Reasons for Sudden Aggression in Dogs & How to Fix It

July 29, 2016 by Fanna Easter

Sudden Aggression in Dogs

When your friendly and easy-going dog suddenly attacks another dog, child or you, it’s an extremely terrifying and confusing moment. Many pet owners wonder what exactly caused their dog to growl, snap or bite. The answer isn’t always clear. One thing’s for sure is if you witness sudden aggression in your dog, you need to address it immediately.

Why is My Dog Suddenly Aggressive?

We all want to understand why our dogs suddenly become aggressive because if we can identify the cause, we can fix it. Sometimes, the cause of aggression in dogs is pretty obvious and other times we have to dig deep to find the real reason our dogs acted out. Below are a few reasons on why a dog may suddenly growl, snap, lunge or bite. If you’re still unsure of the cause, partner with a dog trainer and veterinary behaviorist to resolve this bad dog behavior.

Please remember: Never allow children (or anyone, really) to sit on, ride, tease, pinch, pull, poke at any part of a dog’s body, roughly pet, throw something at, run toward, hit, scream, kick or step on a dog. Doing this will certainly cause pain or scare a dog, which will cause aggression.

Pain

Dogs are stoic creatures. It’s unbelievable how dogs can mask excruciating pain. When dogs are in pain, they’ll growl, snap or bite if you touch a painful area; it hurts! On the other hand, if your dog hides, constantly pants, drools, limps, licks a specific area, whines when moving or remains still, he’s likely in pain as well. If you suspect your dog is suffering, bring your dog to a veterinarian immediately. Then, conduct a family meeting to explain that physical petting and cuddling your dog is painful for him now, so give your dog space until he feels better.

Scared

Dogs get scared more than their pet owners know. Many dogs are frightened when a new person touches them, visits their home, yells at them, physically hurts or punishes them (i.e. hitting, collar correcting, pushing) and so forth.

For professional dog trainers, it’s pretty easy to know when dogs are scared. You’ll notice a dog is scared when his body language changes quickly, ears flatten back, tail tucks, eyes widen, and body stops moving and freezes or leans away from whatever is scaring him.

Some dogs will even growl, which may translate to “please leave me alone,” “stop doing that,” “this is freaking me out,” “if you don’t stop, I will run away or hurt you,” or “I’m scared.” Always listen and respect your dog’s growl. If you punish or ignore a dog for growling, your dog will escalate his warning to an air snap or bite. When your dog growls, he’s begging you to stop scaring him.

Resource Guarding

Dogs love their resources. They love toys, food in their bowl, chewies, treats, cozy spaces and even their pet owners. Some dogs will guard their resources fiercely. You can see this in action when you walk next to or touch your dog’s beloved resources. You’ll notice your dog will either hover over the item, freeze, growl, snap or bite.

In the dog training world, we call this resource guarding. Do know, resource guarding is a completely normal dog behavior. Those that guard their resources survive. Although it can be scary if resource guarding occurs in your home, especially around other dogs and small children.

Never punish your dog for resource guarding. You’ll make the situation much worse. Instead, teach your dog or puppy that trading his favorite items for super yummy treats is rewarding. Check out additional details on eliminating resource guarding behavior.

Personality

This one is usually a shocker. Many pet owners either refuse to accept their dogs aren’t friendly or completely misread their dog’s behavior. Once, many years ago, a pet owner insisted I hold her growling small dog during a behavior consult. This 8-lb dog was firmly nestled in his pet owner’s arms and as the owner approached me, her dog growled, flashed his teeth and sneezed/snorted. Of course, I backed away, but the pet owner insisted her dog was only “smiling” at me.

Long story short, we had a discussion on interpreting her dog’s body language, which completely stopped all of her dog aggression issues. If only all consults were that easy. 🙂

Here’s the truth: many dogs just don’t like meeting new people or dogs, and that’s OK. If your dog doesn’t like it, then please stop introducing him to strangers (i.e. other dogs, children) and accept it’s part of your dog’s personality. If you’re not sure whether or not your dog is friendly, please seek advice from a professional and experienced dog trainer.

What Should You Do Next?

Remember, it’s very important to find the reason for your dog’s sudden aggression because then it can be addressed.

Steer Clear of Triggers

Keep your dog away from whatever caused his sudden burst of aggression until your dog is seen by a veterinarian. Use sturdy baby gates and crates to keep your dog safely confined when guests come over or when children are playing. If your dog is aggressive toward another dog, keep all household dogs separated and stop allowing your dog to visit other dogs.

