We should always place ourselves in our dog’s position, and ask ourselves a few questions before trying to push an absolute stranger into the dog’s face. How would we feel if that absolute stranger came up to us and without being introduced, they start to touch us or just invade our personal space. I know i would probably ask them to back off as a warning before slapping them and pushing them away. Well for the dog it is exactly the same, don’t impose your friends on your dog, to him they are strangers, the same way that we voice a warning to back off, the dog Growls, and again as we will become more physical in our message of discomfort, the dog who doesn’t have hands to get his message across…will use his teeth.

Ah yes the bite, for which the poor unsuspecting animal is then punished and put down for, and all for what? Because the responsible owner forgets that not every dog has to love or even like all our friends, the same way we do not like everyone, and dogs just like humans have their grumpy days in which they don’t feel like being toyed, patted and played with. If the basic simple introductory rules are followed quite a few accidents could be avoided.

Let your dog introduce himself first, as your friend stands naturally with their arms down, so your dog can sniff and smell, as scent is everything. Making sure that once the “sniffing introduction” has been made, the friend should then let the dog lick their hand, always keeping their hand below your dogs head, as above is a sign of dominance.  As the dog relaxes and licks the friends hand they can then proceed to touch the dog, again always keeping the hand below the top of the head and never from a first meeting over your dogs body, using normal voice tone, not too high and squeaky or over enthusiastic. If Doggie doesn’t want to be touched at this time, then just let your friend stand in front of Dog, where they can see him, as you discuss trivialities, after a few meetings, they will begin to feel more comfortable that “Hey this person is’nt so bad”, and most likely will be happy to say hello, with a lick on the hand. But again never forget that the dog is by no means obliged to like all your acquaintances.

• Between the ages of 8-16 weeks, socialisation should be your main thought at this age. Introduce as much variety as possible. Dogs and people of all ages and sizes shapes etc. Be sure the dog is safe at all times, and that you are able to quickly intervene (allow the dragging of a lead for example) if things get ‘out of hand’. Some keywords for you to consider: Dogs, People, Cars, Buses, Livestock, Pubs, Towns, Traffic, Your local vet…simply drop in for a pleasant hello and leave again!
• Now is the time to introduce simple training. Sit, Down, Come and Stay is a good start and the introduction to the lead and collar, whilst walking with you in the home and garden then outside as you progress. Keep it short, simple and practice.
• Be sure your dog remains on a good brand of food and that you are avoiding the supermarket end of brands…these contain many unnecessary additives that can affect behaviour.
• Set up good early practice with toilet training for a reliable dog into the future. Feel free to call me for further advice.
• Be sure that you dog is showing good manners, and don’t let your pup get away with behaviour you would find unacceptable in the adult dog; start as you mean to carry on.
• The use of a crate for your puppy is invaluable. I can provide high quality crates at less than shop prices…a free guide would be provided also.
• Be sure your dog will allow full body inspections and grooming. Start now with short sessions to prevent future problems.

For more information on puppy visits go here

Both the type of aggression and the way it manifests can vary considerably. Due to the complexities involved, I shall not attempt to offer a one-stop guide in how to deal with dog aggression here, as each dog and owner will require an individual programme based on their set of circumstances. What might be just right for one dog, may be excessive or inadequate for another.

A long time ago I began to see very clearly the importance of early and correct socialisation with young dogs in an effort to prevent aggressive behaviour in the first place. On the basis that most aggressive behaviour has a foundation of insecurity and fear, this brings us back time after time to the fact that the dog was (probably) not socialised correctly at the right age. There are other factors that could create this behaviour in a dog, and another common aspect is that the dog may have been attacked when at an impressionable age, leading neatly back in a full circle to creating a reactive dog. The dog may now drive away what concerns it most by showing (often through learned and repeated practice) aggressive behaviour and actions.

In attacks that leave a dog nervous aggressive, we can see a long and repeated chain of events as the dog passes this fear on to other dogs through its own aggressive behaviour, and the cycle can go on and on in an almost virus-like action. This seems to be particularly so in built-up areas where the dog may not have adequate supervision or control, or the owner may lack the skills to effectively resolve the behaviour at an early stage. If you should find yourself in this position, I would pause here and say it needn’t be this way…there is help available.

