Agressive Dog Training Part 2

Continuing our discussion on training aggressive dogs, we will cover the other type of aggression:

Aggression directed towards family members

There are two most common reasons why a dog is aggressive towards members of his own human family:

- He's trying to defend something from a perceived threat.

This is known as resource guarding, and although it may sound innocuous, there is actually more going on than your dog merely trying to keep his food to himself.

- He's not comfortable with how you or other members of the family are treating or handling him.

What is resource guarding?

Resource guarding is quite common with dogs. The term refers to the expression of overly-possessive behavior: for instance, snarling if you approach him when he's eating, or giving you "the eye" (a sharp, direct stare) if you reach your hand out to take a toy from him.

All dogs can be possessive on occasion – it's in their nature. Sometimes they're possessive over things with no obvious value such as inedible trash, balled up pieces of paper or old socks. Most often, however, resource-guarding becomes an issue over items like food and toys.

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Why does aggression happen?
It all comes down to the issue of dominance. Dogs are pack animals and they're used to a very structured environment.

In a dog-pack, each individual member is ranked in a hierarchy of position and rank in relation to every other member. Each animal is aware of the rank of every other animal so he knows specifically how to act in any given situation (whether to back down, push the issue or muscle in on somebody else's turf).

To your dog, the family group is no different than the pack environment. Your dog will rank each member of the family and has his own perception of where he ranks in the group.

If your dog sees himself as higher on the social ladder than other family members, he's going to get pushy. If he has a really over-inflated sense of his own importance, he'll start to behave aggressively.

That is because dominance and aggression are the exclusive rights of a superior-ranked animal. No underdog would ever display aggression or dominance to a higher-ranked animal (he knows the consequences would be dire!)

A classic example of dominant behavior is resource guarding. Only higher-ranked (dominant) dogs will act aggressively in defense of resources.

If it is clear to your dog that he is not the leader of the family pack, he will never think of trying to prevent you from taking his food or toys. As a lower-ranking dog, he will always go along with what the higher-ranking dogs (you and your family) say.

So the best treatment for dominant, aggressive behavior is consistent and frequent obedience training, which will emphasize your authority over your dog. Just two 15 minute sessions a day will make it perfectly clear to your dog that you're the leader, and that it pays to do what you say.

You can make this clear to him by rewarding him (with treats and lavish praise) for following a command, and isolating him (placing him in "time-out", either outdoors or in a room by himself) for misbehaving.

- If you lack the confidence for doing this yourself, you may want to consider employing the assistance of a qualified dog trainer.

- Study canine psychology and communication, so that you understand what he's trying to say. This will help you to recognize and stop any dominant behaviors immediately, and to communicate your own leadership more effectively

- Train frequently. Keep obedience sessions short and productive (15 minutes or less– maybe two or three each day).

Why doesn't my dog like being handled?

All dogs have different tolerances to handling. Some dogs enjoy lots of hugs, and are perfectly content to be cuddled and kissed (this is the ultimate "I'm the boss" gesture to a dog, which is reason a lot of them don't tolerate it.) Others who are not accustomed to a great deal of physical contact from a very young age – aren't comfortable with too much full-body contact and will get anxious if someone persists in trying to hug them.

Another common cause of handling-induced aggression is from a bad grooming experience. Bathing and nail-clipping are the two common culprits.

When you clip a dog's nails, it's very easy to cut too close and "quick" him. This is when you cut the blood vessel and nerve that runs inside the nail. This is extremely painful to a dog, and is a certain way to cause a long-lasting aversion to clippers.

Being washed is also something that a many dogs have difficulty coping with. Many owners, when dealing with a frantic, half-washed dog, feel that in order to complete the bath they must forcibly restrain him. This only adds to the dog's sense of panic, and reinforces his impression that a bath is something to be avoided at all costs (if necessary, to defend himself from it with a display of teeth and hackles).

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Can a dog be "retrained" to enjoy being handled and groomed?

Basically, yes. Of course, it's much easier if you start from a young age, handling your puppy a lot, getting him used to being touched and rubbed all over. Young dogs typically enjoy being handled. It's only older ones who haven't had a lot of physical contact throughout their lives that will sometimes find physical affection difficult.

Practice picking up and massaging your dog's feet and then touching them with the clipper. Take him into the bathroom (or outside to the faucet - although warm water is much more pleasant for a dog than a chilling spray of ice-water!), and give him lots of praise and the occasional small treat.

If you have an older dog that has already had several unpleasant handling/grooming experiences, you need to undo the damage by taking things very slowly – with an emphasis on keeping your dog relaxed.

The instant he starts to show signs of stress, immediately stop and let him calm down. Try to make the whole experience into a game giving him lots of praise, pets, and treats.

Take it slowly and don't push it. If you get anxious, stop the session.

Dogs will exhibit aggression for a reason - they're warning you to back off, or else! If your dog just can't seem to accept grooming, no matter how patient you are, it is best to find a professional.

Your vet can clip his nails for you (be sure to first tell him that he becomes aggressive, so your vet can take the necessary precautions!). As far as bathing and brushing, the dog grooming business is flourishing. For a reasonable fee, you can have your dog bathed, clipped and brushed by experienced professionals (and again, make certain to tell them about your dog's likely reaction)

For more information on dealing with aggressive and dominant behaviors, as well as a great deal of detailed information on a wide range of other common dog behavior problems, take a look at SitStayFetch.

It's a complete owner's guide to dog care, rearing and training - covering all aspects of dog ownership.

To get professional guidance on preventing and dealing with problem behaviors like aggression and dominance in your dog, SitStayFetch is well worth a look.