He acts aggressive.

by JCS
(Greensboro, N.C.)

Our coton is 2 1/2 years old. He loves our immediate family, but acts very aggressive towards our friends and strangers. How can we break this bad habit. When he acts this way we put him in his crate and scold him. We want him to like our friends.

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May 22, 2013
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starstarstarstarstar 		aggressive NEW
by: Vicky & Jonah (Az)

I am assuming u r talking about when visitors come 2 ur house so this is 4 when friends visit.

Start hanging a bag on the outside door knob whn u know ur friends r coming 2 visit. Put in squeaky toys, ball & treats so whn ur friends walk into the house they can squeak the toy & throw 4 the dog. This will chg the way the dog views guest when the dog comes back hve them throw another toy or treat. Don't hve them hand it 2 ur pup & put their hand toward him but drop it so the pup can get it.

Whn they sit down & dog approaches hve them throw another toy or the other treat. Soon ur pup will look 2 friends in a diff. light as good visits.

Strangers I assume do not come in the door & u only talk 2 them through a locked screen door. The dog will bark 2 warn of strangers. This is when the "quiet command" comes in handy that once they bark 2 say I'm watching u, u say "thank u quiet."

By getting a friend of yours 2 help u can also once the bell rings hve their leash on them put them in a sit stay back frm the door & start 2 open the door. If the dog moves close the door friend still outside & repeat as many times as it takes 4 the dog not 2 move b 4 friend enters house. Then friend can greet once u release the dog.

Also get out 2 ur local dog parks which introduces dogs 2 a variety of ppl, dogs and kids now that its summer. Variety in a dogs life make 4 a well rounded dog & family member. Remember he also is still a pup @ 2.5 & learning so practice, practice, practice. The more u practice the quicker (1-2 months) it will happen. If u do not practice it will remain the same.

May 17, 2013
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starstarstarstarstar 		Mine too. NEW
by: Elizabeth

My 2 1/2 year old does the same thing. She pulls me on the leash so she can see ahead then get ferocious sounding if there's another dog. Unbelievably though, some dogs she immediately likes and others (even an old, well-behaved golden retriever) she doesn't like and goes crazy near him while he just looks at her like she's nuts (which she is).

When people enter the house she'll go nuts for awhile but then I'll stand in front of her (between her and the 'stranger' and say "no" a couple of times then she'll quiet down and be fine. I'm trying that outside as well and it's starting to work.

I feel badly because she's really such a sweet girl and some people think she's vicious.

Good luck!
May 17, 2013
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starstarstarstarstar 		I agree NEW
by: Mitch Tuckness

The first thing you need to do is train yourself. Even though we all love our dogs and we treat them as little furry humans, they are not people. Yelling at your dog or 'Grounding' them or other human reactions will only worsen the issue.

If your dog is aggressive towards other people and animals then you need to gradually introduce them to people. Remember, the more different people you have your dog around, the more likely he/she will become used to strangers and not act protectively.

Also, as the previous poster suggested, a kennel is not a punishment place. A kennel should be a place of comfort and security for a dog, like a den. Never use one as punishment.

Never punish a dog with violence, spankings or rubbing their noses in stuff. Take a deep breath, tell them no, walk them outside or to a different room and then introduce them to the people or person again. Repeat until they learn the proper means of greeting people.

Moriarty was like that. If I went traveling and then got to the destination, if there was another dog or person around her would go berserk! I had never heard a dog be so ferocious sounding! But I would just take him outside, have him on a harness leash and then come back in and introduce him all over again. Eventually he got to wear he would be quite, then he started sniffing, then he walked around, then he would let people pet him or sniff another dog, then he was running around without a care in the world.

Yes it is frustrating sometimes, yes it's work, but you can't raise a child in one day and you sure as heck can't teach a dog to be a well rounded mature adult dog in a day either. Calm persistence is the key to any canine training.

Calm
Assertive
Repetitious
Consistence


Are all things to remember when your teaching that dog to be a normalized adult.

Moriarty is now just as friendly as can be, except kids on anything but their feet :) He goes nuts if they are on a bike or skateboard or anything! But luckily I don't have to worry about that!

Good luck and remember, no matter what we think, they are just dogs :) Loveable, cute and furry, but dogs none-the-less.
May 17, 2013
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starstarstarstarstar 		do not punish NEW
by: Diane

What ever you do, DO NOT USE THE CRATE AS A PUNISHMENT... you will regret it later when he hates being in it! Also, scolding will only esculate the issue (that is a human behavior, not a k9 behavior).

the first step is to learn more about dog behavior and treat him accordingly... I suggest the Dog Whispers way... wored for us tremendously, not only with our dogs but in life in general.

http://www.cesarsway.com/channel/dog-behavior/dog-aggression

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