Dog Leash Training

How to Calm an Aggressive Dog

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.

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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:

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?
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.
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.

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How to Motivate Your Dog

Cobweb working for toys Some dogs happily accept every toy their human brings home and will eat any treat with wild abandon; other dogs need a little more prodding to determine what makes them happy.

Watch your dog’s face when trying to decide if what you are offering is really a reward to your dog. If you see your dog’s eyes light up, their mouth open into that doggie smile’ or ears perk up; you know you are on the right track. On the other hand, if your dog turns their head or moves away, you may need to find a new way to reward your dog. It is not a reward nor is it motivating if your dog does not like it; no matter how much you think he or she should like it.

Praise In general, dogs like high pitched and happy verbal praise. However, if your dog is shy, loud voices can be scary. Play with the intonation in your voice, every dog is different. I have a client with a very fearful dog who LOVES low pitched praise. I have to purposely speak as low as possible to keep this sweet dog engaged in her training sessions and continue to build her confidence. Praise is an easy way to reinforce your dog’s good behavior, but it may not be enough in some situations. An energetic dog who likes to jump on guests may need a little more than a happy “good boy” to reinforce a calm “sit”.

Toys For some dogs, toys and play are the greatest joy in their tail wagging worlds. Save yourself time and money by taking your dog with you when you go toy shopping. Nearly all retail stores that cater to pets allow them to join you on shopping trips. Hold out a toy for your dog and watch his or her face. If you see excitement and delight, that is the toy for you. If not, continue shopping.

Once you get home, move the toy away from your dog to entice play. When you push a toy into your dog’s face to invite play, some dogs can find it obtrusive and withdraw. Dogs like to chase things so wiggle away and enjoy play time with your dog!

Treats There are so many treat options but soft and smelly tend to be the easiest to get dogs excited. Soft treats are MUCH easier to break up. It only takes a crumb to be enjoyable to dogs and the smellier treats tend to be more exciting. If you use small bits, you avoid adding too many calories to your dog’s diet and save money on treats! If your dog turns his or her nose up to even the premier treats like Salmon Paws or Dogswell, hot dogs or cheese are great to reward amazing behaviors. Use them in moderation and cut them up into tiny pieces to avoid an upset stomach. Vegetables or cheerios are also a great alternative if you are trying to maintain weight or help your dog shed a couple pounds. If your dog makes the happy face, you found the right treat!

Praise, toys and treats are wonderful rewards but your dog gets plenty of other great goodies every day. Cuddling on the couch, playing with other pets, walks and meals are amazing motivators of good behavior. Just be sure to give all of these when your dog is being good and you will keep your dog motivated for life!

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Five New Tricks

TricksStar

Tricks are a fun way to revive your training program and enhance your relationship with your dog. When introducing a new trick, it is amazing how we humans lighten our mood and body language. Tricks are a great way to recharge your dog’s brain and body.

Play dead To start this trick, you want to make sure your dog is fairly relaxed and has a reliable down. Once your dog is calmly lying down, wait for a shift in hips. If your dog lies on the left hip, place the treat at her nose and very slowly draw an imaginary line with a treat lure or your touch along the right jaw line. Keep your hand low so your dog follows and lays her head on the ground, cue play dead as soon as your dog is lying stationary on the left side. Repeat down, play dead and lure into the lying position a couple times, yes and treat for non-movement . Next, say down, play dead and point your finger to the ground before luring. If your dog responds, say yes and give a treat. With practice, you can add more duration so your dog will play dead until you release her. You can get creative with this trick by saying bang, down then bang, play dead then fading down and play dead so your dog drops into a down and lying position in response to bang, bang. Cute party trick!

Fetch Keep in mind you are asking your dog for multiple behaviors with this game: run away; pick up a toy; carry the toy to you and drop. Some dogs catch on to this very quickly while others need you to break it up into multiple steps. Start with a favorite toy and move it around a bit to get your dog excited but keep it low so you do not encourage jumping. Toss or roll the ball a couple feet away ONLY. Do not move from your original position, you want your dog walk or run to the toy all on his or her own. Say yes if your dog walks towards it. Continue to give verbal praise for every step your dog takes to the toy. If your dog touches the toy or picks it up, continue giving feedback. If your dog takes a step towards you with the toy in their mouth, increase the volume of your verbal praise so your dog knows she is on the right track. Some dogs will drop the toy a couple feet away from you. If that occurs, pick the toy up and put it away. You do not want to get in the habit of playing fetch for your dog. Try again until your dog understands the game continues when the toy is brought to you.

Some dogs get so excited with this game that they run right past you with their toy. Do not chase your dog. Next time you work on your fetch game, have a second toy handy to squeak or move about to get your dog to drop their first toy directly in front of you.

For dogs that do not catch onto this right away, repeat each step every day until your dog is reliably responding to that step. Then, only praise for response to the next step. For example, this week’s goal may be to praise for walking towards the toy; next week you say nothing for walking towards it but wait for your dog to touch it. Tons of praise when that occurs then only praise for picking up the toy. Remember, your dog may not understand all the steps in the process, so help her along by giving feedback for every behavior in this game.

Speak The easiest way to teach this trick is to anticipate what causes your dog to bark. Some dogs LOVE to hear themselves bark so please keep in mind that if you reinforce this behavior, your dog will enjoy barking even more. One of my favorite ways to cue this is by making a loud noise that does not often occur such as knocking on the refrigerator or making silly noise. This helps prevent unwanted barking with visitors, passersby or at meal times. Be ready with some treats, and say speak before you pound on the refrigerator. Once your dog barks say yes and treat. When your dog is responding nicely to the knock and verbal cue, simply say speak and give happy verbal praise for barking. You can then cue shush and heavily reinforce for ceasing of barking so your dog becomes silent when you are ready; great way to train your dog to quiet on command.

Beg Start with your dog in a sit position and either use a treat or your touch starting at the nose and draw it upwards so your dog’s front two paws lift into the air. Cue beg, say yes then treat. Do this a few times. Next, require your dog to maintain the position a little longer, only rewarding if she remains in the position for 2-3 seconds. Once your dog is holding the beg position for a few seconds, fade your hand cue by requesting beg and giving your dog a moment to consider what you are asking. If your dog raises her forequarters in air, say yes and treat. This trick is a little more difficult for large dogs, it is helpful to use a couch or wall to support your large dog’s back.

Wave You will need a basic shake to teach your dog to wave. Get your dog into a sit and simply hold a treat in a closed fist right at the nose. You want your dog to sniff at your hand to get the treat then resort to using the paw when sniffing is unsuccessful. When that occurs, cue shake, say yes and give the treat. This trick is best suited for dogs that have already been trained to take treats gently from human hands.

Once your dog reliably responds to shake when you present your hand, introduce your new cue wave then present your hand. Do this a few times, then say wave and only briefly show your hand. Be quick with the treat so your dog does not get frustrated with the new expectation. Do this a few times until your dog is pawing at the air with just a quick flash of your hand. Lastly, say wave and praise and treat your dog for pawing at the air without your hand to cue the behavior.

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