Correcting a dog's aggressive behavior. Dog behavior correction
The aggressive behavior of a pack and its members depends on many conditions, but primarily on the leader of the pack. The leader decides when to launch an attack on an outsider, controls hierarchical aggression - stops fights and punishes bullies. He sets an example of behavior and controls the behavior of the pack members. Therefore, becoming and being the leader of the pack, or at least dominant in relation to the dog, is a sure way, if not to exclude, then to significantly reduce the likelihood of the dog’s aggressive behavior.
Correction of hierarchical behavior
For any form of unwanted aggressive behavior, regardless of the dog's age or breed, you must train him in some kind of obedience course. And to avoid any misunderstandings, this must be done under the guidance of a training instructor. If you have already trained your dog at a young age, you will need to do it all over again. Training is the best way to correct hierarchical relationships and increase controllability of a dog’s behavior. Along with training, it is necessary to make serious changes in your family's lifestyle.
How to make a dog stop being a leader in the family and dominant in relation to its members? This can be done in different ways. As is known, in natural conditions, hierarchical relationships are established and rebuilt thanks to hierarchical aggression - as a result of fights. But since we, people, rational beings, will leave the natural method as a last resort, especially since it may be unsafe primarily for us. Let's turn to intelligence. A dog’s social rank can be reduced by depriving it of its rights as a leader and dominant. Let me remind you that in a family, a dog’s leadership is manifested in the fact that it:
– regulates the behavior of family members, i.e. commands them;
– leads you on walks, that is, drags you on a leash;
– occupies the most comfortable resting place;
– eats first (everyone else is first come, first served) and only from a separate bowl;
– requires constant attention;
– always wins;
– may have property that no one is allowed to use, but at the same time uses the property of others.
In most cases, intrafamily aggressive behavior is a manifestation of either hierarchical or instrumental aggression. As already mentioned, aggressive behavior is repeated if it leads to positive consequences for the dog. Prove to her that this is not so. Simultaneously with the training process, convince the dog that the benefits of life that he previously received for nothing or achieved through aggressive behavior can only be available if he obeys.
Every time you want to give your dog something or do something nice for him, or whenever the dog wants something (eat, walk, play, cuddle or just wants attention), give him some command, for example, “Sit! " Give it as an order, remembering that you are the leader. When the dog follows the command, praise it and only after a pause give it what it wants, then it will look like positive reinforcement for obedience. If your dog refuses to sit, move away from him and stop paying attention to him. Disobedience should not lead to a positive outcome for the dog.
Make your dog sit or lie down before you put a bowl of food in front of him, he should do the same in front of the door before you go for a walk together, in front of you before you play with him or give him a toy. Feed your dog only when he obeys. I'm not urging you to stop feeding her, but I'm only offering levers to control your dog. Pour out the daily dose of food, place it where the dog cannot get it, and feed it food only after following your commands. If she follows the command - a handful of food, if not - wait until she gets hungry. All family members towards whom the dog shows aggression should behave this way.
Remember: tyrants are made by slaves, not slaves by tyrants! Stop paying attention to the dog, stop just petting it or playing with it. Do this only when you feel it is necessary. Your actions will be unpredictable for the dog. If she pesters you with play, first sit her down or put her down and only then give her attention. But when playing with a dog or petting it, do not lie down or kneel - this is also a sign of subdominance (submission). Try to always be above the dog in the literal and figurative sense of the word.
Don't give your dog a chance to become a winner! Stop all power games with her. Find new forms of play: hide and invite the dog to find you (or family members), look for objects and toys, play Frisbee (flying saucer game), etc. Remember: you start and end the game, not the dog. Stop playing before your dog gets tired of it.
While the puppy is small, do not let him become the owner of toys. Let each family member take the toy from him at any time, and after 10–15 seconds invite him to play with it again. If the puppy growls, shake him by the collar and scold him. Hide all toys from an adult dog and take out one at a time only when you consider it necessary.
Determine the dog's place in your apartment and place his bedding there - he should not sleep in his “own” chair, on the sofa, bed or in the bedroom. Your bedroom is your den, the leader's den. The leader dog sleeping in your den begins to consider itself your equal. Buy a cage and put your four-legged leader there - this is one of the best ways to re-educate him. The dog should sleep in it, eat in it and stay there if you want him to calm down or remind him that he is a dog.
Let's say that at lunchtime your whole family is gathered around the dinner table - a large communal bowl that everyone, including the dog, has access to. But the dog has his own bowl, from which no one eats except him. Naturally, the dog will imagine who knows what about himself! This stereotype needs to be broken. Here are simple rules that can help you: do not allow the dog in the kitchen, never feed or feed it from the table, do not allow the dog to be in the kitchen, people eat first, then the dog, when eating people the dog must be in its place or in a cage.
Always act like the leader of the pack. Determine your own walking times and make them a little unpredictable. While the behavior correction process is underway, walk your dog only on a leash. Go through the doors first and let your dog go down the stairs behind you. You lead the pack! Make the dog go where you want to go.
Do not neglect all these tips, even if they seem trivial to you. Such changes in the dog's life will gradually lead to a change in its worldview, and this is exactly what we need. If your dog is willing to defend his interests through aggression, he will fight with ferocity and will not give up after one battle. Therefore, until there are serious changes in the dog's behavior, avoid situations that could lead to open conflict. If she growls at you when you shoo her off your bed, simply keep the bedroom door closed.
Dogs bite members of their pack not only as a result of aggression. Biting as a form of communication can be the result of a form of behavior that you have brought up. It is very natural for puppies to bite, especially during teething when their gums itch. And many owners and household members do not find anything wrong with the puppy grabbing arms or legs with its weak jaws; moreover, they themselves offer the puppy such games. But, repeated, this behavior becomes habitual (as during training!), and the puppy develops the concept: if you want to communicate or play, go and bite. In this situation, prove to the dog that you can only communicate with household members through toys. Just play with the dog. If she tries to bite you, immediately redirect her behavior towards the toy. The only way.
If you are consistent in your actions and demanding of the dog, after a while (very different for different dogs) you will become a leader. But this does not mean that you will remain one forever. In the natural habitat of a dog tribe, the leader can grow old, get sick, or suffer as a result of fighting enemies. And your dog knows this. Therefore, from time to time she will check the strength of your positions. So be on the lookout!
Ways to solve some problems
Does your dog resist, growl, or bite you or family members when trying to force you to do something or prevent you from doing something?
Possible reasons for this dog behavior:
– she has a high hierarchical status;
– she has developed instrumental aggression;
– she experienced unpleasant or painful sensations when you interacted with her (defensive aggression is possible);
– you prevented her from doing something (redirected aggression may appear).
Behavior correction methods
The simplest way (by the way, many people use it) is to eliminate motivation (see method 11), that is, you simply avoid conflict situations and coexist peacefully with the dog.
If the dog, when manipulating it, is limited to only resistance or growling, be firmer and simply force it to obey, but if it is already accustomed to attacking in such situations, take another training course and correct the hierarchical relationship (see section “Correction of hierarchical behavior”).
To avoid biting, before any manipulation or in situations leading to conflict, put a muzzle on the dog (see method 2), but first teach it to be calm about it.
Training a dog to wear a muzzle
Pay special attention to the choice of muzzle. It is better to purchase a muzzle made of fairly thick leather that retains its shape well and at the same time is elastic. Metal muzzles look good, but are dangerous if the dog hits his head on something. If the likelihood of bites is high, purchase a blind muzzle (not made from strips, but from flaps of skin).
The muzzle should become a harbinger of some important and pleasant events for the dog, then it will treat it calmly.
The dog always enjoys a walk, affection, food, and playing with other dogs. We need to make sure that she gets what she really likes only with a muzzle on. If using a walk as a positive reinforcement, only go outside with him. To begin, after putting on the muzzle, quickly go down into the yard and immediately remove it from the dog. Gradually increase the time you wear the muzzle and put it on and take it off several times during your walk. If the dog is actively trying to remove the muzzle, and the threatening intonation and distracting jerking of the leash or the commands “Near!”, “Sit!” or “Lie down!” If they don't help, remove the muzzle and scold it, but then put it back on and praise the dog as joyfully as possible. You can remove the muzzle and immediately return home or to the entrance. After standing there for 2-3 minutes, command “Walk!”, put a muzzle on the dog and go out into the yard. After tiring training sessions, release her for a break only with a muzzle. The same goes for playing with other dogs.
If your dog has already mastered any skill to the point of automatism, for example, moving on the command “Near!”, you can put on a muzzle while performing this technique, stopping attempts to remove it with an executive command. And as she masters any general disciplinary skills, accustom her to a muzzle.
If your dog loves attention and affection, wait until he really wants it, put a muzzle on him and cuddle him to his heart's content. But after removing it, immediately stop paying attention to the dog. Gradually increase the pause between putting on the muzzle and the start of your petting. Over time, reduce the intensity of caresses and increase the duration of squeezing.
Perhaps the most difficult thing when training a dog to wear a muzzle is the process of putting it on. If the dog is not very aggressive, just act bolder and firmer, but if there is a danger of being bitten, do this. Don't feed your dog for a day and then turn the muzzle into a bowl. Place a piece in it and feed your dog breakfast or dinner. I think two or three such feedings will be enough. Once again, just pretend to put the piece in the muzzle, but don’t put it in. After the dog puts his muzzle in the muzzle and finds nothing there, give him a piece from your hand. Then for a second (no more!) put a muzzle on the dog and immediately give him a piece. Gradually increase the time your dog is muzzled. You can feed her through a muzzle, gradually increasing the pauses between feedings. When you see that the dog is calm in the muzzle for 2-3 minutes, remove it and place a bowl with a handful of food in front of him. Repeat this 2-3 times. At this stage, your task is to formulate in the dog the concept: before eating, you need to sit in a muzzle. At the same time, stop feeding the muzzled dog, but increase the time before giving him a bowl.
To more effectively train your dog to use a muzzle, you can use all the exercises described above at the same time.
When you accustom your dog to a muzzle, try to keep it in it as often and for a long time as possible. If you put it on only before manipulations that are unpleasant for her, you risk forming a connection: “Put on the muzzle, now they’ll get into your ears, start pinching, etc. It’s all the muzzle’s fault!” Don't let your dog detect this pattern.
If the above methods of muzzle training do not help, you can only use more severe methods using a noose or a shock collar. But for this, contact a training instructor.
