Reducing and Preventing Aggression

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

23 May 2007 08:35 PM

You can reduce and prevent aggression in dogs of all breeds and all ages.

If you have a puppy, or a dog under one year old:

• Socialize your dog to a wide variety of people: different ages, sexes, and body sizes.
• Socialize your dog to a wide variety of friendly dogs.
• Teach your dog to bite softly.
• Attend puppy kindergarten that uses reward methods for training and allows puppy play time.
• Handle your dog all over to get her used to being touched.
• Start as early as possible; the best age for socialization is between three and twelve weeks old.
• Practice food bowl exercises to reduce food aggression.
• Practice object exchanges to reduce possession aggression.
• Be careful to avoid negative experiences that can cause a puppy to develop aggressive behaviors.

If you have an adult dog:

• Maintain socialization to a wide variety of people.
• Maintain socialization to a wide variety of friendly dogs.
• Insist your dog takes treats gently.
• Watch your dog carefully at play with people.
• Watch your dog carefully at play with other dogs.
• Handle your dog all over to get her used to being touched.
• Know your dog's personality and warning signs.
• Allow your dog to have free, off leash play time with other dogs.
• Avoid encounters where one dog is on leash and the other dog is off leash.

Most importantly... Get your dog spayed or neutered; neutered males are far less likely to stir up trouble than un-neutered males.

You don't have to be a dog owner to help reduce and prevent dog aggression. Encourage family and friends to select dogs that are friendly to everyone -- not just a "one man dog". Don't support breeders who offer that sort of potentially aggressive dog. Take care approaching strange dogs; teach your children how to act appropriately around animals. Let a dog come to you and sniff, rather than approaching an unfamiliar dog.

Learn more about Aimee Amodio

Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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