How to Stop Aggressive Dog Behavior

Aggression in a Pitbull, Rottweiler or other dog is a dangerous tendency that can be managed and retrained. If you have a Pitbull, Rottweiler or other dog that is aggressive toward other people coming from their instinctual need to protect you, then I have a technique that you may find very useful.

Your a Pitbull, Rottweiler or other dog may be either trying to protect you or your family, or he may simply be territorial. Whatever, the situation, you need to remedy it as soon as possible.

The method I’m about to give you works only if your Pitbull, Rottweiler or other dog is motivated by food. If your Pitbull, Rottweiler or other dog is not motivated by food, then you have to find another‘currency’ to use instead.

Ask someone your Pitbull, Rottweiler or other dog is distrustful of to be on hand for this exercise. (If you don’t have anyone that your dog doesn’t like, then have a friend put on a costume of some kind, like a big hat, or ask them to wear something that appears unusual or seems threatening.)

First, take your Pitbull, Rottweiler or other dog outside on a leash and put a bowl of food in front of him. Do this exercise when your dog is hungry. Do not let your dog eat from the food bowl yet.

Now, let your Pitbull, Rottweiler or other dog eat a little at a time from the food bowl, dropping 1 bite or treat at a time so they stay interested in you and their food. While your dog is eating, ask your friend to walk past your yard. If your dog sees the stranger and continues to eat, this is very good. Praise him and give him more food.

If your Pitbull, Rottweiler or other dog reacts by barking or being aggressive, calmly drop a few of his favorite treats into his food bowl to lure your dog into continuing to eat from his food bowl. Staying calm, position yourself between him and the ‘threat’, ignore the stranger walking by, and keep asking for his attention. Be patient.

Repeat this exercise everyday when it is time to feed your dog his meals.

If you have more than one dog with this same issue, do this separately for each of your dogs. Repeat this exercise until your dog can completely ignore the person who is walking by, and will continue to eat peacefully from his food bowl.

Next, put your Pitbull, Rottweiler or other dog on a leash, but don’t put a food bowl in front of him. Instead, have some of your dog's favorite treats in your hand, and let your dog know that you have the treats. Have your ‘stranger’ walk past your yard, drop the treats you have in hand continuously to the ground, and let your dog eat them. Repeat this exercise every day.

After a week or two, do the same exercise but do not drop the treats continuously Instead, drop a few treats and wait for your dog to finish eating them. Your dog will then look to you for more treats. Drop a few treats on the ground for him to eat again when he looks at you. Repeat this exercise every day and gradually increase the time he looks at you before you give him the treats.

Do this exercise until your Pitbull, Rottweiler or other dog could wait until the friend walks past your yard and out of sight before you give him some treats. Then finally, choose an action that you would like your dog to do instead of being aggressive. Example: play with his favorite toy instead of being aggressive. Whenever a person or an animal walks past your yard, ask your dog to go and play with his toy. You may want to treat your dog for this positive behavior.

Repeat this exercise every day until your dog could play with his favorite toy every time a person or an animal walks past your yard without you asking him to do so, or when you are not with him.

Congratulations! You have successfully taught your dogs not to be territorial.