Though the vast majority of dogs are safe, yet sometimes even a friendly dog may bite if he is threatened, angry, afraid or hurt. Most dog bites, however, are from those dogs that know the victim— it’s either the family or the neighbor’s dog. Sometimes, when you play rough games with the dog, he gets so excited that he bites you.

• Your dog’s territorial instincts: Just as we guard our things and families, so also do dogs protect their possessions—whether food, puppies or toys. They also protect their favorite spaces—theirs and their master’s. This can include the dog’s eating and sleeping areas, yards, porches and parked cars. A dog can be so fiercely protective of his and his master’s house that even if a child comes running through a fence and reaches the front door of the house, a usually warm and loving dog can turn nasty and growl and bark at the dog purely to protect his master and his family.

• Cornering or crowding over your dog: These are two more reasons for your usually placid dog to rise in self-defense and bite you. This is why innocent children who are unfamiliar with dogs should be wary of them to the extent of standing back and never putting their faces close to that of a dog. This is because cheek bites are very common with dogs.

It is good to be wary of all kinds of dogs you encounter. Here are a few:

1.  Stray dogs: If a dog is lost, frightened or injured, he is likely to bite because he has lost his bearings and feels very vulnerable. So, keep away from him, as he is dangerous to you and your children.
2.  Sick or injured dogs: If a dog is in pain or is sick or injured, obviously he will be unable

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Like stealing from the counters, jumping on furniture is a common problem. The solution is very similar to the counter-stealing challenge. This problem can be handled by combining three training methods: consistency, counterconditioning and correction.
1. First, consistency. The dog must not ever be allowed to jump on the furniture. It can’t be OK some times but not others. This also means the dog cannot have unsupervised access to the furniture for a period of at least four months.

2. Second, counterconditioning. Start off teaching the dog to go to her spot whenever you are sitting on the furniture. This means making a spot that is comfortable and positive for the dog. Use a blanket or even a doggie bed and give your dog special treats or toys at the spot. For the first two months, the dog should be leashed to the spot to prevent her from wandering. Remember, make the spot comfortable and positive. This is where the dog goes every time you sit on the furniture. In addition to teaching the dog to associate positive things with being in her spot, it also teaches her to associate positive things with not jumping on the furniture.

3. During the third and fourth months, reinforce the idea that good things happen when she’s not on the furniture by taking the dog over to the furniture on a leash and head collar and praising her when she walks by it without jumping. If she does jump, say “no” and gently guide her away using the leash. Then take her back to the furniture and praise her for not jumping. Do this specific exer¬cise six or seven times every day for at least two months. I know it’s a lot of work, but believe me, it’s a lot less work than having to replace…

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More causes of aggression

At any age, you may develop aggression born out of medical disorders. These problems may arise suddenly and may be completely different from ordinary experiences of other dogs. While some medical conditions can cause aggression, but sometimes a combination of behavioral factors and medical problems cause the pet to exceed the level at which he displays aggression. The medical conditions that could strike your pet include rabies, hypothyroidism, psychomotor epilepsy, hyperkinesias, neoplasia and a variety of genetic and metabolic disorders, besides dental disease, arthritis and fever, fatigue or sensory loss.
• Cage rage: This is usually seen in puppy mill dogs that begin to see their cages or kennels as their territory because that’s where they have been shut in and neglected for indefinite periods. Naturally, they defend it very stoutly from others trying to touch it or enter it or even nose around it from outside. A dog that suffers from cage rage is usually a trapped and cornered dog that, in a confrontation, does not have the option of “flight” but can only “fight.”
In dogs from shelters you can see the faint beginningsof cage rage. Actually, it may or may not be aggressionas other dogs exhibit but just a dose of hyperactivity orboisterousness that might turn a prospective buyer off, since the latter may think that this is the dog’s true personality. But really, this is very often a temporary phase that the dog resolves as he gains a little freedom and does not stare at the world through the bars of his cage.
• Separation anxiety: This is a common complaint of all dog owners, in which the dog destroys objects in the house and howls and barks so loudly that the neighbors complain. This happens when you leave your dog alone and unattended all day…

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Recognizing the different kinds of aggression in your dog

