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Dogs have been close companions to humans for hundreds of years, thousands in some places. For many, the old saying, "a dog is man's best friend" (which should be updated to "a man or woman's) is more than a cliche, but a heartfelt feeling. Dogs can indeed be a comfort, a friend, a protector, a playmate to children, a guardian of house and property and many other things.

There are times, alas, when dogs do not seem like our best friends. At times, they can be downright scary. There isn't much you can do about other people's dogs (except avoid them if they are likely to snap at you!), but what do you do if your own dog is the one causing problems?

The issue that causes the most concern among dog owners is aggression. This can occur in many forms --towards people (or certain people, such as children), other dogs, or in certain situations. Before you can address the issue, you should identify the specific ways or times that it occurs.

The first step to take is to have a veterinarian you trust examine your dog, to make sure there is not a physical problem that is the cause of disruptive behavior. You should also try to control your dog's environment as much as possible, avoiding whatever tends to provoke problematic behavior.

In other words, do not tempt fate. If your dog tends to fight with other dogs, until you can get a handle on the situation, you really need to isolate your dog from other dogs. The same, of course, is true for dogs who are aggressive towards people. If necessary, use a muzzle. Be sure to warn people not to approach a potentially dangerous dog. You do not want to deal with lawsuits, or other repercussions of your dog attacking someone, whether human or another animal.

There are rare cases when the only choice is to give up the dog. This may be, for example, when you have a young child in your household or in those unfortunate cases when you have a truly vicious dog who is beyond help. But in most cases, behavioral problems, including aggression, can be corrected. One of the first remedies you can try is exercise. If a dog has too much unused energy, it can become aggressive.

A note about exercise --playing with your dog is great, but make sure you don't play too roughly and unknowingly encourage aggression. For many dogs, it's fine to play rough, but if your dog has an issue with aggression, you should not be playing in ways that foster this.

Sometimes the problem is isolation. Dogs are social animals who do not like to be left alone for long periods. Tying a dog to a stake in the ground all day is not going to make him/her happy, and in some cases it may cause behavior problems. If you are away from your dog for long periods, try to make an arrangement so the dog isn't alone all the time. At the very least, make sure the animal has some room to move around.

What I have given here are preliminary steps and not enough to solve a serious problem. If you have an aggressive dog, you are going to have to do something or hire someone to help. A qualified dog trainer or obedience school can usually help, but these solutions can be costly. If you have the patience, you can probably learn to correct your dog's problems yourself.

You can't simply ignore the issue of an aggressive dog. Most dogs, the vast majority, are trainable and are potentially wonderful companions. Some dogs, however, require some extra guidance and attention on the way to this goal.

Author's Resource:

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