RELATED: Multiple Dog Household Tips

See Your Veterinarian

Always start with ruling out any and all medical issues. If your dog is in pain, a complete veterinary exam, blood work, X-rays and additional diagnostics should discover the cause of your dog’s pain and sudden aggression.

If pain isn’t causing your dog’s aggression, then ruling out illness is extremely important. Seizures, low or high thyroid levels, anxiety, and chronic illnesses can cause sudden aggression in dogs to happen, so always see a veterinarian first.

Find a Professional Dog Trainer

Once medical issues have been completely ruled out by your veterinarian, it’s time to find a professional dog trainer. If your dog has bitten someone or another dog, you need help from a veterinary behaviorist first and then follow up with a dog trainer. Check out these tips on finding an experienced dog trainer who specializes in dog aggression as well as locating a veterinary behaviorist. These articles will help you narrow your search quickly.

Sometimes, it’s difficult figuring out the exact cause for sudden aggression in dogs, but keep digging and work with a positive reinforcement dog trainer.

Do Dog Boarding and Training Programs Work?

July 12, 2016 by Fanna Easter

Think Twice About Dog Boarding and Training Programs

Pet owners want fast dog training results, so they choose to board their dog with a dog trainer (i.e. dog lives with dog trainer) and the dog trainer trains their dog to a certain level of training. Sounds quick and simple right? Even though this is an extremely fast growing segment of dog training, not all dog trainers agree with dog boarding and training philosophies. There are so many bad things that can happen when you choose this route, so know the facts first before dropping your dog off at someone’s house for weeks of boarding and training.

Typical Dog Boarding and Training Options

As mentioned above, pet owners drop their dog off at a dog trainer’s facility or home, and the dog trainer teaches their dog specific agreed upon behaviors. Length of stay with a dog trainer depends on the behaviors that will be taught to the dog, so it can vary between 2-6 weeks.

Learning takes times, especially when teaching challenging behaviors, such as walking on a loose leash in public and coming when called around tons of distractions. It’s important to understand dogs aren’t furry little computers; we can’t download information into their brains. If only it were that easy for dogs and humans! 🙂 Be prepared for sticker shock as well: boarding and training programs are extremely expensive. A two-week program can cost more than $500—that’s an insane amount of money.

How to Find a Good Dog Boarding and Training Program

Oh, this is where board and train programs can get really sticky. Finding the right dog trainer is key! There are several excellent board and train dog trainers out there and some rotten ones too. Learn how to stay clear of the rotten ones.

Research Good Dog Trainers

Choose a dog trainer who uses only positive reinforcement, meaning he doesn’t use punishment (physical or verbal), choke chains, pinch collars and/or electronic collars.

Look for dog trainers who will:

Reward good behavior
Redirect/ignore bad behavior
Only use flat buckle collars, Martingale collars, harnesses, head halters, clickers and yummy treats.

Check out my article on finding a good dog trainer. It lists websites that will help you in your search and point you in the right direction.

Don’t fall for the hype. Reward-based dog trainers can teach behaviors just as fast as punishment-based dog trainers. I know this personally, as I was a punishment-based dog trainer during the first 10 years of my dog training career. I switched to positive reinforcement because it was the humane thing to do for dogs, pet owners and myself. Also, it just works faster. Yes, I’ve been a positive reinforcement dog trainer for more than 15 years now and I’ve seen results from both sides of the dog training fence. Positive reinforcement is the clear winner by a landslide.

If a punishment-based dog trainer claims his methods work faster, ask for scientific research to back up those claims. Do know his personal experience is biased and wrong. Check out the multiple studies done on the effectiveness of positive reinforcement here.

Check Out the Facility

If a dog trainer offers a dog boarding and training program, ask to view where your dog will live while under his care. Ask how often your dog will be trained per day, if she’ll be crated and if she’ll go on daily walks. Ask if the dog trainer will follow your feeding instructions.

In addition, ask for contact information of previous clients and ask them for their reviews. You’re leaving a living and defenseless being in the care of this person. Interview the dog trainer ruthlessly and view the dog training facility thoroughly.

Dog Boarding and Training Program Horror Stories

Every day, I hear horror stories about dog boarding and training programs that will make you nauseous. I’m only sharing this information to inform you about the terrible possibilities that can happen to your dog. I’ve witnessed dogs starve during board and trains, as the dog trainer insisted dogs must earn all of their food or he simply forgot to feed them.