The dog reacts aggressively when, during a walk, they try to pull it away from food, prevent it from chasing a cat or fighting with someone else’s dog
In order to retrain the dog, purchase a handle for a shovel and cut a piece of about 1.5 m from it. Drill a hole closer to one of its ends and use a reliable silk cord or metal wire to secure a carabiner. You will end up with a solid leash, which may not be very convenient for walking, but it is convenient to control the dog, remaining safe and sound. If you replace the regular collar with a choke, you can demand more from the dog, for example, to sit on command when a dog or cat appears.
With such a firm leash, you can easily keep an aggressive dog at a distance. Even if she bites the stalk, her teeth will not be in danger.
The dog resists being examined, combed, cut, treated eyes, ears, paws and wounds
Many dogs do not like to have their eyes, ears, or paw pads examined, brushed, matted, or clipped. Some simply break free, run away and hide, others growl, and there are also those that bite. Dogs often demonstrate the same behavior towards the veterinarian.
In general, it’s not difficult to guess why they do this. Veterinary or hygiene procedures often result in pain or discomfort.
First you need to teach your dog to be patient with you just touching (no more than that) his body parts. If you prove to her that this is important primarily for her (!), half the battle will be done.
Choose a time when your dog is in a good mood (many dogs feel this way after they've had lunch and taken a nap). Sit down next to your dog and start petting him. Say kind words to her. Smooth the entire surface of the body. Try turning the dog a little and petting him again. Touch also those places that the dog would otherwise protect.
While stroking your dog, return more and more often to places that are especially important to him and massage them for longer. But take your time! Prove to the dog that this procedure is a condition for receiving pleasure.
If you really want to improve your situation, take the time to do these exercises. Dogs love to be petted, but they especially enjoy attention from the leader of the pack. This will be a positive reinforcement for the contact of your palm with those places that you (or the doctor) will need to examine if necessary.
Some dogs, after only a week of such “treatment,” themselves begin to approach the owner and extend their previously protected paw: “Come on, squeeze!”
If you iron your dog with your palms every day, after a week try picking up a brush. It should be soft. And again - take your time! When stroking the dog, from time to time run the brush in different places and stroke the dog again, not forgetting to talk to it affectionately during the procedure. The purpose of this event is to prove to the dog that the appearance of a brush in your hands is a signal for the beginning of unearthly bliss. Taking advantage of the dog’s gullibility, use the brush longer and longer with each session. The dog is taught to use a comb in the same way.
If during petting the dog tries to get up, do not let him do it. Start intensively stroking its neck with some pressure, not allowing it to raise its head (the dog stands up with its head first). Repeat, but in a firm voice, “Lie down!”, and with your other hand scratch the belly or stroke those places whose massage gives the dog the most pleasure. Squeeze the dog for another minute and release it with some command. From session to session, gradually increase the time of petting, proving to the dog that you control its behavior.
Some dogs really don't like trimming tables. Or rather, not so much the tables as the manipulations associated with them. When the dog sees the table, he thinks: “Now they’ll grab it, put it down and painfully comb, cut and pinch!” Therefore, the first task of the owner of a “table-fearing” dog is to break this stereotype. To do this, put the dog on the table as often as possible and praise, pet,
massage, cuddle, nurture and feed her. Make the table the most pleasant place for her. If you achieve this, teach the dog standing on the table to be calm about the brush and comb, and only after that pick up the scissors or clipper. And take your time here. For a few sessions, simply click the scissors or keep the running clipper close to the dog. But be persistent, consistently and stubbornly increase the sessions and comb and trim the dog more and more thoroughly.
If your dog growls or clicks his teeth, don't give up - shout at him, then brush him a little more and let him go. But after about twenty minutes, repeat the procedure.
Naturally, the main task for dogs is to stay alive and healthy. If these conditions are met, everything else will follow. Therefore, when something unusual happens, you need to find out what it is. The method of correcting behavior using indicative inhibition is based on this reaction (see method 7). In this case, as soon as the dog displays aggressive behavior, you or your assistant (it may be a family member) must play some unusual sound: a rumble, the sound of a car siren, a strong squeal, the sound of a shot (for example, from a child’s pistol), etc. If you are consistent and creative, your dog will eventually understand that his aggressive behavior is a signal for something unusual to happen, something that very few dogs like.
The use of negative reinforcement (see method 4) is that the dog’s aggressive behavior leads to unpleasant consequences for it - negative emotions associated with an uncomfortable state, unpleasant or painful sensations.
If we talk about discomfort and negative emotions, then in many cases plain water helps. Keep a baby water gun, a household water sprayer, an enema bottle, a large plastic syringe, or just a glass of water on hand. For any manifestation of aggression, splash water in the dog's face, trying to get it into the nose or eyes. If plain water doesn't help, you can add a teaspoon of lemon juice to a glass of water (but nothing else!). In advanced cases, it is recommended to use some kind of deodorant, but then spray it into your nose and mouth.
As for pain, it is not difficult to defeat young and medium-sized dogs - they just need to be lifted off the ground by the collar using a strict collar or a noose. Wait until the attack of aggression passes, put the dog down, praise and again reproduce the situation that previously led to the aggressive reaction. And so on until the aggression disappears. If the dog has already defeated you and you are afraid of it, if it is physically stronger than you, seek help from a trainer. Giving absentee advice in such a situation is simply dangerous.
In some cases, training incompatible behavior (see Method 8) may be helpful, for example when a dog becomes aggressive when trying to get him off the couch. This implies that it is impossible to bite you and perform any activity at the same time. Give your dog a specific place in the apartment. Switch to feeding 5-6 times a day without increasing the volume of food and feed the dog only after it comes and sits (or lies down) in its place. But for this it is necessary to teach her to come to her place and stay there.
Teaching your dog the skill of returning to its place
Considering that your dog can behave aggressively towards you, this skill should be practiced in an unusual way.
When you determine the dog's place, make sure that there is an opportunity to tie a leash, or better yet, put the leash loop on something. For example, on a hook. Make a “homemade” leash about 1 m long (it can be rope) and proceed to follow
to the dog: feed the dog only after the command “Place!” and only on the spot; when the dog starts eagerly running to the spot on command, secure it with a leash and work on endurance - bring the bowl later and later; Between feedings you can do the same, rewarding the dog on the spot with something tasty.
You can do otherwise using the guidelines below.
1. The dog is kept on a leash by one of the family members 3-5 steps from the place. In front of the dog's eyes, you place several pieces of tasty food in place. Then, at the command “Place!” the dog is allowed to approach or brought to a place and given the opportunity to eat a treat. While she is interested in food, they fix her with a leash and begin to work with restraint. After giving the fixing command “Place!” (the intonation is imperative!) they leave the dog for literally 2 seconds, immediately return and reward it with a treat. After making 2-3 such approaches to the dog, it is released. After half an hour, the exercise can be repeated.
2. Gradually increase the distance to the place and the time the dog remains in place. They teach her to return to her place from different parts of the apartment.
3. At this stage, the treat is placed in place unnoticed by the dog, but it must be there before he approaches.
4. After 5–7 lessons, the treat is no longer put in place, but is always kept at hand, for example in your pocket. The dog is fed by hand after it has approached the place. If she does not want to sit down or lie down, fix her with a leash and feed her. At the same time, the holding time in place is increased. If the dog takes a pose, it is praised after that.
5. The dog on a leash is allowed (on command) to climb onto the sofa and is immediately given the command “Place!” They bring him to the place, feed him, and work on his endurance. The exercises are repeated.
Use the leash carefully so as not to provoke an aggressive reaction from the dog, but be persistent.
When the dog learns to come to the place, you will no longer need to directly influence him, and thus you can avoid direct confrontation. Send her to her place when she is lying across the aisle, in the bedroom, hanging out in the kitchen, etc.
If your aggressive dog is a male, then castration will help reduce aggression (see method 13). It is believed that sterilization of bitches in similar cases is useless. In predicted situations, the use of analgesics or tranquilizers is indicated. But the use of any medications that reduce the excitability, aggressiveness or pain sensitivity of dogs should only be carried out on the recommendation and under the supervision of a veterinarian.
The dog is aggressive towards young family members
Possible reasons for such aggression are listed below.
The dog has a higher hierarchical status than the younger members of the family
As a rule, children have a low social rank in the family and are often lower than dogs in the hierarchical structure of the pack family. This is expressed in the fact that dogs behave aggressively when children approach them during sleep, try to pet them or force them to play. The “jealousy” of a dog, which manifests itself when a child tries to interfere with an adult’s play or when a child plays with the leader of the pack, can be both the result of hierarchical aggression and a competitive struggle for the attention (and this is a rather limited resource) of the dominant member of the pack.
From the dog's point of view, a small child is a puppy and must behave according to its social role - the role of a child - a typical subdominant. He must fawn, obey and show every respect to his elders. However, children behave exactly the opposite. And very often the child is perceived by the dog as an impudent young animal that needs to be put in its place.
A teenager, in the eyes of a dog, can represent a real danger in the struggle for a high hierarchical status or already undeservedly possesses it. Why undeserved? Yes, because physically he is weaker than a dog and does not know the laws of the pack at all.
The dog has developed instrumental aggression
The development of instrumental aggression is possible as a result of unconscious reinforcement from adult family members. For example, when a child appears, a dog begins to growl. In this regard, they try to calm her down with affection, stroking or feeding her. Over time, the child becomes a harbinger of positive consequences for the dog, but subject to aggressive behavior on its part. Another situation is also possible. The dog is lying on the carpet, and a child is crawling towards it. The dog growled, just in case. The parents remove the child, as a result of which the dog’s opinion becomes stronger: if you want not to be disturbed, growl!
Often instrumental aggression is developed during power games with a child.
Contacts with young family members lead (or have led) to unpleasant or painful sensations (defensive aggression is possible)
Children often, consciously or unconsciously, cause pain or unpleasant sensations to the dog: they pull the tail, pull the fur, paws, poke their fingers in the eyes, set off pyrotechnic explosions or strike. Teenagers may overly “punish” a dog during the process of raising or training it.
Typically, a dog that has had a bad experience with a child tries to avoid close and prolonged contact. When a child approaches or attempts to communicate, the dog gets up and walks away, trying to find a safe place. She can become aggressive if she is not left alone or if her escape route is cut off.
Painful (aversive) effects on the dog cause an instinctive defensive reaction. Almost like ours: if we cannot get rid of pain by withdrawing our hand, then we push away the source of pain.
Lack of social experience (limited or incomplete socialization)
This refers to the experience of communicating with children. In this case, the child is perceived as an unusual phenomenon, and everything unusual easily causes both indicative and defensive behavior.
In fact, on the one hand, the annoying, noisy, loud and extremely active behavior of children can be considered by the dog as dangerous or, at best, as obscene, and on the other hand, the dog simply may not know how to behave with such an unpredictable creature .
