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As much as dog owners love their dogs, they may sometimes act aggressively toward others. Approximately 4.5 million people are bitten by an aggressive dog in America every year. Which dogs attack their owners the most? Pit bulls are generally the breed that often attacks owners and strangers. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to help almost any dog avoid repeated biting and aggressive behavior.
Manage Behavior To Avoid Future Incidents
As a dog owner, you play a pivotal role in managing your dog’s behavior to prevent future incidents. This may involve restricting its movements and activities and ensuring it has limited access to people other than close family members. When guests arrive, consider placing the dog in another room.
Also, you may need to be careful about when and where you exercise your dog. For example, you can never let the dog off a leash in public and should not leave it alone in a fenced backyard. A determined dog can escape any fenced backyard.
Begin A Behavior Modification Program
If your dog’s aggressive behavior is mild, you might be able to institute your own behavior modification program. However, many dog owners may need the assistance of an experienced dog behavior counselor. The counselor will help you understand what stresses your dog and begin a program to desensitize the animal to those stressors.
The idea of the behavior modification program is to convince the dog that what he perceives as bad things and stressors are good things. If the dog can change his perception, he will no longer be stressed, which makes dogs bite.
Changing an aggressive dog’s behavior with training does not occur overnight. The longer the dog has acted aggressively, the longer it will take to change its behavior. However, the more devoted you are to the dog and changing its behavior, the better the chances of improving its behavior and reducing its aggression. But remember, the dog must be separated from visitors in the home until it unlearns the aggressive behaviors.
Rehome The Dog
If you are unwilling or unable to modify the dog’s behavior, you might attempt to rehome it. However, it can be challenging to rehome a dog with a history of aggression. Some government training programs, such as police K9 units, may take dogs that have bitten someone.
What Not To Do If A Dog Bites Someone
The worst thing you can do after a dog bites someone is to punish the dog into submission. For example, if the dog growls or snarls, many owners will correct the dog harshly or jerk its leash. These aggressive actions might work on some dogs. However, punishing and correcting the dog may make it more resistant and aggressive.
Furthermore, correcting the dog in these ways may teach it to provide no warning before biting. Correcting the dog won’t help reduce its stress. If anything, aggressive corrections might increase it. The dog now associates being punished with acting aggressively.
Dog Biting Can Often Be Eliminated
The good news is that there is usually hope after your dog bites someone. Relatively few animals are untrainable. If you are committed to helping the dog be more comfortable and less stressed, there is a good chance you can change its behavior. You’ll know why it has bitten someone and you may be able to avoid the stressors as you work to show it that stressors aren’t all bad things.
Conclusion
If your dog bites someone, it is important to take the situation seriously and not ignore it. Aggressive dog behavior won’t go away on its own. With enough persistence and effort, you can teach your dog to improve its behavior so it is safe to have it around other people.