How Do You Train an Aggressive Dog?

An aggressive dog in the household is a serious issue that needs to be handled immediately. Although genetics do play a role, primarily any aggression results from a dog's perceived position within the household, or as it sees it, the pack. When a dog believes he is in an dominant position, aggression often results. An experienced animal trainer should ideally train aggressive dogs, according to the Dog Owner's Guide.

Instructions

1. List all the things that cause the dog to become aggressive. This list might include things such as playing with a ball, removing the dog from the couch or hugging another family member, according to the Dog Owner's Guide.

2. Remove the source of the dog's aggression. For example, don't allow the dog on the couch if it becomes aggressive when you attempt to remove it. Similarly, refrain from playing with a ball in the dog's presence if this sparks aggressive behavior.

3. Put the person with whom the dog most often becomes aggressive in charge of the dog. This means that this person will feed the dog, walk it, play with it and take care of everything related to the dog's care. In addition, this person should be able to give basic obedience commands such as sit, heel and come. This person becomes the provider and essentially the dominant, or alpha, animal in the household, the Dog Owner's Guide says.

4. Reward the dog for any submissive behavior. This submissive behavior includes laying its ears flat back against its head, lying down and avoiding eye contact. Dogs communicate primarily by using body language, and these forms of body language mean it is accepting its subservient position in the pack.

5. Reward the dog for tolerating dominant gestures such as stroking, tummy tickling and direct eye contact that results in the dog averting its gaze.

6. Counter-train the dog. This involves slowly reintroducing the things that trigger its aggression and rewarding the dog for shows of submission, or at the very least no signs of aggression.

Tips & Warnings

• Using aggressive behavior toward the dog does little to correct aggression in dogs, according to the University of Pennsylvania. In fact, it is more likely to result in more aggressive behavior.

• Prevention is better than cure. Begin training when the dog is a puppy, and you are less likely to have problems as it becomes older, the Dog Owner's Guide says.

• The Behavior Clinic advises that a tired dog is a happy dog and less likely to engage in aggressive behavior. Ensure that your dog is adequately exercised every day.

• Under certain circumstances, it is possible to retrain an aggressive dog. However, an aggressive dog might never be completely trustworthy around other people. Although it might be distressing, strongly consider having your dog put down if it displays overly aggressive behavior that cannot be corrected, especially around children, the Dog Owner's Guide says.

References

• Dog Owner's Guide: Canine Aggression
• “Penn News”; If You're Aggressive, Your Dog Will Be, Too; Jordan Reese; February 2009
• The Behavior Clinic: Preventing Canine Behavior Problems