How to Stop a Dog From Being Aggressive Toward Visitors

There are various reasons why your dog might be aggressive toward a visitor to your home. Common reasons are protection of his "turf" or "pack" (family)—or fear. There are also some steps that can curb this troublesome behavior and let your guests see "the real Fido."

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Dog treats

1. Keep your dog in another room when the visitor arrives and let him out when he’s quieted down somewhat and has gotten used to the visitor's presence.
2. Make sure the visitor is seated when you let the dog out and be sure to tell them not to respond to the dog by yelling or playing rough with him. This will only get the dog excited, which is the opposite of what you want.
3. Talk quietly for a few minutes to the visitor and ignore the dog.
4. Use your commands to sit and stay. If the dog obeys, reward him with a treat and ask the visitor to reward him with a treat.
5. Repeat this process a few times until the visitor can be met at the door without your dog rushing forward, barking or jumping.

Tips & Warnings

• Socialize puppies by getting them used to a wide variety of visitors.
• If you feel your guest's safety is at stake, keep your dog on a leash until he's trained.
• Do not punish your dog. It will only make matters worse.