The Aggressive dog

 Its Causes and Cures

The aggressive dog comes in a variety of forms and has different causes. For a family pet, aggressive dog behavior is unacceptable. Depending on the severity and form of aggression, and the basic cause, it can be cured by the owner, will require a professional animal behaviorist, or, in the extreme, the dog may have to be euthanized. This article discusses what the owner can do to cure his or her aggressive dog's behavior. The success of the techniques discussed will depend on the capability of the owner, and the severity and underlying cause of the aggression.

Dogs are not normally born to be aggressive. The aggressive dog behavior can be caused by the environment that the puppy or dog was brought up in, abuse that the dog may have endured, the lack of socialization, or the training that the dog has had. The dog can actually be trained to be an aggressive dog by the owner, without the owner even realizing it. Here's an example.

The owner of a small dog is walking her dog when they come up to another person walking their dog. The small dog starts to bark aggressively, lunging at the other dog. The owner picks her dog up, gently stroking it and talking soothingly to it to try to calm her dog down. The owner thinks she is just trying to calm down her dog. Her dog, who thoroughly enjoys being picked up and petted, thinks that being an aggressive dog is just what she is supposed to do. After all, the dog was aggressive, and got rewarded for it.

You have to recognize aggressive behavior before you can attempt to cure it. The basic signs of aggression are:

·        Raised hackles

·        Exposed teeth or curling lips

·        Growling

·        Maintaining eye contact

·        Snapping

·        Stiffening their body

Obviously, the best way to treat aggression is to not let it happen in the first place. Prevention is a lot easier than curing. The way you prevent your dog from becoming aggressive is to ensure that it is brought up in a loving and caring environment, and that it is socialized. Take your dog out to meet other people and other dogs as soon as you can after getting your puppy or your dog. Praise you dog for being friendly to other dogs and people.

It is also important that both you and your dog know that you are the Alpha dog. That means that you are the boss. The dog does what you want it to do. You play with your dog when you want to. You feed your dog when you want to. When you go out, you go through the door first.

Click here for your free special report on how to become the Alpha dog.

 The next most important thing you should do is to train your dog to sit, lie down and come to you on command. For more information on how to train your dog, go to:

        http://trainyourfirstdog.com/secrets-to-dog-training.html

If your dog shows aggression to you, you have to make sure that you show no fear of your dog, and that your dog has to obey your commands. If you are afraid that your dog may bite you, put a muzzle on your dog. If you show your dog that you are afraid of her, (and dogs read body language very well) your dog will assume that she is the Alpha dog and you are the weakling. If this happens and you can't reverse it, you will have to go to a professional trainer or dog behaviorist. Either that, or get rid of your dog. 

To cure your dog of aggression toward other dogs or people, you have to desensitize your dog. That means taking your dog to places where there are other dogs and people. If you have a larger dog that you can't completely control, put a muzzle on your dog to prevent any biting incidences. Reprimand your dog both verbally and physically with a jerk on her leash, and walk away from the person or dog if your dog shows aggression towards them. If your dog stops the aggressive dog behavior after the reprimand, give you dog lavish praise. This will take persistence and patience on your part, and it will take time. Make sure you don't give your dog any reward until your dog stops the aggressive behavior. Don't do what the person in the example above did.

For more information on how to stop your aggressive dog's behavior, go to:

http://trainyourfirstdog.com/aggression.html