to our friends with paws. Featuring tips to overcome problems such as chewing, barking, digging and so on, to ways of training your dog to potty train and perform tricks.