I cannot tell you how incredibly sick and tired I am of people failing to accept
responsibility for the aggressive behavior of their dogs. There are no bad dogs--only bad owners!
99% of the time, aggressive dog behavior is the direct result of their owner's ignorance,
irresponsibility and/or cruelty. The circumstances under which I "adopted" my sweet little girl Lila is a perfect example of this.
There was a boy in my neighborhood that walked his dog about the same time I walked mine. When ever he saw us (or anyone else for that matter), he would jerk his poor dog off of the sidewalk and drag her to the other side of the street.
One day I asked him why he did that. He said that his dog "hates other dogs and always barks at them, so I have to keep her away."
I asked him why that was--had his dog been attacked by another dog in the neighborhood, or at a dog park?
He replied "Oh no! I never let her near any other dogs around here and she has never been to a dog park."
I asked how old his dog was, and how long he had had her. He told me she was 4 years old, and that he had him since he was a puppy.
I had to fight the urge to follow this boy home, throttle his parents, and kidnap his dog!
This poor dog had spent her entire life without any healthy contact and proper socialization with other dogs! No wonder she barked at other dogs--she was scared to death of them and had no idea how to react to them other than with fear and aggression!
I attempted to gently explain this to the boy, but he just shook his head and insisted that "she's just a bad dog."
I couldn't sleep that night, and the next day I went over to his house to speak with his mother, with whom I had a passing acquaintance.
While I sat in their living room and attempted to explain the harm that they were doing to this poor dog by failing to socialize it, I happened to glance out the window into the back yard.
In a metal cage far too small for a 60 lb dog, was this poor Labrador. The cage was in the corner of the yard with no shade. It was August, in Texas, so it was around 100 degrees outside--in the shade!
I was flabbergasted. Following my gaze, this woman became very defensive and said dogs were animals, not humans, and they belonged outside in cages.
That was the last straw. I pulled out my cell phone and informed her that she could either watch me leave with their dog immediately and for good, or watch me contacting the authorities and reporting her for animal cruelty.
She laughed and told me to "take the useless mutt--good riddance!" Her son left the room and quickly returned with a leash. He told me "you'll be sorry lady--she's a really bad dog."
And thus Lila the Labrador became a member of my family.
It wasn't the easiest transition in the world, and it was rough for a few weeks. Lila was absolutely terrified of my other dogs and her constant barking drove us nuts. But we were patient and worked hard to help her overcome her fear and learn how to interact with other dogs.
Today, Lila is an incredibly happy, friendly well-adjusted dog who loves to play with her pack of brothers and sisters, as well as every dog she comes in contact with at her favorite place, the dog park.
So if you are trying to figure out how to help an aggressive dog, ask yourself whether or not you have properly socialized your dog. Remember, training for aggressive dogs starts with the dog's owner, not the dog.
Do you want a happy, well-adjusted dog? Then you need to learn more about
how to treat aggressive dog behavior.
Click here for the best, most effective methods of training for aggressive dog behavior.
