Aggression is a subject that no dog owner wants to talk about, but one that many owners have to face. Statistics show that aggression is not only the most serious problem in dogs but also the top reason for owners to seek out professional help for their pets. Left unchecked, an aggressive dog can become a dangerous dog, and this informative volume comes to the aid of many heartbroken owners who feel that they have tried everything to correct their dogs' unpredictable and inappropriate behavior. Author and certified dog trainer Annie Phenix shares her belief that many reactive dogs can be rehabilitated with the right training, and she offers her expertise in positive, force-free training methods to desperate owners who have resorted to extreme measures to keep their dogs away from other people and animals.Inside The Midnight Dog Walkers:Stories and practical examples from the author based on aggressive dogs she's trained and ownedBehavioral warning signs that owners should recognizeDefinitions of different types of aggression and why they occurTips on how to handle a potentially aggressive or aggressive dogThe author's force-free training philosophy and how she applies it with her clients to effect positive changesPopular myths and misconceptions about training these "grumpy growlers"

Aggression is a subject that no dog owner wants to talk about, but one that many owners have to face. Statistics show that aggression is not only the most serious problem in dogs but also the top reason for owners to seek out professional help for their pets. Left unchecked, an aggressive dog can become a dangerous dog, and this informative volume comes to the aid of many heartbroken owners who feel that they have tried everything to correct their dogs' unpredictable and inappropriate behavior. Author and certified dog trainer Annie Phenix shares her belief that many reactive dogs can be rehabilitated with the right training, and she offers her expertise in positive, force-free training methods to desperate owners who have resorted to extreme measures to keep their dogs away from other people and animals. Inside The Midnight Dog Walkers: Stories and practical examples from the author based on aggressive dogs she's trained and owned Behavioral warning signs that owners should recognize Definitions of different types of aggression and why they occur Tips on how to handle a potentially aggressive or aggressive dog The author's force-free training philosophy and how she applies it with her clients to effect positive changes Popular myths and misconceptions about training these "grumpy growlers"

Revised Edition with new exercises and photos! Filled with easy-to-read and implement strategies, techniques, exercises and games, Dee walks the reader through over fifty methods of addressing canine fear and aggression. The simple and effective exercises will have you and your dog, or your clients and their dogs, well on the way to a happy relationship. Strictly positive methods! This book covers a lot of ground, with sections on training equipment, toys and chews for environmental enrichment and play, canine communication, how dogs learn, how to evaluate and assess a dog for training and behavior work and chase out the details of what owners might report and a few case studies.

Learn how to harness the power of worthwhile reinforcement to build safe, friendly behaviors in aggressive dogs. The positive training based, Constructional Aggression Treatment (CAT), as described in Turning Fierce Dogs Friendly, has proven successful for many pet owners and trainers around the world. As a functional approach to changing aggressive behavior, it offers a humane alternative to desensitization, counter conditioning, and distraction procedures. CAT typically produces long-lasting results in far less time than any positive treatment available, without the undesirable side-effects that are common with punishment procedures. The ultimate outcome is a once-aggressive dog that is now friendly. Inside Turning Fierce Dogs Friendly: Step-by-step instructions for performing CAT with aggressive dogs Understand the normal behaviors of all dogs, of specific breeds, and of your own individual dog How to be awake and aware of your dog’s behavior and your own Discover your dog’s worthwhile reinforcement for safe, friendly behaviors Advice for developing good observation skills and staying on task The issues that can make or break successful aggression treatment: consistency, safety, and follow-through Equipment, handling procedures, and preventing opportunities to practice undesirable behavior When to call a professional

Includes bibliographical references (p. [134]-135) and index.

Life with a dog can bring companionship, fun, and joy. Life with a badly behaved dog can bring frustration and heartbreak. Behavior problems are often cited as the main reason for owners' abandoning their dogs to shelters and surrendering them to rescues, but many of a dog's problems can be resolved by a caring owner who's willing to devote a little time to positive training. In The Dog Behavior Problem Solver, seasoned trainer Teoti Anderson shares her knowledge and experience with dog owners, offering insight into why dogs do what they do while showing owners how to implement reward-based training with their dogs in clear, easy-to-follow steps.INSIDE THE DOG BEHAVIOR PROBLEM SOLVER:•A professional's take on canine behavior and misbehavior to help owners better understand their dogs.•The author's training philosophy and how she applies it with her canine clients.•The importance of using positive, or reward-based, training to build and strengthen the dog/owner bond in the process of eliminating unwanted behaviors.•A detailed study of the most common behavior issues that dogs exhibit, along with a step-by-step positive-training solution to each of these behaviors.