After reading the emails I've been receiving it is apparent that one of the big issues for dog owners is Aggression. If your dog is a young dog, then now's the time to act, as although it's not impossible, curbing your dogs aggressive behavior later in life can be difficult and take much longer to see results than if you tackle the problem early on.

Dog aggression can mean many things, and can occur for a range of reasons including fear or intimidation from other dogs, change in a dog's environment, genetic aggressive tendencies, or more serious health problems.

So the first question you need to ask yourself is "Why is my dog acting this way?" The two main issues are Fear and Dominance issues, these can generally be solved by confronting these issues and situations.

If you believe your dogs aggression is caused by fear of other dogs, situations such as being in an highly populated area, or traffic then all we need to do is minimize the fear in these situations. Be aware of your dogs change in character, and take small steps to solving the issue. If your dog gets aggressive when in highly populated areas or areas with lots of traffic, start by taking him or her out for a stroll in a moderately populated area. Their first instinct will be to flee, then when they can't get away the aggression kicks in. Now distract your dog with a dog biscuit or treat. If your dog calms down (showing the desired behavior) give them another treat, and lots of hugs and affection. Your dog will begin to associate these conditions with positive feelings, they get hugs and treats for behaving well, and the situation becomes less and less intimidating and aggravating.

As your dog begins to grow fond of medium populated areas, step it up and change your routine to a slightly higher amount of people and traffic. There will be times when loud noises and pushy pedestrians may spook your dog, but you need to remember punishing your dog will make things worse in the long run, and comforting your dog will help him or her deal with the situation, and not be afraid.

This technique can be used if your dog exhibits dog-on-dog aggression, or other types of aggressive behavior. Join a dog club or have a friend's dog come and spend time with your dog in a controlled environment, this way you can comfort your dog and curb the aggressive behavior. When your dog comes to form a bond with the other dog, and can be in an area freely together, introduce other dogs, and build your way up to the stage where you and your dog can visit a dog park and roam and play with stranger dogs.

If your dogs aggression is a dominance issue then a slightly different approach is needed. Your dog needs to be certain that YOU are in control. need to be in control of everything that tells your dog his behavior is acceptable, his or her toys, bed, food, exercise time and walks. The best starting point for this is to insist that your dog Sits before getting what it wants. Do not give any praise or affection until he or she has done what is expected of it.

Dominance aggression is going back to the alpha dog or pack mentality. When your dog is around other dogs his behavior may get out of hand. Have control over your dog and the other dog present, and separate them and show no affection when dominance kicks in. Dog owners love to play tug-of-war with their dogs, this is simply encouraging dominant behavior in your dog and will confuse how you are expecting your dog to behave.

Before you begin to see signs of aggression in your dog, go along to your local vet and discuss the options for neutering or spaying your dog. This will make any necessary dog training later in life alot easier and much more effective.

Whether or not certain dog breeds are genetically over aggressive is a controversial topic indeed. Choose carefully when deciding which breed of dog you would like to live with, and be careful with the breed you select, that over aggressive behavior isn't going to taint the relationship and growth between you and and your dog. If you believe your dog is genetically over aggressive consult with your vet as to what can be done to curb aggression.

Aggression can also be caused by an underlying medical condition or injury. It is important to have your dog regularly checked up to ensure aggression doesn't occur for this reason, also to keep your dog generally healthy and free of illness and dietary imbalance.

It is an astounding and shocking figure that 2 percent of the population have reported being the victim of a dog attacks, and dog-on-dog aggression is reported as one of the biggest issues among dog owners. Having a dog aggression issue can be embarrassing in public, and it can get you into alot of trouble if your dog is found to attack a person or other dog. It is important to have a solid plan for addressing dog aggression issues, and to have the control not to attack your dog, or be physically aggressive towards your dog when he or she acts out of order. Remember Kelly , the best solution is to be consistent with what is expected of your dog and to show compassion and not aggression.

If you treat your dog with respect, and follow a good aggression plan, you will be one day able to take a perfectly behaved, content dog out into any situation.

Feel free to send me pictures of your beloved dog behaving well, I will try and share them in my newsletter.

Until next time,
Take Care!

Colin Pederson
colin@dogobedienceadvice.com
DogObedienceAdvice.com

P.S. For my recommended Dog Training Course, visit http://www.dogobedienceadvice.com/recommended/