Bullying: Hyper Behavior – Aggression – Reactive

Download PDF: Bullying and Aggression

One of the hardest things to deal with is bullying. I’ve seen it in lap dogs. I’ve seen it in well bred, well trained, and properly raised working dogs. The #1 problem is that 99% of dog owners do not want to recognize bullying behavior in their dog.

Any dog that pulls, bracing its legs, and tries to drag you forward then it is a bully.
Any dog that growls when you try to take something from it (resource guarding) then it is a bully.
A dog that nips, charges, jumps on people, or growls at them is a bully.
A dog that chases other dogs, tries to get on their back, nips at cats is a bully.

Ian Dunbar states that behavior can be changed – Temperament (probably) will never change. You can shape it. You can build boundaries and define acceptable responses to your cues/commands. You can teach a dog what you will tolerate, and what you will not, but the secret is in that word ‘teach.’

When you are dealing with a dog who bullies then you need to match the dog’s challenges without causing fear, stress, or pain.

Download the PDF at the top of this blog post for more information.

If all else fails then stop the game. Stop the walks. Don’t let the dog get what it wants. This may take weeks to stop the behavior, but if you don’t give up, or give in, you will win.

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