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5 Effective Ways in Controlling the Aggression of Your Dog

For dogs, aggression is one of the most common yet overlooked problems by pet owners. And if it continues to be neglected, the condition will most likely deteriorate. Hence, pet parents are highly encouraged to ask for help from a professional or veterinarians should your dog start showing signs of aggression.

Before you decide to take your beloved companion to the clinic, here are the five most effective ways in controlling the aggression of your dog.

1.Establish yourself as the pack leader

Dogs will naturally look for a pack leader. It’s an instinctual feeling about deciding who is the strongest of the pack that can lead them. One of the causes of your dog’s aggressive behavior is because he wanted to be the pack leader.

Hence, he will dominate or overpower you by becoming aggressive. However, if you establish yourself as the pack leader and will show your dog that you’re stronger between the two of you, he will stop fighting for dominance.

In order for your dog to acknowledge you as their leader, you should know how to limit them, give boundaries, establish rules, and ensure that you don’t follow your dog or show weakness in front of him especially when he is aggressive because he will most likely think that you are inferior to him.

2.Impose gestures

When your dog is about to bite you, or he shows any aggressive moves towards you, you should scream “Off!” or “Don’t!” while crossing both your arms and making eye contact. Do this repeatedly until the dog knows its limitations.

Canine aggression could be prevented especially if your dog had already learned his basic house manners. Build a connection with him so that you will never have to punish the dog physically should he behave aggressively towards you.

Always keep in mind that punishing the dog physically can worsen his canine aggression because he will try to provide his dominance against you by fighting back.

3.Early socialization for puppies

In order to avoid canine aggression problems when the puppy grows up, you should introduce your puppy to an early socialization. It includes teaching your puppy that he should not chase random people jogging around, growl for no reason at all, or grab the food when he is being fed.

Let the puppy know that he is part of the family already. Aside from that, he should also be taught how to deal with the mailman, repairman, or any visitors of your household. Your puppy should be friendly otherwise meeting with other people will trigger him to act aggressively.

Your children should also prevent of hurting your puppy physically because it can scare him off every time someone touches him thinking that the person will only want to hurt him.

4.Train your dog constantly

When it comes to training your dog, consistency is vital. Dog treats and rewards is a great way to encourage your dog into training and catching his attention. Aside from that, praising him or letting him know that what he did is good will also make him want to do the act again to receive the praise from you.

If you have children, you should also teach them basic obedience command. Controlling your pet is very important so that the dog wouldn’t do anything that he wanted. He needs to know that someone is watching him and every time he acts aggressively or does not listen to the owner; he earns disapproval from his pet parent.

For instance, making your dog sit to attach the leash to his collar, telling him to sit before you climb out of the car, commanding your dog to sit if he does not act accordingly, and using gestures to show him that what he is doing is not appropriate anymore.

5.Preventing food aggression

Perhaps one of the most common causes of aggression of a dog is his protective ways towards his food. If anyone approaches him while he is eating, the dog will snarl or growl silently, telling you to back off. Especially if it’s also a dog, who tries to steal his food from him.

To prevent this bad food aggression, you should train your dog when it comes to feeding time. For instance, let him know that you are the only provider of the food and if the dog opposes to your command then he will not get his food. Tell him to sit and let him know that without you, there would be no food. Hence, he will be forced to follow your commands and be obedient.

While your dog is eating, you should also try petting him. In that way, he will learn that you are not there to steal his food but only to pet him. If your dog starts growling and stops eating if you place a hand on any part of his body, you should back away first and slowly place your hands again until he gets used to it.

While your dog is eating, you can also reward him with a treat. Once he learns that you are not a food stealer, you may receive a response if you call his name while he is eating. Reward your dog with a dog treat if he comes over you and you can now let him finish eating his food.

Once the dog is done eating, you can also provide some extra treats such as meat strips. Your dog will mostly like it. Hence, he will want your presence around especially when he is eating because he will expect it after he is done.

Final Thoughts

These are the most effective ways you can use in controlling your dog aggression behavior. These preventative ways can help you to mold your dog into a more obedient companion and stop aggression even before he develops it.

Sometimes, it can be hard to control the aggression of your dog when he is older. Hence, you should start training him as a pup to avoid problems in the long run.