A consciously or unconsciously formed norm of behavior with social partners
If, while raising a puppy, he was allowed to grab a person by the edges of clothing, arms or legs during games, over time this becomes the usual norm for his interaction with social partners and is easily reproduced during games or to attract attention. However, quite often the dog is physically influenced (with punishment) to resolve the conflict. But if we repeatedly spank the dog when he does something wrong or disobeys, we will teach him this form of conflict resolution. And then there will be nothing surprising in the fact that she herself will use this method.
Redirected aggression
When we don't succeed in something that we have passionately and for a long time strived for, we, of course, do not experience positive emotions. But we need compensation. And very often we alleviate our condition by redirecting our aggression (irritability, tediousness, pettiness, pickiness, etc.) towards family members. Our dog does the same thing. She is well aware that growling at you and growling at your child are two very different things. In the first case, you risk getting hit in the ear, but in the second, success is guaranteed.
Possible competitive aggression for the possession of limited resources
Necessary and important things are always missing. Therefore, they must be protected or fought for. Bones, toys, a place next to the owner, his affection and attention, a place in a chair or on the sofa - all this is limited in quantity and area.
Often dogs “respect” the right of primacy and possessiveness. You hold a toy in your hand - it is yours. Throw it on the floor - draw. You sit in a chair - your chair. Left - general. If a toy was taken away, it’s robbery, which means it needs to be protected. You are driven out of your chair - but what about the right of primacy?! Here comes the conflict!
If we talk about attention, then events often develop according to this scenario. You are having fun playing with your dog or cuddling it. At this moment, an awakened child appears from the next room and demands his share of attention. You leave the dog, maybe even push him away, and start taking care of the child. Surely the dog forms the following cause-and-effect relationship: the birth of a child means the deprivation of positive emotions. And the need for positive feelings belongs to the group of vital needs; their dissatisfaction can lead to death. Therefore, the child as the cause of misfortune must be neutralized. For example, scare him so that he doesn’t appear here again.
Behavior correction
Be sure to take the training course again and correct hierarchical relationships (see section “Correction of hierarchical behavior”). Increasing the dog's controllability and its unconditional obedience is a guarantee to avoid conflicts.
But correcting the hierarchical relationship between adults and the dog is one thing, and raising the hierarchical status of the child is another. If you have a fairly old child (8 years and older), prove to the dog that he also has the right to control its behavior. To do this, become a trainer-instructor for a while.
Take the dog on a leash and the child by the hand and find a quiet place to practice. At the first stage, keep the dog on a leash yourself. She should be to the child's left, and you should be to the dog's left and slightly behind. Have your child give familiar commands to the dog in a clear, loud, and confident voice. If she does not comply, you silently but firmly force her to follow the child's commands. It is advisable not only not to say any words, but also not to look into the dog’s eyes - you simply are not there. But the child must not only command, but also encourage the dog. You force it, and the child praises, strokes the dog, speaks kind words to it and gives it a treat. Practice all obedience commands in this way.
When the dog begins to obey the child in such conditions, move on to the next stage. Give the short leash to the child, and fasten a long, light leash for yourself - it could be a rope. Give your child more independence, and stay 3-5 meters away. If the dog does not obey, you must pull the leash, and if he still does not obey, quickly and silently approach him and force him to comply with the command.
At the third stage, you no longer need a leash, just stay nearby and, if necessary, correct the dog’s behavior.
The same must be done in the apartment.
If the child is small, then you, as the leader of the pack, have the right, firstly, to prove to the dog that when interacting with other family members, aggressive behavior is in no way acceptable, i.e. you need to correct the existing form of behavior. Secondly, you must make her understand that a child is a “taboo”; in this case, you can use negative reinforcement. Depending on the severity of the situation, the characteristics of the dog and your relationship with it, negative reinforcement can be a threatening shout, a jerk with a leash, an ultrasonic shock or painful impact (see method 4).
Model situations: play roughly with the dog, do with it what a child can do (grab its ear, paw, tail, skin, etc.). But don't terrorize her too much, especially at the beginning of classes. If there are any signs of an aggressive reaction, use negative reinforcement and continue “playing” again. If your dog behaves correctly, be sure to praise him.
In relation to a child, any form of aggressive behavior should be “punishable”. Don't ignore this! At the very least, yell at the dog. During the period of behavior correction, it is advisable for her to be in the apartment on a short leash and in a chokehold. This way you can quickly and easily prove to your dog that he is wrong. If we talk about indicative braking (see method 4), then when using it, be careful - you can scare the child.
A more gentle mode of behavior correction is to use methods 8 and 10 (development of incompatible behavior and reinforcement of the absence of unwanted behavior). At the same time, you not only persistently prove to the dog that you can communicate and play with a person only through toys and take only toys into your mouth, but you also immediately stop all interaction at the first signs of aggressive behavior.
If your dog has already shown aggression towards a child, never leave them alone or allow them to be with the child without a muzzle. Put on the muzzle in advance, before the child appears in the room, so that the dog does not form a cause-and-effect relationship: child - putting on the muzzle.
Buy a cage and place it there while you are away from the room or apartment. This will not only protect your child, but also save the dog from his annoying pestering.
Crate training a dog
The vast majority of foreign trainers believe that with proper training, a dog can be happy having its own living space.
The crate should be appropriate for your dog's physical strength and size, that is, it should be strong, wide enough for the dog to turn around, and long enough for him to lie down in it and stretch out.
It is best to place the cage in the most frequently visited room or in the kitchen, but not next to the central heating radiator and not in a draft, not in your bedroom or in the children's room.
Place bedding in the crate and a few items that the dog could chew on (tendon bones, toys, etc.). If you are going to leave her in the cage for several hours, make sure there is a water bowl.
There are several ways to crate train your dog. For example, start feeding her only in the cage and place the food bowl in the far corner. Next, do as stated in the section “Teaching the dog the skill of returning to its place.
You can attract the dog’s attention with a toy that is valuable to it, and then give the command in a joyful tone, “Home!” (you can come up with any command). Use a toy to attract your dog into the crate, such as throwing him in the far corner of the crate or holding him with your hand in the crate. When the dog goes in there, praise him and give him the toy. The same can be done using a bone or dog biscuit. Remember, the cage should evoke only positive emotions. When you get the dog to confidently enter the crate for a toy or food, do not close the door. After 2-3 days of such activities, invite her to enter it without throwing anything in there or showing anything in her hand - food or a toy should appear only when the dog enters the cage. A couple of days later, after the dog enters the crate, put it there as a command and feed it or give it a toy. Sit next to the cage without closing the door. Over the course of a week of these exercises, gradually increase the time your dog spends in the crate. In the next step, try closing the door for 1-2 minutes. If the dog is quiet, open the door, but if it barks and whines, ignore it. You can praise her if she is quiet. It is important that the dog does not think that barking is causing the door to open.
It is also important to let your dog know that you love him when he is in the crate, so when he comes out of the crate, ignore him for a few minutes. Continue training in the same spirit, increasing the time the dog spends in the crate. Avoid negative (painful or unpleasant) effects. Be patient, it can take 1 to 2 months to crate train an adult dog.
When training your dog to crate, follow these rules:
– do not use sending to the cage as punishment;
– do not abuse keeping your dog in a cage;
– do not leave your dog in a cage with a collar and leash;
– do not force the puppy into the crate;
– do not use the crate as an alternative to education and training.
Strictly forbid your child from pestering the dog when it is in the crate - this will attract the dog even more to it.
Teaching your dog patience
In this case, you should take the advice of B. Kilcommons and S. Wilson to influence the dog in a comprehensive manner, i.e., practice habituation skills, increase the threshold of pain sensitivity, adjust the form of behavior and at the same time begin to rework defensive and instrumental aggressive reactions. The same exercises are necessary if the dog has not met or had little contact with children (incomplete socialization).
As we already mentioned, from the dog's point of view, children behave incorrectly. First of all, they make loud and unusual sounds, which, according to the dog, may be associated with trouble. Break this stereotype.
When alone with your dog (so as not to injure others), try to behave like a child. Scream, squeal, moo, yell, roar, laugh and at the same time feed and praise the dog. Make sure she doesn't get excited. You can record the children's noise on a tape recorder and feed the dog with sound accompaniment. Sooner or later she will get used to it.
Try crawling on the floor and at the same time making the same sudden movements that a child makes - waving your arms and legs, toys, shovels and other children's tools. At the same time, praise, caress and feed the dog, do not hurt it.
Teach your dog to be patient with children's grasping and hugging. When petting your dog, pull his skin, paw, ear or tail and praise him. At first do this slowly and lightly, but gradually - more and more strongly.
Hug the dog for literally 2-3 seconds, then release and praise joyfully, then hug again and praise again. With each session, increase the duration of the hug and hold the dog closer to you. Don't forget to praise her. When the dog is calm about this, do the same with it, but in the presence of the child, and then try to involve him in this, but be careful and careful.
And further. Make the birth of a child a joyful event for your dog. This can be done like this: if there is no child in the room, you should growl at the dog and terrorize it in every possible way, and as soon as he enters the room, you should feed it and play with it. But all this should end as soon as the child leaves the room.
Using the exercises described above, you can eliminate many types of competitive aggression (struggle for limited resources). However, first teach your dog to distinguish his toys from children's toys. And strictly prohibit her from using children's toys. No matter how peaceful or controlled your dog is, let him eat breakfast and dinner separately from the child. And when she enjoys the bone, there should be no child in the room.
The effect on the dog is only half the battle. If your family members, including children, behave provocatively, sooner or later your dog's patience will run out. It is necessary to raise both children and dogs in a family. Teach your child to behave calmly in the presence of a dog. Convince him that she, like him, can also be hurt. Adult family members should stop “punishing” the dog in the presence of a child, otherwise it is possible that he will not reproduce your actions as a result of imitation. In the presence of a dog, be gentle with your child: do not yell at him or spank him. The dog registers all the nuances of your attitude towards him, so do not let him understand that your child is a “whipping boy”.
The dog is aggressive towards elderly family members
Possible reasons for aggression in this case: the dog has a high hierarchical status; the dog has developed instrumental aggression; redirected aggression; a conflict norm of behavior has been formed.
Very often, older family members are at the bottom of the hierarchy and are physically much weaker than the dog to resist. But there is a more significant reason - they treat the puppy, and then the adult dog, as if they were a grandson or granddaughter. Hence, forgiveness and lack of demands, which lead to the unconscious formation of a high hierarchical status of the dog.
