It is not uncommon for people to struggle with aggressive behavior of their dogs. This, of course, is stressful not only for the owner, but also for the animal itself, as it is constantly being triggered by one thing or another, which prevents it from relaxing and, well, enjoying life. On the other hand, the owner may fear for other animals and people, which leads to limiting social interactions, and pretty much strains the entire relationship between the canine and the family. Here are some warning signs of aggression you may not want to miss.
Anyway, the good news is that things don’t have to stay that way, and that they can, instead, become much, much better. But, only if you have the right professionals on your side – those trainers that have dealt with aggression before, and that know precisely how to handle it safely and successfully. So, choosing the right training pros should become your number one priority if you have noticed aggression in your canine.
Understanding Dog Aggression
Before we get to the part of talking about how you can choose the best professionals, let us first make clear that you understand what dog aggression really is. Sure, you can perhaps easily notice the signs, but do you actually know the sources of such behavior? Because the causes may not be the same in different canines.
For one thing, your animal may be triggered when it feels threatened, meaning that you’re dealing with fear-based aggression. Of course, the tricky part here is that the animal may feel threatened by even the slightest stimuli, which can make things difficult both for it, and for the owner. Then, your pet may be reacting aggressively when trying to be protective over a certain territory, a person, or an object. This type of aggression may be reinforced in puppies, as we find it cute and adorable, but things definitely change when the dog grows up.
Moving on, you could notice that your pet has problems with other dogs, in which case you are dealing with inter-dog aggression. Once again, people often make the mistake of rewarding such behavior in the early years, which leads to a lot of social interaction issues when the animal grows up. And, of course, you could also be dealing with redirected aggression, which is caused by overstimulation and frustration, and which is quite misplaced.
Now, you don’t have to be an expert on this topic, and you don’t have to know what type of aggression your canine is exhibiting. Why? Because the professionals you will decide to work with will certainly be able to assess that for themselves. Although, a few pieces of information about your pet’s behavior in different situations can be rather helpful.
Why Get Professional Training
Are you wondering why getting professional training is actually a must, and why you cannot, instead, try and resolve this problem on your own? Well, you’re not alone. But, the bottom line is that training your dog on your own, especially when it comes to aggression issues, is often a futile and even a dangerous task. So, you should always aim at hiring the right pros, and Pet Dog Planet recently did a write up that can help you understand how to decide and how to choose those experts. Anyway, before I start sharing tips on how to make that choice as well, let me tell you about some of the reasons why you should work with them in the first place.
First of all, the experts you can find nationwide will all be adequately certified, and thus knowledgeable about how to deal with dog aggression. Working with them is a sure path towards finally resolving this problem, and thus not worrying every time you want to take your pet for a walk, or have it meet another person, or another animal. Amateurs are sure not to have the same success, which is why hiring experts is a must.
In addition to knowing how to handle this problem, these experts will also know how to stay safe in the process, and how to keep your animal safe as well. This is extremely important, because we all know that aggressive dogs can be dangerous. So, if you don’t use the right methods, and if you don’t employ the necessary safety protocols, you could easily wind up getting hurt in the process, or even hurting your pet. Since that is not what you want, you should definitely hire professionals.
Furthermore, you should keep in mind that the training programs provided by professionals are well-structured. The techniques they are using have been proven time and time again, and they have also been refined over time. Plus, understanding that every animal is different, the experts will offer customized approaches, thus finding those methods that work best for your particular pet. And, the best part is that these nationwide, high quality programs, will also offer follow-up support, which can be extremely important.
How to Choose the Ideal Training Professionals
Now, once you’ve understood that hiring experts is of utmost importance, what you want to do next is figure out how it is exactly that you should choose the best one for you. Well, there are certainly some great nationwide programs to consider, and your task is to check them out and ultimately make the best choice for yourself. Of course, you will have to know what to keep in mind when trying to make that choice, so that is precisely what we are going to be talking about next.
Perhaps this could help you choose a trainer as well: http://www.ispeakdog.org/how-to-choose-a-dog-trainer.html
For starters, you should always check for certifications, because you want the experts you choose to be reliable, and licensed to perform the trainings. So, check if any of the reputable organizations have provided certifications to certain professionals and for certain programs. This will help you avoid working with amateurs that could only wind up making things worse.
Since you are dealing with an aggressive dog, you want to make sure that the experts you’re choosing know how to correct that specific behavior and resolve that specific issue. What does this precisely mean, though? Well, in the simplest words possible, it means that you should check whether the trainers you’re considering have experience with this precise problem, and if they have had any success resolving it in the past. Checking out the official sites, as well as reading some relevant reviews written by past clients, as well as by other dog professionals, should help you determine the experience, as well as the reputation of particular trainers.
Aggression is, without a doubt, a complex issue, and not all dogs will respond to the same type of training, especially due to the different causes of that aggression. So, it is your task to check if the professionals you’re researching can offer tailor-made plans, thus making sure that they will use those methods that will work perfectly for your dog. Finally, on top of all that, you should take some time to consider and compare the prices, so as to ultimately find a trainer that will offer the best services, and at the most reasonably prices.