Next Time Someone Wants To Greet Your Dog, Ask Your Dog First

August 7, 2017 by Fanna Easter

Give Your Dog Choices During Greetings

Dog Greeting Behavior — tamifreed/Adobe Stock

It’s all about choices, especially for dogs. Let’s face it: Dogs really don’t have many choices in life. Dogs don’t choose their roommates (i.e. other dogs), veterinarian, food, treats, daily walking path and potty times.

While I have discussed choices extensively in other articles, let’s discuss giving our dogs choices when they’re meeting other dogs or people. It’s important to note that many dogs react aggressively during greetings because they’re scared. They don’t want to meet other dogs or people, so they run away or lunge forward to stop introductions. Giving your dog a choice during greetings will drastically reduce fearful dog behavior.

Not All Dogs Want to Meet Other Dogs & People

There’s a huge human social element when dogs meet other dogs and people. Most pet owners are painfully embarrassed when their dog dislikes greetings, but they don’t know how to handle the situation. No one enjoys saying “no” to strangers or children; some may even feel conflicted, especially if their dog dislikes greetings.

Pet owners hold their breath, hoping the greeting will be better than the last one, so they stand rigidly holding their breath while their dog’s eyes widen. But there is a better way—a human socially acceptable way to stop this from happening.

Do know, most dogs are uncomfortable with greetings even if they’re meeting friendly people. If this helps, my dogs don’t meet other dogs on leash and I’m a professional dog trainer. When my dogs meet people, I give them choices during the greeting and I support my dogs’ decisions overtime.

Ask the Dog First

In the past, I instructed pet owners to say, “We’re training. No petting please” to strangers, children and other dogs when they approached for greetings. While it worked to keep others away from their dog, many pet owners felt awkward and a bit rude during these “no, stop it” interactions.

There had to be a better way that worked for everyone, especially the dog. The method I now use and tell my clients is the “Asking the dog first” method. It’s a socially acceptable way of disrupting a greeting while allowing your dog to make a choice.

Next time someone barrels toward your dog with an outreached hand, asking to pet your dog, step between your dog and the person and say, “Let’s ask my dog first.” If your dog walks over and greets the person, then reinforce calm behavior (i.e. no jumping and sitting politely for petting).

If your dog decides not to engage, respect your dog’s choice and explain, “Well, he’s feeling a bit shy today and that’s okay, so we’ll respect his choice. Maybe next time.” Many pet lovers graciously understand this explanation because no one wants to force a dog to do something he doesn’t want to do.

When Your Dog Chooses to Disengage, It’s Okay!

When your dog makes a choice, support his decision every time. Yes, it’s uncomfortable watching your dog choose to disengage and the person’s feelings may be hurt. Instead of standing quietly and awkwardly, take a moment and explain why choices are so important for dogs.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]When your dog makes a choice, support his decision every time. [/perfectpullquote]

Lightheartedly explain, “Dogs really don’t have many choices in this world, so this is my way of offering my dog choices and it works well for both of us.” Not only are you supporting your dog’s choice, but you’re also planting the seed that dogs need choices. Soon, pet lovers will mimic this behavior, which will drastically reduce dog bites and prevent aggression.

Choices are everything!

Can You Stop Dog Aggression?

May 26, 2016 by Fanna Easter

How to Deal With an Aggressive Dog

Stop Dog Aggression — Eldad Carin/iStock

Within the dog world, dog aggression is an extremely controversial topic. Not only is this topic hotly debated among dog trainers, but it’s also an explosive topic within the dog rescue world too. Many experts have strong lines drawn in the sand on both sides, so it’s become extremely difficult for pet owners of aggressive dogs to seek concrete answers. I’ll give my honest opinion as a professional dog trainer who has intimately worked with dog aggression cases for more than 20 years.

Aggression in Dogs Never Really Goes Away

It’s true, you can’t stop dog aggression completely. While this seems like grim news, it’s important for pet owners to understand that dog aggression never goes away. Once pet owners are empowered with this knowledge, they can positively change the majority of their dog’s aggressive behavior. However, they must know that aggression will always linger. With that said, pet owners shouldn’t become discouraged. They can certainly teach their dog to react differently in certain situations, but they must have realistic expectations.