 

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Step-by-Step Guide about Dog Leash Training

All dogs, regardless of size, age, or lifestyle, should be taught to walk nicely on leash. They are not born knowing that they shouldn’t pull ahead or lag behind so it’s our job to teach them good leash manners. Dog leash training can be challenging, though, because dogs move faster than us and are excited about exploring the outdoors. Some dogs want to run around as fast as they possibly can and others want to stop, sniff and urinate on everything they pass. Like many other kinds of training, teaching a dog to walk nicely on leash will require some time and effort. But the payoff is a dog who is a pleasure to walk. You can use various methods to teach your dog to walk without pulling on leash, but no single method works for all dogs. Here are some overall guidelines and methods:

1. Before you start – Pick the right leash and collar

To get your dog walking on a leash you need the right equipment. Sounds like an obvious step, but there are many different types out there. Your dog needs an appropriate collar that fits properly, as well as a suitable leash.

Always bring enough treats to reward your dog when you do leash training.

2. Basic commands for dog leash training

Before you start the leash training, there are a few basic commands your dog should know. “Stay” and “Come” are very important commands when you want to teach your dog to walk nicely on leash. “Stay” teaches your dog to stand still and stay calm for a short time while you put on the collar and leash, or when you have to wait somewhere in traffic before crossing a street. “Come” means that your dog should stop what he’s doing and return to you. “Come” is an important command when you want to prepare your dog for a walk – in case he/she is somewhere else in the house.

3. Keep it simple & short

The first step is to get your dog familiar and accustomed to a collar. A simple way to do that is to attach the collar whenever your dog is going outside to be in the garden. You can also try to put it on when you are doing some basic training or games. If you let your dog wear the collar and leash for short periods of time during which you are playing with him/her and offering treats, you pup might end up loving “collar and leash time” because it represents food and fun. Your dog will quickly get used to the feeling of the collar and leash.

Always watch out that the collar isn’t too tight that it is uncomfortable and irritating.

If you have a puppy or an adult dog who has never been leash trained, begin with simple, short sessions (maybe just around the house). As the leash-walk improves, you can make the sessions longer and more difficult. But first when your pup is ready for it!

4. Don’t forget rewards

Teaching a dog to walk without pulling requires plenty of rewards. Each time your dog masters the leash walk (even just for a few seconds) reward him/her with praise and by feeding a treat. It’s a good idea to bring your dog’s favorite treats to encourage the leash training. Give a treat every few steps at first and then increase the distance you walk between treats until he/she forms the habit of walking at your side without treats. In general, soft treats are best so your dog can eat them quickly and continue training.

If your dog won’t walk with you, stop walking and apply a gentle leash pressure. The leash pressure is meant to be a reminder of your presence and to make it slightly unpleasant for him to ignore you. But never force your dog towards you! Praise, reward and release pressure once your pup begins to come towards you.

5. Leash Training for Puppies

When you’re dealing with a puppy, remember to take baby steps. Before going for a walk on a leash with him, start by only attaching the leash indoors and play with your pooch to keep him occupied and distracted from the new, strange accessory. Make the leash loose enough, to avoid irritation and to ensure your puppy feels comfortable. Then practice putting your puppy on a leash in your backyard while you’re enjoying familiar surroundings. The most important thing is to slowly get your puppy familiar with leash training: indoors, while playing, while going to the local grocery just around the corner. In time, with some practice, you can increase the length of your walks with your puppy, because he won’t even notice the leash anymore.

6. Be patient

Dog leash training requires time, patience and effort. Therefore, stay calm and be patient! Take your time and keep your cool, but be persistent in what you do to achieve the results you want. Even if the results are only a small step towards what you wish to achieve, in time, the small steps will get bigger. Very quickly you will find your dog accepting the leash and eventually he will come to walk nicely on it as well.

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How to Teach the “Quiet” Command and Get Your Dog to Stop Barking on Cue

Barking is not all bad. After all, that’s how dogs vocalize themselves. Barking is even cute, especially when it comes from a pup who’s just learning to do so. But there are times when our dogs’ barking gets so annoying that we wish we could just tell them to shut it.

And guess what?

We can.

With the help of the “Quiet” command.

That’s right, you don’t have to match the volume of your dog by yelling at him to “Shut it!” because a more efficient way is available in the form of a softer but firm “Quiet” command.

Why Teach Your Dog The “Quiet” Command?

A bark can help ward off dangerous people (and animals) from your home, but does your dog have to bark so relentlessly and loudly? We all have that one neighbor who has complained of our dog’s barking at some point, and I’m sure even you had the same grumbly thoughts when a dog’s barking (yours or otherwise) kept you up in the middle of the night.

One of my dogs starts barking as a way to demand food from us when we’re at the dinner table, and while we never indulge her, she’s doesn’t seem to stop doing it. It can grate on my nerves, especially when I’m already feeling worn out from the events of the day.

