So, if you interfered only to expedite the solution, it will only aggravate the problem, with no solution in sight.
When you take your Dog out and he gets aggressive with strange Dogs, you need to watch them all carefully. Whatever happens there, as the pet owner, you need to play leader in this situation. If you find yourself being ruled by your pet, it can be the seed of a lot of problems in future. But if you find yourself being in the eye of a storm, you could immediately implement the following:
Obedience classes:
Here, put yourself first. Even if you go with your pet, be the first to walk through the door, first up the stairs, first to enter class, etc. Don’t give him the option of figuring out when he wants to be a pet, or when he wants to be the first in the car. Don’t let him tower over you, either while sitting or standing i.e. don’t sit while he stands on a chair or sofa or on the stairs. Height is a determinant of power and leadership position.
Don’t give in to him easily. Does he want something to eat or drink? First, make him sit. Then, let him work for it. Or maybe he could just do a trick or two for it. The idea is that aggression breeds aggression. If he is aggressive with you, he needs to learn to accept it from you too. This doesn’t mean you punish him as that will only worsen the problem.
Fear aggression:
This
manifests itself when a Dog feels cornered, and feels he must fight his way out of a situation. Ears laid flat against the head, head held low and tail tucked between his legs while growling are sure signs of fear aggression. Remove your Dog immediately as he may be a fear-biter, and take steps now to properly socialize him. Obedience classes are a must for a fear aggressive Dog.
When a Dog is aggressive to other Dogs, it is an indication that he was not properly socialized.
A well-trained and socialized %dogbreed% will want to play rather than maim another Dog that approaches him.
Fighting fear aggression: To get over this problem, your %dogbreed% pup needs to be trained in a puppy kindergarten class where he will be given obedience training. Here, he should learn his lessons with the use of positive reinforcement training methods. By this we mean that the pup be praised, given treats and positive attention for good behavior. He should also be socialized or exposed to various social situations in a positive light.
Remember never to pat your aggressive Dog on his head or behind his ears. Instead, you should pat him on the nape of his neck and on his chest. This is so because these signs show dominance and can cause aggression in your Dog, as they can either scare him off or challenge him to show his might. This, according to him, is a power struggle, which he has to win.
