What to do about Aggressive Puppies
Just like our own children, aggressive puppies need your help to learn how to redirect their violent impulses into more positive venues. Aggression itself is a natural response that nature has instilled in animals to help their genes best move on into the next generation. In our modern society, however, both our pets and us need to learn how to focus that violent energy in a more positive fashion.
Get Help
If you have a breed known for their aggression, like a pit bull, German shepherd or a pincher, you should get a professional to help you train your dog. This can also help with other breeds as well, but is less of a moral imperative since milder and smaller breeds are less likely to do real damage. The exception, of course, is dogs that show aggression from early on. Even if you just have a French poodle, if your dog seems particularly snippy, then you should get him involved in training right away. Even a French poodle can hurt someone with a firm bite.
Although it is a greater financial burden, a professional trainer will teach you techniques that will help you more fully understand your dog’s needs. With a strong foundation both you and your dog will know how to behave in a way that keeps everyone safe and happy. In fact, you should think of getting a trainer as an insurance policy against future problems. In addition, if things should go wrong, your evidence of past attempts to help teach your dog proper manners will go a long way towards proving your good intentions in a court of law.
One way that you might choose to redirect your dog’s aggression into more positive means is by training him in Schutzhund. Schutzhund is German activity for dogs that helps identify, train, and motivate police dogs for K-9 units. Although the sport is great doggy fun, it also has the supplementary benefit of teaching your dog to follow commands, defend you against others and find missing objects.
Regardless of whether you choose to hire someone or to do it yourself, it is important that you follow a consistent program rather than haphazardly picking and choosing aspects of opposing training systems. Like a child, a dog needs a sense of structure and predictability. Without structure, a dog can become unpredictable.
Obedience Training
Before going into aggression training, your aggressive puppy needs to have obedience training. Obedience training allows your dog to master the basics of doggy life before they begin to approach the harder concepts in aggression training. During your obedience training, the instructor may also be able to point out if your dog is in fact an aggressive puppy or whether he is best suited for another kind of training activity.
Detecting the Signals of Territoriality in Aggressive Puppies
The typical signals of aggression in a puppy are over-possessiveness of food and toys. If you try to get a toy from a puppy and it growls at you or even snips, this is a sign of aggression. Because dogs are pack animals, aggression is, in part, an attempt to gain the upper hand in its canine/human pack. In other words, your puppy wants to wear the pants in the family and be the boss. If you do not train your dog early on to see you as the alpha dog, then you will have further problems with aggression later on.
If you have small children in the household, it is best to avoid getting aggressive puppies in the first place, since they will often see children as challenges and may sometimes attack them when if they near them in a way that arouses the dog’s fear. If you already have an aggressive dog, then you will need to take extra care to avoid situations that place your children in danger.
Aggressive puppies are a serious matter and you should treat them accordingly. If you are at all unsure or concerned that you may not be properly raising your puppy, you should get a professional to help.