One of the most rampant kinds of dog aggression is territorial aggression. This is directed most often toward the mailperson, UPS or FedEx person, or the meter reader. After reading this, hopefully you will come to a better understanding of why your dog is territorial, and how you can deal with this issue.
If you look at the history of canines in general, you will learn that dogs used to run in packs, with an established leader. Sometimes a dog with aggressive tendencies will establish themselves as the leader of the house and yard. So, when a stranger comes around they see the need to protect their domain.
In a dog’s eyes, when the mailperson or meter reader comes by the house, the dog will bark as a way of telling them to get away and off the property. As far as Fido is concerned, their barking works. The mailperson approaches, they bark, and the mailperson drops off their load and leaves. Some dogs are even able to figure out if they bark more loudly and aggressively, the mailperson or meter reader leaves even more quickly, which does not help the situation.
Some people want their dogs to be protection dogs, especially if they go out of town often, or if they have had their house robbed in the past. Protection dogs are very helpful, yet if you choose to teach your dog for this use, you also must teach Fido to be exceptionally obedient. You will need to clearly teach your dog when he needs to protect, and when he needs to obey. You don’t want your dog being so overly protective when you have guests over that you need to put them in the basement or outside.
Perfect examples of protection dogs are those serving in the police force. They are specifically trained when they need to be aggressive toward “bad guys” or when they need can be kind and friendly. For example, a police dog can be taken to schools or places with children, and there is never any concern about the safety and well being of the kids. But then, the police dog is also taught to act on command to help their fellow policeperson catch the perpetrator. This kind of control comes from intense training in obedience so that the dog knows to act on the command of their handler.
Though aggression is usually a harmful and sometimes even dangerous trait in a dog, territorial aggression may be turned for the better as a protection dog. The key is good, solid obedience training; this way, the dog will be able to protect, and yet at the same time they won’t be a threat to friendly people who mean no harm. Be sure to be conscious if your dog begins to show signs of excessive territorial aggression. If you notice this, you will need to take action immediately for the safety of yourself and other people. If you invest the time and money into obedience training, you and your dog will be much better off. Protect your pet by allowing it to protect you!
This article was submitted by the generous authors at Pet Super Store - an online pet shop featuring: shock collars, dog houses and dog beeper collars.
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February 25th, 2009 