How to Calm an Aggressive Dog

Calm Izzy

If you’ve ever been surprised by your dog’s sudden aggression, the following tips will help you diffuse the situation. Once you’re safe, contact a qualified dog training and behavioral professional to help you determine the cause of your dog’s aggressive reaction. A canine behavior specialist will give you techniques so your dog learns better ways to cope with triggers that currently cause aggressive displays and will provide you with management tools to prevent aggressive behavior in the future.

Be calm. If your dog growls over a bone, snarls at another dog, or lunges at a child—your first instinct is likely to scream, “NO!!!!”.  Aggressive behavior is unacceptable and dangerous. However, loud scolding can cause your dog to become more defensive which may result in an attack.  If your dog is already on a leash, quietly guide him away from the plumber, child, dog (whatever is causing his aggressive display), so he relaxes. By calmly adding distance to the situation, you’ll give your dog an opportunity to recover from the emotional turmoil causing his aggression.

If your dog is off-leash, safety tactics can be a bit trickier. If you’re approaching your dog, stop moving immediately. By walking close to an already agitated dog, you’re communicating that you’re not backing down, and contrary to popular information—attempting to “dominate” a dog who’s aggressing may make the situation worse because you appear menacing, aggressive.

Aggression + aggression = more aggression

You can reduce tension, and potentially stay safer by removing social pressure: pause, slightly turn your head, lower your gaze, and relax your body while remaining still. During precarious moments, your goal is staying out of danger. Communicating to your dog that you’re not a threat is a much better way to prevent a full-blown attack than adding more aggression to an unstable situation. Never turn your back, run, scream, or make sudden movements—all of which can further incite your dog, and place you in a more vulnerable position to become injured.

Once you’ve gained composure, find something of interest to your dog (or if another person with you, she’s in a better position to distract your dog if he’s growling or snarling at you) and as slowly as possible, move the item far away to entice your dog then confine him immediately. Though tossing a treat (underhand is best) into another room may seem like you’re rewarding your dog’s aggression, you’re preventing an attack. You’ll need to make a plan once everyone is safe to avoid further reinforcing your dog’s unwanted behavior.

Practice prevention. It’s important to make a note of what caused the aggression. Did your dog growl over a new a toy? Did a stranger approach your dog too quickly? Was your dog standing in front of you, attempting to protect you from your partner? A good trainer can help you identify what caused your dog’s aggression but until you can schedule an appointment, you must practice management to prevent putting yourself and your dog in a scary situation again. Leashes and gates are great ways to keep everyone unscathed (child, stranger, or another dog) until the trainer arrives.

If you’re unsure if your dog has the potential to become aggressive, thank you for being proactive—here are some tips to introduce a new person to your dog safely.

Understand body language. In my line of work, I meet a myriad of aggressive dogs, some with very serious bite histories. Nonetheless, I remain safe because I watch dogs closely to assure I know what they’re communicating so I’m actively preventing them from becoming so uncomfortable that they want to bite me. Keep in mind, dogs are MUCH faster than we humans are, so it’s best to keep your dog’s nervousness or agitation way below attack-mode because he doesn’t need coffee to gear up, especially in heated moments.

Indications that a dog is close to becoming defensive are hard stare, mouth tightening, pulsating tail (not wagging), and tense body posturing. If your dog positions himself between you and another person, runs away with a toy and hovers over it, or walks away from a child and hides, stop doing what you’re doing, immediately.

Your dog is communicating that he’s uncomfortable. If you pet him, take away his toy, or allow your child to corner your dog when he’s attempting to avoid a conflict or defensiveness, you’re asking for trouble. While I agree dogs should not be permitted to growl at your kids or snarl when you touch his belongings, tense moments aren’t teachable moments. Reduce tension by softening your body language, and when your dog is in another room, pick up the toy and place it in a closet or keep the person at a safe distance until you hire a trainer.

Tense moments aren’t teachable moments.

Never punish aggressive behavior. If you scream, yell, or stick your face in your dog’s face while he’s growling, snarling or snapping, you could get attacked. If you’re still getting to know your dog (it often takes up to a year to really know a dog), and his bite history is unknown, you very well may end up in the emergency room. Adding force and anger to an agitated, uncomfortable, and volatile situation can cause serious injury to you.

If you punish your dog harshly, some dogs stop communicating discomfort to avoid further punishment. Teaching your dog NOT to growl before he bites will jeopardize the safety of everyone you love.

Prevention and understanding are the best ways to keep an aggressive dog calm. However, in the face of a surprise, avoid staring and remain calm.  Once you’re safe, call a trainer to get the help you need.


Know Your Dog, Respect Others

 

Harvey Socialization

I received a disturbing email from a client about her dog being attacked by another dog.  I am always heartbroken when clients share this kind of news.  What makes the story even sadder and shocking was that her dog was attacked twice by the same dog.  Yes, twice by the same dog.  Even worse, the offending dog’s guardian, who was present for both attacks, showed no remorse over their dog’s actions.  When  I read her words, “he blew me off”, I could not help but feel obligated to share her story.

Like me,  you are probably appalled by her news because you likely share similar views with my client.  If you are reading a dog training article, assumably you spend time teaching your dog expected behaviors and truly want to understand your dog better.  To you, I say….SPEAK UP. First and foremost, always ask if a dog is friendly when considering approaching with your dog.  Anyone who has worked with me knows I preach on that subject.  If the person says “sometimes” or “I don’t know”, move on. Just because they are both canines does not mean they are meant to be best friends.

