Dog issues?

My dog seems to be alittle agressive when it comes to metting human or other dog strangers, his hair on his back stands up and he growls at humans but when he see's another dog, he growls and AND barks alittle vicously, I personally think it's somewhat of a good thing, that way he can be protective, you know the whole guard dog thing. But at the same time I dont want him to get into trouble like bite another dog or worse a human(he almost snapped at the doctor the other day), then I gotta deal with the legal issues. So I was woundering is there a way I can teach him to be less mean or at least alittle more friendly when it comes to meeting pepole?? He's an American Bulldog by the way.

Dog issues?

The fact that he has a protective instinct is good, but you have to teach him that these normal encounters are not the time to act that way. Take him to obedience class if you haven't already, so that you will have the basic tools.

Do not allow him to growl at humans or other dogs that are not threatening him. Stop him immediately. Take him for walks and calm him when he growls. When he acts appropriately, give him praise or a treat. As he gets used to seeing people and dogs without getting hostile, let him get closer and socialize with them. Praise him and let him enjoy himself.

Don't worry that he will lose his protective instinct; he won't. If he sees a real threat, he will know the difference and he will react faster than you will.

Dog issues?

He probably needs a lot of dog %26amp; human socialization. Try a training class, as many trainers can help you deal with that kind of aggression.

Dog issues?

take him to a good trainer.

Dog issues?

teach her to be a good dog.

Dog issues?

a goos way to start to teach them is when they start to growl and bark pet them and tell them that they r ok and fine if that doesnt work u might have to get a shorter leash but sometime if u make the shh sound they stop wat they r doing and pay attension to u. you have to show the dog that u r the leader and he is not.

Dog issues?

watch the dog whisper show on ngc network

Dog issues?

This is a common problem with bulldogs. Bully breeds tend to be a little stubborn sometimes, so I would suggest you find a trainer to help you. Check with your local animal shelter, they should have a dog behaviorist they use to evaluate the dogs at their shelter, and he/she may be able to assist you in teaching your dog to be more friendly. DO NOT try any at-home training techniques, such as the "alpha roll" or other submission exercises, and even if you watch the Dog Whisperer, he CLEARLY states that you shouldn't try his methods yourself! It's very dangerous to start messing with an aggressive dog on your own. Get professional help!

Dog issues?

Any good protection dog is one who you can SAFELY take out into public, who you can order to simply lay down when friends or family come over to your home. A true protection dog has to be at your side in order to provide protection!

If you can't have your dog at your side because he goes after friendly strangers...he ISN'T a true protection dog...he is simply a nasty tempered, possibly vicious dog. A TRUE protection dog only goes after hostile strangers, he is happy to meet to friendly strangers or your own acquaintances.

If you find yourself having to lock this boy up because you can't trust him around friends and so on...how can he possibly defend you should the occasion arise?

You need to teach him that YOU are the one in charge, you are the alpha in your own 'pack'. He can jump in to defend you when needed, but for the most part, YOU will provide defense and YOU will determine who is hostile and who is friendly.

A very basic start to this principle is for you to hold him behind you when you greet people and other dogs. Behind your legs, held forcibly at first by the leash, until you have established a conversation with the humans, have reached down and petted the other dog. THEN, you let him out from the 'safety zone' where he can greet these people/animals who YOU have determined are safe.

You should also look into 'alpha dogs' on any search engine on the internet. You also REALLY need to enroll yourself and this boy into some obedience course, where you will learn how to control him with simple voice commands.

Yes, it sounds really cool to have a dog who will protect you. It is neat to have a dog step out in front of you and confront a stranger...but then reality steps in...a dog who bites someone who simply wants to pet him...a dog who attacks another dog who is just standing there...not so cool any more. In fact, a totally BAD situation.

To avoid this, your boy needs training, as do you. You need to learn how to teach your boy to respond to YOU, rather than to outside influences.

Any good protection dog only benefits from obedience training. Training bonds them closer with their owner, makes them more determined to protect the human. But if the human can make the dog back off when needed...BIG benefit if an unwarranted attack can be called off with a simple command!

EDITED TO SAY:

Just read some other posts here...Do NOT pet him and tell him it's OK when he is growling. Don't soothe him and try to reason with him. Such a reaction on your part when he is being 'bad' is only going to reinforce his behavior. He won't hear that the person he is growling at is a 'nice person, it's ok, boy', he will hear, 'it's ok, boy, keep growling'.

God...I hate it when people soothe their dogs when they are being bad. Almost nothing in life is more guaranteed to succeed than the bad behavior of dogs when their owners try to placate a nasty display of temperament.

Dog issues?

This dog needs some serious training and lots and lots of socialization. A lot of times when dogs behave this way it is because of fear because they are unsure and sometimes the owner plays a roll in the behavior when they worry the dog will react badly. The owner tenses and hold the leash shorter and tighter giving the dog the idea that it needs to be on guard. All emotions the owner feels travels down the leash. I suggest you look for a trainer that understands dog aggression. Stay away from petsmart or petco and attend a class or two without the dog so you can observe the methods. Not all dogs are a like so all solutions should not be the same.

EDIT: I agree do not pet the dog in these kinds of situations because it reaffirms the fears/aggression.