How To Stop Puppy Aggression
That playful puppy biting may seem cute
at first,but if not stopped at an early age can lead to some serious problems later on down the road.Learning how
to stop puppy aggression is an important part of raising a new dog.No one wants to be bitten by a
dog.
Part of the learning process is socializing your pup at an early age.Your puppy's aggression doesn't just involve biting;it also includes all
the barking,jumping up and running around.These are all things that may be cute at first,but if they are left
unchecked,will lead to even more serious problems later that will be harder to fix.
You should understand up front that there may be several reasons that your puppy becomes
aggressive.These include:
* Being left alone for long periods of time.Boredom combined with the stress and anxiety of being alone often
leads to dog aggression.
* Bullying by other dogs or by people can also lead to puppy aggression.Any dog that is picked on,whether it is
by another dog,your kids or friends may just respond in kind by biting.
* Physical pain or discomfort can also play a part in a dog's aggressive
behaviour.If your pup has a wound it may protect itself by biting.Biting is your dog's way to
say"Leave Me Alone"!
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* Some full blooded breeds are susceptible to genetic diseases that bring out aggressive tendencies.Before
getting your pup,do some research on the breed's temperment.Some breeds are more prone to violent actions than
others.
* Some breeds such as German Shepherds are naturally territorial.This can lead the dog to feel it needs to
protect his turf,even from you and your family.
Whatever the underlining cause,it may take more than a simple dog obedience class to solve puppy aggression
problems.It could take some serious dog aggression
training!
The good news is that there are things that you can do to help prevent this type of behavior.
* Probably the best way to stop puppy aggression is
prevention! Starting as early as possible will give you the best chance to stop a problem before it starts.
Now it may seem silly,but you can try this.The first time that your pup bites,growls at you or chews on
something,growl at him and follow that with a "No" in a firm voice.Growling is a mother dogs way of setting the
boundaries for her pup.He learns just how far he can push before mom gets upset.Your growling followed by a "No"
command clearly defines what is acceptible.
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The flip side to this is giving rewards for when your pup does what is expected.For instance when he has been
given the "No" command and doesn't bark at someone and stays quiet,give him his treat.This will reinforce his good
behaviour.
* Acting quickly and with consistency is going to help stop your puppy aggression
problems before they become an issue for you.
* Dogs are pack animals and need to have a leader.You will need to establish yourself as that leader.You have to
set the ground rules and those need to be continually reinforced.Your pup has to get used to you handling his
food,toys and even him.Your pup needs for his peace of mind to know where he stands in the pecking order.This
includes when and where he eats,what toys are his,etc.
* Puppies can get startled easily,so yelling or scaring them at an early age can have traumatic effects that may
not surface until later in life. So when you need to stop your dog from doing something
undesirable,use a firm voice not physical punishment.
Again,when your pup does do what you expect and behaves that is the time for rewards.He will get the message
quickly that good behaviour gets him a reward.
* Puppies begin teething at about three months of age and continue until about six months.Puppies bite and chew
at this stage in their lives because of teething.Now that in itself isn't bad,but combined with their increased
playfulness can lead to more aggressive actions later.
While you need to be aware of your pup's desire to chew to relieve his discomfort,you don't want to encourage it
by allowing him to chew on your fingers or other body parts.Instead what you can do is to put his favorite chew toy
in the refrigerator overnight so that it is good and cold.Then let him chew on that.Having something cold to chew
on will help his gums and teeth and prevent him from wanting to chew on you.
* One mistake that is very common is to play rough with your dog.Wrestling and playing tug of war can bring out
a dogs
aggressive behaviours.Dogs are competitive and this kind of play
will bring that out.Instead try playing games that don't involve those things.Playing fetch is a good
alternative.
Being kind and loving towards your dog while being firm and drawing a line at bad behaviour will stop
puppy aggression quickly.You will end up with a well mannered and loving dog in the end.
Getting help with your dog training efforts is easier than you may think!
Check out these dog training courses!
  
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