Thus, your tasks when correcting this behavior will be the following:
– changing the attitude of elderly family members towards the dog;
– increasing their hierarchical status in the family and in relation to the dog;
– you must prove to the dog that an elderly person can control its behavior;
– if necessary, you must correct the conflicting behavior.
Conduct dog training sessions with older family members in the same way as recommended for children. If your dog is aggressive towards older family members only when you are not around, isolate him in a crate or muzzle during this time.
Adjust the conflict norm of behavior as described in the previous sections, but you can use the negative reinforcement method only if you have made the dog a subdominant.
The dog is overly aggressive towards strangers
Aggression of dogs towards humans, as is known, is a positive quality of service dogs, however, it must be “tied” to a certain place and time and strictly controlled by the leader or owner of a dog; a poorly trained, untrained or specially trained dog, but in the hands of irresponsible persons, can pose a danger to others. Table 4 shows data indicating the aggressiveness of some dog breeds towards strangers.
Table 4
During the survey, some owners of dogs of different breeds noted that their pets were aggressive towards children. The total number of respondents is indicated below in brackets:
– American Cocker Spaniel (13) – 23.1%;
– English Cocker Spaniel (14) – 42.9%;
– boxer (37) – 8.1%;
– mongrel dogs and mixed breeds (40) – 55.0%;
– East European Shepherd (44) – 61.4%;
– Doberman (38) – 47.4%;
– Great Dane (14) – 50.0%;
– Caucasian Shepherd (24) – 83.3%;
– collie (16) – 75.0%;
– miniature schnauzer (14) – 42.9%;
– Moscow watchdog (37) – 86.5%;
– German Shepherd (81) – 45.7%;
– poodles (18) – 44.4%;
– Giant Schnauzer (31) – 54.8%;
– Rottweiler (66) – 59.1%;
– Central Asian Shepherd (42) – 57.1%;
– miniature schnauzer (11) – 54.5%;
– black terrier (23) – 52.2%;
– Airedale Terrier (21) – 61.9%.
Despite the fact that aggression that is not associated with the performance of any service or manifests itself without a special command is called spontaneous or unprovoked, there are reasons for it. The first and, perhaps, the main one is the hidden or obvious aggressiveness of the dog owner, as already mentioned above. The owner of an aggressively behaving dog can also be accused of poorly raising and training it. The biological reasons on which dog hatred is based include territorial and defensive behavior (defense of oneself and defense of the group), often associated with its provocation on the part of the victim. Aggressive behavior in dogs is facilitated by conscious or unconscious encouragement on the part of the owner and insufficient socialization of the dog. In addition, a dog of high hierarchical rank is often aggressive.
As we have already said, subdominant pack members must obey the leader. So if your dog, even though he has a social role as protector of the pack, decides who and when to attack, your rights as a leader are called into question. So optimize your hierarchical relationships and train your dog again. By increasing your dog's controllability, you can easily stop the brewing conflict.
If you want to make a protector out of a dog, and such a dog is always socially dangerous, use method 2 (eliminating the possibility of undesirable behavior). Walk her only on a leash and with a muzzle. Before guests arrive, lock her in another room, cage or enclosure, depending on the situation.
If you are tired of walking with a dog that is always charging at everyone, socialize it. Despite the fact that the critical period of socialization, which ensures a calm attitude towards strangers, occurs at the age of 9-14 weeks, you can try this with an older dog. Ask friends and strangers to feed your pet, speak kind words to it, pet it and feed it. To do this, you will have to carry the treat yourself and hand it out when necessary. If you do not exclude the possibility that the dog may bite, put a muzzle on it, and if it behaves aggressively towards children, this is simply necessary.
If you raised your dog in isolated conditions, for example, on a personal plot, and then moved to the city, walk with it as much as possible in crowded places, for example in a park, first at a distance, and then closer and closer to people. At the same time, follow safety precautions - the dog must always be on a leash and muzzle.
To correct aggressive behavior, many trainers recommend using indicative inhibition (see method 7). To do this, you will have to use a certain signal - a sound that can at least cause surprise in your dog. But indicative inhibition is effective only at the very beginning of the development of the conflict. Don't miss this moment, otherwise your influence will increase the dog's aggressive reaction.
Development of incompatible behavior (see method 8) is also a fairly effective method and can be implemented in two versions. In the first case, you teach the dog to carry some kind of fetch item (toy, stick, etc.) on the street. By the way, this will help correct many other types of unwanted behavior.
The second option is that you must create in the dog an understanding that the appearance of a stranger is an analogue of a calling command. To begin with, you walk your dog on a medium-length leash, and then take a long one. As soon as a stranger appears, give the command “Come to me!” and get an immediate reaction from the dog. Once the dog approaches you, reward it. The reward must be meaningful in order to create real pleasure in her. When the dog on a leash confidently approaches on command, try doing the same, but without a leash. Just in case, put a muzzle on your dog.
Method 9 (associating behavior with a specific signal) sometimes helps to cope with unwanted aggression. To do this, you must go with the dog to the training ground and train it according to some kind of protective course, developing the skill of executing commands that cause aggression and stop it. In this case, you should focus on the first command and praise the dog for obedience. Over time, she will understand (in the truest sense of the word) what leads her to a positive result, and will behave much calmer. She will wait for your command. Do not deceive her hopes and visit the training area from time to time. By the way, almost simultaneously with the stimulus control of behavior, you will also form a dependence of behavior on the situation: she will show aggression only when protecting you. If you focus attention on this at the training site - contrasting the dog’s attitude towards the passive and attacking defendants - the task will be easier.
The use of method 11 (elimination of motivation) is that in an impending conflict situation or in anticipation of it, you create in the dog a need that is the opposite of a defensive one, for example, food or play. In the first case, you attract the dog with a treat and feed it until the situation is resolved - a passerby passes by. In the second case, you invite the dog to play his favorite game or favorite toy. However, it should be remembered that “distraction therapy” is ineffective if an aggressive reaction is already taking place.
If you cannot cope with your dog's aggressive behavior, have him neutered. True, this helps if she is young, that is, if her aggressive behavior has not become instrumental.
Many trainers recommend using negative reinforcement to correct aggressive behavior in dogs (see method 4). To do this, when the dog shows aggression, they give a very strong jerk with the leash when the dog is wearing a strict collar or noose. Lessons using a shock collar can be very effective, but this is only with the participation of a training instructor. Conditional negative reinforcement can also be used. If aggressive behavior occurs, “growl” at the dog. If your swear words were once associated with natural negative reinforcement - a direct impact on the dog, their use will have a greater effect.
The dog is aggressive towards other animals in the house
More or less real dog aggression is shown towards other dogs and cats if they all live together. If we talk about dogs, then in the case of keeping a bitch and a dog together, the matter is limited to the dominance of the bitch and demonstrative aggression on her part. A male dog, as a rule, quickly recognizes his subdominant position. Problems arise when keeping same-sex animals. It is believed that females are more intolerant of each other than males.
The most possible causes of dog conflicts in the family are associated with hierarchical and competitive types of aggression. Therefore, I remind you: before engaging in special behavior correction measures, increase your dog's controllability through training and optimize your hierarchical relationship with him.
In the presence of aggressive conflicts, many owners and family members take the side of the “offended” dog - they calm and caress it in the presence of the “offender”. From the point of view of many animal psychologists, this does not help, but, on the contrary, increases the number of dog fights and increases their intensity. Why? The dog that we consider to be the initiator of fights and “punish” for it is most likely a contender for dominance in relation to another dog. And if people didn’t interfere, the dogs would quickly figure out “who is who.” Then, to resolve conflicts, a specific posture, a sidelong glance or a growl would be enough. Speaking on the side of the subdominant, people, in essence, say to the dog: “We are on your side, we are a “friendly couple” and we will defend your interests together.”
So before you do anything, watch your dogs. Determine their status and act like a leader.
The dominant dog uses the “best” toys, drags all the toys to their place and guards them, is the first to go through the door, pushing away the other dog, the first to start eating, begs more impudently at the table and takes the most comfortable resting place, closer to the leader. She growls more often at other dogs and rarely or never licks their jaws, although other dogs do this to her all the time. Such a dog may be “jealous” when you pet other dogs who do not protest. It is enough for her to take a specific pose, and the subdominant retreats.
I have already mentioned the one and a half year old Labrador female that I had to take home from the kennel. She was very self-confident and quickly moved my four-year-old Asian male from second to third place in the hierarchical ladder of our small pack, and did not create scandals for this. She stood up in front of the dog in a special way, shook her head, and the dog disappeared. This dog did not allow him to come near me, cut him off from the place where his bowl stood, and did not allow him to approach his toys, although he did not lay claim to them. Such an “idyll” can last for quite a long time until the subdominant gets the idea to change his status.
By the way, it is easier to prevent an impending conflict than to separate fighting dogs alone. If you know your dogs well, you can always notice one of them taking a provocative step. Immediately “growl” at the instigator and separate the dogs away from each other. If you heard them growling from another room and don’t know who the provocateur is this time, scold them both and disperse them, and if they ignore you, then as the leader of the pack, you have the right to use force. If you suspect that the dogs might fight in your absence, separate them into different rooms before leaving.
Instead of giving the subdominant hope of increasing hierarchical status through your defense, reinforce the role of the dominant dog. Give her first attention, feed her first, give her your most valuable toys. However, don't overdo it! Exaggerating dominance can make a dog more intolerant and aggressive. A dominant is a dominant, but you are a leader and have the right to regulate behavior. You have to show your dog exactly what you don't like. Don't let her bury herself. Also, don't forget about the subdominant dog. Pet the dominant - praise the subdominant too, give a piece to the first - give it to the second too. If you completely ignore the subdominant dog, the dominant dog will think that your other dog is a doormat.
If you don't have time for long-term behavior therapy or your dogs are uncooperative, you can use a crate and set the dogs up for shifts of activity. Before lunch, one of the dogs sits in a cage, after lunch - vice versa.
When fighting, scream loudly, grab one dog and throw it into the far corner. Just as loudly command: “Place!” – or throw a blanket, blanket, coat over the dogs so as to blind them. Finally, pour water over it. If nothing helps and there is simply no time to bother with re-education, castration can help, but only in the case of aggression in male dogs. A spayed female dog may become more aggressive.
I have always had cats and dogs at the same time. In the worst case, they quarreled for a week or two, and then established a more or less close peace. For the last adult cat (although she had experience living with a German Shepherd), I took a two-year-old Asian. For three days she hissed, and now she tries to sleep on it.