Some dogs would be left in their crates for 23 hours and forced to potty on themselves, which would cause large open sores. Other dogs were beaten and shocked with electronic collars so much so that the dogs would develop huge wounds. Others would be sent home with broken toes, legs and spines from physical abuse. I’ve also heard of dogs being left in extreme weather conditions that caused permanent damage; I could go on and on.

This stuff happens more than you think. I’ve witnessed these poor dogs being rushed into a veterinary clinic where I worked. Once you’re aware of the bad, you know what to look for during the interview phase and when visiting the dog training facility.

Don’t worry about offending a dog trainer either. An honest dog trainer actually admires and respects pet owners searching for the very best person to train their dog. We love it! If a dog trainer is rude, dismissive, unprofessional, lies or appears offended during your interview, end it and continue with your search.

Will Pet Owners Learn How to Train Their Dogs Too?

Professional board and train dog trainers will require pet owners to attend several dog training sessions with their dogs. While board and train dog trainers will teach your dog certain behaviors and put her on cue for you, you should still learn how to ask and reward cues, and know what to do if your dog becomes confused.

If a board and train facility doesn’t offer this option, or charges you more for it, this dog trainer and facility is not for you. Find someone else.

Final Thoughts

If you want a fast and effective way to train your dog, attend group training classes with your puppy or dog. Not only will you both learn together from a skilled dog trainer, but you will also build an unbreakable bond with your dog that will last a lifetime. If group class isn’t an option, choose private lessons in your home with a professional dog trainer. Working and learning together is key to success. Plus, you’ll save lots of money in your pocket. 🙂

Help! My Dog Won’t Poop On Leash

June 30, 2016 by Fanna Easter

What to Do When Your Dog Won’t Poop on Leash

Some pet owners will laugh at this subject, but many will understand the struggle of standing outdoors and waiting for nature to happen. In most cases, dogs won’t poop on leash. You need to teach them it’s okay to potty or poop while on a leash. It’s not natural for dogs to use the bathroom on leash because they’re used to having privacy in their backyard. You’re probably still giggling at this topic, but I can promise you that one day, you’ll need this dog training skill. 🙂

Why a Dog Won’t Poop on Leash

Attaching a leash to your dog changes everything. Your dog’s space suddenly becomes restricted, which can quickly frustrate him. You’ve probably heard about “leash frustration,” which occurs when a dog becomes extremely frustrated due to the restrictiveness of a leash (yes, it’s a real thing). I’m not saying you need to toss your leash in the trash because they’re still an important safety line, but you do need to teach your dog that leashes can be fun.

Understanding that dog leashes will restrict your dog’s personal space, you can see why your dog gets a bit creeped out pottying right next to you. 🙂 Most dogs head to the farthest corners of the backyard to poop in privacy, which I consider to be polite behavior that’s most appreciated. Try walking a dog accustomed to pooping in the backyard on a six-foot leash and expect him to poop. It’s almost impossible. It’s easy to see why your dog won’t poop on leash.

How to Teach Your Dog to Poop on Leash

This dog behavior can certainly be taught. I advise teaching your dog to poop (and pee) on a leash now rather than later. Anyone who’s traveled with her dog is probably familiar with walking around for hours until her dog finally pooped. Also, when your dog won’t poop on leash and holds it for days, he’s sure to explode.

If your dog rarely travels with you, and only poops in the backyard, then you’ll need to teach your dog to poop on leash because you may still need the skill someday. Most dogs will need some type of surgery, such as spaying or neutering, that require limited movement. It can also get frustrating when your dog won’t poop on leash during a blizzard or monsoon.

When your dog won’t poop on leash, you’ll need to take a step back to potty training 101. First, attach a leash to your dog’s collar. Then, grab several yummy treats and take your dog outside to potty in his favorite pooping area. Stand still and wait for it to happen. If it doesn’t happen within 5-10 minutes (it can take some time), then continue taking your dog out to potty on leash until it does. Lastly, be prepared to wait a day or two for your dog to poop on leash. Dress warmly if it’s chilly outside.

While we want to jump for joy when our dog finally poops on leash, keep quiet as your dog potties. The moment when stuff stops coming out, and before your dog stands up straight, say “yes.” Then, reward your dog with several treats. If you’d like, you can do the happy potty dance too.

