Many canines live in social groups. Although domestic dogs do not live in actual “packs” like their wild ancestors, dogs do instinctively look for their place in the hierarchy of a group. Most dogs look for a leader to follow. Their instincts tell them that their survival depends on a strong leader. In your home, you should obviously be the leader of the social group to which your dog belongs. Nonetheless, there will be times when your dog challenges your leadership. It is vital that you quickly and decisively demonstrate that your leadership is not up for grabs. Your sanity, your dog’s security, and the safety of you both depend on your ability to be…

What should you do when your dog growls at you? The short answer is: Consult a professional trainer.  A growl is a warning—it is the dog’s way of saying “I don’t like what’s happening. If the situation continues I will bite.” Any behavior that could lead to a bite should be addressed with professional assistance.  This article will help you understand some of the reasons for growling and some of the strategies a trainer may recommend for addressing the problem. However, each dog is different, and the first step must be a professional, in-person evaluation of your dog. With the correct information, you and the trainer can come up with a plan that is…

Your dominant dog believes he is the leader of the pack. In the absence of a stronger leader, he is making his own decisions about how to act when he is excited, bored, hungry, or scared. Unless you nip it in the bud, this situation has the potential to cause big problems. For the sake of safety and sanity, you must become the leader your dog needs you to be.   Reclaiming leadership from a dominant dog goes far beyond basic obedience. The following tips and techniques are proven to successfully communicate leadership, but they are effective only if you are committed and consistent. You must follow through 100% of the time, even when it seems tough.    Alpha Actions and Attitudes  Alphas establish and maintain control of the…

Usually when dogs begin to act aggressively, for example, barking, jumping and spinning, when they see another dog; most owner’s reaction is I need to socialize him, let’s go to the dog park.  That is the worst thing you can do for your dog.  First, it’s not fair to the young dog that is submissive and just wants to be loved by other dogs and second, if there is another dog that is reactive as well, you may be looking at a dog fight.  How can my dog not like other dogs?  When your puppy is with his litter and mother, he is learning dog on dog interaction.  But that interaction must…

Aggression is the most serious and dangerous behavioral problem that many dog owners need to deal with.  In my opinion, there is no place for any type aggression in our society.  It is unacceptable behavior which should be eradicated as soon as possible.  Aggression cannot be handled by reading a book, a trained professional is needed to diagnosis the type of aggression the dog has so to educate the owner and make him aware of situations that may provoke the dog.  The trained professional can also determine the prognosis and develop a cause of action.  In some cases medical conditions can contribute to aggression, therefore a complete physical examination and…

Aggression because your dog has a bone or food or toy in his possession is a dominance behavior.  In your dog’s mind, he is correcting the owner for going near HIS food or object.  This is the correct reaction by an Alpha dog to a subordinate.  By growling, your dog is asserting his position in the pack.  I break down this training into segments and recommend that you move slowly from each step.  It may take you more than the time allotted here to move from each step.  I use food as my example but you can train the same way and follow the steps the same way for bones…

In light of the recent Gorilla incident in Cincinnati, I feel in need to address the 200 lb gorilla in the room, no pun intended.  I have noticed that the beginning of each summer, there is an increase in the amount of dog bite calls I receive.  I believe it could be the Memorial Day kick off that has friends and family gathering for barbeques and everyone forgets that the dog is just as excited.  Fido has always been ‘very excited’, nippy, etc. but it isn’t until there is a tragedy like a dog bite do people reach out and want to train their dog.  I guess it’s the severity…

We are now in the era where our concern for our new dog or puppy is to be sure he or she is not food aggressive.  I will attempt to explain the reasons for food aggression but I will not explain how to re-train your dog. Why?  Because each dog is an individual, what I may do with one dog for food aggression, may not be the same thing I will do with another.  I will explain what I do when raising a puppy so to be sure he or she does not grow up to be food aggressive, but if your dog is food aggressive, I recommend that you…