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Prevention
Your
dog does not need a daily walk if that walk can lead to trouble. There
are other ways that in the short term will provide exercise.
Awareness
Trust
Trust
comes when your dog can see you as the one sure, safe, stable part of
his life. As he learns to trust your leadership, he will begin to rely
on you to help him deal with the world. Instead of a need to take charge
because no one else has, your dog will start to work with you, trusting
your decisions and learning to behave in a more appropriate way.
Teaching There
are 2 requirements when dealing with inappropriate aggression:
1.The
owner needs full 100% verbal control.
2.The
dog needs to be desensitized to whatever is triggering his inappropriate
response.
There
is a 3rd requirement.
If your dog's aggression is directed only at humans your dog must learn the 2 prime directives: Never
touch a human without permission
Never,
ever use his teeth on a human.
Definition
of Aggression
A
practical definition will allow us to start working without guilt, recriminations
or a need to work out the moral or philosophical implications of an
aggressive act. These things exist and they are important,but
in the solution of the immediate problem they are distractions from
the actions we need to take to resolve the aggressive situation.
AN
AGGRESSIVE DOG is a dog that will use or threaten to use his teeth:
In
fear to remove a perceived threat - and/or
To
get what he wants - and
Always
because he has been taught by humans, actively or passively, that this
is allowable,acceptable or appropriate behavior.
Signs
of Aggression
If
for any reason:
a
dog feels the need to act in a threatening manner
a
dog growls, grabs, nips or bites you or anyone else
a
dog has bitten you or anyone else
a
dog makes you uncertain or nervous or downright afraid in certain situations
a
dog cannot be trusted in certain situations.
Most
people see a dog's snarling, growling or biting as a breach of trust.
We see it as an owner's breach of trust with the dog.
People
see a biting dog as bad. But the dog is not bad, his canine methods
are bad for people. Understanding this difference is crucial to helping
your dog improve his behavior. Why? Because almost all aggression is
owner taught usually by a lack of knowledge, sometimes by design.
How
does aggression develop or appear?
Aggression is rarely unprovoked. Unprovoked aggression will have a neurological and or physiological basis. This is rare in a city pet and requires immediate medical intervention supported by your behavioral instructor. Aggression
is rarely unexpected. A dog is always aggressive for a reason. Often,
people not understanding the dog, will not understand the real In our
daily interactions with our dog we can actively or passively teach them
to express themselves inappropriately with humans.
Let's
explore why a dog will snarl, growl and bite. A pack of dogs requires
cooperation. Anything that destroys it is unwanted in the pack. Any
violence is unacceptable. A dog will use his teeth, mouth and body in
clear, ritualistic and socially acceptable ways that every dog understands.
But the clear, inhibited use of the teeth and body allows the dogs to
gain what they want or need. In the human pack, dogs will try these
same methods.
If
the leadership in the household is confused a dog will give many warnings
and indications that they must accept the very responsibilities the
Aggression
from the Boss Dog
Rarely do we see a dog that bites because he likes to bite humans. In some cases a dog is dominant and is prepared to treat you like a lower status dog. Such a dominant dog will use appropriate dog methods to control you. And he doesn't really care what you think about it. We rarely see such dogs in our daily practice. And most aggressive acts in a city dog's life are not based on dominance issues with humans. Aggression
from the Bratty Dog
Some
dogs are inappropriate because they are brats - dogs with no proper
guidelines, control or boundaries- who are running amok. A human gave
them the world for free and is now wondering why their dog has taken
it. These dogs will snarl, growl and bite because they have learned
that such tactics get them what they want.
Dogs
are born to manipulate and to find their place in a pack. Often owners
will love their dog but not provide him with the guidelines, consequences
or boundaries they need to act appropriately. Dogs need teaching and
love if they are to become decent, reliable, self controlled members
a human pack. A dog with poor confidence will be terrified that no one
is in charge and the behavior described above can often occur. A dog
that is confident and cheeky can take your poor leadership as an open
invitation to fill the empty shoes left available.
Punishment
or aggressive techniques are not the proper response to such behavior.
These dogs are the way they are because of owner permissiveness. Why
should the dog be punished because the owner has failed in his responsibility?
Such a response to this type of aggression is irresponsible and downright
cruel.
These
dogs need clarity, rules and a chance to earn their freedoms and rights.
Such a dog needs to learn through your change of behavior. As you learn
to be a good guide and teacher - a good leader - your dog will start
to learn how to be a nicer, more self-controlled companion. Your responsibility
to your dog will build his responsibility to you and to his world. And
you dog will be as happy as you with the change. Our job will be to
help you learn how to change and keep your dog from making anymore poor
choices while both of your learn a better way to live together.