The same dog starts barking up a frenzy in the morning, usually for no apparent reason. It’s become such a routine that everyone in our home has just learned to tune it out. But if you’re in this kind of situation and I told you that you can effectively tell your dog to quiet down, you’d want to know how, right?

Luckily, that’s what we’re going to talk about in this training article.

You’ve now trained your dog some basic commands and how to drop an item from his mouth, and now it’s time to tell your dog to be quiet.

Once you’ve taught this command to your dog, you can use it to stop your dog from barking just about anytime and anywhere necessary; at the dog park, at your yard when the mailman walks by, at home in the middle of the night, and so on.

What To Prepare

Once again, you have to stock up on tasty treats, as we’re going for a rewards/ positive reinforcement- based approach for training your dog the “Quiet” command.

Again, if you’re a trainer who makes use of clicker training methods, charge up your clicker. Make sure that your dog knows the basics of clicker training like what the click signifies (an upcoming reward), what triggers a click (a good behavior), and so on.

We’re going to discuss two slightly different opportunities for training your dog to respond to the “Quiet” command, but for one of them, you need to train your dog how to “Speak” first. That means you have to teach your dog to bark on command.

If you don’t want or have the time to teach your dog the “Speak” command, that’s okay. You can take advantage of the other possible training opportunity: anytime your dog starts to bark incessantly. You can roughly schedule training times if your dog as a schedule of barking like when the mailman comes to your door.

If you’re going to train your dog like that, keep the treats in strategic locations around your house so that you have easy access to them once the barking starts. For example, somewhere near the front door, in the kitchen, etc.

Teaching Your Dog The “Quiet” Command

Whether you opt to train your dog on a fixed schedule or only when the opportunity arises, it’s going to go down the same way.

Of course, the training begins when your dog is barking. So either say the “Speak” command to your dog or wait until your dog starts barking.

Then, say the “Quiet” command while sticking your hand with a treat in it right in front of your dog’s nose.

Once your dog stops barking to sniff at the treat, click then reward (if using a clicker) or reward the treat immediately then give verbal praise (if you’re not a clicker trainer).

To ensure that your dog knows that you are rewarding his silence and not the barking, first reduce the amount of time that passes between your command and the silence by rewarding only if your dog shushes within 10 seconds, then within 8, 6, and so on. Then, you can drive the point home even more by progressively increasing the amount of time that he is quiet before rewarding him.

Over time, you can reduce the treats by only giving it sporadically or with exceptional responses like immediately stopping the barking once you say the “Quiet” command. But don’t stop the verbal praise to keep on reinforcing the behavior with your dog.

Conclusion

Dogs are a joy to have in our lives, but you can be left second guessing their presence when they start yapping away. Luckily, with just a few treats, some patience and time, you can teach them to quiet down with a simple “Quiet” command.

So the next time your mailman walks by, amaze him by exhibiting your dog’s new mute feature.

When do you plan to use the “Quiet” command with your dog? Let us know in the comments below!

 

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Here’s How to Teach Your Dog to Fetch Something And Actually Give It Back

Fetching is something that just seems like something that comes with owning a dog. But if your dogs are like mine, they do the chasing part really well and then fail at returning the item they fetched. So today, we’re going to learn how to teach your dog to fetch… and then actually bring it back.

When my dogs give back what they fetched, it gives me a sense of accomplishment as well. So teaching your dog how to get something and give it back is an enriching experience for you both.

When you teach your dog to fetch (the right way), you’re teaching them more than just how to play a game. It’s also about obedience, consistency, exercising them both physically and mentally, and teaching them to control their impulses. So you’re really not losing anything by adding this skill to your training commands collection.

What To Prepare When Teaching Your Dog To Fetch

So you’re all fired up to teach your dog to fetch, but what do you need?

Just a few things, all of which are probably already in your home!

Here’s what you need: a toy or two, both of which hold appeal to your dog. It shouldn’t be hard to look for these if your dog has a whole hoard of toys which they love (like mine does!). If your dog’s not much for toys, then try to find an item that they are interested in. This can be a ball, a Frisbee, a stick, or something else entirely. Feel free to experiment at the beginning!

Next, you’re going to need some treats to reward your dog’s good behavior with. As with all the commands we have talked about before, treats are a great motivator for dogs.

Finally, you need a long leash or a flexi-leash. It’s important for the returning part of fetching, as we all know how fond our dogs are of playing keep away when they’ve got something we want.

How to Teach Your Dog to Fetch Something

You start off by getting your dog to chase after the item in question. Some dogs do so my instinct, but some don’t. If your dog is of the latter kind, here’s what you can do: entice and encourage your dog to get an item on the ground. Once they grab it, reward with whatever motivator you have: treats, affection, praise, or a combination of any of those.