If you get a small puppy and an identical kitten at the same time, there is every reason to hope that they will grow up to be wonderful friends and love each other. Most likely, this will happen as a result of a specific form of learning - imprinting, which is characteristic of the young of almost all birds and animals. Thanks to imprinting, the first living creature a puppy or kitten encounters is perceived by them as a parent or sibling.
A striking example of social imprinting in puppies is this experience. After keeping puppies with kittens under a cat from 25 days to 16 weeks of age, the puppies in the “reaction to the mirror” test, having discovered their own reflection, reacted to it much weaker and for a shorter time than ordinary puppies. This means that the image of social partners in puppies raised by a cat has already been formed and was “cat-like”. When interacting with puppies of their own breed, the “cat stepchildren” were distinguished by passive defensive behavior and a reduced play reflex.
Almost the same thing happens if you bring a small kitten or puppy into the house of adult animals - they quickly become attached to adult animals. It is more difficult for the latter to get used to the arrival of a new family member, but it is also possible. The problem will be easier to solve if the new family member is very small. Firstly, the baby smells of helplessness, and this is an almost universal smell that significantly reduces the aggression of adult animals. Secondly, young animals without experience of aggressive interaction do not uselessly adopt demonstrative postures and do not understand their meaning when other animals adopt these postures. Thirdly, in adult animals the manifestation of maternal instinct is possible: very often animals experiencing a period of false pregnancy begin to consider the emerging young animal to be their own “child”. However, just as often, the first reaction of an adult animal is cowardice or aggression. Cowardly behavior will soon pass, and aggressive behavior is more imitation than real. In a couple of months, the cat and dog will become great friends, but during the first week, be careful with your charges - they may simply accidentally injure each other. In possible conflict situations, it is not useful to scold an adult animal.
Complications and unpredictable reactions are possible from dogs of hunting breeds or dogs that have previously been set against cats. Therefore, it is better not to bring a new animal into your home if you have a bitch with puppies or a cat with kittens.
Dog protects food
On the one hand, the dog is right to protect its food. This is a very natural behavior, so it is best not to disturb the dog during its lunch. Moreover, we also don’t like it when someone interferes with our food or tries to steal a tasty morsel from under our nose. On the other hand, the dog does not allow only subdominants to eat. Let me remind you that everything is allowed to the leader. This means that the presence of food aggression is a sign of not very correct hierarchical relationships. This type of aggression is also unpleasant because in a cramped city apartment it is somehow difficult to avoid a chewing dog. And the presence of clueless family members, such as small children, who do not know the laws of the pack, makes this form of aggressive behavior simply dangerous.
Possible reasons for this behavior: the dog has a high hierarchical status or it has developed instrumental aggression. In any case, go through the training course again and correct the hierarchical relationships (see section “Correction of hierarchical behavior”).
To get rid of instrumental aggression, it is necessary to conduct a series of classes with the dog. For five days, do this. Place the dog's dinner in the pot, go to the dog's bowl and place a handful or ladle of food in it. Wait until she eats everything and add some more. Do this until you have fed everything. Over time, the dog will understand that your proximity to its bowl is an extremely useful thing, and will even rejoice at your approach. After that, change the situation. After placing the next portion of food, take a step to the side, come closer again and walk around the dog so that the next piece of food is placed on the other side. Try petting the dog and don’t be silent, say something nice to it. Once you have mastered this task, start adding food while the dog is still eating. Repeat this exercise for several days. If she growls, you can shout and give the command “Sit!” (By now you should have reminded her of the basic principles of obedience). But you can simply stop feeding and try again after about thirty minutes.
But if everything is fine, move on to the next step. Before adding food again, move the bowl slightly and only then add food. After a couple of days, after placing the food, hold your hand next to the bowl, gradually increasing the holding time. After another 2-3 days, try moving the bowl while the dog is eating, that is, move the bowl towards you and put, for example, a piece of cheese there. For another week, do the same, but more actively, move more often and more freely.
When the dog is happy and calm about your manipulations, let all other family members do the same, but under your supervision.
You can immediately start feeding your dog by holding the bowl in your hands and sitting on a chair. If she refuses to eat, don't insist. After 1-2 hours, repeat feeding. Sooner or later the dog will become hungry enough to eat under these conditions.
To illustrate the use of method 4 (negative reinforcement), we will use the advice of the German trainer F. Granderat. At the place where the dog is fed, a reliable ring must be attached to the wall and a leash from the parfors (or noose) put on the dog must be passed through it. The physically strongest person in the family takes the leash and stands 3-5 steps from the dog, while another family member brings the dog a bowl with a small portion of food. When she empties the bowl, you need to try to pick it up to refill it. If the dog shows an aggressive reaction, you should sharply yank the leash and drag it towards the wall so that it cannot bite the one who takes the bowl. Now put another portion of food in the bowl and place it in front of the dog. This is repeated several times during each feeding, until the dog stops showing an aggressive reaction to a person approaching the bowl. When this happens, try sitting him down before placing the bowl in front of your dog. This way she will be calmer.
Don't rush to use forceful methods. Sometimes they can cause the dog to become even more aggressive.
Dog shows aggression when chewing on a bone
Quite often it happens that a dog chewing a bone is too jealous of its occupation: it growls at people and can even bite. To resolve such a conflict situation, the easiest way is to use method 2 (eliminating the possibility of unwanted behavior). Just give the dog bones where and when no one will disturb him. And respect her property rights. However, in many cases this behavior can be dangerous, so it is advisable to change it. To do this, you can use method 8 (development of incompatible behavior), adding to it method 9 (connection of behavior with a specific signal).
Prepare in advance some tasty food for the dog, and one for which he could exchange his bone without regret. Give her a bone and after a minute, repeating the word “Give!”, with your right hand (on an open palm), offer the dog a piece of treat.
When the dog leaves the bone, pick it up with your left hand. Give your dog another piece of the treat and return the bone. While she is gnawing on the bone, do 5-6 such exchanges. That's all! Gradually hold the bone longer and feed the dog often, but over time, increase the pauses between giving treats. Once your dog is comfortable with your barter deals, it can be very helpful to get him to sit for a while. And if at first you immediately showed her a treat, then over time, begin to take the bone first and only then take out the tasty morsel. The same can be done using two bones, offering the dog an equal exchange from time to time.
A small or young dog is easier to handle, so Method 4 (negative reinforcement) can be used. At the same time, just as before, you approach the dog gnawing a bone and say: “Give!” - and try to pick up the bone. If she growls or resists, you yourself begin to “growl” threateningly at her, take her by the collar (preferably the collar) and lift her up. If the dog deserves it, you can shake it. After taking the bone, calm the dog down and pet it. You can give her a piece of treat, sit her down with a command, and after a short pause return the bone.
In more serious cases, you first put a noose or a strict collar on the dog and fasten two leashes - long and short. Use the long one to securely tie the dog, and take the short one in your hands. Make sure that the long leash is always taut. Stand in front of your dog and offer him a bone. After a minute, try to pick up the bone. It is still advisable to warn her about your intentions with the command “Give!” If the dog growls or resists, make sharp upward jerks with the leash, forcing him to release the bone from his mouth and obey. If she tries to lunge at you, a long leash will prevent her from doing so, but the jerk will cause the dog an unpleasant sensation, which can also be considered a negative (aversive) reinforcement.
After taking the bone, talk to the dog calmly, sit it down and after a short pause return the bone. After a couple of minutes, try to pick it up again. Do 3-4 of these approaches and leave the dog alone. When she becomes more relaxed about your demands for a bone, try offering her a treat. Over time, let other family members try to take the bone, but under your control.
The dog aggressively grabs the offered food
Put a noose or parforce on the dog and fasten two leashes. One of them can be tied to a secure mount or given to an assistant, and the second one can be picked up. Show your dog food in your open hand, but in such a way that he cannot reach it. If she rushes towards her, stop her by jerking the leashes. It is advisable to precede the physical impact with some command, for example, “Quiet!” Food should be offered only when the dog has calmed down and sat for a while. It is important to let her understand that she does not take the food herself, but that it is given to her, i.e. sit and wait.
If your dog grabs his fingers while taking a treat, be careful. Pull her back in time, punishing her for sudden and rude movements. Get her to somewhat hesitantly (slowly and carefully) approach your palm with food.
During exercises, do not withdraw your hand. The dog will instinctively try to catch it and may attack again.
The dog guards objects
The dog can be quite aggressive in guarding toys, slippers, socks and other small items that can usually be used as play items. The main reason for this type of aggression, of course, is the hierarchical superiority of the dog, because only the dominant or the leader has the right to property, or rather, to the possession of limited resources, which they must protect. Often such aggression is instrumental and is brought up through play. Almost every owner enjoys games of “guard your property” and “let’s take it away.” Here are the consequences!
Naturally, until you repeat the obedience course (see method 12.) and balance hierarchical relationships (see section “Correction of hierarchical behavior”), using any other methods will be problematic. However, often these two events are quite enough.
In many cases, the barter method, the principles of which are described above, helps solve the problem. As an exchange of goods, you can use tasty food or another toy that is more attractive to the dog.
If the dog is young, small, or not very aggressive, use method 4 (negative reinforcement). Try to take a toy from her, and if she growls, take her by the collar and shake her like a pear, or fasten a leash (you can use a noose or a strict collar) and tug properly. It is advisable to precede your actions with some command, for example “Give!” or “Spit!”
If the dog is mature, large, and can actually bite hard, take the advice of Canadian trainer Ed Frauli: “If you decide to force the outcome and win the toy war against a strong dog, some preliminary preparation is necessary. First, place the second prong collar on your dog. Secondly, tie the leash to a solid, strong object - a “post” (that will not move). When the dog takes the toy, lead him by the leash to the second leash, which is attached to the post. Attach the second leash to the second collar on the dog. Now the dog is wearing two leashes, each of which is attached to its own strict collar.
Now tell the dog to throw the toy and, moving away, pull so that the dog is between the post and you. Apply enough force to make the dog spit out the toy. Once she does this, praise her. If you can approach without fear of being bitten, approach and praise your dog soothingly. If she tries to grab the toy again when you approach, don't freak out, just move back and pull again. On the part of the owner, this process should not be somehow wild or overly feverish. Control yourself and remain calm. Continue pulling as long as your dog continues to try to get the toy back when you approach. If you don't feel brave enough to pick up the toy, simply kick it away so your dog can't reach it. Always remember that you should only get into a fight if you can win it.” It’s better not to get involved until you have adjusted the hierarchical relationships.
Aggression towards strange dogs
The main reasons for your dog's intolerance towards strangers may be:
– territorial aggression;
– sexual aggression;
– hierarchical aggression;
– defensive aggression (protecting oneself or members of the pack);
– instrumental aggression;
– predatory aggression (possible from large dogs to small ones).
