|
|
Dog AggressionDog Aggression Towards Strangers It is pretty easy to tell when a dog is nervous around strangers. He’s usually very jumpy and alert - either he can’t sit still & is constantly fidgeting, leaping at the smallest sound, and pacing around barking/whining; or he’s extremely still, sitting steady in one place, staring hard at his suspicions (the stranger.) . . . so why does it happen? The main reason why a dog doesn’t like strangers is because he’s never had the chance to get used to them. Your dog relies on you 100% to open up his horizons for him. Without being taken on many journeys to see the world through consistent and positive experiences, how can you expect him to relax in unfamiliar situations? . . . and what can I do about it? Socialization is the process of getting your dog used to the world, and all the strange people that are in it. Socialization is extremely important in your dog’s growing up. As soon as your dog has had his vaccinations, he must be exposed to the world around him (new experiences, new animals, and new people). Socialization prevents stranger aggression!!! Socializing your dog teaches him through experience that new sights and sounds are fun, and not scary. It isn't enough to just expose an adult dog to unfamiliar people and tell him "It’s OK" – he has to learn for himself that it is actually OK. He needs to learn this at puppyhood for the lesson to sink in. The more different types of people he meets (toddlers, babies, teenagers, women, men, old people, people in uniforms, people carrying umbrellas, people with motorcycle helmets, etc) in a fun & relaxed context, the more at ease, happy, and safe he will be around strangers. How should I socialize my dog? It is very easy to socialize your dog. You should start out by taking him to puppy preschool. Puppy preschool is just a term for easy group-training classes for puppies. In a puppy preschool class, there are about 10 or so puppy owners that get together with a qualified dog trainer (many times there will be at least 2 trainers – the more trainers, the better, since it means you get more one-on-one time with a professional dog trainer) and start teaching their puppies the basic obedience commands like sit, stay, and so on. Even though the obedience training is very helpful, and is a fantastic way to start your puppy on the road to being a trustworthy adult dog, the best part of puppy preschool is really the play sessions. Several times during the class, the puppies are encouraged to run around and play amongst themselves. This is a great way for them to learn good social skills:
Socialization doesn’t just stop with puppy preschool. It is an ongoing effort throughout your dog's life and needs to be taken to a bunch of new places & environments. Remember to not overwhelm your dog! Start off slow and gradually build up his tolerance. For more information on aggressive & dominant dog behaviors, check out SitStayFetch - it’s a complete owner’s guide to owning and training your dog, and demonstrates all the best dog training tips for training your dog. You
can visit the SitStayFetch site by clicking on the link below:
|
|
|