Living in a reactive world is a tough path to follow, and I don’t believe dogs enjoy living in a constant state of anxiety, panic and fear. Anxious dogs learn that aggression works to stop a scary behavior from happening. Or they become so anxious, they just freak out and panic. Do know, aggression in dogs is genetic too. If a puppy’s parents and grandparents were fearful or reactive, there’s a high chance the puppy will be predisposed to reactivity.

Can We Rescue All Aggressive Dogs?

I don’t believe you can. Some dogs just can’t fight their anxiety demons and become a danger to society. It’s a horrible decision to make, but sometimes releasing these precious souls from their ever-haunting demons is the best thing we can do.

Have Realistic Expectations

Pet owners of aggressive dogs are probably wondering what exactly to expect from their aggressive dog during and after behavior protocols. Honestly, that’s a fair question.

Before I get into specifics, do know I’m speaking about realistic expectations for the majority of dogs. A small percent of dogs will blossom into friendly extroverts, but that’s a rarity. For the most part, the majority of aggressive dogs can successfully learn to offer a different behavior when they’re face-to-face with a trigger (i.e. thing that causes a dog to react). However, it takes time for an experienced dog trainer to coach an aggressive dog and lots of practice in a multitude of situations while keeping a safe distance away.

How to Deal With Dog Aggression

Dog Aggressive Toward Other Dogs

If a dog has been aggressive to other dogs, don’t expect him to enjoy playing with other dogs. The dog has been pretty clear in letting you know he doesn’t like other dogs, so listen to him. 🙂
Never allow a dog that has been aggressive to other dogs off leash to greet another dog. If this happens, you’re playing Russian roulette with the other dog’s life, which is cruel and punishable by law.
Expect your dog to politely ignore another dog from a safe distance, and your dog to determine that distance. Honestly, that’s a huge win in my book, especially if a dog constantly barks and lunges every time he sees a dog anywhere.

Dog Aggressive Toward Humans

It’s important to understand that a dog aggressive toward humans will never become a gregarious greeter.
If your dog has been aggressive to men, women or children, don’t expect him to enjoy interactions with people. You may need to crate your dog in another room, away from guests, which is what your dog wants. It’s not worth unraveling all your hard work due to a scary encounter with a person, which will likely end up with a dog bite.
Never force a human aggressive dog to meet people; you will only make it worse. Most fearful dogs will run away, which is a good thing! When a scared dog is unable to get away from a scary situation, he will likely bite, which can permanently damage a person and is punishable by law.
Do expect your dog to politely ignore a person from a safe distance, and understand your dog determines that distance with lots of practice.

Pet owners should stay away from false promises and unrealistic expectations from using specific aggressive dog training methods. There are no guarantees in dog training just like there are no guarantees in permanently changing human behavior. Some people will always be afraid of spiders, snakes, heights or dark rooms, but they learn to cope around those triggers.

Don’t Be Fooled By Shut Down Dogs

Just turn on your cable TV and watch a famous dog trainer punish a dog until the dog shuts down. While it looks like the dog is learning to tolerate humans or other dogs, he’s actually learning to shut down around these triggers. You may think “shutting down” is good right? The dog stops doing the behavior, so he must be fixed right? You’re wrong.

Shutting down is a false sense of hope that never lasts, and it’s cruel to dogs. If I punished a person so harshly that he rolled up into the fetal position while spiders crawled over his body, he’s not learning to not be afraid of spiders. Instead, he’s shutting down. He’s learning that spiders are truly horrible creatures, and his fear will become worse. If you’re afraid of strangers, can you imagine being punished harshly and frequently until you allow a stranger to touch you? That’s how a shut down dog feels, and that’s an awful way to live.