Despite the fact that there are seemingly objective biological laws of canine aggression, its presence, frequency and severity depend on genetic characteristics, upbringing conditions and conscious or unconscious influence (training) on the part of the owner. For example, the presence and severity of territorial aggressive behavior is determined by the breed of the dog. There are breeds that are intolerant of all dogs found on the street. It’s rare, but there are owners who like their dogs’ aggression towards other dogs. And they can bait their dogs.
However, even without any baiting, you can contribute to the development of this type of aggression in your dog. How? Be indifferent to her aggressive behavior. Because what is allowed is repeated, and what is repeated is reinforced.
You can reduce the number of inter-dog conflicts only by achieving good obedience in your dog. If she does not always listen to you, check the level of your hierarchical relationships and, if necessary, adjust them and continue training the dog. I could be wrong, but I don’t think it’s possible to completely eliminate a dog’s aggressive behavior towards other dogs. However, it is possible to reduce the intensity of walking. If your dog is aggressive but well controlled, you can always stop him with a restraining command as he heads towards a passing dog.
As for territorial, sexual and hierarchical aggression, method 6 (habituation) is unlikely to help you here. I'm afraid that an adult dog will not agree with your pacifist sentiments. Moreover, your dog’s aggression can be provoked by the behavior of a stranger. Even dogs raised together that often meet on walks test each other from time to time.
Socialization can help to some extent in removing defensive, instrumental or predatory aggression. To do this, find playful, young and non-aggressive dogs as walking partners. Take care of the safety of your partners and put a muzzle on your dog before meeting. If you simultaneously use method 11 (elimination of motivation), behavior correction will be more successful. You must make it clear to your dog that the appearance of strange dogs on the horizon serves as a signal for the onset of joyful events. To start, simply walk your dog on a leash away from other dogs and play with him. After a week or two, cut the distance in half and start feeding your (preferably hungry) dog as soon as someone else’s dog approaches you. Just stop and feed. You don't want the outside dog to get too close at this stage. But in the future, your “gladiator” will no longer react aggressively to dogs passing by.
It is easier, of course, to correct the dog’s behavior using method 2 (eliminating the possibility of undesirable behavior), i.e. walking with it on a leash and wearing a muzzle, and to make it easier to control behavior, you can also put a noose on it. Better yet, use method 8 (developing incompatible behavior). Teach your dog to carry and never (!) throw out a game object from his mouth.
For young dogs, Method 7 (indicative inhibition) may be helpful. Prepare a chain for throwing (it can be replaced by a strict collar, a metal noose, etc.), a metal can with nuts, a loud sound generator, etc. When walking with a dog on a leash, throw all these rattling objects at it as soon as it will try to rush at a passing or approaching dog (without aggressive intentions).
If your male dog is uncontrollable, he can be neutered or use method 4 (negative reinforcement). Hurt him with all attempts at aggression. Put a choke on him, a strict collar and stop him with very strong jerks of the leash. If this doesn't help, use a shock collar or whip.
It is believed that a dog walking on a leash or without a leash, but next to its owner, is more aggressive. Sometimes it is advisable to walk with your dog to the opposite side of the street, sometimes it is advisable to let it off the leash. When off-leash dogs approach each other, owners should quickly disperse and call them away.
If a fight starts, do not try to stop it by hitting your dog or someone else's dog - this will not help. Do not try to grab the dog by the collar or the skin at the withers. Both your own dog and someone else's dog can bite you. Grab the dog by the tail (if it has one), lift it up and pull it away. Having pulled it away, give some command to bring it to its senses, lower it and grab it by the collar. If the dog is tailless, grab it by the back legs.
The correction methods described above can be used if your dog is overly aggressive towards other animals.
Pursuing cars, motorcycles, bicycles and runners
Many animal psychologists and trainers believe that pursuit is associated with the manifestation of instincts in a dog - hunting, guard and herding. Accept that the initial reaction may actually have a biological cause. However, in the future, pursuit becomes a skill that is quite independent of basic needs.
The rapid instrumentalization of persecution is associated with a powerful three-stage positive reinforcement. Firstly, if they are running away from you, it means they are afraid of you! Secondly, the fact of victory is obvious, because the enemy cowardly left the battlefield, and the feeling of victory is sweeter than a sugar bone! And thirdly, the chase itself is pleasant, so very often dogs turn the pursuit simply into a game.
Correction of hierarchical relationships and repetition of the obedience training course help to cope with persecution. All this will increase the dog's controllability.
You can avoid unwanted behavior by walking your dog on a leash (see method 2). If necessary, you should refocus the dog's attention on playing, eating, or following a command (see method 11).
For young dogs and those in which the undesirable behavior is not very well established, the use of indicative inhibition is effective (see method 7): when walking with the dog on a long leash, throw rattling objects at it when necessary or make loud, unexpected and unusual sounds. .
More often, to correct persecution, it is recommended to use negative reinforcement (method 4) in two versions.
In the first case, the owner of the dog becomes the source of unpleasant consequences for the dog: he puts a strict collar, a noose, an electric shock collar on it, or equips it with a whip. All this comes into play as soon as his dog rushes after someone. First, train the dog on a short leash, and then on a long one.
In the second case, the source of trouble becomes what the dog is chasing. And this is where advice from M. Hoffman’s book “Your Four-Legged Pet” may come in handy: “Fill several balloons with water and place them in the back seat of your friend’s car (this car should be unfamiliar to the dog). Your other friend should be nearby and keep the dog on a long leash.
Drive slowly around the house. When your dog runs after the car and is a few steps away from it, ask your friend to stop. At this moment, start throwing balls towards the dog. She will be stunned and will think twice next time before rushing after the car.
Repeat this technique daily for a week. It doesn't always work, but some dogs may benefit. Just remember to reward your pet with a treat when he restrains his urges and just watches the car go by.”
You can also follow Barbara Woodhouse's advice from her book Difficult Dogs: “The simplest and most effective method is to have a friend help you with the car. Ask him to drive you slowly past a dog that is chasing a car. And as soon as she starts to attack, throw some thick hardcover book at her with all the force you can muster. Be sure to hit the dog with this book. The shock the dog receives from this frightens him so much that I have never had to repeat this technique more than twice, even if he had been chasing cars for years before. When throwing a book, try not to lean out of the car, otherwise the dog may associate you with it, and you want the shock to be associated with the car.
...Recently, I managed to wean a corgi from chasing motorcycles by asking the motorcyclist to hold a mug of water in one hand and pour it on the running dog. It took three times to do this, but now when a motorcycle approaches, the dog tends to hide in a ditch, and this can save its life.”
By following this advice, you arm the victim and he uses the weapon against your dog. In my opinion, this use of negative reinforcement is not very good. There is no need for your dog to be afraid of moving objects. The dog needs to be indifferent to them.
Excessive barking
Barking is very natural for dogs and very beneficial for us. If dogs didn't bark, they would lose half their user value. However, frequent and excessive barking can be a problem for both the owner and others. This can be compared to our speech. Speech is a very useful thing, but no one likes communicating with a chatterbox.
It is believed that dogs bark for several reasons. First of all, barking is a means of communication. A dog may bark to attract attention, make a statement, warn an enemy, or announce that territory is occupied. Often barking reflects a functional state - the more excited the dog is, the more willing it is to bark. Almost all types of aggressive behavior are also accompanied by barking, and it is especially characteristic of territorial aggression, which is most pronounced in guard dogs.
Excessive barking at home
The reason for excessive barking in an apartment or house may be territorial aggression, which can easily turn into instrumental aggression: barking quickly becomes habitual and occurs on every occasion. Table 5 shows data from a survey of dog owners of different breeds regarding the severity of guard barking in their pets.
Table 5
For example, a dog is taking a nap in the hallway, and on the floor above the door opens and footsteps approach. Here you will inevitably burst into tears, either from sleep or from fear - there is no difference. He shook his head and the steps began to move away. It’s clear: the enemy chickened out! Several such coincidences - and the dog will understand what needs to be done to get rid of the “scary” noises outside the door, and having realized this, it can begin to bark at any rustle.
Another example. This is the first time you leave your puppy alone and walk away. He accompanies you to the door and barks after you, indignant and offended that he was left. But you quickly return, since you only went to the mailbox. But try to prove to the puppy that it was not his barking that brought you back home. I'm afraid it won't work.
When left alone, dogs may bark out of boredom and a little fear. These pack animals experience what is called social stress when left alone, and barking helps them reduce their anxiety.
When all family members are at home, dogs can bark both for the reasons mentioned above and to attract attention (wanting to play, demanding to open the door, feed, drink, etc.).
If your dog barks a lot when left home alone, try walking him until he gets tired before leaving. Intense physical exercise and games will not eliminate barking, of course, but will significantly reduce the dog's excitability and, therefore, the likelihood of barking. Besides, a tired dog will simply sleep most of the time. You can keep your dog busy with something interesting: leave him plenty of toys or bones. If barking is provoked by noises, try to mask them. Leave the radio on and drape the windows tightly.
Only a friend can be a salvation from loneliness, so if possible and if desired, get another puppy or kitten.
If your dog barks for attention, then every time he starts barking, get up and leave the room or silently turn away from him. Sooner or later she will realize that barking has become useless and, most likely, will stop barking. However, this will not happen immediately.
Learning will speed up if you pay attention to the dog after a silent pause. To begin with, wait just a little and call her over for affection, play, or satisfy her other requests. As your dog understands the situation, increase the time of silence.
Method 8 may also be useful for correcting excessive barking: Teach your dog behavior that is incompatible with barking. For example, teach her to bring you a toy in response to the doorbell. Finally, when you leave, you can turn off the phone and the ringer.
If you are sure that your dog believes that barking brings you home, try to change his worldview.
Next weekend, pretend you're leaving forever. After closing the door (not with a key) and moving a little away from it, stop and wait. Even the most delusional dog pauses between barks. During the next pause, quickly enter the apartment and have a fun meeting.
After 5-10 minutes, repeat the lesson. The more often you train your dog in this way, gradually increasing the pauses between leaving and coming, the more hope there is that he will believe that it is his silence that brings you back to the house.
Excessive barking on the street
You can bark on the street for many reasons: out of fear, out of anger, because it’s fun and in order to force the owner to do what is needed.
The breed characteristics of dogs have a significant influence on the tendency to bark (that is, to bark for any reason). Table 6 shows data from a survey of dog owners of different breeds regarding the barking of their pets.
