Your Dogs Aggression Towards Strangers

Dogs just like other canines are aggressive by nature and even though the dog has been domesticated for thousands of years that aggression has not been bred out of your dog it is merely suppressed. When a dog is not properly socialized is poorly treated or suffers a dramatic incident this can bring it's aggression to the surface and the dog will act accordingly to make it feel safe and in control.

One of the major reasons why your dog may be aggressive towards strangers is because the dog has not gotten used to being around people he or she doesn't know. If you have kept your dog basically isolated from social interaction with others the dog does not know how to behave around people it does not know or how to act in unfamiliar environments.

Socialization is a very important aspect when raising your dog; you need to expose your dog from a very young age to as many varied experiences as possible. Your dog should meet new people as well as other dogs and animals often so that your dog learns and understand that under normal circumstances and interaction new and different people or animals are not a threat.

For dogs and animals in general new sights and sounds can be scary just as they are for most of us when we first encounter things we can not understand. As your dogs variety of experience increase the stress of a new situation gradually decreases as the dog learns that new experiences can be fun.

To start this socialization process begin when your dog is a puppy by enrolling in puppy preschool. What this is, is a series of training session for puppies that is usually held at the veterinary clinic. In such sessions you will have about ten dog owners and their puppies along with one or more qualified dog trainers that will guide you and your dog through basic obedience training techniques and commands, but most importantly within this environment your puppy has a chance to interact with other dogs and people under the supervision of a qualified dog trainer.

Such sessions allow your dog to learn that there is nothing to be afraid of when encountering new and different people, dogs or other animals. Then the next step is to make sure that throughout the life of your dog you expose it to many new environments; take it slowly so that your dog as the ability to adjust, feel comfortable and gain self confidence.