Dog Behaviors and Lessons Learned

reply to post by GmoS719


Introduce them to each other on leashes, they should get used to each other over time and stop being aggressive.

It takes time but it worked for me.

I know a lot of people feed their dogs separately, but I teach my dogs from puppy-hood that they MUST use manners when eating. I still stand by and watch when they eat, but I've not had one issue with it in 11 years.

Feeding Video

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic

First, sorry about the delay, no internet at home!

It's the bulldog that humps, but we are working with him. And thank you for the link! I printed it off so my husband could read it and follow it with me. I was surprised that some of it we were already doing. Now it is just a matter of full time and more outside exercise. Although its hard right now, with 9 degree weather!

Also, to the posters with food aggression issues. One of our previous pups started growling when people or the cat got near his food. I did some searching and read about taking his food away when he started, and hand feeding him. Within a week, it stopped. Again, it's about letting them know you are the "Alfa" in all ways.

And thanks for the kind words BH.
You are so correct about the responsibility of dogs. If you want a good, well behaved dog, it goes well beyond just making sure they have food and water and a safe place to sleep.

reply to post by chiefsmom


Thank you OP for the thread, I know a lot of ATS members have dogs and I'm sure are reading this thread even if they are not posting to it. I've spent 20 years handling/ training/evaluating/certifying K9's and K9 teams for the US military/federal law enforcement and private owners. I don't like the term "expert" but I have seen what works and what doesn't in regards to training K9's.

I would be hesitant to give training advice online without observing a dog or it's owner, there are just to many variables to consider and without all the detailed information any training suggestions could be wrong. In most cases a professional trainer is preferred. However the Constitution says all men are created equal, that does not apply to dog trainers.

Request references and proof of qualifications. A trainer should also provide a observation/evaluation before any money changes hands. All training should be 1on1 and never in a class with more than 1 dog at a time. If during your interview with a prospective trainer they claim the use of food reward, clicker, only positive reinforcement styles, run don't walk away.

Stay away from someone who calls themselves a "animal/dog behaviorist. I'm sorry if this wasn't much help but properly training a dog is not a one size fits all for every dog/owner or individual problem. If anyone here does have specific questions I can answer feel free to U2U me I don't mind.

I love the clicker and I use food rewards! I have used them to train many behaviors. I don't do "positive reinforcement only" training, however and agree that that is something to steer clear of. The clicker is a great tool, though, ONLY if used correctly.

reply to post by Carreau


Thank you for the advise on trainers!
Mostly I am hoping with this thread, that people realize that there is much more to owning a dog than they think. It is a great responsibility. And if more people would realize this, we could prevent some of the tragedies that cause people to get all crazy and decide that certain breeds should be banned.
Some dogs can be just bad, but more often, it is just the owner that is bad and the dog has to take the rap.