If you are at a park or frequently pass a dog on the street who is bullying others, talk to the owner.  Do not do attempt a heat of the moment discussion.  People are passionate about their dogs and their choices.  Knock on their door or catch him or her when neither of you have your dogs so you are each other’s sole focus.  Be polite and simply explain that their dog is going to hurt another if bullying continues.  Print this article and show the individual this video because understanding warning signs can prevent future incidents.

If you have witnessed or been a victim of a dog attack (human or dog); pass on a reputable trainer’s information.  Follow up and if he or she has not attempted to teach their dog better choices, report it.   Often, we fear something horrible will happen to the offending dog.  However, if a dog has bitten, he or she will bite again and bites often get worse.  Your dog (or you) could also be attacked a second time by the same dog and it is not fair.

If this message happens to wander across the screen of someone who might not understand why their biting, growling, bullying dog should not be allowed to continue this behavior, let me give you a few reasons:

  1. By allowing your dog to continue this behavior, it will only grow more intense with time.  As behavior progresses, so do damages and dogs have the capability to kill.  That is not something I would want on my conscience, would you?
  2. Your dog’s actions, which are your responsibility, have traumatized and possibly altered another being’s perception of dogs for their entire life.  Imagine being riddled with anxiety every time you pass a dog. Please understand that is your doing and take accountability.
  3. If your dog hurts or growls at another dog (or human) when approached or gets into fights at the dog park, he is not having fun.  It is that simple, find a new outlet for your dog’s energy.  Work with a trainer to teach more appropriate social behaviors.

For those of you who have attempted to “socialize” your growling, humping, lunging dog by continuing to take him or her to the dog park or continue to pull and growl on leash walks; please thoroughly review the above video and articles to better understand your dog.  Spend time some training your dog to walk better on leash.  And know that “socialization” is not throwing a dog into something or at someone that he or she has shown clear signs of flee or fight.  Socialization is teaching dogs that awful things are not awful in thoughtful steps, always watching for stress signs while working through the process.

We chose to domesticate them and we dote, love, play and spend loads of money on them.  Why shouldn’t we spend that time trying to understand them?  If your watch what your dog is trying to communicate and remember we all have to share parks and sidewalks, perhaps it will be a little more peaceful for all of us.  My hope is that unknowing owners can recognize warning signs, get the help they need and keep everyone safe.

Aggressive Dogs Are Not Bad

Finn has been attacked but trained to be dog neutral

There are many dogs out there who like dogs but their friends need to be chosen wisely or new dogs in homes who are still aroused in unfamiliar environments and may be barking as a way to cope. The random street greeting should not be an assumed and many folks who say “my dog is aggressive” quite frankly don’t have the time to say, “he’s afraid of big dogs and you look like you are not paying attention so it’s easier for me to say my dog is aggressive”.  So, just because someone tells you that, does not mean you should run away screaming but you should respect that they do not want their dog to say hi, they should be allowed to do so and are probably doing you a lovely favor by walking on their merry way.

A guardian and their dog avoiding the random street greeting is not something to be afraid of or to label your neighbor’s dog as “bad”. What scares me more than a guardian who has come to terms with their dog’s uncertainty around other dogs is when I see tension building with one or both dogs as two guardians laugh and smile at the end of very tight leashes. Leash and body tension can very quickly turn sniffs, wags and pounces into snarls, growls, lunges and even bites. It can happen to your dog, here are some ways to keep your dog friendly and safe.

1. Make it a rule to ask every single dog guardian if their dog is friendly. If they hesitate or say “sometimes”, politely move on. It’s tough for people to come to terms that their maturing dog is growing more choosy over his canine pals or that a one-time attack has caused a huge impact on how their pooch views others. Bottom line, your job is to keep your dog safe and if it means not sniffing another dog’s butt, he can get plenty of social time with dogs you know love other dogs.

2. Watch body language, people and dogs. If you see someone silently getting further away from you or trying really hard to get their dog’s attention because they spotted you and Fifi, it might be a sign they don’t want their dog to say hello to yours. It is so hard to say out loud “my dog is not friendly”, respect their space and you will keep your dog safe. It’s also important to learn some canine body language so you know when your sweet puppy’s greeting is appropriate or when one or both dogs are close to getting into trouble.

3. Teach your dog some leash manners and pay attention to him. Not only does your dog get rewarded for naughty behavior if you allow him to pull you to every Fido you approach, but his body language as he strains at the end of the leash may not be sending good vibes to the other dog. This rule also assumes that you are paying attention to your dog when you walk him, a 90-lb. dog in one hand and a cell phone in the other is not a good idea. Your dog only gets your undivided attention a small portion of the day, do the right thing and train him to be relaxed on leash and keep your eye on him when in all public places. Just because you are in a vet clinic, doggie daycare or dog-friendly shop does not give you freedom to drop your leash.

4. If your dog is “sometimes” friendly, don’t chance it. Educate yourself, get help and train him to focus on you rather than “sometimes” getting snarky with neighborhood pups. Your dog does not have to say hello to every dog you pass. You could hug every single person you pass on the street, but you don’t. Please give your neighbor a big thumbs up when they tell you their dog is not friendly, the social stipulation in the human world makes that so difficult to say out loud. And, you keep your dog-friendly dog safe.

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Husky Mix "Sinna" sitting politely in a chair, don't bully my breed

Oh, Sinna. We remember those icy blues and uncertainty the first time we met her. And, how patient her parents were while … [Read More...]

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