Having a dog in your life can be wonderful, and the unconditional love they give is comparable to none. But what if your dog is beginning to exhibit aggressive behaviour, similar to a child who is suddenly out of control. Early abuse may be the reason for the change in what seemed a happy go lucky character, or what is more common the lack of training in the early days of the dogs life. It will not make you feel any better to know that the neighbours in your street are aware of his aggression and you wonder how long it will be till they do something about it.
You had always wanted to own a dog and the day had finally arrived to visit Max named by his owner who required a new home for him. Walking up to the gate you were met with a barking dog that seemed to totally ignore any commands from his current owner. You discounted this as you had been told a guard dog would be good as you lived alone,.Had you brought a dog obedience trainer with you they would have pointed out that this was not good behaviour. Once inside the house you sat on the floor in order for Max to feel comfortable with you, this was another thing that had been suggested and it seemed to work well. You took a shine to this dog so bundled him into your car and took him home where the two of you could get to know each other in his new environment.
All seemed to be fine so the next morning you saw the sun shining and decided to go for your first walk with your canine friend. You were feeling very happy about Max and were keen to show him the neighbourhood and meet the people in it. What was to happen next, could only be described as a nightmare for in an instance it seemed Max had seen Mrs Jones walking down the road towards you both and gone from a leisurely walk to a gallop dragging you helplessly in the direction of this frightened lady. The next thing you know Max had leapt onto Mrs Jones barking, snarling and barring his very sharp teeth. In a heartbeat he took a massive bite out of this dear ladies arm only missing the flesh because she had a very heavy overcoat on. Once you had managed to gain control of Max the seriousness of the situation truly sunk in. Mrs Jones was a caring soul and agreed to Max getting some training that would hopefully improve his behaviour.
Max did not know it but not only had Mrs Jones had a lucky escape so had Max. Did this dog’s former owner abuse him or did he just not put any effort into training him when he was a puppy? Both of these situations are far too common and it is a shame as like babies puppies come into this world with innocence. Do you discard a young child when he shows traits that are antisocial? No of course not and even though you may be alarmed by this development it is possible to retrain Max into a nicer and happier dog. Your local vet will be able to help you find dog obedience classes in your area and give you some good tips on what you can do with him at home. These dog obedience classes are invaluable as your dog mixes with people and other dog and learns by observation what acceptable only behaviour is. They are not usually inexpensive and you will probably have a lot of fun also. Most dogs that attack are fearful and lash out thinking the other party will do the same.
Basic training in a controlled environment could save Max’s life and your reputation and give you the dog you were hoping to have. Yelling, screaming and hitting are never acceptable solutions to the problem This will only make him worse. Patiently teach him to come to you and walk him in the park or away from people and dogs till he learns better ways. The effort you put in will pay dividends and Max will hopefully become a happy, well-adjusted dog. You know you love him now so like a child that has lost its way, Max deserves this chance to be all that he can be..
Want to find out more about Dog Training, then visit Linda Cole’s site on how to train your aggressive dog.