Aggression
from the Scared Dog
In
almost all cases when a dog bites, fear is the major factor. This is
usually a learned response to a dog's interactions with people. Sometimes
a dog can become totally terrified. This learned fear is often added
to a dog that already has a genetic predisposition to be nervous or
shy.
A
dog can be a runt and has learned early that they get trounced on when
they check out the world. Some dogs are born to a mother that is nervous
or shy and passes this on to her pups. These dogs in a litter will be
less likely to try things out and will miss out on important development
that comes with experimenting and learning about their world. Their
first reaction will always be to back away from the thing they are worried
about or to try to scare it away.
If
such a shy dog learns he can make people back off if he growls, snarls
or bites he will use these methods. What else can he do? He is scared,
the people won't listen and leave him alone. The only way he can be
safe is to make the people go away.
Dogs
that bite because they are scared do not deserve to be punished. Nor
does it make sense to waste energy and problem solving time scared dog
doe snot need you to be angry with him and confront him with aggressive
techniques and punishment. And he does not need to be 'shown whose boss'
as some so-called trainers would have you believe. Such dogs need leadership
but not of the 'I'm the big tough guy and you better listen” type.
A
fearful dog needs someone who will make him feel safe. They need to
go into homes that understand their problem. They need someone who will
provide them with the environment that gives him a place, a job and
the chance to sort out their fears and learn.
Owners
actively teaching in a way that creates aggression
There
is another category of aggressive behavior that many owners encourage.
This is a dog that has been systematically taught by their owners to
use their teeth in their interactions with the owner.
An
owner who roughhouses with their dog is teaching their dog to use his
teeth with people. Sometimes they do it because it's fun and sometimes
because they want their dog to be rough and tough. Such an owner will
wind a dog up but will not teach any of the manners that would accompany
such play in a pack to assure these displays and games are appropriate
for the pack. Don't be a poor dog teacher when it comes to teeth games.
Think about it. If you have taught your dog that when he is excited
or over-stimulated he can use his teeth, how far removed is this from
a scared or nervous or pushy dog using his teeth to deal with a perceived
threat or an attempt to control. Don't be responsible for giving your
dog such an option. Dogs use their teeth and body much differently than
we do. They are as articulate with their teeth as we are with our words.
How they use their teeth on a person, the mere fact of using their teeth,
is a very significant way of 'talking for a dog.
We
will teach you how to play appropriately with your dog and how to teach
your dog proper etiquette with the people in his world. We teach you
the two prime directives for a dog. They must never touch a human being
without permission and never, ever use their teeth on a human being.
This is an owner responsibility to teach. Don't let your dog hurt someone
because of your poor teaching. Your poor teaching may lead to your dog
paying the ultimate price of his life.
Aggression
taught by aggressive actions
Sadly
there is one more area of aggressive behavior. It's a dog that has been
physically, violently, and/or abusively, punished for misdemeanors.
Such physical confrontation with a dog declares that physical confrontation
is okay. We have already discussed how a fearful dog will respond. A
more confident dog will eventually physically confront his or her violent
owner or someone he perceives as weaker. Often the weaker someone is
a child. Such an owner has declared that physical confrontation is the
way of the world. Using his teeth is the dog's version of physical confrontation.
Often such owners handle their dog this way because silly and dangerous
trainers have taught them that this is how you must deal with a dog.
Such
owners will often look to a change in style when they are faced with
the results of their dog's snarling, growling or biting. Sometimes they
wake up and begin to learn how their dogs think and how to teach safe
behavior. But far too many times such owners believe this is how a dog
must be handled. They never take the step of seeing that violence and
aggression only teaches and leads to more violence and aggression. If
their dog behaves aggressively they see it as the proof that they must
be aggressive to control this 'wild beast'. They never see their part
in creating the monster. It is almost impossible to get these people
to see a better way for them and their dogs. We pity them for such an
incredible lack of vision and we resent their incredible stupidity.
All
Aggression
Aggression
is often a combination of each area discussed. We will analyze your
dog's general behavior and the resulting response to experiences. And
we will look at how you have taught and guided the dog, directly and
indirectly. Both dog and human have created the situation. But it is
only the human that can initiate the changes in their own behavior that
will start to change things for the dog. Your dog is ready to change.
Your dog wants to feel safer. Your dog does not want to be in charge.
He wants to have a job and make good decisions. He's waiting for you.
He needs you. Help him!
P.A.T.T. your dog today
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