Stop Aggressive Dog Behavior in 3 Steps

Yes, you can stop aggressive dog behavior on your own. That is if your dog is only moderately aggressive. A dog that barks too much or is too energetic can be helped through three basic steps.

Step 1: Be the alpha

Dogs naturally feel that they belong to a pack. It is also their nature to follow an alpha dog. If there is no one who seems like the alpha dog, your pet may believe that it is in the alpha position. You may be encouraging this belief in your dog by letting it have its way in everything including leading you instead of the other way around. If you do not want your dog to develop stronger aggressive tendencies, you need to make it believe in your authority as the alpha creature. Be firm with your dog all the time and use commands consistently.

Step 2: Use positive reinforcement

You should not use negative reinforcement to stop negative behavior.

The better option is to use positive reinforcement. Every time your dog behaves correctly, reward it immediately with a treat, kind words, a rub on the back or a combination of all three. Your dog will eventually learn to associate certain acts with rewards and will behave more and more to your liking.

Step 3: Spend some time with your dog

Who would have thought that you can stop aggressive dog behavior with quality time? Some dogs develop aggression as a response to boredom or neglect. The solution would therefore be to provide your dog with as much playtime with you as possible. This is also a great way to give your dog some supervised socialization.

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