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Aggressive Breeds: Fiction or Not? |
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The dangers of aggressive dogs There is no need to reiterate the dangers of aggressive dogs. A number of people have suffered grisly deaths because of aggressive dogs attacking them. A lot of people have died due to dog bites from aggressive dogs. Although majority of dog bite incidents don’t result to death, the number is still alarmingly a cause for concern. A lot of children have become victims of dog bites as well. Because of the growing number of people that are attacked by fierce dogs, there are now rules in certain locations against certain dog breeds that were proved to be the top causes of fatal dog bites and attacks. People are now coming up with ways to control aggressive dogs. It seems that man has become wary of what is commonly known as his best friend. Are some dog breeds really more aggressive than others? With the number of dog attacks rising, there are questions arising as to whether some dog breeds are more aggressive than others. Some people, perhaps mostly dog owners, think that the belief that some dog breeds are more aggressive than others is unfounded. However, according to actual studies that have been conducted, a majority of fatal dog bites and dog attacks is caused by certain dog breeds, which can be a valid foundation for the said claims. It does not mean that these dogs are more aggressive at all times. It simply shows that some breeds have more tendencies to act or react aggressively when provoked. However, some dog owner organizations are against discrimination by way of dog breed under the argument that responsible dog owners will be able to control their aggressive dogs, and any kind of dog will not behave and may act aggressively depending on how they are treated and trained. The factors that affect aggression in certain dog breeds Aggressive dog breeds should not be generalized as being aggressive by nature. Aggression is usually triggered. However, several factors also affect a certain dog breed’s tendency to display aggression. For example, a dog owner will have a lot of effect on the dog. This depends on the way the dog is treated, and how the owner trained it. If a dog owner also provides the dog with a safe, energetic, and comfortable atmosphere, providing it with its basic needs, training, and companionship, a dog will not develop ill behavior. A properly trained and socialized dog, even if it belongs to the aggressive dog breeds listed above, will show fewer tendencies to attack or show aggression than a dog that is untrained or lack socialization. A chained dog will also be more aggressive, which can be understandable because chaining a dog up may trigger feelings of isolation, passivity, and ill treatment. A dog also attacks based on the behavior of the people around it. If a person behaves in an aggressive or forceful way, and threatens a dog in any way, it is only natural for the dog to try and defend itself by biting or attacking. Aside from these factors, there are certain factors as well that are also related to a dog’s breed. Heightened tendency for aggression can also be hereditary, or has to do with the gender of the dog. Studies have also shown that males are naturally more aggressive than female dogs. What are the most aggressive dog breeds? According to some studies, fatal dog bites were traced back to Pit Bulls. Pit Bulls are strong, fierce dogs, and it is understandable that they are known as the most aggressive breed, in terms of the statistical count of dog attacks. Other aggressive breeds include Bull Terriers, Dobermans, Bulldogs, German Shepherds, Siberian Huskies, and Great Danes, among some others. These are the aggressive dog breeds that are receiving much contempt these days from law-making bodies desiring to protect citizens from fatal dog bites and attacks. We at Puppy-Spot feel that all dogs bite. It is an issue of genetics and environmental factors and all dogs must be socialized and trained to be good canine citizens. |
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Avoiding the Aggressive Dog Bite |
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The Danger of Dog Bites Dog bites are dangerous, and unfortunately very common. Waved off as something petty or unimportant, people don’t give much attention to avoiding aggressive dog bites. However, you would be surprised to know that the number of people bitten by dogs is very high, and more so among children. This shows that dog bites, and how to avoid them, is a subject worthy of research. Why Dogs Bite Dogs bite as a sign of aggressiveness toward someone that they don’t like or are scared of. They bite when they’re upset or irritated. Dogs bite because it is part of their nature to do so. They are also easily provoked when the humans around them show off unnatural behavior that makes the dogs uncomfortable and annoyed. Dogs also bite when the person shows apprehension and fear towards it resulting to an unnatural behavior that, again, affects the dog in a negative way. It’s all in the way a person approaches a dog, which means that dog biting is sometimes just a negative response to a negative approach. How to Avoid Dog Bites To avoid dog bites, it is important to approach a dog in a way that will not make the dog irritated, scared, uncomfortable, and even suspicious. Dogs also tend to bite when they do not know a person, so aside from learning how to approach a dog, it is better not to approach dogs that are not familiar to you, especially without the dog owner there. When the dog owner is around, dogs are usually more relaxed, and are at arm’s length of the owner so that it could be shushed or stopped if it ever starts to behave eratically. Also, when approaching a dog, don’t