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Is My Dog Aggressive?
Adapted from The Puppy Owner’s Manual, by Diana Delmar (Storey Books, 2001).
What are the signs of an aggressive dog? And how can I avoid problems that come along with canine aggression?
Find out:
Several breeds of dogs may be more likely than others to become aggressive because they are derived from fighting dogs or have been bred to guard. These include Chow Chows, German Shepherds, Rottweilers, pit bulls, and Doberman Pinschers. But virtually any dog can become aggressive.
Dogs that are dominant aggressive generally bare their teeth and hold up their ears and tails. Dogs that act aggressive as a result of fear (fear aggressive) may show their teeth but generally keep their ears flat to their head and their tails down. Each type of aggression needs to be handled differently.
Dominant aggressive dogs often need lots of obedience training with positive reinforcement. Dogs with fear aggression may respond best to gradual conditioning to the things that make them afraid.
If your dog demonstrates any kind of aggression, consult an expert. This is not a problem that average dog owners should try to handle on their own.
To avoid aggression problems, even in “aggressive“ breeds:
All dogs should be routinely exposed to people. They should live in the home, with their family. They should be frequently taken on walks, starting from the time they are puppies, and exposed to people in all types of situations. That means taking them for walks in your own neighborhood on leash, repeatedly introducing them to neighbors, and taking them anywhere else you can think of. They must learn obedience training, which makes them less likely to get out of hand.
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add your comment »I think a 12 year old dog might have a number of things that could cause the aggression, poor health, poor or lack of socialization (does your dad also walk the dog?), feeling more assertive/aggressive with you than with your dad walking him, lack of training etc. A lot can depend upon the breed of the dog also. How do you interact with the dog when not on a walk, is it a positive relationship, does he obey your commands at home? If so, I would try using a gentle leader head collar, I am on crutches often and they have been remarkably useful to me when walking my big dogs, one was a great dane another is an American Bulldog mix (i think, he is a foundling from the street). The head collar is useful, does not strangle a dog like a choke chain, doesn't pinch like the pinch collars and is like power steering on the dog if used correctly. Less helpful have been the walking harnesses like sporn harness for walking. Hope this is of some help, My great dane was wonderful after I used the head collar, so has my current dog been mostly.
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I think a 12 year old dog might have a number of things that could cause the aggression, poor health, poor or lack of socialization (does your dad also walk the dog?), feeling more assertive/aggressive with you than with your dad walking him, lack of training etc. A lot can depend upon the breed of the dog also. How do you interact with the dog when not on a walk, is it a positive relationship, does he obey your commands at home? If so, I would try using a gentle leader head collar, I am on crutches often and they have been remarkably useful to me when walking my big dogs, one was a great dane another is an American Bulldog mix (i think, he is a foundling from the street). The head collar is useful, does not strangle a dog like a choke chain, doesn't pinch like the pinch collars and is like power steering on the dog if used correctly. Less helpful have been the walking harnesses like sporn harness for walking. Hope this is of some help, My great dane was wonderful after I used the head collar, so has my current dog been mostly.
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What about pit bulls that lunge at other dogs necks? I constantly hear their owners say "they're only playing." I find this unacceptable, because the dog will may for awhile and then start back up again. And what I observe is that if it is allowed to continue, either other dogs become afraid, or other dogs eventually snap back and a fight ensues.
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There is a program on T.V. that is called the dog whisper. It is a great program on training dogs. There is also a web site you can check.
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put a prong collar on him and when it shows agression corrected with a snap on the spot and say No
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hi
my name is lila and i am concered about my dads dog.
He is a male 12yr and when ever i take him for a walk he becomes very agressive towards other dogs.
How can i help stop this?
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