How to Desensitize Dog Aggression

The avoidance of people or things that cause a dog to act aggressively is the first instinct of many dog owners. This behavior is not conducive to working through the problem. Desensitizing a dog to its "triggers," or the things that cause it to act in an aggressive manner, goes a long way in reducing the amount of aggression a dog has. This is a time-consuming process and requires patience, understanding of the dog's mind, and a willingness to work with a potentially dangerous dog. While desensitization training can be performed at home, it is an undertaking that has a great possibility of resulting in injury, and is best undertaken under the instruction of a qualified dog trainer.

Instructions

1. Seek out contact with the aggressive dog. Restricting contact between the dog and the person its aggression is focused on will only encourage the dog to become more dominant in its interactions, potentially leading to more aggression.

2. Work with the dog. Basic training exercises, such as teaching the commands of "Sit," "Stay" and "Come," reinforce to the dog that this person is a more dominant "animal" than it is.

3. Spend time playing and caring for the dog. Provide food, water and activities for the dog to encourage a more healthy relationship. Once the dog sees that the object of its aggression is not a threat, but is actually providing vital interactions and items, the dog is less likely to respond with aggression.

4. Instruct other members of the household to ignore the dog. This means that the dog must actively seek out the person who is the object of its aggression to receive anything.

5. Encourage physical contact. Short periods of petting and handling encourage the dog to open up to the person it is aggressive toward.

6. Keep physical contact sessions to a minimum. A small amount of irritation or discomfort from the dog is to be expected. Increase the period of time each day. If the dog becomes physically aggressive, cease contact immediately.

7. Praise the dog for submissive behaviors. A relaxed ear position, avoiding eye contact with the human, licking, rolling over and a lowered head are all signs of canine submission.

8. Reward the dog after physical contact sessions unless the sessions were cut short due to aggressive behavior. This reinforces good behavior in the dog, and allows it to understand that when it behaves civilly toward the object of its aggression, good things happen.

9. Repeat this process for as long as it takes to make the dog understand that aggression is not tolerable. This could take as little as two weeks and as long as a year.

Tips & Warnings

• Speak to a veterinarian about your dog's behavioral problems. Underlying medical conditions can cause a dog to react aggressively. A vet may also be able to recommend a qualified trainer to work with your dog.

• Know canine body language. Signs and symptoms of aggression are common among all dogs, and knowing these physical cues can reduce the risk of injury during desensitization training.

• Never physically reprimand your dog for acting aggressively. In the heat of the moment, this encourages the dog to become more aggressive and has the potential to lead to more severe altercations.

• Do not attempt to "roll," or physically put an aggressive dog on its back. This is counterintuitive to the desensitization training and may lead to a struggle for dominance between trainer and canine.

References

• "Handbook of Applied Dog Behavior and Training, Vol. 3: Procedures and Protocols;" Stephen R. Lindsay; 2005
• "Handbook of Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat;" Gary Landsberg BSc DVM Dipl ACVB, Wayne Hunthausen BA DVM, Lowell Ackerman DVM PhD Dipl ACVD MBA MPA; 2003
• "Handbook of Applied Dog Behavior and Training, Vol. 1: Adaptation and Learning"; Stephen R. Lindsay; 2000