Since dogs are pack animals, you and the other humans he comes into contact with are all part of the pack.As far as your dog is concerned, no pack can exist without a leader, and that leader is either one of you or it's him. That's the way it has to be. You may think that the ideal situation would be that really just want to be friends , on equal terms so to speak with your dog but that for the dog is not really an option ., or peers with your dog. You can indeed be on " best friend" terms with your dog , but for the well-being of your dog you must be the one in charge.
Few dogs actively seek leadership and most are perfectly content
for you to assume that role, so long as you do. But you must do so. or even
the meekest of dogs will try to take over. Remember, it's not a matter of
choice. For every one's safety, you have to be the one in charge and he must
be in no doubt whatsoever about this otherwise he imagines himself to be "the
boss" and that can only lead to trouble on all fronts . In the dog's
mind if he is allowed to be the leader of the pack( and remember his pack
comprises of all those other dogs and humans he comes into contact with)
he is entitled to exercise
what I will refer to as:-
The Leader of The Pack's Bill of Rights .
I. To eat first,
gorge himself, and have an indisputable right to any left overs.
2. To stand, sit, or lie down wherever they want.
3. To have access to the 'prime' spots in the house.
4. To control entry to, or from any room in the house.
5. To proceed through all narrow openings first.
6. To initiate the hunt and dictate where to hunt.
7. To make the 'kill' at the end of the hunt.
8. To demand attention from subordinate pack members.
9. To ignore or actively discourage unwanted attention.
10. To restrict the movements of lesser ranking pack members.
11. To win all games.
By carefully studying this Bill of Rights you can tell who
is at the moment the pack leader in your house. If you think it's your dog
you must effect a role reversal and establish that you or a member of your
family becomes pack leader. This can be achieved by adhering to the following "do's" and
'don'ts."
How to Establish yourself/chosen family member as a Pack Leader :
DON'T
1. Aggression is learned through an excess of rough play which
can unconsciously reinforce the dog's notion of his own dominance.
2. Aggressive behaviou can also be a result of over-stimulation
of the dog's senses. In my experience over stimulation of the dog's senses
of vision and his response to touch are the two senses that will elicit a
quick bite. If the dog's sense of hearing Is over stimulated, most dogs will
however turn away or try to escape.
3. Aggression can be attributed to the dog's natural instinct
to protect his territory.The extent of the area that a dog regards as "his
territory"may be restricted to somewhere as small as the dog's sleeping
area or food dish. On the other hand it could be extensive
enough to include everything that falls within the area in or within the
vicinity of the dog's home/car/yard. This has to be clearly defined to the
dog as he will vigilantly defend those areas he regards as belonging to
him ie falling within his territory.
4. Dogs can be aggressive when approached while they are eating.Dogs
are predatory animals. They chase things that run. In the wild this is their
way of avoiding starvation.Their natural instinct is to chase and catch their
prey. In the wild they will fiercely protect the prey they catch and in due
course begin to eat it. This natural instinct is latent in dogs even when
they are domesticated and sometimes when they feel that their food is about
to be taken away from them they will respond as they would in the wild...with
a bite.This bite is usually a grab and hold action.
Some dogs will automatically snap if approached when eating. This natural
reflex must be discouraged.
5. Aggression can be a symptom of discomfort or pain.A dog
will bite reflexively when injured and in pain. If the pain is sudden, the
bite is quickly released. This is the one case when a snap or bite is forgivable
.
6. Aggression can be used by the dog to assert dominancy over
other dogs.It's not unusual for male dogs to fight other males to assert
their position in respect of a female mate. Sometimes males (and females
towards other females) will show aggression simply as a challenge to other
dogs. With some dogs, they will have to be kept separate or a constant vigilance
will have to be kept when the dogs are allowed contact with each other.
7. Aggression can be used as a way of trying to protect the
pups.Nursing females are often extremely protective of their young. Caution
must always be used when approaching puppies or the "nesting area" .
Common sense has to be used along with an awareness of the mother dog's natural
protective instinct which is honed even against
the most familiar family member.
8. Aggression may be indicative of a dog being in a state of
fear- I personally feel that the dog who bites out of fear is the most dangerous.
They are untrustworthy and unpredictable and can inflict very serious injury.
9. Unexplained aggressions can occur If the dog's thyroid,
liver or any other part of the neuro-endocrine system is not functioning
correctly. If this situation of unexplained aggression manifests with your
hitherto placid pet then your first priority is to confirm that there is
nothing affecting the dog's health. The majority of owners of pet dogs are
unable to read the body language of the dog. They can even contribute to
the crisis by provoking even more aggression by not recognizing that the
dog's newly found aggression is a direct result of some physical problem
he is enduring. It is vital to
eliminate ill health as the source for the aggressive behaviour by visiting
a vet who can thoroughly check the dog's physical health.
10. Genetically inherited aggressive tendencies.Genetics also determine any particular dog's personality of which aggression is only one facet.
In most situations trying to deal with a dog's aggressive behaviour
without undertaking a an obedience training course is like trying to drive
a car which is equipt with neither brakes nor wheels .
When aggression occurs there is a always a set pattern.......There
is always a stimulus present .....followed by a response from the dog and
a result he experiences as a direct result of his response. This result will
either reinforce or discourage the dog's aggressive
response depending on whether it is pleasant or unpleasant.
To deal effectively with the aggression you must determine
what exactly is the underlying stimulus that initiates the dog's aggression.(
Once the stimulus has been identified it can then be changed , avoided or
removed.) The response is obvious- the aggressive behaviour of the dog. Next,
you must change, avoid, or remove the reinforcer or consequence to the undesirable
response.
Begin with a baseline or frequency count of how often the dog displays aggressive
behaviour arid when the response begins to diminish. One can now focus on
the acceptable behaviours by teaching the dog to passively inhibit the aggressive
response, using positive rewards. Does practice make perfect? Only if the
practice is perfect.