How to Curb Dog on Dog Aggression!

I just want to touch on a subject that some of you know only to well, dog on dog aggression. The first thing to realize is that there are many types of aggression. I always say it’s because the dogs mind is not balanced or the mind becomes unbalanced. There are different reasons for this such as fear, insecurity, dominance, jealousy and even pain. You may witness your dog transform from a dog that is walking down the street happy and having fun (stable mind set) to a dog that lunges, barks, and generally acts like he wants to hurt another dog (unstable mind set). Before I go any farther I want to say some dogs need professional help as applying my tips to curb your dog’s aggression is not always as easy as reading about stopping it. If you are trying to stop this issue with your dog and you’re not getting good results then help yourself and your dog by consulting with me. Here is are a couple of tips that you will definitely find helpful:

1. What I try to convey to the owners is to keep the dogs mind moving forward. What this means is to redirect the dogs mind in the event that they become distracted to a point where you are unable to communicate with them. If you are walking down the street with your dog, you must be able to anticipate a situation whereby your dog is going to have a blow up that is directed towards another dog. You have to be especially aware of what’s going on in front of you (any dogs coming my way). The moment that you see your dog sees the other dog, you must turn and walk away from the oncoming dog. You will notice that your dog will try to continuously look back to eye the other dog. You must be attentive to that and continue to move in the opposite direction while giving your dog a tug on the leash (quick but not hard) toward your body. You must also be as quick and punctual with your praise as the moment my dog looks straight ahead or at you, you let them know in your own way how much you appreciate their attention and that correct behavior. In other words, you praise them.
2. DO NOT STOP WALKING. Once you feel you dog has his mind on you, you can turn and start walking towards the other dog. Your goal is to give the dog quick correction at the moment he looks at the other dog. This is posturing or staring and can quickly escalate into aggression if your dog’s attention is not refocused. The most common mistakes I see are when people wait way to long to correct their dog or not at all. You know what they say. . . “Timing is everything” so please do your best not to let you dog get into a mode of staring at the other dog. If this happens, you must react quickly and decisively to again turn away from the other dog and repeat the process as described above.

Remember that training dogs for any unwanted behavior is done through repetition and consistency. You may have to practice by passing 20, 100, or 500 dogs before you start to see a difference in your dog. It really depends on your commitment, handling abilities, and your dog’s learning curve. You cannot avoid other dogs in New York, it’s just not possible and it’s not healthy for you or your dog to be tense and upset when these situations arise. That state only leads to an aggressive mindset for your dog. Please understand that this is one method that you might be able to help a dog with this type of behavior. Different dogs will respond differently to different techniques. It is important that you remain patient and be flexible in your approach. Although the techniques may change, the principals of good leadership and appropriate discipline remain the same.

Please feel free to post your questions or comments. Thank you all and please never quit trying to make your dog as happy as they make us.

Stay tuned in for more blog entries with helpful training advice.

Alex