Ten Step Guide to Re-socializing the Aggressive or Reactive Dog
It is my belief most dogs can be re-socialized and re-familiarized with their environment. The dog owner must be committed to the process. Re-socializing an already reactive or aggressive dog missing key social contact during the first sixteen weeks of life is a step-by-step process. There is no magic bullet and these dogs will be playing catch up for the rest of their lives.
Socializing a dog already reactive or aggressive is geared toward re-training social deficits. It is quite a different process from socializing a puppy, however it is possible to revisit puppy training to achieve progress. It also includes re-familiarization with objects in the environment.
Since each dog is a unique individual with differing challenges there is no recipe that works for all. However, by following a few guidelines you can be well on your way in the re-socialization process. Below are ten things you'll need to get you started.
1. Write down all your dog's triggers in painstaking detail.
a. What types of people are they uncomfortable around? What were they wearing? How were they walking?
b. What time of day? House? On walks?
c. What types of dogs are they uncomfortable around? All dogs? When are dogs most challenging to your dog? On leash? Off leash
2. Write down your dog's behavior in detail. What does your dog do BEFORE they react, while they are reacting, what did they get out of the reaction and what happens AFTER they reacted?
3. What is the distance of the person or the dog? What does your dog do? What signals or body language messages do they send?
4. How does your dog react and can you define exactly what they reacted to? What did you do when they reacted, meaning during the reaction?
5. what objects, sounds or other real life causes is your dog sensitive to?
NOTE HERE: Simply by answering the above and removing what happens BEFORE your dog reacts and what reinforcement they get AFTER they react, you can influence and change your dog's behavior. For instance, your dog lunges, barks and has teeth bared every time they see a man, wearing a cap, staring at them, swinging thier arms and approaching. First remove this trigger and begin to re-train, re-socialize your dog to each piece above in a controlled way where distance can be at maximum, say 75 feet where your dog does not react, and duration can be at 5 minutes only each session. Slow, systematic exposure to a dog's triggers will influence and change their behavior. You must pair something good the dog loves with the trigger.
6. What changes in your household environment can YOU make to assure your dog is calmer, more relaxed and more focused on you? There are three skills your dog needs to learn to gain reliability - a solid recall, acute attention to you, and impulse control through reliable stays.
a. To take away or diminish attention seeking behaviors, come and go nonchalantly. Your dog earns your attention when they are calmly lying down for at least three to five minutes. Then call them over to you and lavish the attention. Leaders ask for and give attention.
b. Same process as above for visitors. Here you need to be assertive telling visitors exactly what you want them to do.
c. Can you put up a fence, close access to potential reactive areas, put on music to soothe and relax, as well as to mask outdoor sounds, put up a safe place where your dog spends an hour a day (even when you are home), increase exercise, provide better nutrition, get medical tests done to rule out behavior challenges caused by health issues.
7. Make an effort to find safe places to walk your dog, on or off leash. While you are re-socializing and re-training your dog, you'll need to strive for zero reactivity and keep them safe. If they are human reactive, you'll need to find places and or times of the day where there are few people or people at a distance acceptable to your dog's comfort level. If your dog reacts to other dogs, dog parks are out of the question and you will need to discover fenced in areas where they can run without the threat of dogs, or create doggy friends they can accept and walk with from time to time.
8. Find a trainer who is knowledgeable in reactive/aggressive dog behavior; a behavior consultant who focuses on reactive/aggressive dog modification and/or a veterinarian behaviorist. Start your dog out right with positive reward-based training methods so they can re-socialize to their capacity. Remember, aggression begets aggression, so if you choose to punish your dog for their behavior or train with an aversive-minded trainer, your dog will see this as confrontational and while you might stop the acting out immediately, the behavior will not be cured and will resurface. There is no magic bullet for aggression problems.
9. If your dog is reactive to other dogs, then teacher dogs with excellent doggy communication skills will be needed to help your dog re-socialize.
10. If human reactive, you'll need people who know exactly what they are doing (i.e. professionals) to re-socialize your dog. There are a lot of books written on the subject and are well worth the dollars spent, but a professional will see things you won't and will know what technique to apply and which to stay away from for your particular dog. Pair pleasant things like treats, toy play with the dog's triggers, so they begin to equate the trigger with good things happening.
Most of all, commit yourself to the process. This means to practice daily with your dog, keep a log and set realistic criteria. Keep distance to zero reactivity and proof your dog occasionally to see where their threshold might fall. Keep your dog always below threshold when training as this creates a long history of keeping them safe.
Dogs showing aggressive tendencies (growling, snarling, biting, and snapping) require the assistance of a highly qualified trainer IN PERSON. Dog bites occur every 75 seconds in the US. Each day, over 1,000 citizens need emergency care to treat these bites. This article addresses how to proceed with analyzing and re-training, but it is easier and more effective with someone knowledgeable and specializing in reactive and aggressive dogs to guide you and to provide the CONTROLLED contexts your dog will need to be successful. Both require devotion and understanding plus implementation to develop happy, well-adjusted and pleasant canine companions once they have exhibited behavioral challenges that need to be modified.