Cutest Most Well Behaved Dog

When my dog gets aggressive it puts me in an embarrassing situation. Especially when I am busy with important guests, I am at a loss about the behavior of otherwise well behaved dog.

I know my dog is not really being aggressive, but is trying to play and get attention.

Still I feel I cannot let it behave this way. So for changing aggressive dog behavior, I have tried a number of things.

I have collected some audio and video tips. I am looking for more. Please share with me your tips. It will help my friends too who are facing similar problems.

I take the following steps:

1. First I try to find out what triggers this behavior. The answer may not be readily found. But I arrive at a list of reasons and shortlist some of them over a period of time.

2. I assert myself and make my dog understand who is the master in the house.

I give her a stern look and say, “Sweetie this won’t do”. At such times I feel I shouldn’t have named her Sweetie. The name doesn’t go with my stern words.

Believe me this is the toughest step. I love her so much and she knows when I am not really angry but am pretending to be so. I really try to arouse the necessary feeling within me and then express it through my facial expression, gestures and words.

2. I take her to a room where both of us can be alone, away from the guests. I put on the leash, hold her right in front of me and talk to her in a soft, firm tone. I know from the way she looks at me and watches my expression, she is able to understand everything I say. I slowly release the leash in such a way that she stays where she is. I ensure she listens to me completely. If she tries to hide or move away, I pull the leash and make her sit in front of me again.

3. I take her back to the place where I have the guests, where Sweetie became aggressive in the first place telling her softly “Be Good Sweetie”. I find it is better to use positive statements than negative ones such as “Don’t be aggressive”.

4. As she walks back with me, if she is not aggressive, I pat her on the head and smile at her. If she shows the slightest inclination of turning aggressive again, I hold the leash, kneel down to look at her and say, “Be Good Sweetie”. This time I repeat the words sternly and ensure she gets the meaning that I am serious about it.

I never engage her in play fights because it will encourage her to be more aggressive. I complement her for nice behavior and treat her with her favorite food.

I would love to hear from you what you do to tackle this problem? All tips are welcome.