greet it by patting it on its head. Wait for the dog to approach you and inspect you before touching it. Or you can also approach a dog from the side, instead of meeting it head on. Also, when you sit down, dogs will also feel more at ease with you, so sitting down will also calm the dog. It is also very common among dogs to become suspicious and aggressive when you seem interested and overly enthusiastic to approach it. Dogs are easily suspicious, and they can easily defend themselves by biting. Among children, however, the best way to avoid aggressive dog bites is to just keep them away from dogs. Children have the tendency to behave in an unpredictable way, especially in the presence of pets, which they may mistake as cuddly, adorable, and absolutely harmless beings. Some dogs may react negatively to such behavior, especially when they do not know the child. In general, avoiding the aggressive dog bite is all about making the dog feel comfortable and at ease with your presence. Some dog experts have come up with calming signals that can help ease the dog into a calm temperament when you approach it. Running is not an option This is one of the more common warnings against dog bites: Don’t run. To defend or protect themselves, dogs usually display an aggressive stance. If you get scared and run away, it will confirm the dog’s suspicions because you reacted to its defensive behavior yourself. If you run away from an aggressive dog whose eyes are on you, you will most likely be bitten. If a dog displays aggression towards you, the best way to avoid the aggressive dog bite is to slowly back away from it, and to calm the dog by shifting your attention to other things. If you know of any calming signals, these would greatly help in avoiding dog bites. |
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Keep Your Dog from Barking |
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Barking as Part of Your Dog’s Nature Just as we humans talk, dogs, on the other hand, bark. It is part of a dog’s nature to bark. You cannot possibly keep a dog from barking. Barking may be noisy, but it’s already one of the most important things you should consider before you get a dog. If you can’t deal with barking and a noisy dog, don’t get a dog. No amount of training can keep your dog from barking. You can perhaps control it and lessen the reasons your dog will have to bark its lungs out, but you can never stop barking completely. When Barking Becomes a Problem However, if your dog is barking incessantly and excessively, then it might already be a problem. Barking becomes a proble when it is too frequent and becomes uncontrollable. And although barking is part of a dog’s normal behavior, dogs usually bark for one reason or another. If your dog starts barking for some reason, and doesn’t seem to stop even when the cause of its barking is gone, then you need to control barking, so that you won’t end up with an extremely noisy dog. What Causes Barking Problems Barking problems are usually more frequent among dogs that have experienced isolation at one point. Dogs that are bored can also turn to barking for lack of nothing better to do, and if these dogs are unsupervised, and the barking is not immediately controlled, the dogs will tend to do it because there seems to be nothing wrong with it anyway. Barking problems, then, usually begin with unhindered barking. Before long, the barking will become a habit that, like all bad habits, is hard to break. How to Control Barking Problems To prevent barking problems, make sure that when your dog continues barking for no reason at all, shush him at once. Remember to reward it for not barking, too. If your dog’s barking, however, has turned into a problem, the most important thing to do is find out what caused the barking problem in the first place. This will help you gain insight into what made the dog bark, and how it became a problem. For example, your dog feels isolated and lonely. Then, the best way to solve the problem and control barking is to take away the cause. Provide constant companionship for your dog. If not, give your dog something to focus its attention to when it is alone. Also, help your dog release its energy by taking it out on walks and exercising together. This way, with the dog able to release its energy, it won’t find the need and even the strength to keep on barking incessantly. It is about keeping your dog happy, or its mental faculties occupied, or its emotional state content and pleased. If so, your dog will feel less need to bark and bark. Take note, however, that solving barking problems is not that easy. You can’t expect to solve the problem in one shot. Not because you seem to have alleviated your pet’s barking today means that the entire barking problem is gone. Dogs learn through routines, so make sure that you teach your dog on a continuous basis until it settles down completely. While the problem is still underway, try to muffle the barking noises as much as you can by keeping the dog inside a house and where it will make the least disturbance. You wouldn’t want your neighbors complaining, would you? |
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Keep Your Dog from Jumping on Guests |
