Most dogs you meet in your daily life will be friendly, playful and kind.
If you are confronted with an aggressive or mean dog, you might be caught off guard. It may feel like you are chatting with a coyote on the street.
These situations are easy to avoid.
Let’s face the facts, not all dogs are as calm and collected.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, there are more than 4.5 Million dog bites each year. More than 800,000. Need medical attention?
Doggy Dan, the majority of dogs in my area are friendly breeds like labs or poodles
To be clear, aggression is not limited to one breed.
ALL DOGS can bite.
The American Veterinary Medical Association, the CDC and the Humane Society of the United States analyzed dog bites. They found that statistics don’t indicate that any breed is more dangerous than another.
When you pass a dog that is growling on the streets, you should not approach it immediately. It might attack you or lash out at you.
Instead, learn how to communicate with aggressive dogs and let them know that you aren’t a threat.
Keep Calm and Avoid Confrontation (If Possible)
When a strange dog comes along your path, you’re out and about.
Always be respectful of the dog and don’t approach them. You might make them think you are nefarious and they may attack you if you approach.
Loud noises and running in the opposite direction to the dog can make things worse. It is impossible to outrun a dog so be calm and slow down. Keep an eye on where they are at all time.
Imagine how you would react to an aggressive person on the street looking for a fight. They won’t be able to see you yelling at or running up to you. That will show them that they are ready for a fight.
Instead, you’d silently walk in the opposite direction to avoid any trouble.
Approaching an aggressive dog is the same. You can just leave the situation as long as they aren’t actively following you.
You can calmly walk the opposite direction until they are gone if the dog is tied to something or in a fence.
Do not make eye contact with aggressive or unfamiliar dogs. Dogs may react aggressively to prolonged eye contact.
Dogs can pick up on your emotions. It’s important to stay calm and collected when you attempt to get rid of an aggressive dog.
If You Can’t Avoid Confrontation
If an aggressive dog jumps at you, don’t panic. Instead, speak calmly to the dog and try to get away from him.
It can be difficult to communicate calmly with large canines when you are face-to-face. However, this may help to disarm them and let them know you aren’t a danger.
Be prepared to use any items that you may have to protect yourself and your dog from aggressive dogs if they lunge at you.
Protect yourself from aggressive dogs by using a backpack, umbrella, or your shoe.
As I said before, it is important to keep calm and not shout at aggressive dogs. If they are coming at you, you can try yelling, clapping, or puffing your chest to make them seem larger and more intimidating. They may feel scared and run away.
Place Yourself in Their Shoes
How can you best understand the behavior of a dog? Try to think like a dog!
Dogs often have a reason to be aggressive.
Perhaps the dog is afraid of what you are doing and is reacting out of fear. If this is the case, a slow retreat or showing that you are not a threat to your dog can help them realize they don’t have to respond aggressively.
Dogs that show aggression could be protecting something. Are you in their “territory”? Or are you close to an object they might consider important (bone, stick or treat, for example)? You should check your surroundings and get away from any dog guarding it.
Maybe the dog is hungry. You should throw away any food or snacks you have in your bag. Dogs will chase after food if they are hungry. You can help them out by throwing them away.
Many aggressive dogs come from families with over-indulgent owners. You or someone you know has an aggressive dog will need to train them.
You don’t want your dog to hurt other people.
Proper training can prevent this, no matter how old your dog is.
Here are some communication tips to help you let aggressive dogs know you don’t pose a threat when you approach them. My Dog Calming Code is based on learning how to communicate with dogs in their language.
Training program
My job is to help you communicate with your dog in a way that helps them to maintain a calm state so that they can listen to you no matter what. This is how to help your dog relax, so they don’t lash out at you.
No matter how aggressive or bad your dog is, any dog can learn and grow.
Find out more about my Dog Calming Code
Program
Get ready to change your relationship with your dog.
A secure and happy future
How to handle aggressive dogs The online dog trainer.