The tendency to bark is influenced by the dog’s lifestyle (loneliness, lack of physical and intellectual activity), early sensory deprivation and associated fears, health problems, and unintentional (unconscious) learning on the part of the owner. Provoking factors include people behaving hostilely, dogs and changes in their usual lifestyle.
Before you do anything, reassess the situation. Try to determine the causes of excessive barking and the factors that provoke it. If the dog lives in the yard, check whether it is cold, whether the kennel is leaking, or whether it is too small for the dog. Check to see if your dog has water, toys, or other items to keep him mentally active.
Take your dog to the vet again to make sure he is healthy. Talk to your veterinarian about your dog's diet.
Start training or repeating training exercises. This will not only promote the dog’s obedience, but will also fill its life with meaning. It doesn’t matter what you do with your dog, the main thing is to do it. Intersperse your activities with a fun game that requires muscle tension.
At the same time, conduct classes to socialize (get used to) your dog with other dogs and people. By the way, this will help not only your dog.
How to stop barking
This can be done in different ways. After some command, for example, “Hush!”, you can carefully and gently cover the dog’s mouth with your hands. Do not squeeze your palms tightly - this will cause active resistance and next time she will not trust you with her muzzle. If you constantly train your dog this way, sooner or later he will begin to close his mouth on command. However, this method is not suitable for all dogs.
You can work out the stopping command differently. When your dog barks the number of times you want, praise him. Then say "Quiet!" and show her something very tasty or interesting (her favorite toy). Most dogs immediately stop barking. While the dog is silent, repeat the command and praise it. To begin with, give her what you showed after about 5 seconds, and in the next lesson require her to be silent for 7-8 seconds. Repeat this exercise several times, reinforcing the dog's understanding that silence is very useful for him. Then gradually increase the time of silence. If your dog barks prematurely, scold him immediately. The success of the training depends on how interested the dog is in receiving what you distract him with. If food or an object is important to her, in just one lesson you can teach her to remain silent for 1-2 minutes.
You can do this: after the command, give the dog something to chew. If this doesn't help and she starts barking again after swallowing the food, use a household water sprinkler, a water pistol, or a plastic water bottle. Give the dog a command and at the same time spray water, trying to get it into the nose or eyes. This will not cause harm, but it will be quite unpleasant for the dog, and he will quickly understand that it is better not to bark after the command. Or use the effect of indicative inhibition - play some sounds that are incomprehensible and unusual for the dog. It is better to do this after issuing a command.
Very often, dogs begin and continue to bark when there is noise made by dogs or people. If this is the case, try using method 6 (habituation), the essence of which is that reactions (including barking) to unimportant stimuli, that is, those that do not carry any useful information, do not have any significant consequences for a dog, decrease and disappear over time.
Very often dogs react violently to unusual and unfamiliar stimuli. Therefore, start expanding your dog’s horizons. Try to introduce her to as many stimuli as possible. Pay attention to noises that provoke excessive barking. Offer them to your dog (at first of lower intensity and frequency), distracting his attention with a game, some activity, or forcing him to carry out some commands.
On a personal plot, place the dog on the side of the plot farthest from the busy street - this will reduce the number of provoking stimuli. Replacing a mesh fence, for example, with a solid one, will lead to the same thing.
Don't forget to praise your dog when he is silent!
Very often, to correct excessive barking, it is recommended to use method 9, according to which unwanted behavior is associated with a specific signal. First, you need to teach your dog to bark at the right moment and in the right situation, that is, teach it to bark on command. To do this, you need to trigger one of the states when your dog barks, remembering to first give a command, for example, “Voice!”
Most often, the dog is excited by showing it, but not allowing it to grab a piece of food, a toy, a fetch item, playing with it, or even causing trouble. It only takes a little repetition for her to understand what you want from her. If desired, you can teach it to bark a certain number of times at the right moment by covering the dog’s mouth, occupying it with food or a retrieval item. That's all!
All that remains is to make barking habitual in cases where you think it is necessary. To do this, you will have to help the dog several times with a command, presenting it in the situation you need and encouraging the dog. Once she has developed this habit, you should let her know when, where and how much to bark. Now you can control your dog's behavior, and this will not be difficult to do.
If your dog barks a lot and annoyingly on the street, you can solve this problem by teaching him to wear a retrieval item or from time to time making him bark on command. Under no circumstances encourage barking without a command (reinforcing the absence of unwanted behavior), and even scold her for it, but after a minute invite her to bark again, praising her (using both positive and negative reinforcement). Try using the extinction method: having taught the dog to bark, first often, and then less and less, allow it. Sometimes it helps.
It is often recommended to use unpleasant or painful stimuli (aversive negative reinforcement) on a barking dog. Leave this as a last resort. After all, it may happen that she begins to avoid you, avoiding punishment, but continues to bark, or she begins to be afraid of her own barking and does not bark even when it is necessary. And if the dog barks from fear, then your influence will not reduce it. But, one way or another, such a method exists. Here is what F. Granderat writes about its use in the book “Training and Coaching Dogs”: “It happens that a dog, left alone at home, howls and barks so much that the neighbors complain. This can be corrected in the following way: tie the dog in its place on a chain, put on a parfors, draw a long cord from it through some hole or crack in the door, into the corridor or kitchen or other rooms sufficiently distant from the dog, where it will not sense a person; an assistant should hide there. The owner should leave, stomping loudly on the stairs, and the assistant will pull the cord as soon as the dog begins to howl or bark, and say “no,” and then “get back.” This method is very effective when used correctly."
There are collars that, in response to barking, spray some substance with an unpleasant odor for the dog (for example, citronella, which has the smell of lemon). If all else fails, use a radio-controlled electric collar, but it is better if you purchase an ultrasonic or electric collar, which causes unpleasant sensations to the dog, turning on from the sound of its barking.
According to French trainers who conducted a comparative study of the effectiveness of collars with citronella and electric shock collars, the latter turned out to be less effective, although collars with citronella are effective in no more than 80% of cases. The vast majority of consumers prefer the lemon collar due to the safety of its use.
It is more difficult to deal with barking that you yourself have consciously or unconsciously reinforced. Remember, didn’t you often follow the dog’s lead when it barked? Didn't you start paying attention to her, didn't you open the door for her, didn't you start or continue the game, following her “persuasions”? If you do not exclude this reason, you can change the behavior by entering a pause with a fixing command. After the dog has barked (don't let him bark a lot!), put him down with a command - it is very difficult to bark while lying down, and after a short pause, do what he asked. Lengthen your pauses over time. It should be noted that it is more effective to forestall dog barking by styling. If we talk about eliminating unwanted behavior (method 2), you can use a muzzle that prevents the mouth from opening completely. They say that a special anti-bark muzzle does not prevent the dog from drinking, breathing and does not eliminate barking, but effectively reduces its intensity and duration.
If all else fails and you really don’t want a barking dog, use the surgical method: cutting the ligaments is more humane than using a shock collar.
Sometimes dogs howl. In general, this is also a fairly natural means of communication for them. But most often they howl from loneliness and to the music. If dogs howl to music, you can practice a wonderful circus act on this basis, and if it’s because of loneliness, try using the behavior correction methods described above.
A review of this issue should begin with the statement that correction of adult dog behavior is possible. Of course, this difficult process requires some effort from the pet owners. This article will provide practical examples for independent correcting and adjusting dog behavior, but if the owner no longer has the strength to solve this problem himself or does not have enough knowledge and skills, then it is better to turn to professional dog handlers for help. Our canine center "Instinct" will help you achieve adjusting your dog's behavior in Moscow and the Moscow region, including problems of aggression and severe fear. At the same time, what you should pay attention to first:
- Raising and training a dog. Any problem can be solved, but to avoid the emergence of new difficulties, it is better to start training the dog right away. Complete adjustment of dog behavior works better in special groups under the supervision of an experienced dog handler;
- Punishment. Punishing a dog (unfortunately, one of the most common methods of correcting a dog’s behavior) should be moderate so as not to harm the education process. Until 3 months of age, only threatening intonation is allowed. Then you can punish with the palm of your hand in the croup area or with a jerk of the leash. Punishment should only be applied when the dog commits an offense. In addition, you need to use the “Fu” command at the moment the pet performs an unwanted action;
- Natural need. Toilet training your puppy only requires a little attention. The best option would be a separate room or playpen covered with newspapers. This will also be the place for the puppy and his plate. When the owner is at home, you need to take the puppy outside on time. As for an adult dog who “does not observe toilet hygiene” in the house, you need to actively use the “Fu” command when the pet just sits down to relieve itself. When a dog goes outside, the owner needs to praise it profusely for it. If the dog does not relieve himself during a walk, then you need to continue the walk;
- Dog's refusal to come when called. Treats and praise can be used to change this stubbornness. Punishing a dog for refusing to come on command is not recommended;
- Picking up from the floor. This task is a little more complicated and will require attentiveness and demandingness from the owner. Correcting dog behavior initially involves teaching pets that they cannot pick up from the floor. At home, you need to use the “Fu” command; on the street, a leash or a slap with your palm will come to the rescue. You can also provoke your dog by scattering treats on the street to test his reaction;
- The dog barks on the street or at home. To solve the problem of barking in an apartment when the dog ignores the “Fu” command, you can use a slap with your palm on the back of the body. But, if a dog barks when there is a knock on the door, then it needs to be praised. If the pet barks when the owner leaves the apartment, then you need to go back and use the “Fu” command, then go out and wait 5 minutes near the apartment. In case of repetition, a more severe punishment (correction) must be applied;
- Solutions to aggression problems. If an animal (puppy) shows aggression towards a cat, then it needs to be punished, especially at the moment of throwing. The “Fu” command can be accompanied by a slap to the croup area. If there is a real threat to the cat, then it is better not to get one until the dog is trained. In some cases, it is better to invite a dog handler. As for dogs, it is better to introduce them after walking together on neutral territory;
- Solving the problem of fear. If the owner knows that there will be fireworks, then the dog must wear a collar. During shots, you need to sit your pet near your leg, not allowing him to move away. To completely eradicate fear, you can buy 3-4 firecrackers and in the park after a day’s walk, start using them at a safe distance, using a leash and the same “Sit” command. So, over time, your dog will develop endurance;
- The dog jumps on its owners. To solve this problem/correct the dog’s behavior, you need to ignore the pet, turning your back to it. Use the “Fu” command and punish the dog at the moment of jumping. If the dog jumps on passers-by, you need to use the “Near” or “Sit” command.
Behavior correction includes a list of necessary measures to influence the animal in order to apply them in time to prevent unnecessary behavior of the dog in the future.