To help stimulate your dog to poop on leash, take your dog for a walk around the neighborhood. However, in most instances, dogs will hold it until they get home. Walking through your neighborhood is certainly an option for teaching your dog to potty on leash, but I suggest teaching that behavior in the backyard as well.

Practice the Behavior

Now that your dog has learned to poop on leash, it’s time to keep practicing. At our house, we leash our dogs and take them out to potty in the backyard once a week to reinforce this behavior.

Reactive Dog Resources You Need to Get Started

June 24, 2016 by Fanna Easter

Reactive Dog Resources

As a reactive dog owner, you should stay up-to-date on reactive dog resources and training tips. Dealing with a reactive dog can be difficult, which is why you should seek help from qualified professionals who will provide support, listen to you throughout the entire process, use positive reinforcement training and provide results.

While positive results are important, teaching you how to handle a stressful situation quickly and how to positively change your dog’s behavior is much more valuable in the long run. If you’re looking for answers, check out these resources below. You’ll find plenty of reactive dog resources and dog training solutions. 🙂

Veterinary Behaviorists

Finding a veterinary behaviorist should be the first step pet owners take when dealing with a reactive dog, but unfortunately many pet owners seek these professionals as a last resort. A veterinary behaviorist is a veterinarian who’s board certified in animal behavior. These professionals treat reactive dog cases every day. Plus, they’re up-to-date on the latest behavior protocols, tests and medications. To find a veterinary behaviorist in your area, check out American College of Veterinary Behaviorist.

If you’re fortunate to live near a veterinary behaviorist, it’s worth scheduling an appointment with that person face-to-face. Now, some pet owners aren’t that lucky. If you’re unable to speak directly to a vet behaviorist, do know that all veterinary behaviorists will consult with your regular veterinarian by phone. There are so many benefits to bringing a veterinary behavior expert into the mix. For example, she can recommend a local qualified dog trainer and point you in the right direction.

Qualified Dog Trainers

Not all dog trainers are qualified to work with reactive dogs; actually, most of them aren’t qualified. Keep in mind there’s no such thing as an animal behaviorist. This is a made-up term in the dog training world. Anyone can call herself an animal behaviorist, as there’s no certification or requirement to do so.

When searching for a qualified dog trainer, you can ask your veterinary behaviorist for a referral. In most cases, she’ll know local dog trainers who have experience working positively with reactive dogs. Seek a dog trainer who is Behavioral Adjustment Training (BAT) certified. These dog trainers know how to use counter-conditioning and desensitization for reactive dog training, and they clearly explain their process to pet owners.

If your veterinary behaviorist doesn’t know of any dog trainers in your area and you’re unable to find a BAT-certified dog trainer nearby, then I suggest searching for a professional dog trainer who specializes in dog reactivity or aggression. The dog trainer you choose should have a minimum of 5 years of experience—not counting school—because it takes years of hands-on experience and continuing education to learn how to successfully change a reactive dog’s behavior.

Check out Karen Pryor Academy of Dog Trainers, Pet Professional Guild, International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) and Animal Behavior College.

Books & DVDs

There are a ton of books that discuss dog behavior and dog reactivity, but many are too difficult to read. I’ve compiled a few must-have books for reactive dog training below. Each book is different and reading them all will help you interpret dog body language and understand why reactive dogs act a certain way and how to change their behavior.

“Calming Signal – What Your Dog Tells You” by Turid Rugaas

This easy-to-read booklet gives you the foundation to both successfully interpret your dog’s body language and change his behavior. If you can’t identify when something bad is about to happen, you can’t prevent it from happening.

“Feisty Fido: Help for the Leash-Reactive Dog” by Patricia McConnell and Karen B. London

This quick read will teach you the importance of an emergency U-Turn as well as how to handle situations when your dog reacts.

“Behavior Adjustment Training 2.0: New Practical Techniques for Fear, Frustration, and Aggression” by Grisha Stewart, M.A., CPDT-KA

This book, which also comes in a DVD set, will teach you how to change your dog’s behavior. Now, this book will be a bit challenging to read for most pet owners, so I highly recommend referring to this book when working with a veterinary behaviorist and qualified dog trainer.

Hopefully, these reactive dog resources will help you get started in your quest for answers. Good luck on your journey. Many of us have taken it with great success. 🙂

Dog Apartment Living: Tips & Tricks to Make It Work

June 22, 2016 by Fanna Easter

7 Tips for Dog Apartment Living

Dog apartment living can be a bit more challenging than detached home living. In an apartment, your neighbors are so close and you share the same stairwells, hallways and entrances. All of this adds up to creating an uncomfortable environment for you and your dog. I’m sure you’re probably already aware of these issues, so hopefully these tips will make dog apartment living a bit easier for the both of you.