When Aggression Does Rear Its Ugly Head

Dogs (and people) can learn to tolerate and react differently (instead of freaking out) around their triggers, but if a scary thing sneaks up on them, they will usually revert back to old behavior. If a dog or person suddenly rounds the corner or pops up in your dog’s face, your dog will likely react. If you allow a dog aggressive dog to meet another dog, your dog will react. If you insist someone greets your human aggressive dog, he will react. Distance is your friend here, so use it often to prevent aggression from rearing its ugly head.

Most aggressive dogs can learn to react differently—they’re actually relieved to have options when it comes to dealing with their triggers. Just never push your dog into a situation he’s unable to handle.

Causes of Dog Aggression

January 20, 2016 by Fanna Easter

Dog Aggression: What Are Triggers?

If your dog is fearful or aggressive toward anything, it’s extremely important to understand the object that triggers your dog’s reaction. You need to determine the small triggers that cause your dog to react and pair those dog aggression triggers with good things. Sound tricky? It most certainly can be, so I highly advise finding a professional dog trainer with lots of reactive dog experience.

What are Triggers?

Triggers are anything in your dog’s environment that cause your dog to react. Triggers are usually a sight, sound, smell or a combination of all three. Reacting means your dog reacts negatively toward a trigger; he either freezes, lunges, barks, backs away or starts fooling around (i.e. sniffing the group excessively, biting the leash, etc.).

Examples of triggers for most dogs:

Jingling of dog ID tags (indicating another dog is close by).
Barking dog (indicating another dog is close by).
Sight of a dog from a distance.
Smell of a dog (this one is hard for us to identify).
Person running behind or past during walks.
Fast-moving cars zooming past.
Approaching person.
Plastic bag floating through the wind.
New object (trash can, sign, new furniture) appears.
Bearded man walking with an umbrella.

Basically, triggers can be anything.

How to Identify Your Dog’s Triggers

If your dog has been reactive for some time, you probably have a pretty good idea what causes him to negatively react. However, it’s important to narrow down the trigger that sends your dog into a barking frenzy.

Many times, pet owners describe their dogs’ trigger as “seeing another dog,” but you need to narrow this down even further. How far away is the other dog before your dog reacts? Some dogs will look at other dogs calmly about 50 feet away, but when the other dogs move closer, the dog starts reacting. In this case, the specific distance between the dog and other dogs is the trigger.

Many times, reactive dogs react to sounds. Reactive dogs will freak out over the sound of jingling ID tags, four feet scampering in the distance or dogs barking. These sounds alert reactive dogs that a dog is nearby, so they better get ready to fight or flee.

Power of Triggers

Once your dog’s triggers have been identified, it’s time to start building positive associations with them. Super yummy treats should be given the moment your dog experiences a trigger, but of course always from a safe distance. If your dog reacts around other dogs or people, never allow your dog to meet them ever.

If your dog alerts or barks at jingling ID tags, then give him a treat as you’re jingling his tags. If it’s the ID tags of other dogs, borrow your neighbor’s dog’s tags. Remember, treats should be given the moment you start jingling ID tags.

For dog barking triggers, give your dog several yummy treats while a dog barks far away in the distance. Start with very far-away barks, then slowly work toward dogs barking down the street, next door and so on.

Get Help

So many pet owners try to manage dog reactivity, including dog aggression, on their own. I know you don’t want to hear this, but I’m being totally honest, you won’t get great results unless you seek professional help. As someone who works with reactive dogs for a living, I still need someone to confirm certain triggers; it’s impossible to narrow them down by myself.

Please find a dog training professional who only uses positive reinforcement methods. Punishment never works with anxiety or aggression; it’ll just make it much worse. If you’re afraid of heights and I scream and slap at you while you’re standing on the roof of a tall building, I don’t think that would help your fear. You would probably snap back at me, so please never use punishment-based methods.

Good luck and set yourself up for success by finding a professional.

Reactive Dog Classes for Aggressive Dogs

January 18, 2016 by Fanna Easter

Dog Aggression: Reactive Dog Classes Can Help

If you share your home with a dog that freaks out around other dogs or people, you’ve probably been refused or kicked out of regular group dog training classes. Luckily, there’s a new class emerging called reactive dog class that focuses on teaching aggressive dogs different skills in a group class setting.