The most common causes of aggression in dogs are:
- execution of commands;
- vehicles;
- children making noise and playing;
- other animals;
- sudden movements, etc.
After some time, the animal calms down, the conflict situation is resolved, but this does not mean that all this cannot happen again. A dog’s aggression can flare up again at the same second, with renewed vigor, if it doesn’t like something.
How to correct aggressive behavior?
Behavior correction is carried out using three methods.
The simplest and most common is to accustom the dog to. It’s not easy to just stop and forbid a dog to do something that it shouldn’t do. If this continues constantly, the animal may become angry. Therefore, it is always necessary to orient the dog towards alternative behavior. The naughty behavior will stop and you won't have to punish her. Most often, after a training session on the site, the pet may react inappropriately towards many people (passers-by, runners) if they seem suspicious to her. At such a moment, you need to use the “No” command and be sure to pull on the leash, which will serve as reinforcement for your command.
Over time, your pet will remember that aggression is undesirable at such moments. The dog will be able to work better in the training area, but this may lead to the fact that the pet will not be able to protect you in the place where you forbade it to show aggression. This requires an alternative method. Let's give an example. When, going out for a walk, one of the passers-by approaches you, tell the dog the command “Nearby”, the pet must stop and let the person walk. If the dog follows the command, be sure to praise the animal.
There is an exercise that trains your pet to follow a command even at home. True, you will need an assistant to complete it. Tie up the dog. For this you can use a harness or a long leash. It is advisable to carry out all training sessions wearing a strict collar.
If suddenly your pet begins to show any signs of aggression, repeat. The assistant can leave, after a certain period of time you need to try again. After trying this exercise a few times, change the command and tell the dog “Guard.” After this command, praise the dog for its aggression. Thus, alternate the exercises while training with your pet.
Read also: How to train a puppy at home
After a certain period of time, when you see that the dog has remembered the model of behavior in such situations, it is necessary to complicate the exercises. Take a few more assistants (two or more) to help you. With the help of these simple training exercises, the dog will begin to understand that its aggression can only be shown in specific cases, for example to protect its owner or its territory, and will also learn to calmly react to passing people while walking.
You also have the task of explaining to your pet what a critical distance is. The animal must discern how far a passerby can be allowed to approach its owner. The most important thing is that the dog does not react aggressively if a person is at an acceptable distance.
To achieve this effect, you can use the following exercises. Your assistant should try to attack the dog, but this must be done when he has covered the critical distance. The moment the dog shows some emotion, the helper must stop. The training must be repeated two to three times. And then this skill must be trained in movement. In this case, you need to keep your pet on a leash and command “Nearby”. And the assistant must move continuously, the movements should not affect the dog, you can just walk next to him or run. If the pet does not pay attention to this, then he deserves praise. And if the dog shows aggression, again command it “Next.” Continue training until you get the desired result.
Fears that appear on walks in puppies and young dogs.
A dog (puppy) can experience strong emotional discomfort even from anticipation of the very situation of a walk, starting with the owner’s preparations, leaving the apartment, the entrance. At the same time, fear increases sharply when certain situations arise while walking. For example, this could be the owner’s attempts to get the dog into the elevator, going down or even up the stairs in the entrance, loud noises, being in the entrance and meeting people and dogs, strollers, children, buses, street cleaners’ carts and other irritants typical of Moscow and other cities.
How You look at the manifestations of fear.
The dog resists the owner’s attempts to lead it on a leash, while facial expressions, posture and movements show signs of emotional depression and fear (frightened, anxious look, ears pulled back, tail tucked, trembling, etc.). When encountering frightening stimuli, the dog tries to run away to the side, rests on the leash, and the signs of fear intensify. Sometimes the dog shows aggression, growls, barks.
Causes of problematic behavior.
As a rule, such problem behavior appears in puppies or young dogs when they begin to walk outside after completing the vaccination period, or sometimes in older dogs after moving with their owners to a new place of residence in an urban environment. Fears in this case stem from the dog’s inability to independently adapt to the specific living conditions in the city due to the genetic characteristics of the psyche and the lack of the necessary experience in mastering these environmental conditions (city) at an early age, that is, during the corresponding sensitive period of mental development. After this period, independent adaptation to completely new and difficult living conditions may be difficult. However, fortunately, in many cases, dogs can be helped to cope with this.
In this case, the dog perceives the environment and perceived stimuli as completely unfamiliar and therefore potentially dangerous. At the same time, avoidance reactions (manifestations of fear) are much stronger than the manifestations of indicative reactions (an innate desire to explore something new). In fact, the manifestation of indicative reactions turns out to be suppressed and the dog predominantly experiences one desire - to run back to the apartment, entrance, just run away, hide behind the owner, etc. Moreover, often the dog independently finds ways to reduce its emotional discomfort in this way, and very soon this behavior takes on a stereotypical character.
So, in order to teach a dog not to be afraid, it is necessary, through special training exercises, to form in it an alternative experience of alleviating emotional discomfort through active interaction with the trainer (owner) in specific frightening situations. At the same time, the dog has the internal ability to begin to get used to situations that previously frightened it, now as familiar and safe. Gradually, alternative experience accumulates and is generalized in the dog’s mind, and the behavior radically changes or, at least, significantly improves.
Methodological support for these trainings should be developed and provided to the dog’s owner by a canine zoopsychologist (canine psychologist), who is also an instructor-methodologist. Naturally, for this, a specialist must have relevant experience and reliable methodological developments in this area. At the same time, at the beginning of work on correcting the dog’s behavior, he must conduct the necessary analysis of the reasons for the dog’s behavior and an analysis of the possibilities of correction, characterize the prospects for correction, and then organize the training process in interaction with the dog’s owner.
Dogs' fears of certain categories of stimuli.
B o z nCUTSz v u k o v.
The dog may be afraid of gunshots, firecrackers, the sound of hitting metal, etc.
The reasons for this behavior can be either congenital or acquired.
If such behavioral reactions are predominantly genetic in nature, then behavior correction will be ineffective even with the maximum effectiveness of the training process. However, if these fears arose as a result of the dog's predominantly negative experiences, then in many cases the behavior can be corrected or improved.
Fear is unknown to people or dogs.
Most often it is the result of a negative experience when specific strangers or dogs showed aggression towards the dog or accidentally scared the dog. In this case, the dog may identify as potentially dangerous those people or dogs that resemble its offender, especially if the offense occurred in early puppyhood.
PRINCIPLES FOR CORRECTING THIS PROBLEM.
In this case, the correction of dog behavior is carried out through special training with the help of a canine-animal psychologist (canine psychologist), aimed at creating an alternative positive experience of the dog’s perception of previously frightening situations associated with the presence of people or dogs.
Sometimes this behavior is genetic. This may be due to the dog’s predisposition to extreme isolation from strangers (not members of its pack) combined with the predominance of passive-defensive reactions. In fact, the dog perceives all strangers or dogs as very dangerous enemies and has a desire to protect itself from them.
Fear of individual situations.
Dogs may be afraid, for example, only of doctors and medical procedures, vacuum cleaners, strollers with children, etc. In this case, the cause of fears, as a rule, is the negative emotional experience of the dog at an early age.
PRINCIPLES FOR CORRECTING THIS PROBLEM.
Such variants of manifestations of fears are corrected by the formation of an alternative positive experience when the dog is exposed to previously frightening stimuli.
As a rule, by the words “behavior correction” a person means correcting the dog’s aggressive behavior towards strangers or other dogs or towards its owners.
And in other words, this is the correction of mistakes that a person once made while raising his dog or not raising a dog at all.
Each owner is responsible for the behavior of his pet - it was the person who put the dog in conditions in which it began to show aggression.
In my classes, from the first lessons, I try to convey to a person that one should not reason like this: The dog doesn’t do what I ordered it, or it did it before, but now it doesn’t want to, from here many people come to the conclusion “how stupid am I teaching it?” , but she doesn’t understand anything or refuses to do it.”
Thus, a person justifies his lack of ability and understanding, and sometimes even his lack of desire to communicate, educate and train his dog.
A dog always behaves the way its owner allows it to behave. And a person’s perception of the situation in case of undesirable behavior of his pet should be as follows: I couldn’t convey it to my dog. ... I couldn't teach my dog ... etc.
Aggressive behavior of a dog can manifest itself due to various situations, for example: you have a leader puppy in your house, but you don’t notice that, as you passed by the dog gnawing on a bone, the puppy growled at you, and sometimes it’s even funny to you, but the puppy noticed for himself that “I growled, and they didn’t take my bone,” although no one tried to do this, the puppy will remember this situation and will definitely use it next time in other situations. For example: when washing paws, etc. Subsequently, the growl turns into a grin, and then into bites, and by this time the dog, as a rule, has grown up and gained strength and life experience that the owner is the lowest link in its conditional pack.
And it all started, at first glance, innocently with a small growl towards the owner, which seemed funny.
Also, situations that have arisen due to the dog’s insecurity, for example: on the street she feels vulnerable due to her small stature and fear of large dogs, but she still wants to express herself somewhere and she finds a way out by having fun with her close family members, and sometimes even on the youngest, on children, in order to increase their self-esteem.
It happens that a dog barks at passers-by out of his uncertainty and fear of them, and then he sees that people begin to avoid him and are afraid of him. she begins to like it and she begins to look for a reason to bark and then bite passers-by. In general, different cases arise, but the reason, as a rule, is always the same - this is the lack of training of the dog or ineffective training of it.
And if your dog shows aggression, and you are determined to correct its behavior, then you should know that no matter what the specialist is, he will not be able to do without your help, because if the dog begins to behave well in the hands of the instructor after several lessons, then this does not mean that she will behave the same way with her owner.
Hence the conclusion, the instructor can set up your dog, show you how to behave and how to act in certain situations, how to build a relationship between you and your pet, but the relationship itself is built only by the owner.
There is a certain opinion and it is voiced even by some veterinarians - this is that if you do not want to have an aggressive male dog, then you need to castrate him.
To be fair, I don’t know much about veterinary medicine, but I can definitely relate to my experience. And it follows from it that if a male dog was aggressive towards people or dogs, then after castration he will definitely not become white and fluffy and will not bring you flowers in bed in the morning and will not spread love to his former enemies. And for greater understanding, try to draw a parallel to a man with bad behavior and a terrible character.
Let's draw a line under the above... If you do not want to face the problems that were outlined in this article, then I advise you to deal with your dog as early as possible. Be very responsible when choosing a dog; learn as much as possible about the breed you are planning to get. And of course, you need to calculate your moral and physical strength. And then your pet will only make you happy!