Once your dog grabs the item, take it from them after rewarding them.

Later on, you can start tossing the object to short and then longer distances. Immediately reward your dog once s/he goes after the item. Repeat and reinforce.

How to Teach Your Dog to Return Something

The next part of fetch is having the item returned to you. There are several ways you can go about this part. One is to call your dog back to you, and if they still have the object in their mouth, you can ask them to drop it in exchange for a treat.

Another way is to grab your dog’s attention with another toy. Entice your dog to return to you by showing them another toy that they will be interested in. This way, your dog gets used to the idea of going back to you after they have retrieved an item.

If your dog does go back to you but without the first item in their mouth, you can teach them to do so later by rewarding them only if they return the item to you.

What If My Dog Likes To Keep Away?

If your dog already has the item in their mouth and won’t give it to you because their idea of fun is for you to chase them to get it back, don’t chase after them. That defeats the purpose of fetch wherein your dog fetches something and gives it to you willingly, not you running after them saying “Give it!”

Here’s where the long leash comes in handy. Once your dog reaches the first item, call them to you by gently tugging on the leash. Reward your dog once they get close to you. At first, even without the item, but you can improve on that aspect over time.

What If My Dog Won’t Let Go?

This is my problem with one of my dogs. She likes to hold on to the item even after she’s gone back to me after fetching it, and her idea of fetch is when I tug on the toy to get it back from her.

When this happens, don’t force your dog. Instead, tell them to “Drop It” or “Give” in exchange for a treat. Chances are your dog will drop the toy because the treat is more appealing to them.

Or you can also use the second toy to distract them. Throw the second one, and once they chase after that, you can pick up the first toy and just use them in a cycle like that.

It works wonders, trust me.

Conclusion

As with our other training commands, constantly reinforce your dog’s fetching skills by doing it as much as you can. Don’t forget to keep training sessions short and sweet, around 5-15 minutes only.

If these training processes don’t work in sequence, fetching training can also take the form of backchaining, so you can try that out as well. Here are other fetching tips to try out as well.

Constantly change up the items that you play fetch with, so your dog won’t get tired of the items either. Plus, it teaches them that fetch can be played with a variety of items.

As your training progresses, you can start phasing out treats and only rewarding exceptional performances like prompt fetching and returning.

If you have any other questions about teaching your dog how to fetch, leave us a comment below!

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Top 5 Most Common Dog Health Problems

Health-related problems are a part of life. Although it’s something we’d all rather avoid thinking about, it’s important to educate ourselves about what conditions, illnesses or diseases are out there.

There are many illnesses and conditions dogs can suffer from in life and it’s surprising to learn just how common these illnesses can be.

We’ve put together a top 5 of some of the most common dog health problems that we hear about every day, some are not so serious while others will need more advanced care.

5. CATARACTS

This is a big one, especially with older dogs. Cataracts for dogs, just like humans can really affect the way we see.

It’s not only old age that will bring about these growths on the eye, often cataracts will develop after the eye has been through a trauma or can be caused by a disease. Cataracts in dogs may even be present when the dog is first born or may develop in the first few weeks of a puppy’s life

4. BROKEN BONES

Broken bones can happen for a number of reasons. Your dog may have been hit by a car in the street or they may have fallen from a height.

Your dog will try to remain brave and will avoid showing you that they are in pain so keep an eye out for things like limping, lumps or bones protruding from the skin and whimpering or whining when touched.

3. ARTHRITIS

Arthritis is very common amongst older dogs. In fact, 1 in 5 American dogs suffers from arthritis, or osteoarthritis as it is known, at some point during their lives.

You’ll notice that your dog is slower to get onto their feet (especially in the morning or in cooler weather) and will be far less active than they used to be. It’s often very hard to tell if your dog is suffering from arthritis. Even though it’s very painful, your dog won’t show much sign of complaint.

Exercise, weight control, and anti-arthritic drugs can all lead to helping your dog overcome the pain of arthritis.

2. DIARRHOEA

Diarrhoea is very common, largely because it can be brought about by a number of reasons. Sometimes it will just be caused by some bad food or an allergic reaction, but in other cases, it can be more serious.

1. FLEAS AND TICKS

Fleas, as you’re probably already aware, is another one of things that nearly every dog will get during a lifetime.

They can be knocked over quite easily with the right medication and you can find a number of products for sale at your local pet store.

Ticks, however, are far more serious. Ticks like the paralysis tick can cause serious health problems for your dog, including poisoning of the blood and even death.

 

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