What to do if my dog bites? Is hitting an aggressive dog okay?

Question

Is it ok to hit a dog if he attacks someone? My husky is really vicious dog especially when he sees strangers the reason why I'm asking this is cos one day my grandad came to visit and dusty attacked him my grandad beat him with a walking stick and dusty never bit him again so is this ok to do only when he bites people cos he even tries to attack children I'm worried

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

No, please don't ever hit Dusty - striking your dog is never acceptable for training, and this approach often makes aggressive behavior worse in the long run. Aggression towards strangers is caused by fear - Dusty is anxious and stressed about seeing people he doesn't know, and behaves aggressively towards them as a way of trying to get them to go away. Striking him or using other types of punishment may temporarily seem to "work" by suppressing the outward signs of aggression, but they will only make him more fearful of strangers - many dogs trained this way may appear to be calmer for a while, only to attack more viciously than ever one day when they simply can't take it anymore. Instead, aggressive behavior towards strangers is treated by teaching the dog to associate good things (usually treats) with seeing someone new. You need to start at a distance where he is comfortable, and gradually move closer as long as he is doing well. This can be very challenging to do safely with a dog who already has a history of attacking and biting people, so I would definitely recommend getting in touched with a board-certified veterinary behaviorist who can help you with this in person. Your veterinarian should be able to help you find one in your area.

What to do if my dog bites? Is hitting an aggressive dog okay?

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