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Originally Posted by shopstump Any ideas on how to train Stump to not be agressive. We give him these bones that he loves more than anything. And tonight I was playing with him and it's funny because you touch the other end of the bone while hes chewing it and he will growl. I always thought it was cute, and well this time he jumped up and bit my finger. He has nibbled before when he was a pup. But this was a full on bite. My finger is still throbbing from it.
Anyway, my question is how can I teach him to not be like this?I know I probably shouldn't have taken it from him and messed with him while he was chewing it. But I don't want my dog to be agressive, Especially if he were ever around a child who took it away from him. Who knew his small teeth could hurt so bad. |
I also recommend watching the dog whisperer but I can tell you first hand how I dealt with a dog who had the same aggression problem. When you try and touch or take his bone and he growls it may seem cute but it's nothing of the sort. He is telling you that he is in charge and that he owns the bone and that he owns you. What you must do, is when he has the bone in his mouth you must take it from him. Period. If he fights you, growls or snaps you must correct him with a easy but assertive tap on the back of his neck muscle with your pointer and middle finger and say "No!". The Chi I dealt with this problem was really bad. He has attacked both myself and our trainer at work and drawn blood. He first started with only a growl and gave up the bone, toy or treat. Then he would snap and give warning bites which stung momentarily but did not leave marks or break the skin. Then he progressed to following through with his snaps which became bites and drew blood. We corrected him with the finger prodding, the word "No!" and laying him on his back for submission where we kept him until he fully submitted to us both. Dusty, (the chi) was a really bad case however and took us several weeks of continuous behavioral work to get him to submit. Once he gives up the bone you must keep it with you in your possession because you are claiming it. He must walk away and leave the bone to show that he has allowed your dominance and to show that he realizes that he is no longer the alpha. It's also imortant to know that these types of corrections are not going to harm your dogs in either physical or emotional ways. Dogs are happier in the follower position and both of your lives will run smoother in this way. The whole picture is simple. He simply believes himself to be the leader and you are the follower. This conception must be flipped around because you are the pack leader and he must follow you or there will always be dominance aggression from him and he will also dominate anyone who enters your home or anyone he encounters on the street including other dogs which could seriously get him into trouble if he starts a fight with a huge dog. Please visit Cesar Millans website and check out some of this stuff. I don't know where I would be without his guidance. Here's the site -
http://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/