Bad Behavior: Aggression
Aggressive behavior such as biting should always be considered a serious problem. Whether it occurs because a dog is trying to get attention, relieve frustration, or change your behavior, biting is never cute and rarely justifiable.
Unfortunately, some owners appreciate (consciously or unconsciously) a dog's aggression and reinforce it by rewarding it or denying its existence. Most dog-bite injuries and aggressive-dog euthanasia could have been avoided with proper supervision, socialization, training, sufficient exercise, and intervention by an owner who recognized the warning signs and instantly stopped inappropriate behavior.
The signs of impending aggression include intense eye contact, stiffening, weight shifting forward, tail out, growling, fast whining, or signs of interest, excitement, or arousal. Whether it's playful, fear-driven, or dominant, A-1 obedience skills are imperative. Aggressive tendencies always diminish as the owner's control of his dog increases.
Through obedience training, owners have the opportunity to learn how to interpret their dog's mood and body language. It is that astute observation that enables owners to get control of the potentially aggressive dog well before she reaches a highly agitated state. If the owner intervenes too late — when the dog's adrenaline is peaking — the dog will be oblivious to attempts to stop her. Finally, a responsible owner never assumes his dog is “cured” and takes every precaution, no matter how well-trained the dog is.
Playing Too Rough
Avoid rough play such as pushing and pulling, tug of war, and growling. Instead, get down on all fours, swing your hair, and pounce, or play retrieving games, chase, and hide and seek. If games get too rough or out of control, stop the action by saying “Ouch” as you abruptly leave the game. If you choose to resume play, do so only after leashing the dog. That way you can jerk the leash to stop the bad behavior and immediately continue your game.
You should be able to stop the game you're playing with your dog at any time and walk away or ask him to “down.” Never use games to frighten your dog or hurt him. If he ever hurts you during play, make sure he knows you don't approve by using the techniques listed under “Mouthing and Nipping.”