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The Cases and Causes of Dog Jumping Dog jumping is, in mild cases, a normal part of a dog’s behavior, especially as a show of excitement. Cases of dog jumping on people can also be a show of affection. In puppies, dog jumping can be expected, and is not a cause for concern. However, if your dog retains the behavior as it grows older, and it becomes a normal, uncontrollable act, then it might already be a dog jumping problem. Dog jumping problems need to be treated, especially when your dog likes to jump on guests. Another well-known case of dog jumping is jumping on furniture, but it is a less disadvantageous case than jumping on people, such as your valued guests. In some cases, dog jumping on guests is also a display of authority, more than it is a show of affection. This is when your dog jumps on guests with a hint of aggression. Such cases are the ones that need controlling the most. How to Prevent Dog Jumping on Guests To have your dog jumping on guests is not the best way to welcome visitors into your home. At all costs, if dog jumping cannot be totally prevented, it should at least be steered toward people who will not be made uncomfortable, such as guests. Controlling dog jumping should be part of a puppy’s early training. It is important that, from an early age, your puppy already knows that frequently jumping and jumping on people are not acceptable behaviors. You should start with teaching your dog that jumping on people is not allowed, even before you take him to meet other people. With the no-jumping rule already on its mind, it will not even attempt to jump on guests. Controlling Dog Jumping on Guests and Why You Should If you are unable to prevent the dog jumping problem to affect your dog, you can still remedy the situation. And yes, you need to. Dog jumping on guests is not a problem that you should just let settle. Having your dog jump on guests is a highly annoying and disrespectful behavior that can even affect some guests more than others. It is also not impossible that you have a guest who is not very fond of dogs. Your dog jumping on that guest can create an unpleasant situation. There may also be cases that your visitors are children or elderly people, and your dog just happens to be large and forceful. With it jumping on guests, the situation can turn from friendly and welcoming to dangerous. Thus, train your dog not to jump on people and guests. You can do this by rehearsing. To control jumping on guests, a continuous training should be done. For this, you will need the help of a person who is not familiar to your dog. Have the person give a reward to your dog if it doesn’t jump on him. On the other hand, if the dog jumps on the person, have him walk away from the dog. For each session, if possible, engage the participation of different people so your dog will not associate the activity to any one person, and understand that jumping on guests, all guests, is not allowed. Most importantly, if you want to control dog jumping, cross out punishments at all costs. Limit rewards as well. No matter how much you love your pet, when it jumps on guests, hold out on the rewards a bit. It is for your pet’s own good, after all. |
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You Can Teach An Old Dog New Tricks |
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Why it’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks Teaching an old dog new tricks can be quite tricky. But teaching an old dog new tricks is more than possible. It is normal. Training can and should be done, no matter what your dog’s age is. It is true, though, that older dogs may have slower cognitive responses to learning than younger ones. The challenge lies in the dog’s temperament. You should be able to encourage it enough for it to want to learn new tricks in the first place. And since the process of teaching old dogs new tricks may be lengthy and may move at a slower pace, the most important thing is that you need to have the time and patience to teach new tricks to your old dog. Without you committing to the task, your old dog won’t feel energized and motivated to learn new tricks as well. How to teach new tricks to an old dog There have been findings about how a nutritional diet can do wonders to a dog tryng to learn new tricks. There are dietary supplements that can help improve and sharpen your dog’s cognitive abilities. These supplements can also improve a dog’s memory. Through this, your dog will be able to learn fast and pick up the new tricks quickly. Aside from turning to dietary solutions, one of the most recommended ways to teach old dogs new tricks is to use positive reinforcement. This works on almost all dogs, and is the most effective way to get your old dog learning new tricks. Also, try not to force your dog into learning. Older dogs may somehow be more dominant and upstanding, and teaching an old dogsnew tricks should not be a one-step process. Keep your sessions frequent, but very brief. If your old dog does not seem able to follow what you are teaching, it’s better to try again tomorrow than make fruitless attempts. Before every session ends, that’s when positive reinforcement should be used the most. Praise your dog for a job well done, regardless of whether it was able to perform the trick or not. It is also advisable not to end the session abruptly. Don’t let your dog feel that it is a serious, boring matter. Inject some fun into the learning, such as ending the session with a play time. Benefits of teaching new tricks to old dogs If you think that teaching old dogs new tricks is hard, think twice before you dismiss the need to do so. Teaching an old dog new tricks can bring several benefits, both to you and your dog. When you train your dog and teach it tricks, its full potential can be maximized. You, in turn, will be surprised to find out what your dog can do. Dogs that are not taught tricks at all also tend to be less active and enthusiastic about learning. Learning tricks will also help your old dog regain its energy that may be lost or decreased over the years. In addition to that, your dog may have certain behavioral problems that you frequently complain about. No matter what you dog’s age is, you can still remedy those problems through proper training, so you won’t need to complain about them anymore. |
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