Prince: Aggressive Dog Training Case Study

Aggression is the most common problem we see here at Bayshore Dog Training, simply because it’s the most problematic. It’s easy enough to ignore barking, nipping—even messed rugs and torn furniture—in comparison to the possibility of a dog doing harm to another living being.

Once aggression manifests itself, owners usually have three options: surrender, euthanize, or train. Aggressive dogs are far from hopeless cases. Any dog, no matter the age, breed, size, or history, can have his or her behavior changed for the better. It simply takes a dedicated owner and a trainer who understands canine history, psychology, and training methods.

Prince’s owners gave me a call after they recognized their beloved pet’s leash behavior and dog aggression were getting out of hand. When they took him for walks, he’d bark and growl at other dogs and pull on the leash until walks were only a source of stress for both dog and owners.

I visited Prince’s home for a consultation to observe him and his behavior in his natural environment.

Prince is not aggressive toward people, but I did notice some anxiousness on his part. He greeted me at the door, hyper and begging for attention, and even after thirty minutes he hadn’t calmed down or decided to occupy himself. He expected me and/or his owners to provide him with our full attention.

It was easy to see that Prince’s main problem lay in his inability to focus. A dog should focus on his or her owner, and not in a needy, over-affectionate way. At home, Prince should be able to understand what his owner needs from him (in this case, to calmly lie down while we talked), and on walks, Prince should be able to do the same (i.e. walk calmly without being affected by distractions). At all times, Prince should be focused on his owner—not on me, not on other dogs, and not even on his own instincts.

To establish this foundation of trust and communication, I recommended basic obedience training beginning in an environment free of distractions (the home). Once Prince learns to reliably obey his owners’ commands in a quiet space, he’ll be more likely to obey them in a public space, around other dogs.

This is a process, and one that certainly doesn’t happen overnight. Success requires an able trainer and a committed owner. Luckily, Prince’s owners called Bayshore Dog Training, and he’s already on his way to becoming a calmer part of the family.

To see what Bayshore Dog Training can do to help your family, call us today at 800.649.7297.