Can a dog be trained to be less aggressive?

wildlandscape

Hi
Has anyone got any advice about dogs?
We recently got a rescue dog (6 month old pup) and he has fitted right in at home, much loved and adored!
However in the last two weeks he has started to growl and even bite whenever we put him off the furniture. (He was immediately put outside each time it happened).
As much as we love him, we are very concerned. Can he be trained to stop this behaviour or is he a hopeless case now?

Any recommendations for a good dog trainer?

bitemybanger

Moved from Meath forum.

**Vai**

He's not hopeless at all, that behaviour can be stopped very easily. Hes doing it because he was never set proper rules about the furniture so he now thinks he owns whatever hes lying on. Dont put him outside next time he does it as he wont get the message. Take him off the furniture calmly (no nerves about him biting) and only let him back up when u tell him to. He should eventually cop on to what you're doing and actually "ask" u if he can get up.

Im guessing this isnt the only problem your having with him but once he gets proper rules he will be better behaved. I wouldnt recommend a trainer for this, my preference would be to do it yourself, its a great way of enhancing the bond between u and your dog.

ISDW

Leave a lead on him in the house, then when you want him off the furniture, tell him Off (or whatever word you are using, try not to use down, because usually that means lie down, and is very confusing for a dog who's lying on a sofa and told to get down;)). If he doesn't get off, then you can get him off with the lead rather than grabbing his collar. Once he's off, give him lots of praise and a treat. Soon he'll learn that getting off is more rewarding than staying on.

He is only a pup, and is pushing the boundaries, trying to see what you will let him away with.

I would also recommend training classes, these are as much for the owner as for the dog, and build a great bond between you. I'm sure someone will post and recommend someone near to you.

Well done on rescuing him:D

trio

Is it when you're trying to sit down beside him, or is it that he's not allowed on the furniture at all?

I'm no dog trainer, but here's my 2 cents:

If it's the first, try backing into the seat, rather than directly. Dogs don't tend to react to backs coming towards them, only fronts.

If it's the second - does he have a bed in the room? If not, get one, and put it where he can see everyone. And reward him with a treat when he's lying quietly in the bed.

falabo

your dog is not aggressive but needs to be trained. he is tryiong to establish himself as the leader of the "pack" (which you are part of).

I would recommend booking him (just like any other dog) into a puppy socialisation course and a few months later do some basic obedeince. why area are you in ?

The puppy might also "bite" in a playfull way, just remove your hand each time by saying HAHA loud. Praise him when he's doing something good, regardless how silly it seems, even if he just walks by you in a normal way or goes to bed. ALWAYS use postive reinforcment and NEVER slap a dog or you will end up with a fearful dog. if you slap him with your hand he will associate human hand with being slap and will become fearful, even aggresive.

This doesnt sound anything to be worried about but needs to be dealt with and things will be grand. guaranteed ;-)

seamus

He's only six months, it's probably a phase of sorts, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't deal with it.

Although you'll find much debate over the "dominance" theory around training dogs, I think most people agree that a dog needs to know that you are the master, you own everything, you are in charge and in control. This is of course different to dominating an animal.

**Vai** gives great advice. I would probably go one step further and keep him off the furniture completely. If he gets up, put him off. If you don't mind too much letting the dog on the furniture, then you need to teach the dog that he is only allowed on the furniture when you have told him to come up. He should not climb up without prompting and if you do catch him on the furniture, make a point of telling him to get off, even if you intended to let him up anyway.

A dog though is a social animal, so they should have place which is close to you, if not necessarily on the furniture. Our dog has a second bed beside the couch and she absolutely adores it. First thing she does in the morning is climb into that bed (from her other bed) and go for a snooze. She loves nothing more than to have my wife & I sitting on the couch watching TV and the dog snoring contentedly away in her bed.

The hardest part of training any dog is consistency. It's easy to actually train them that the rules are X, Y and Z. But maintaining the rules is far more important.

**Vai**

Just to add, agree with falabo and ISDW about the classes if u arent experienced with dogs. Never taken one myself but Im sure the socialisation alone is worth it. Alternatively, make sure your dog gets plenty of contact with dogs u know.
And Seamus is dead right, keep him off the furniture completely until hes earned the right to be up there.

TOOYOUNGTODIE

i had very similar problems with our dogs when they were young, both are patterdale terriers and known to be aggressive if not managed properly.

I just took my time with them and they knew who was boss after a while. i dont condone overly chastising them.
I have a dog and a bitch and it was the dog that was trying to assert dominance more so.
I got this all sorted out about 18months ago and havent looked back. both dogs are great pets and not in the slightest bit aggressive with me or the family.

wildlandscape

Thanks so much for all your advice. It is so reassuring to read your comments. I will apply your suggestions from today. Cheers

Discodog

Find a local class. You will have fun & so will the dog. The socialisation will do him the world of good. Well done for rescuing him. You now have a possible 14+ years together & a little effort now will last forever.

I am sure that someone here can point you in the direction of a good class.

TooManyDogs

Here's a completely unorthodox suggestion I got from a very successful trainer, so another method in addition to the ones mentioned.

If you tell him to get off the sofa and he shows you teeth/doesnt get off then you tell him very firmly "you stay", pick up his lead from the side table/floor/somewhere close by, shut the door behind you and leave him in the room on his own, let him think you've gone out for a walk without him. You'll only have to do that a couple of times for him to hop off the sofa when you ask him to!

