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AGGRESSION PROBLEMS Aggression is a serious problem and you should not embark on treatment yourself without professional help. This article is meant to give you an overview to treatment for this problem and to give hope and encouragement to those owners having difficulties. This is without doubt the number one reason why we are asked to rescue and train dogs. It varies from snapping and grumbling to real biting and attacking. A great many owners are reluctant to ask for help in these circumstances because they fear the advice will always be to destroy the dog. So they live a very unhappy life with the dog, often never taking it out at all. The reasons for aggression vary enormously. It can be the result of breeding from dogs with poor temperaments, lack of early socialisation, choosing the wrong breed for your circumstances and many more. The important issue is to be sure of why the dog is behaving aggressively and embark on training. Aggression is often a symptom of another issue, not a problem in itself. Be reassured that most cases can be safely retrained. It is important that when you have an aggression problem you do not encourage or allow any type of aggression from the dog: no tug of war or playfighting, no winding it up to chase the neighbours cat or allowing it to cause a commotion when anybody passes the house. It is all or nothing at first. You must also have an excellent level of basic obedience. Aggressive dogs are often poorly trained, so if you do not have good control under normal circumstances, how can you hope to stop the dog when something goes wrong? You must act quickly. Too many owners excuse the first signs of the dog challenging them and try to work around it. If you let it go too far, it may not be possible to retrain your dog. Be honest about your dog. Lots of owners refuse to accept the seriousness of their dogs behaviour and say things like "he doesn't mean it, he's only playing". You must accept how difficult your dog has become to be determined enough to do something about it. You must be able to take criticism. The majority of cases are linked to incorrect management and training at home. Your dog will not change unless you do. If your dog charges around the house jumping on the sofa and demanding attention, things will have to change. This does not mean that you have to follow your dog around shouting at him, but it should be you calling the tune, not him. If your dog is aggressive with other dogs, it is a mistake to keep dragging away your dog whilst he is causing havoc. This can make him think he has "seen off" the other dog. He then believes this to be a very effective way of getting rid of other dogs as he is always saved by you and the other dog always goes away. You need to work on making your dog sit and walk to heel with other dogs around, this is why your basic training must be good. Where the dog is only aggressive towards one member of the household, that person should assume total responsibility for the dog. For a few weeks, one person should be walking, playing, feeding, everything. The other members of the household should completely ignore the dog. It may be that the breed you have chosen is not right for your circumstances. Maybe you have a dog from a working breed and you do not have the time for it, or maybe you now have children and your dog is from a breed not very tolerant of children. In some cases, rehoming the dog to the right circumstances is all that is needed. The least you should do is join a class. Never mind how old your dog is, most dogs in classes are older ones. Be honest with the trainer, pay for a few private lessons. Do not think because you have had a few dogs before you are an expert. Your own behaviour and the confidence you have plays a part in the solution. This article is merely an overview of a common problem. If you recognise any of these examples, ask for help and advice. Even a few days can make a difference. We never automatically tell an owner to destroy an aggressive dog. We will always fully assess you and the dog before giving an opinion. Do your dog a favour-get some help!
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