It’s not unusual for people to take on a rescue dog that may exhibit dog to dog aggression (or other unwanted behaviours) once the dog has become more settled in the home. This behaviour may have been developed and practiced by the dog a long time before the new owners took it on, and this can change what should be an enjoyable and rewarding experience into a highly stressful one. In this situation, the dog’s early socialisation is well beyond the new owners influence, and one should seek the help of a recommended behaviour specialist to safely establish the best way forward.

Those that read any of my other articles would find a common thread that is never far away from most issues I cover and the work that I do, and that is the one of leadership. Refer to my Articles page on my web site to read more on this. Very often one can literally lead the dog out of this stressful behaviour by an increase in leadership and control. It’s rather like taking a new kids hand in class and saying ‘It’s ok, let me show you how to do this’. When this is done with a calm and convincing approach, it can be enough to redirect the dog onto a new task when in the same circumstances that would have previously created a scene and stress all round.

Sadly, a global approach and method does not resolve all cases. Some dogs can be improved by simply implementing a number of leadership based actions in and out of the home resulting in a miraculous change, whilst others are deeply disturbed, and may never fully recover despite our best efforts.

Apart from correct socialisation at an early age, I am also certain that the leadership balance is not always helped when people choose what seems to be an inappropriate breed for them. With aging we may lose the agility and quick responses we once had for a particular breed or certain size of dog. But it’s not just ageing that can cause reduced influence over your dog; life’s circumstances also change on a regular basis for many of us, with work or family pressures being the obvious ones.

Pip my female Border Terrier, and Oscar the Maine Coon cat are a perfect compliment to our life style as a family. We can cope with the exercise requirements of Pip, and she is a relaxed dog for the best part. Oscar tends to be a law unto himself! My daughter can handle and exercise Pip with ease, and this is another area to consider should you have children at home.
Should you be researching a new breed, I urge you to take extra time to carefully decide with a calm collected head what would be manageable for you and your family. This will increase the likelihood of you being able to control that dog on a physical level on lead, and to have the confidence to put your best foot forward. Some breeds are not for beginners, but I see first time owners with them all too often. Choosing the right breed can save a lot of blood, sweat and tears. There are incidentally a number of free step-by-step questionnaires online that can give guidance on this matter. Well worth a look. Google ‘dog selection questionnaire’ for example.

So what do you do when you find yourself in the situation where you are struggling with dog aggression in one or more of its many guises? In the first instance it would be wise to have your dog assessed by your vet for any medical symptoms, and to then seek the help of a recommended behaviour specialist that is both prepared and equipped to deal with aggressive behaviour, and has a proven track record using humane techniques in doing so. Your confidence in being able to work together with this practitioner is also essential in my view, as the behaviourist will be instructing you as much as (if not more than) the dog. Be sure to ask a few awkward questions, and seek references to satisfy yourself that they are able to cope with the situation.

I am currently on a fitness kick trying to loose some of those very unwanted pounds. Across the road from us is a very steep hill where I have been walking and taking a dog along with me so we both get some exercise. One of the puppies giving me fits with this leash training is the son of one of the girls I have been taking with me so just on a whim I decided to take both mama and puppy along at the same time. BINGO!! puppy trotted along side mama like he had been leash trained all his life. OK, perhaps that was a fluke because it was mother and son so I tried a different combination of adult dog with a puppy non related to her, again BINGO!! puppy ran along side the adult dog just happy as a clam with no problems at all. Wow, this was too good to be true!! I have tried it several times since and all with equally good results. When I posted this finding on the breeders forum I picked up some other hints that are working for other Labradoodle breeders. One says she sits on the porch and has the puppy on a long leash which is attached to her. When the puppy fights, it is all his/her own doing and when he comes toward her she rewards him with a treat so he learns to come forward on the leash. Another breeder uses a coupler and one leash and takes the mom and puppy out on the same leash, I have not yet tried that but she says it works great.

Leash training is a stressful time for a puppy and if we can make it less stressful for them I am all for anything that works.