1. Always Keep Your Dog on Leash

As apartment dwellers, there’s a tiny tinge of guilt you feel when your dog must be leashed at all times when outdoors (I know the feeling). It’s important to understand that a leash keeps your dog from running away, walking into traffic or harassing other people and dogs. Basically, your dog’s leash is a safety line.

While we envision our dogs yearning to run freely in a never-ending pasture of green grass, most dogs would rather sniff and explore. Walks are important for releasing pent-up energy, but allowing your dog to stop, sniff and explore will mentally tire her out too. When your dog stops to sniff, she’s basically checking her social media page. She’s finding out what’s going on and who’s doing what in the neighborhood. She may respond back by marking the area. Overall, allowing her to sniff and explore is vital for dog apartment living.

2. Create a Sound Barrier Inside

Apartments share walls, elevators and entrances, which can all cause some creepy sounds. When not home, play soft music or a sound machine at medium level. Creating a calming sound will drown out any other noises and ensure your dog sleeps soundly while you’re away.

If your neighbors are loud, even when you’re home, turn on a portable fan to drown out the noise. I find portable fans provide more white noise than a ceiling fan. By drowning out typical apartment living noises, you prevent your dog from barking when they hear these sounds. Check out the benefits of calming music for dogs.

3. Make Weird Noises Fun

Some neighbors are so loud that even white noise can’t drown them out. In order to combat this, make it rain treats next time. Keep a bowl of tiny, super yummy treats near your chair and toss your dog a treat when a neighbor slams his door. When a nearby dog barks or people argue loudly in the hallway, toss your dog a treat the moment the sound begins. By pairing good things with sounds, you’re teaching your dog that weird sounds will make it rain treats, which prevents barking or stress.

4. Check Out Entrances & Exits

When walking out of your front door, or through the building entrance, take a moment and make sure the coast is clear. As you approach an entrance, ask your dog to “sit” and “wait.” Now, peek out the entrance to make sure other dogs or people aren’t approaching. Once the coast is clear, tell your dog “let’s go” and walk through the entrance way.

Checking out all entrances and exits before walking through them is so important for dog apartment living, especially if your dog reacts to other dogs or people. We lived on the 7^th floor with two Rottweilers, and we learned quickly that rounding the corner with unsuspecting people approaching us will cause screams, spilled coffee and frowns.

Our Rotties were super sweet, but they scared our neighbors, so just taking this extra step reassured our neighbors that our dogs are polite. Afterwards, we witnessed many smiles going forward. Make sure the coast is clear every time.

5. Keep Your Distance

I can’t say this enough: not all dogs want to meet other dogs. Just because you pass another dog walking around your apartment building, it doesn’t mean your dog wants to meet the other dog. I’m pretty sure you don’t shake hands with your neighbors every time you see them because that would be a bit creepy. It’s the same thing for your dog. If a neighbor with a dog makes a beeline for you and your dog, just tell him you’re training a new dog behavior and don’t have time to chat, but thank him along the way.

6. Pick Up Your Dog’s Poop Every Time

Pick it up every time despite rain, sleet, monsoons, hurricanes, blizzards and heat waves. If you forget a poop bag, bring your dog upstairs. Afterwards, grab a poop bag and head back down to pick it up. When this happens to us, I place a stick vertically into the ground that’s right next to the poop, so I can find it easier. Plus, by flagging the area, your neighbors will know you’re coming back to pick up your dog’s poop—because we all know someone is always looking, right?

7. Play Dog Apartment Living Games

Walks are good, but sniffing opportunities are better, so make sure your dog has fun sniffing activities in your apartment too. Toss out your dog’s food bowl because feeding your dog in a bowl is so boring and a huge waste of an enrichment opportunity. Instead, stuff your dog’s food in interactive toys.

For example, hide bits of kibble behind furniture or scatter your dog’s kibble in a shag rug. This encourages sniffing and hunting, which is excellent mental stimulation. For games that don’t involve food (because some dogs are watching their waistlines), grab a bottle of dog-friendly bubbles and play bubble games, or play a fun game of tug. Inside your apartment, your dog can run freely and play, so take advantage of it.