by Christine Andrews

If you have a dog that growls or acts aggressively towards strangers, it’s not too late to do something about it. But first, you should understand why your dog’s acting this way.

Aggression in dogs is a natural part of who they are. It came in handy when their ancestors lived in the wild. Wild dogs needed aggression to hunt, and to defend themselves and their resources – their food, their mate, and their home or territory.

Fortunately, selective breeding over the centuries has minimized and refined this trait significantly. Even so, it’s important to understand that by nature, all dogs are physically capable of inflicting serious harm. One look at those teeth and you know this is true!

Even though it’s instinctive, as dog owners, there’s a lot we can do to prevent aggression from rearing its ugly head. And if it does occur (for whatever reason), there are still steps that we can take to recognize and deal with it efficiently.

Although aggression in dogs comes in different forms, aggression towards strangers is one that is quite common. This type of aggression is stems from nervousness. If he becomes nervous around strangers, his instinct is to protect himself (and you) from the percieved threat.

Its pretty easy to tell when a dogs nervous around strange people. He’ll be jumpy and on the alert. You’ll see this in one of two ways… either he can’t sit still (constantly fidgeting, jumping at the smallest sound, and pacing around barking and whining) or he’s completely still, sitting in one place, staring hard at the person he’s suspicious of. This could be anyone – a visitor, the mailman, or someone approaching him on the street.

The reason a dog acts agressively towards strangers is because he hasn’t been exposed to a wide variety of people and places. As a dog owner, it’s your job to be sure he learns that strangers aren’t a threat. He relies on you to take him on outings where he can meet new people and learn about the world around him.

This process is called socialization, and it’s one of the most important parts of owning a dog. It should be started when he’s a puppy – as soon as he’s had his vaccinations – and continue throughout his life. This lets your dog become accustomed to the world around him. Giving him more and more new experiences is vital to raising a dog that’s relaxed and stable in new situations. This means exposing him to a wide variety of new experiences, new people, and new animals.

It’s not enough to expose an adult dog to a crowd of new, unfamiliar people and just say, “Settle down, Roxy, it’s OK”… your dog has to learn that it’s okay on his own. That’s what socializing does… it lets your dog learn this by exposing him to all types of people and animals: from babies and toddlers to teens and elderly, from people in uniform to people carrying umbrellas or riding bikes.

If you start this socialization as a puppy, your dog grows up knowing that people who are “different” aren’t bad. Instead of being fearful, he’ll be confident and friendly with strangers.

An easy way to start socializing your puppy is to enroll in a puppy kindergarten or preschool. This is just a series of group classes for puppies, usually held at a vet clinic or some other indoor, controlled environment.

Puppy classes are usually taught by a qualified dog trainer. Many times the instructor will bring one or two assistants, which lets you have more one-on-one time with a trainer during class. You’ll learn about your puppy’s developmental stages, how to crate train and potty train your puppy, and even a few basic obedience commands.

It’s fun to learn how to teach your puppy to “come” but the biggest benefit of joining a puppy class is the socialization. Until you’ve finished your puppy shots, many vets will discourage you from taking your puppy out in public. The main concern is parvo, which is highly contagous and very dangerous to puppies. Puppy classes provide a safe environment to start socializing your puppy at an earlier age. There are usually several “play sessions” per class to let the puppies run around and play together off-leash. This group play helps them learn how to interact with other dogs. It also gives them a chance to meet new people and start learning that they don’t have to be afraid of strangers.

Just remember… socializing at puppy school is just the start. To raise a friendly, confident dog you need to continue exposing him to new experiences. You’ll want to take him to as many new places as possible – just don’t overwhelm him. Start off slow, and you’ll see his confidence grow. By consistently socializing your dog, he’ll grow up knowing that new people and new places are good things. He’ll have nothing to fear, especially strangers!

About the Author:

Raising a friendly, well-behaved dog doesn’t have to be hard. Get your free 6-Day Dog Training and Behavior course at www.TheSmartDogOwner.com. You’ll get 6 days of valuable tips and techniques that will help you overcome some of the most common dog behavior problems. You’ll also discover the most complete guide available on raising and training a happy dog – and all other aspects of dog ownership.

Tagged with: • • • • • • •

Filed under: Dogs

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!