How to Help an Aggressive Dog

Rehabilitating an aggressive dog is no small task, but it is well worth the reward of a happy, well-adjusted dog. Though aggression can be scary, the overwhelming majority of aggressive dogs can be cured of their aggressive tendencies. Dog aggression expert Patricia McConnell has argued that most aggressive dogs are actually quite fearful. Keep this in mind during moments of frustration with your dog, and never punish or yell at your dog.

Things You'll Need

  • Clicker
  • Dog treats
  • Leash
  • Collar
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Instructions

    • 1

      Pinpoint the triggers for your dog's aggression. Observe your dog going through her daily life for a week and make careful notes of every interaction that triggers aggressive behavior. This will give you vital information about how to work with your dog. Make sure to keep track of the exact circumstances in which your dog becomes aggressive. For example, does your dog react to men in general or just men who are standing up?

    • 2

      Begin by working on the area in which your dog is least aggressive. Small successes in the beginning can keep you motivated to continue working with your dog. Further, when a dog stops being aggressive in one circumstance, this may generalize to other circumstances. By starting with something simple, you increase the odds that you and your dog will be able to work on his more difficult aggression triggers.

    • 3

      Expose your dog to the object of aggression in small doses. Because aggression is typically motivated by fear or lack of exposure, providing your dog with many opportunities to be around aggression triggers is vital. Let's say your dog becomes aggressive when she's within 10 feet of a man. You'll want to start by exposing her to a man who is 11 feet away. This prevents her from "practicing" her aggression before you have it under control.

    • 4

      Use a clicker when your dog gets near the object of aggression and reward her for not reacting. Remember to keep her further away from the object of aggression than she typically is when she reacts. In other words, using the example in the above step, you'd start by rewarding her when she was 11 feet away from a man. Repeat this for a week and then work down to 10 feet, 9 feet, etc.

    • 5

      Encourage the person toward whom your dog is aggressive to toss treats to your dog. Don't allow them to make eye contact, make sudden movements or try to pet your dog. Remember to always have your dog on a leash so she cannot harm anyone.

    • 6

      Desensitize your dog to physical contact. When you have worked down to being one foot away from the object of aggression, have the other person extend his hand toward your dog without making contact. Click the clicker and reward your dog. Increase the closeness of physical contact, always rewarding your dog, until your dog is completely comfortable with physical contact.