If Your Dog is Aggressive

People have lived alongside dogs for centuries, and this has been a mutually beneficial relationship. As the saying goes, a dog can be your best friend, or at least a great pal. A dog can be a member of the family, a valued worker or law enforcement helper, guide to the blind, protector of the home, and serve many other roles.

Unfortunately, the relationship between dog and human is not always completely smooth. Sometimes, dogs can be a problem, annoying or even frightening people or other animals. What should you do if your dog is aggressive or exhibits destructive behavior?

There are many kinds of aggression in dogs. Some dogs are only aggressive towards other dogs. Some have a problem with children. Others are unpredictable, fine with some people but growling or snapping at others. The first thing to do is to pinpoint what the problem is, specifically.

There are certain basic factors to consider. You should first take the dog to a veterinarian you trust, to rule out any physical causes for the aggressive behavior. Assuming that the dog has no medical problems, or that any such problems are being dealt with, you should first of all keep the animal as much as possible away from provocative situations.

Don't take unnecessary chances. If your dog is a threat to people or other animals, you have to make an effort to prevent any unpleasant situations from arising. If your dog is a biter, use a muzzle until you have corrected the problem. There can be serious consequences if a dog attacks someone.

In some sad cases, as when you have a dog who is a threat to a young child, you may have to give up the dog. In most cases, however, the problem can be remedied with some perseverance. One thing that often helps is to increase the amount of exercise your dog gets. Often, an aggressive dog is one who has too much unused energy.

A note about exercise --playing with your dog is great, but make sure you don't play too roughly and unknowingly encourage aggression. For many dogs, it's fine to play rough, but if your dog has an issue with aggression, you should not be playing in ways that foster this.

Another factor to consider is socialization. Dogs who are left alone for long periods, especially in uncomfortable situations (e.g. tied to a stake or tree or in a small pen) often develop behavioral problems. Dogs are social animals and are not happy being left alone for long periods. If you are away from home a lot, perhaps you can make arrangements to have someone else watch your dog for part of the time.

The above are basic suggestions and will not be enough to correct a serious behavioral problem. The truth is, an aggressive dog needs some serious attention. You will have to hire a qualified dog trainer to help, or take the time to work on your dog on your own, which will take some time, patience and education.

You can't simply ignore the issue of an aggressive dog. Most dogs, the vast majority, are trainable and are potentially wonderful companions. Some dogs, however, require some extra guidance and attention on the way to this goal.

There is a simple, affordable way to deal with the problem of disobedient dogs ;learn the most effective dog training techniques.