Now, it’s not like a traditional dog training class, but the results are amazing. I’m lucky to teach these types of classes for the local veterinary behaviorist in my area, but not all dog aggression classes are alike. Here are a few tips on finding the right reactive dog class to reduce your dog’s aggression while teaching him new behaviors.

What are Reactive Dog Classes?

In the dog training world, we actually say “reactive dog classes” instead of “dog aggression classes,” as aggression is a symptom of anxiety and we all know anxiety makes you (and dogs) reactive. Knowing this, your dog training instructor will work within each dog’s threshold (the line before a dog freaks out) to slowly introduce positive associations with other dogs and teach new polite behaviors.

From a Dog’s Perspective

During reactive dog classes, dogs will learn how to behave properly rather than freak out, bark, lunge or freeze. You’re probably thinking this class won’t help your dog if other reactive dogs are attending, but these classes are purposely kept small (no more than five students and their dogs) and everyone stands behind visual barriers. Trust me, your dog will know other dogs are there. Since the sound or sight of other dogs are triggers for reactive dogs, keeping everyone safely tucked behind barriers works really well.

Dogs are slowly taught self-control exercises (e.g. control their behavior for a treat), relaxation methods (something most reactive dogs find extremely difficult) and positive associations with their triggers (e.g. sight of another dog or the sound of ID tags jingling). Each dog has his or her own set of triggers, which an excellent dog trainer can identify to ensure counter conditioning and desensitization works.

From a Pet Owner’s Perspective

Believe it or not, how you react around your dog’s triggers can either help or hurt your dog. Yes, you’re a valuable part of the team. In reactive dog classes, you’ll learn how to handle stressful situations before they happen, manage an encounter with your dog’s trigger (e.g. another dog approaching) and relax. Most reactive dog pet owners tense up. They’re terrified something will set their dogs off, so they walk around in a complete state of anxiety.

How to Find Reactive Dog Classes

Not all dog trainers can teach reactive dog classes or work with aggressive dogs. Even those calling themselves animal behaviorists (FYI there’s no such thing) aren’t equipped to work with dog reactivity. So finding an excellent reactive dog class can be challenging.

My advice is to find a local veterinary behaviorist and give her a call. These folks are veterinarians who are board-certified in animal behavior and know qualified reactive dog trainers within their surrounding states. They can most certainly point you in the right direction. It’s worth the extra effort because asking around or calling local dog trainers about reactive dog classes is extremely risky. If a dog trainer is in over her head, she can certainly make your dog much worse.

Secondly, reactive dog trainers never use punishment-based methods ever. This means dogs don’t wear choke chains, pinch collars or electronic collars. There’s no yelling, pushing or pulling a dog around. Punishment will only make a dog more anxious, as studies have proved it time and time again. Also, would you overcome your fear of driving over bridges if I yelled at you? Nope, you’ll just end up yelling back at me, which increases your anxiety. Ask your reactive dog trainer what methods she uses before enrolling.

What to Expect When You Enroll

These classes fill up quickly, so don’t be surprised if there’s a waiting list. Once you’re enrolled, you’ll probably receive specific directions on entering and exiting the training center about a week before your scheduled class. Dogs should never be allowed to see or bump into each other. Lastly, you’ll probably need some special equipment to keep you, your dog and other dogs safe if a dog should lunge. Don’t forget to bring lots of super yummy treats (100-150 pea-sized treats should be enough for one class).

If, at any time, you’re not comfortable, always inform your instructor. Sometimes, my students are so scared (they’re just as traumatized as their dogs) that we break a few exercises into smaller pieces. I do this because I know how difficult it is to learn when you’re anxious.

During reactive dog class, remember to take deep breaths. It will relax you and your dog!

Offensive Dog Aggression

January 9, 2015 by Fanna Easter

Dog Aggression

Offensive Aggression — This Spaniel warns not to proceed forward with a direct stare.

You reach for the dog nail trimmers. As you’re approaching your dog, he freezes, lowers his head and growls. His warning growl says, “Don’t do it.” You stop in your tracks, sigh and feel defeated so you put the nail trimmers back in the cabinet and watch TV instead. Sound familiar?