Aggression is such a natural and innate type of behavior among dogs that willy-nilly, at some time or other, they will experience it. Today’s domestic dog no longer expresses aggression with slight facial expressions or a stiff tail. In fact, today these signs are interpreted to mean that the animal is ready for attack or to defend himself. Unfortunately, these days, dogs come into this world carrying genetic and hormonal baggage-based behavior problems, learned problems, problems acquired in training and those born out of improper primary socialization.
Animal behavior therapists now know 16 different types of aggressive behavior in dogs.
Aggression or intra-specific fighting involves using the teeth but in a controlled way so as not to kill but to force the victim submit into submission. This happens between dogs, usually of the same gender and within the same class i.e., two adult males.
Aggression can be when one dog wants to defend his space, be possessive over his food, bedding sites or affection in his master’s eyes. So, it is very natural for all dogs to be aggressive at some point of their lives. Inter-specific aggression is said to occur because we have included dogs into our social order and imposedours on them. This blurs the lines between man and dog and so it is not surprising that dogs react in much the same way to humans as they would to a fellow dog and for the same reasons.
Since pet owners often don’t know how to communicate to their dogs and what to say, they often end up getting hurt more often by dogs than other dogs would. Besides, no matter how well you know your pet, it is not often that you can read him so well that you can predict what he’s…

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It’s never been as common as now—the fact that dogs are attacking people, causing horrific injuries that sometimes lead to death. Is the sobriquet “dogs are man’s best friends” fair and true? Why do some dogs turn aggressive while others remain calm?
There are three undeniable facts that pertain to dogs: First, that nearly all dogs have an inherent protective instinct; Second, that though each dog is born with a definite temperament, it can be changed and molded by training and environment; Third, dog and master develop a strong bond very soon into their relationship which goes on to give the dog a sixth sense — one that includes knowing his master’s likes and dislikes.
This is why calm and mild tempered people have dogs of a similar nature while nervous and bad tempered people have dogs that mirror their personalities. In fact, a dog can also pick up a pet owner’s prejudices against race or class. Like us, dogs too can err. Sometimes, they misinterpret an action or fail to recognize a person and attack him out of the blue.
Another reason for a dog’s aggressive nature is his ancestry that goes back to the wolves of the wild. Some breeds like the pit bull are said to be more aggressive than others. In fact, it is known to be the cause of 72% of all deaths by dogs in the United States. And, it attacks without provocation.

The pit bull is the dog of choice of gangsters and street thugs who use this breed as weapons and because they make for good watchdogs. They are intentionally ill treated so as to bring out their aggressiveness. This obviously means that with gentle treatment aggression can be sorted out. However, the basic nature of a dog will always remain and may surface under certain…

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Have you ever seen a device or a program designed to correct a dog behavior problem that explained how smart dogs are and how they think? Most plans or gadgets enable owners,
literally, to declare war on their hapless pets. Little or no concern is afforded to what the dogs happen to think about them. In fact, the implication is that dogs don’t think at all … either they just react to external stimuli like robots , or respond according to genetically controlled “drives.” Dogs are rarely credited with the ability to solve a problem mentally; to analy%e a situation; imagine ways to manipulate or control it, then take a pre-planned course of action toward a goal that was preconceived in the dog’s mind. In short,the dog is considered a real dummy, then treated like a dummy. But this concept is not correct. Dogs are smart. They can, and usually do, think rings around their owners. And they can do it because most owners have never learned how to think like a dog.

Understanding Non-Verbal Thinking

We all wonder now and then what our dog is thinking. If we wonder aloud, perhaps when mealtime is approaching and the dog is looking expectantly at us, we might say something like, “I’ll bet Tippy’s thinking, ‘When is my dinner going to be ready?’ ” In all likelihood, Tippy isn’t originating any thoughts about ‘when dinner will be ready.’ It is more likely Tippy is imagining (or ‘imaging’ in his mind) the words and movements you usually say and perform before getting his dinner; something like, “You want dinner, Tippy?” All that tail wagging and those pleading eyes are aimed at stimulating you to say it.

But, an inability to originate thoughts in a spoken language does not make dogs unintelligent. Even people don’t actively think in…

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