Help! My dog wants to kill every dog it sees.
By Nancy Milburn
Dog on dog aggression is something every dog owner dreads. How embarrassing to have your dog lunging and barking at the end of a leash. If you have a large dog then there is a real danger of being dragged down the street.
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Help! My Dog Wants to Eat Every Dog it Sees
As a dog owner, you may be familiar with the feeling of helplessness when your furry friend goes wild at the sight of another dog. The barking, growling, and pulling on the leash can be embarrassing and frustrating, not to mention potentially dangerous for other dogs and their owners. So what can you do when your dog wants to eat every dog it sees? In this article, we will provide some helpful tips and advice to help you manage and overcome this challenging behavior.
Understanding the Root Cause of Aggression
The first step in addressing your dog’s aggression towards other dogs is to understand the underlying cause. Aggression in dogs can be triggered by a range of factors, including fear, territorial-ism, lack of socialization, and genetics. In some cases, the aggression may be related to an underlying medical condition, such as pain or hormonal imbalances.
It is essential to identify the root cause of your dog’s aggression to develop an effective management and training plan. A professional dog behaviorist or trainer can help you evaluate your dog’s behavior and develop an individualized plan to address the underlying cause of the aggression.
Training and Socialization
Training and socialization are critical components of managing aggression in dogs. Socializing your dog with other dogs from an early age can help prevent aggression by teaching your dog appropriate social behaviors and reducing fear and anxiety.
Training your dog to respond to commands, such as “sit” and “stay,” can also help you manage your dog’s behavior when encountering other dogs. Using positive reinforcement techniques, such as treats and praise, can help reinforce positive behaviors and reduce aggression.
It is essential to be patient and consistent when training your dog. Consistent training and positive reinforcement can help build a strong bond between you and your dog and establish a foundation for good behavior.
Physical and Mental Stimulation
Providing your dog with regular physical and mental stimulation can also help reduce aggression and prevent boredom. Dogs that are bored or under-stimulated are more likely to exhibit destructive behavior and aggression.
Providing your dog with regular exercise, such as walks, runs, or playtime, can help burn off excess energy and reduce stress and anxiety. Mental stimulation, such as puzzle toys or training exercises, can also help keep your dog engaged and mentally stimulated.
It is important to note that not all dogs require the same level of physical and mental stimulation. Some breeds, such as Border Collies or Australian Shepherds, require more exercise and mental stimulation than others.
Managing Aggressive Behavior
In some cases, despite your best efforts, your dog may continue to exhibit aggressive behavior towards other dogs. In these situations, it is essential to manage your dog’s behavior to prevent harm to other dogs and their owners.
It is important to remember that managing your dog’s behavior is not a substitute for training and addressing the underlying cause of the aggression. Professional dog trainers and behaviorists can help you develop an individualized plan to address your dog’s aggressive behavior and prevent future incidents
.Aggressive behavior in dogs can be a challenging and potentially dangerous issue for dog owners. However, with patience, consistency, and professional guidance, it is possible to manage and overcome this behavior. By understanding the root cause of your dog’s aggression, providing proper training and socialization, and managing aggressive behavior when necessary, you can help your dog become a well-behaved and happy companion.
Many owners with this problem resort to the avoidance technique they go in another direction when they see a dog or start walking the dog a midnight in an effort never to meet another dog. All the time terrified that a loose dog may appear and their dog attack it.
If you are on the small side and have a large dog you can be dragged, fall and hurt yourself, even have broken bones. Arms are wrenched and the whole experience is unpleasant. At the worst owners will not walk their dogs at all and then the inactivity creates even more problems.
When that dog that is aggressive was a puppy he lived in a litter with his brothers and sisters. Although the puppies all bit one another when they were playing they did not damage each other. When they bit too hard the other puppy would yelp and then stop playing. Puppies need this interaction so they can learn bite inhibition. Mother dogs also teach the pups about biting and will growl and bark at puppies. This time with mom and litter mates is crucial in having a well adjusted d
Dog that are taken from their litter before they are 8 weeks old often have aggression problems because they have not learned what appropriate behavior towards other dogs is. Most dog owners make the problem worse by not letting the young pup interact with other dogs….
Sometime a dog has been attacked by other dogs and consequently is very afraid and this translates to aggression. They are hoping to scare the other dog away so they do not have to deal with the problem. Also when a dog is on a leash it feels trapped unable to run away so it only has one option when frightened. It cannot run away so it gets ready to fight
So what to do when you have a dog that is lunging, growling and barking at other dogs? This behavior can be changed by giving the dog another option. Which is to look at the dog and then look away. Impossible you say. How do you do that when the dog is totally focused on the other dog and is not listening to you?
You start by asking the dog to look at you in a non stressful situation. In the home or yard where the dog is familiar with all the surroundings and is quite calm ask the dog to look at you. When the dog looks at you it is good to mark the action with an unusual sound like a clicker or say Yes in an upbeat voice. plus give them a high value treat. I usually recommend cheese, hot dogs or real meat as being better than a store bought treats.
The next thing is to introduce distractions. Throw a toy and then reward when the dog looks away and back at you. Then ask someone familiar to come to the house and get the dog to look away from the newcomer and back to you. When the dog is doing this with no problem it is time to introduce a dog.
Introduce an another dog long way away. You are going to have to enlist the help of another dog owner as you want to be able to control the situation at all times. Stand far enough apart that your dog is alert but not lunging or barking. It is usually somewhere between 50 ft and 300 ft away. This is the point at which your dog starts to calm down. Stand still and the other dog should be standing still also then wait until the dog looks away from the other dog and reward with the sound and treat.
If you dog is barking or lunging then you are too close to the dog so back away until the dog looks at the dog but is calm. When you dog will look at the dog and then back at you it is time to move closer. Move closer a few feet and try to make the dog look at you, when the dog is calm move forward again. Practice with the dogs and owners that you know so that nothing bad happens. Always back away if your dog shows aggression. Move closer and closer until you are about 10 feet from the other dog and your dog is calm.
It can take some time, but eventually your dog will begin to associate the yummy treat with the presence of other dogs…Then you can carry treats with you and reward for good behavior when meeting strange dogs.
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