So you want to know some tips on how to stop your dog from being aggressive towards strangers? You’re not alone. Many dog owners have dogs that act more aggressively towards people then they do their own family members or even other pets. Learning how to stop your dog from being aggressive towards strangers can help make you both more comfortable with your dog and yourself, and can be a great first step in preventing any potential future aggression towards other people. Here are some of the most effective tips on how to stop your dog from being aggressive towards strangers:
First, learn some basic dog obedience training. A lot of this includes learning how to stop your dog from being aggressive towards strangers, and the basic commands of sit, come, heel, down, and stay. These basic commands are very important when it comes to how to stop your dog from being aggressive towards people and can go a long way toward making your dog much friendlier around people. If you don’t have a lot of time to devote to dog obedience training, however, you can still learn the basics and practice them whenever your dog is out and about. Practice in areas where there are no other dogs, such as your back yard or a fenced in park.
Second, be sure to never allow your dog to get too close to people who are clearly more aggressive than your dog. You should try to keep them at least ten feet away from each other whenever possible, and try to never let your dog attack anyone who is much larger than you. Some great training techniques for how to stop your dog from being aggressive towards strangers include stopping your dog from coming when called, and teaching him to come to you, rather than chase you. Some great tricks for reinforcing your dog’s friendly behavior towards other people include telling him “it’s OK, sit down” or asking him to stop and sit.
Third, be sure that you never allow your dog to be loose in the neighborhood. Having a dog that is constantly loose, running around, and not under control can lead to much more dangerous situations. This is especially true if your dog is young and hasn’t had proper training from an early age. If you’ve had your dog neutered or spayed, that will also go a long way toward ensuring that your dog will not be aggressive towards other people, but may just want to play around with other dogs or go after them.
Fourth, when you are out walking your dog, make sure that he has his leash handy. Don’t ever leave your dog unsupervised. Many times dogs that are aggressive toward strangers will run off on them when they get close to them. Also, it is imperative that you pull on your dog’s leash whenever you see another dog out in public, because if your dog is a particularly aggressive type he may lunge at other dogs as a result of instinctive defense mechanisms.
Fifth, practice basic obedience commands regularly. You need to gain control over your dog by using simple, logical commands that can be taught very quickly. This is a very important step if you want to learn how to stop your dog from being aggressive towards strangers. The reason that dogs tend to run and play aggressively with each other is because they are not familiar with proper behavior expectations. By getting your dog to understand and follow basic commands like sit, stay, come, and leave it can curb many of the undesirable behaviors. Your dog will not be able to fight or resist you when you give these commands consistently.
Sixth, never approach another dog when you are out walking your dog. Many people think that if they lean over to pet their dog or talk to him or her while they are walking that they will not run off with other dogs. This simply is not true. You never know who will be nearby. A dog may see an attractive person and want to chase after that person, which could result in an aggressive dog lunging at the person or maybe even making an attack. It is better to just stop and wait rather than running after the dog.
Finally, be consistent in your application of how to stop your dog from being aggressive towards strangers. If you see a strange individual, immediately turn around and come back. Give the dog your full attention without attempting to interact with the stranger. It is important to have control and not give in to the dog because this will make the situation worse. Be consistent and soon you will be stopping this problem quickly.
