Dealing with Aggressive Dogs
Dealing with aggressive dogs – An owner of an aggressive dog needs help and a professional behaviourist will give them support and advice on how to treat that dog. But in the first instance, an aggressive dog needs to be evaluated by a veterinarian to make sure there are no underlying medical problems which can cause the behaviour ie. pain induced aggression.
Keep Safe!
The owner of an aggressive dog has the responsibility of keeping himself, his family and members of the public and other animals safe. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen and many owners make excuses for their dog/s despite them showing serious signs of bad behaviour and aggression.
65% are attack on children
The majority of those that are bitten or attacked by dogs are children with their estimated numbers being 65% of the total attacks. 61% of attacks occurred in or near the owner’s home. More than 70% of attacks are people that actually knew the dog that attacked them. Many of the bites occurred when the victim reached for the collar, tried to hug the dog or trying to take something from the dog. Goading or tormenting of the animal was another reason for an attack.
Teach children these rules
How to keep safe around dogs (aggressive or not). Always teach children these rules and never allow youngsters to torment a dog.
1. Never touch a strange dog without asking the owner first. Even then, children especially, should be taught to never put their hands over the top of a dog’s head or tease and annoy any dog. To stroke a dog, always touch under the chin, the shoulder or chest. Don’t hug dogs, they don’t like it! Not all dogs will be as patient as this Labrador, but even this calm dog’s eyes and brows are showing signs of anxiety.
2. Never run away from an aggressive dog. It’s prey drive is likely to be triggered and the dog will most likely chase. Keep still and fold your arms, turn to the side slowly and don’t look at the dog. Back off calmly and quietly.
For owners who have an aggressive dog
1. Be honest about the behaviour of your dog
2. Get a vet check to make sure the dog isn’t in pain or sick.
3. Get the help of a professional behaviourist.
4. Always walk your dog on a short lead.
5. Muzzle train your dog.
6. Practice brain games to stimulate your dog inside the home or a secure location.
7. Practice operant and classical conditioning on a daily basis.
8. Keep the family safe with barriers ie. baby gates if you have youngsters.
9. Crate train your dog.
10. Control your dog and train him to keep off furniture, beds etc..
11. Keep a lead on the dog in the home.
12. Don’t reprimand your dog with physical punishment, it can exacerbate aggression.
An aggressive dog is not happy
The above list of rules just reinforces that an aggressive dog is not fun to live with; the dog is not having a good life either. If aggression cannot be sorted then there is only one option. The dog will have to be euthanised for the sake of safety.
But this course of action has to be the last resort. In the US, the likes of Cesar Millan, a contraversial behaviourist, will often take on a ‘red zone’ aggressive dog. If the dog cannot be rehabilated and able to live in a family home, he will generally keep the dog for its lifetime. There are not many dog behaviourists in the world who will take on that responsibility. This lovely image shows Cesar with his beloved, now deceased, Pit Bull Daddy. Notice he is not hugging Daddy but hovering over him. Hugging makes dogs feel trapped.
I was like; “Awww, what cute doggies!”….until I read about how aggressive they can be…hehe. It is true; even the tiniest dogs can be very aggressive. I was walking my child home from school and out of nowhere (near our home) two tiny dogs jump at us barking and fast paced. My child panicked and I told her never to run. S with the authority I know Christ has given me, I told them to stay away and they did. They ran away fast from us. Was I scared? Oh yes.
Thanks for your comment Linda. Most of the time, little dogs just want to play when they come up barking, but it can be disconcerting for children and parents alike. The best thing to do is to ask the owner of the dogs, if they are friendly. If they are and the youngsters want to approach the dogs, tell them not to pat them on the head but to touch them under their chin. Dogs hate being patted on the head, they just put up with it. I don’t like being patted on the head either!!
cesar guy has publicly said multiple times to zapping a dog with electric shocks and tightening a prong collar so the spikes go into a naughty dog’s neck. It’s not accetable and real specialist and a dog-loving guy wouldn’t do that. but it’s only my opinion. He also said shock collars to be an “ideal solution” for dog owners unable to deal with their dogs. Maybe he is right, its so-called ideal solution for him when he cant deal with dogs.
Hi there jemjem, the only time Cesar Millan has used a shock collar in my experience is when saving the dog’s life ie. snake bites. For those owners that live in an area with snakes, this seems to be the only safe solution for the dog. It usually takes just one or two shocks as the dog approaches the snake. This is done from a distance from the dog, so the dog associates the shock with the snake. From then on, the dog will not go near another snake. I would rather my dog not be killed by a snake and would use this method if I was in a snake area. Luckily I’m not as I live in UK.
As for prong collars, the only videos I have seen has Cesar Millan taking all hardwear off the dog and putting a slip lead on. He then controls the dog with just that simple and very cheap lead.
I don’t know what he does when training a red zone dog but he will never give up on a dog and has many at his ranch that would have been put down if he had not taken them in. In my mind he gets a lot of bad press and I put in down to sour grapes from those trainers who cannot get through to a red zone dog like Cesar Millan can.
You just have to look at those multitude of owners that have saved their dogs from being destroyed because they have gained the help and advice from Cesar Millan. If the owners are not able to control their dogs and want to rehome them, Cesar will take them in as his own. It happens all the time. That is why I am an advocate of Cesar Millan. He has spent his whole life helping rehabilitate dogs and educating owners.