Learn how to identify and successfully manage offensive dog aggression. The solution is probably not what you’re thinking. 🙂

What is Offensive Dog Aggression?

Offensive means to stop something before it happens. Aggression means “hostile or violent behavior toward something.” When paired together, offensive aggression means to threaten violence toward someone before something bad happens. Usually, this is a learned behavior; a dog learns how to successfully stop a perceived threat before it happens.

Offensive aggression exists in the human world too. People usually stare threateningly at past enemies, freeze when an opponent walks into a room or verbally threaten attackers to prevent them from approaching.

When I say “learned,” it takes practice to figure out what aggressive displays work best to prevent a perceived attack. Direct eye contact may work, but what if it doesn’t? Offensive aggression is a fine line. Push too hard, then violent fights break out. Immediate physical attack can cause a fight, which dogs want to prevent. That’s why they’re learning to warn instead.

Prevention

Prevention means listening to your dog. If he is uncomfortable, stop. Offensive aggression stems from past negative experiences. Dogs learn that “x” equals “y” so they better stop “x (dog, person, whatever)” from “y (hurting them again).”

Instead of forcing nails trims or body handling, teach dogs to allow it. As much as we want dogs to be “little humans,” they’re not. So instead of grabbing your dog’s toenail and trimming, touch his nail, click and give a treat. The same goes for body handling. Most dogs dislike restraint so teach them it’s fun and they will not be harmed.

Never force a dog or puppy to meet strange dogs. This can create a dog aggressive dog in seconds. Dogs, which are scared of other dogs, will display offensive aggressive body language when they see another dog. It’s almost like they’re saying, “I’ll get you before you get me!” Yikes!

Still don’t believe me? Remember when Great Aunt Emma would grab and hug you until your eyes popped out at Christmas dinner? Soon you learned to avoid her by hiding under the table. But what if Great Aunt Emma gave you candy, as she hugged you, it wouldn’t be so bad, huh?

What Does Not Work?

For some reason, we feel that forcing a dog to deal with negative things is part of life. Have you looked into your dog’s mouth? Do you see those big teeth? Yeah, they can and will use them. Dogs are not fuzzy humans. Force means threats in their world and dogs will learn to fend off threats. Would you force a silverback gorilla to trim his nails? You probably wouldn’t because they’re bigger and stronger, and can cause serious harm — same with dogs. Dogs will never enjoy nail trims, but they will learn to tolerate. They trust you to not harm them and you will stop when they need a break. Plus, they earn yummy treats (their paycheck).

Management

If your dog already displays offensive aggression when her nails are being trimmed or when a strange dog approaches, then it’s time to teach her fun things happen instead.

To begin, you’ll need a clicker and yummy treats.

Nail Trims

Practice each step 5 times a day for 3 days. If your dog becomes confused, take a step back. I’ve found restraint of the paw usually causes a dog to become uncomfortable so practice often.

Touch a front paw with your hand and click/treat.
Touch a back paw with your hand and click/treat.
Touch a front toenail with your finger.
Now practice touching a back toenail with your finger.
Show your dog the nail trimmer (dog does not need to touch nail trimmer). Just pair a click/treat with the presence of the nail trimmer.
Touch nail trimmer to paw.
Now, touch nail trimmer to front toenail (Don’t trim a nail yet. If you do, you’ll most likely have to start back at step 1).
Touch trimmer to back toenail.
Hold front foot in your hand for 1 second.
Hold back foot in your hand for 1 second.
Trim a tiny tip off one toenail and end session.
Continue to practice until each toenail can be easily trimmed.

Body Handling

Take a peek at this video, which provides great tips on teaching body handling. Same principles apply when teaching your dog to allow nail trims too!

Coming Out of Crate

Move away from the crate opening. Better yet, stand next to the side of the crate. Toss a super yummy treat about 6 feet outside the crate opening. Bingo!

Strange Dog Approaching

This Dog Socialization Tips article covers prevention and management in detail.

Prevention is key!