4 Tips on Handling Dog Aggression

My dogs have been driving me crazy these past days because of the constant nightly growls, barks and even violent confrontations. The problem with dogs who aren't neutered is they tend to have hormonal imbalances like humans especially during mating season.

At the moment, my dog Shark is always barking and baring his teeth to my other dog named BD (BD is an acronym for Brother Dog. An odd name for a dog, but it does fit him well because previously I had to other dogs who I called Sister Dog and Mother Dog.)

Little Dog says, "Stop or I'll bop your head with my bone!"

Unlike in the past, dogs no longer need to compete for their food. In a pack of dogs, there's always the alpha dog. These dog usually gets the best pick and the best girls. Although, I currently don't own any bitches (that sounded inappropriate), I think my dogs are fighting for pack leadership which is why Shark, is always growling and barking at BD, since BD is currently the big kahuna.


So before all hell breaks lose and someone gets injured it is important to remind your dog that you're the boss. The next time your pet growls, barks or bares his teeth. Try to stop his action by saying a firm "No!". Shouting is different from saying it firmly. Therefore, make sure you don't look terrifying. When a pet lowers its body submissively, this is an indication that your "No" was effective.

Catch him in the act. Some dogs are smart enough to wait for you to turn around before they do it again. So make sure that when he becomes aggressive again, you need to scold him within a few seconds of the misbehavior.

Ground him. Surprisingly, some owners find it effective to ground the dogs by giving them time outs by putting them in one room. Dogs hate being alone so doing so might just be the thing to make your pooch learn that his acts are not acceptable.

Sound the Alarm. Dogs hate loud noises. As I've said in my previous article, the shaker is a very effective way of making them stop what they're currently doing. The shaker is made of an empty soda can filled with a couple of pennies or pebbles capable of making it sound like a low tone tambourine. When he starts to act aggressive to his fellow pet pals or anybody, you need to jingle the can for him to get distracted.

Let us maintain an aggression-free dog family. If all comes to worst, seek advice from a professional. Owners should be smart enough to know when home remedies are no longer enough.