Taltos

Could be any number of things prompting this behaviour. I am not sure I agree with the whole he is trying to lead the pack - though I think maybe pushing the boundaries.

The suggestions on socialisation are all for me spot on - also taking him to an obedience training seems like the best approach. Do some research on classes in your area. I know around where I am there are some that offer to take the dog for a few days - personally I am just not comfortable with this. The more time I spend with my dogs and the more training I do I am realising that in many cases I need to be trained to respond correctly too....

Not sure what part of Meath you are in but if you are not far from Blanch there is a great group there that do training and socialisation, Dog Training Ireland are who we use and personally I find them all really great - added bonus depending on when you are there there is also a groomer on site .

Personally until you get a handle on this - I would do my best NOT to show any anger or aggression back (as much as you might be tempted). Also - do not raise your hand, strike the dog or as typical here years ago - tip him on the nose.... It will all cause this to escalate for you.
Be consistent in your response.
Use ONE key phrase try this
On the couch - say "Off" and guide the dog down. Once off the couch - praise and reward with a treat.
If he growls etc
Say "2 bad" - turn your back and ignore... Dogs crave attention - so even bad attention will cause this to get worse. If this continues do a timeout with the dog - lead him to an area and leave him there for say 10 or 20 seconds - no more.

Anytime he sits by the couch - but not on it - praise him - and give him a little treat (so kibble etc in your pockets...).

Finally - who knows why he is doing this - could be sore and the couch helps - or he might identify the couch as his bed - so make up a little bed beside it.

So
Reward good behaviour
Ignore bad
Reprimand consistently for escalating bad behaviour - ie if he snaps or shows his teeth a timeout is best here. At least until a professional has a chance to help

Whispered

Taltos wrote: »

Could be any number of things prompting this behaviour. I am not sure I agree with the whole he is trying to lead the pack - though I think maybe pushing the boundaries.

The suggestions on socialisation are all for me spot on - also taking him to an obedience training seems like the best approach. Do some research on classes in your area. I know around where I am there are some that offer to take the dog for a few days - personally I am just not comfortable with this. The more time I spend with my dogs and the more training I do I am realising that in many cases I need to be trained to respond correctly too....

Not sure what part of Meath you are in but if you are not far from Blanch there is a great group there that do training and socialisation, Dog Training Ireland are who we use and personally I find them all really great - added bonus depending on when you are there there is also a groomer on site .

Personally until you get a handle on this - I would do my best NOT to show any anger or aggression back (as much as you might be tempted). Also - do not raise your hand, strike the dog or as typical here years ago - tip him on the nose.... It will all cause this to escalate for you.
Be consistent in your response.
Use ONE key phrase try this
On the couch - say "Off" and guide the dog down. Once off the couch - praise and reward with a treat.
If he growls etc
Say "2 bad" - turn your back and ignore... Dogs crave attention - so even bad attention will cause this to get worse. If this continues do a timeout with the dog - lead him to an area and leave him there for say 10 or 20 seconds - no more.

Anytime he sits by the couch - but not on it - praise him - and give him a little treat (so kibble etc in your pockets...).

Finally - who knows why he is doing this - could be sore and the couch helps - or he might identify the couch as his bed - so make up a little bed beside it.

So
Reward good behaviour
Ignore bad
Reprimand consistently for escalating bad behaviour - ie if he snaps or shows his teeth a timeout is best here. At least until a professional has a chance to help

+100 - brilliant tips!

A 6 month old pup is not trying to become "pack leader". I personally believe that dogs who do try this are few and far between anyway, (if at all). But a 6 month old pup - Not a chance.

Now this is different to the pup thinking you're not the boss. Probably like a bold child thinking "well I don't have to" when you ask them to do something. They're not thinking "I don't have to - because actually I'm the boss".

I'm a great fan of allowing dogs onto the couch, dog cuddles are the best! But not everybody is the same. If you want to allow your dog on the furniture then that is also very do-able. Similarly, the dog can be perfectly happy with a bed on the floor so it's really up to you which you want.

If mine are on the couch and I want to sit down, I'll move them, so I can take my spot on the couch then they can fit round me. If I didn't I'd be perched on the edge all the time - the two of them like to spread out :rolleyes:. It's just a habit now, when I come to sit down they'll jump down for me and then climb back up. I honestly think the reason is because they have gotten used to being taken from the couch then allowed back up shortly after.

Something else you could try is to sit beside the dog with some lovely treats, let him smell, throw the treat across the room and when he goes after it, say "off". Over time you'll be able to say the command and the dog will jump down looking for his treat.

Discodog

My three are not allowed on the furniture & even if I am out they will respect this. However they are allowed on me as in on my lap

The good thing about all of this is that the OP is seeking & listening to advice. Some of us have been around dogs for all of our lives & dealing with something like this is easy & natural. Building up a level of understanding can take time & that is where a good training class can really help because it will teach you & your dog to relate to each other. The other absolute key is consistency so everyone in the house must treat the dog on the same way otherwise he will just get confused.

My little guy loves growling - he sounds like a bear cub !. But his hackles are down & the tail is wagging. I know that he is playing & he knows that I know. The funny part is that when my Greyhound feels that he has had enough attention she will grab one of his back legs & drag him away