My dog became reactive after a bite. How can I train him at home?

Question

At around 4mo of age my dog got bit by another dog and completely turned reactive after this- lunging, barking, growling, hair rased etc. I know I've been told I need a good trainer and I'm willing to do that but I want to start working on that on my own right now. How can I do this? Redirecting can be hard, treats can be rejected, and it's chaos. Interestingly enough, however, when taken to dog training classes a few times- he is just fine with the other dogs once the trainer has introduced him. Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Male | neutered | 7 months and 27 days old | 57 lbs

Rodrigo Roca, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello, Marshall may be having some territorial aggression like a GSD does. He may be protective of his home, you, other pets, and even babies. Therefore, when the trainer takes him and introduces him, his guard is deactivated and therefore is fine. Initial steps are to determine what triggers the behavior. Second step is to avoid the trigger. And the third step is to re-establish leadership. Reestablish leadership with your dog Many people have misconceptions about truly dominant actions from dogs. A dog that walks ahead of its owner or disobeys commands is not expressing dominance but is showing effects of improper training. We are not part of the dog’s pack as many people believe and thus we should not look for a role as the “dominant” dog. Rather you should try to attain leadership by having the dog look to you for guidance in any situation, instead of being submissive or fearful of your commands. Reestablishing leadership can be done by using non-confrontational positive reinforcement techniques. Tools such as head collars can be used to help re-direct your dog’s behavior. Avoid punishing unwanted behaviors Punishment-based techniques, such as leash corrections, alpha-rolling, shoulder jabs, verbal disrupters (such as ‘baaaaa’ and ‘tssssh’), and training discs/chains tossed at dogs, do not address the underlying motivation, require constant direction and force, and typically do no result in positive long term benefits. These types of punishments have been shown to actually increase aggressive behavior. Positive reinforcement training and behavior modification methods focus on changing the underlying emotion of the dog’s aggression, while promoting and rewarding desired behaviors. Hope this helps.

My dog became reactive after a bite. How can I train him at home?

Most Helpful Answer

Related Questions

What fish dog food helps dry skin if my dog eats Science Diet?

Why is my new pet biting? Is she stressed or scared in her new home?

My degu has a white bump in its fur. Should I take my pet to the vet?

My rat is losing weight and has breathing issues. What should I do?

My robo hamster is limp, bleeding, and collapsed. Is it wet tail?

Is my pet's occasional sneezing and eye crust a URI symptom?

Share