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Training Aggressive Dog

 Submitted by Michael Adams on March 15, 2010


An aggressive dog is quite a difficult animal to handle. Aggression in dogs may be caused by several factors and this aggression is displayed in the following different situations. Dogs get aggressive to show their dominance.


This is more common in male dogs that wish to convey their dominance over other dogs. Dogs may get aggressive as a fear or defense mechanism. This is often the case with dogs that have been abused or that are afraid of their surroundings.


Often they are aggressive if they fear for their own safety. A third kind of canine aggression is a more natural kind of aggression based on protection of offspring. This is when a mother dog attacks anything that she perceives as threatening to her litter. Another type of dog aggression is rivalry amongst sibling dogs. Finally, dogs may also get aggressive over their territory in order to assert their dominance over a particular area or object, such as the food bowl or the place where the dog sleeps.
When undertaking dog aggression training, it is essential to establish if your dog is suffering from any sort of disorder. Excessively aggressive dogs may be aggressive because of hormonal imbalances or due to imbalances in their diet. When consulting your vet, always be sure of the right kind of diet and medication for the breed of dog that you own. When are you are training aggressive dogs, it is good to establish yourself as the master or dominant member of the human-animal relationship. This must be done, not by punishment, as this will probably aggravate the animal’s temper, but through positive reinforcement such as rewarding good behavior. This will encourage your dog to behave well in order to gain rewards and affection from you. One of the most recommended steps to take to stop dog aggression is to avoid situations that are known to cause aggression in your dog. These may include avoiding contact with other dogs that your dog has displayed aggression towards.

A medical solution for how to stop dog aggression can be neutering or spaying the dog. This tends to have an overall calming effect on the dog. Other aggressive dog training tips include limiting access to favorite items. This is especially useful in dogs that are possessive of the food or rewards you give. This can be further improved on by giving your dog a special reward when good behavior is observed.

 
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