It can be a scary thing to have a pet that never seems to be nice to anyone. It has to not only be scary for someone visiting you to be confronted by a vicious dog but also for yourself because you never know at any moment when that same pet that lives with you could turn around and attack you. This isn't something that you need to leave alone and hope that it is just a phase that will pass as the dog gets older. Instead it's something that needs to be dealt with as soon as it occurs because you can't take the risk of him biting someone and then having them pressing charges against you or even worse have your dog put down.
It's not something pleasant that you would like to imagine let alone have happen to you. Problems like this need to be dealt with head on and immediately. With that in mind this article is about how to train your dog into submission. I don't want to say that this training will make your dog passive or quiet. It's more of a training of you and not the dog. What this means is that a dog bases his behavior on what he senses and feels from them and mostly from you. You need to be his leader because that is what they understand the quickest and the best.
It is also what they did when they were in the mentality of the pack. It is their natural instinct to follow a leader which is how a pack is essentially run. You have a leader who makes all the rules and decides who they will attack and when they will eat and pretty much every aspect of the pack.
If your dog is always growling and attacking people then its time you took the position of the pack leader and use that power to make him understand that you lead him and make the rules and not the other way around. In order to accomplish this you need to first believe it yourself. Dogs feed on emotion and they can sense when you feel scared and when you don't. What you want to do is give off a feeling of confidence and leadership. You need to make yourself believe that that's what your role is in order for him to feel that from you. That is always step one. The next step is to take a walk and I mean this quite literally. I want you to take your leash and go out for a walk. This walk can be something that may seem like its something easy but quite honestly it will be the toughest thing you will need to accomplish with your dog because it requires constant attention and dedication. If you are not dedicated to this step than you might as well give your dog up because he will finally end up biting someone and it will force you. Next time I want to go into specifics of what you need to do on a walk.
Many dog owners are anxious to give their four legged companions the freedom of going off leash, but it is important not to rush that important step. Dogs should only be allowed off their leash after they have become masters of all the basic obedience commands, such as walking at your heel, sitting and staying on command.
Another skill that must be completely mastered before the dog can be taken off the leash is the come when called command. Even if the dog can heel, sit and stay perfectly, if he cannot be relied upon to come when called, he is not ready to be taken off the leash.
Taking any dog off the leash, especially in a busy, crowded area, or one with a lot of traffic, is a big step and not one to be taken lightly. It is vital to adequately test your dog in a safe environment before taking him off his leash. After all, the leash is the main instrument of control. You must be absolutely certain you can rely on your voice commands for control before removing the leash.
After the dog has been trained to understand the sit, stay and come when called commands, it is important to challenge the dog with various distractions. It is a good idea to start by introducing other people, other animals, or both, while the dog is in a safe environment like a fenced in yard.
Have a friend or neighbor stand just outside the fence while you hold you dog on the leash. As the friend or family member walks around the outside of the fence, watch your dog's reactions closely. If he starts to pull at the leash, quickly tug him back.
Repeat this exercise until the dog will reliably remain at your side. After this, you can try dropping the leash, and eventually removing the leash and repeating the distraction. It is important to vary the distractions, such as introducing other animals, other people, traffic, rolling balls, etc.
After your dog is able to remain still in the face of distraction, start introducing the come when called lessons with distractions in place. Try inviting some of the neighbors, and their dogs, over to play. As the dogs are playing in the fenced in yard, try calling your dog.
When the dog comes to you, immediately give him lots of praise, and perhaps a food reward. After the dog has been rewarded, immediately allow him to go back to playing. Repeat this several times throughout the day, making sure each time to reward the dog and immediately allow him to go back to his fun.
After the dog has seemingly mastered coming when called in his own yard, try finding a local dog park or similar area where you can practice with your dog. It is important to make the area small, or to choose a fenced in area, in case you lose control of the dog. If you cannot find a fenced in area, choose an area well away from people and cars.
Practice with your dog by allowing him to play with other dogs, or just to sniff around, then calling your dog. When he comes to you, immediately reward and praise him, then let him resume his previous activities. Doing this will teach the dog that coming to you is the best option and the one most likely to bring both rewards and continued good times.
Only after the dog has consistently demonstrated the ability to come when called, even when there are many distractions around, is it safe to allow him time off leash. Off leash time should never be unsupervised time. It is important, both for your well being and your dog's, that you know where he is and what he is doing at all times.
It is easy for a dog to get into trouble quickly, so you should always keep an eye on him, whether he is chasing squirrels in the park, playing with other dogs, or just chasing a ball with the neighbor's kids.
For more information please visit http://about-animals.info/
Both Sarah Mcdermott & Keith Londrie are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Sarah Mcdermott has sinced written about articles on various topics from Pets, Family Concerns and Baby Shower. This author lives in Flemington, NJ with her husband and 5 month old daughter and is an expert contributing author for a luxury boutique o. Sarah Mcdermott's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.