Its been quite some time since I’ve updated the blog here on Black Belt Dog Training… The main reason for this is that I’ve been quite busy with some of the new articles that I’ve posted as well as training and working with many dogs, including those at the shelter through Bound Angels.
One thing that always seems to come to the forefront as a trainer / behaviorist is when the training does absolutely no good. It doesn’t matter much if its my training or that of someone else (qualified that is), but the problem lies in the complacency of the people. I can pretty much tell if I’m spinning my wheels when I talk to a new client on the phone. Which is also why I am slow to take on new clients. If its just someone who wants to hear what they want to hear, or hire the guy with the reputation, I say “No Thanks.” If you’re not gonna do the work, you probably will never solve your problem. When you hire a professional, follow their advice. If you’ve hired them, your system probably has not been working. Your dog deserves a fair shot.
More often than not, I get the calls from people who’s dogs are on their last hope. If my technique doesn’t work, the next call is more than likely the vet to put the dog down or a short drive to the shelter. Nothing upsets me more than meeting this dog, seeing that the problem is totally solvable, and then seeing the people not do the homework it takes to change the dog. So often its a dog that bites or has aggressive tendencies. If this is directed at another dog, the answer is simple, keep the dog away from other dogs… Doesn’t that make sense? Also, its important to realize that if a dog has aggressive tendencies, its probably brought on by the way you’ve raised him. In very rare cases it is a case of medical issues – but VERY rarely.
Most often than not, if a dog is dog-aggressive, they are not people aggressive. This is not a 100% rule, but its a high probability. Dog aggression is based on experiences or protectiveness. Its most often brought on by human behavior or a bad experience in the past. It is also not that hard to deal with, especially if its not directed at any dogs in your household, or re-directed towards humans.
I received a call recently from someone who’s dog has just recently, mysteriously become dog aggressive. He asked my advice and I spoke to him at length on how to solve the problem. However, my answer was not what he wanted to hear. It seems that even if we fixed the aggression issue, the main problem remains that the dog “gets out of the house” and THEN attacks other dogs. I won’t go into how stupid I find this, as it will do no good. This is one of those scenarios where certain people should not have dogs… and probably not children either. If you can’t keep your dog contained, you’ve missed rule number one of responsible pet ownership. In a case like this, all the training in the world doesn’t help. It doesn’t help because the humans are incapable of the follow through.
The answer does not lie in sending your dog away so he won’t be aggressive, as he won’t be aggressive once he’s trained. However, dogs are masters of opportunity. They will seek out the opportunity to get their way, and they will. Dogs require structure, its what keeps them safe… If you can’t give them what they need, consider a pet ferret.