After Dog Aggression Training

What to Expect After Aggression Training

Does it always work?

DOES DOG AGGRESSION TRAINING ALWAYS WORK?

• Not always. Stress, Management, Liability, and Risk are all factors that contribute to the success or ability of the family to maintain the new way of living with these dogs. Mistakes happen sometimes.

• When you have 2 dogs in the same home that are fighting

  • Even with the most obedient dogs and best of owners, there may come a point where the dogs simply are incompatible.

  • Sometimes with littermates, it is just too difficult or too unsafe for them to live together.

  • Sometimes, the fight can be so bad that the emotional scars are hard to overcome for one of the dogs or the family members.

  • Sometimes what we get is tolerance, not buddies and playmates.   And it can take a really long time to continue making incremental progress.

  • When dogs are significantly varied in size and are not getting along, there is a considerable risk to injury to the smaller dog

  • 2 female dogs can be significant fighters

What you can expect between lessons and after training ends….

You will have homework.   For 6-8 weeks you’re going to run your own at-home boot camp.  In short you’ll be running a board and train program, the same way I would if your dog was staying with me. I will show you how and be part of your support team. You are going to have to prove to the dog(s) that you have changed and will hold them accountable to a high standard of behavior than you ever have before.

They need to see you as a confident leader.  They need to be relieved of duty from being the decision-maker on how things are done at home.

• You will participate in weekly lessons, do your homework every day, and share video homework for review,

• You’re creating a new normal, not just a temporary activity.

• You will need to practice obedience and incorporate skills into everyday life and routines

• You’re going to need to do some training with your dog on a regular basis to keep him mentally stimulated and challenged, and keeping you in a position of leadership

• You’ll need to exercise the dogs in ways that provide outlets for their natural instincts and the needs of the breed.

• You’re going to need to do work with each dog 1:1 and with the dogs in pairs and packs.

• You will need to crate your dogs when you are not able to supervise

• You are going to have to supervise

• You are going to have to implement safety protocols

• You are going to have to take added precautions for who cares for your dog when you’re on vacation

• You are going to have to correct your dog.

Training isn’t magic.  We will work to teach bite/fight inhibition by showing the dog what we want them to do, and how to do it and rewarding when they make a great choice.   We’ll correct them when they make the wrong choice and demonstrate aggressive behaviors.  

You have a lifetime to live with and manage the dog and keep these skills sharp, rules clear, and leadership in place.  It’s not always easy.

The bottom line is you are going to have to make some changes too.  And you’re going to have to stick with them.  It’s a big responsibility to live with and rehab dogs with aggressive behaviors.