Bitter Quill

Does your dog growl at strangers? Does he show aggression to people who are unfamiliar? If so, there are some things you can do to help solve the problem. But first, it’s important to understand why your dog is acting this way.

Your dog’s ancestors were aggressive by nature. Living in the wild meant having to hunt for food, and defend themselves from other animals. It was instinct to protect their resources like food, mate and territory.

Fortunately, selective breeding over the centuries has minimized and refined this trait significantly. Even so, it’s important to understand that by nature, all dogs are physically capable of inflicting serious harm. One look at those teeth and you know this is true!

While aggression is part instinctive, there is much you can do to prevent it from becoming a problem in your dog. If (for some reason) this aggression does surface, there are definite things you can do to deal with the problem.

Although aggression in dogs comes in different forms, aggression towards strangers is one that is quite common. This type of aggression is stems from nervousness. If he becomes nervous around strangers, his instinct is to protect himself (and you) from the percieved threat.

Dogs that are nervous around strangers are pretty easy to spot. When someone unfamiliar approaches (a visitor, delivery person, or someone walking down the street) they will usually act one of two ways… Either they will sit completely still, staring hard at the new person, or they’ll become agitated. They’ll be fidgety, pace back and forth and bark or whine.

Why does it happen? The main reason a dog doesn’t like strange people is that he’s never had the chance to get used to them. Remember, your dog depends 100% on you to broaden his horizons for him. The only way he will learn to relax is by experience. He needs to go on lots of outings - have many positive experiences to realize that the “unknown” isn’t something he needs to be afraid of.

This is what we call “socialization” - and it’s an important part of raising a healthy, stable dog. The best time to start is when he’s a puppy, but it should continue throughout your dog’s life. Giving him a lot of new experiences helps him become comfortable in new situations. It gives him confidence. The only way this happens is by taking him out in the world and exposing him to new people, places and things.

It’s not enough to expose an adult dog to a crowd of new, unfamiliar people and just say, “Settle down, Roxy, it’s OK”… your dog has to learn that it’s okay on his own. That’s what socializing does… it lets your dog learn this by exposing him to all types of people and animals: from babies and toddlers to teens and elderly, from people in uniform to people carrying umbrellas or riding bikes.

If you start this socialization as a puppy, your dog grows up knowing that people who are “different” aren’t bad. Instead of being fearful, he’ll be confident and friendly with strangers.

A fun way to start socializing your new puppy is to sign him up for puppy preschool. These puppy classes are usually held at vet centers or some other indoor, controlled environment. It’s a series of classes created specifically for puppies and their owners.

The typical puppy class has about a dozen puppies and owners. They are run by a qualified dog trainer who is usually joined by one or two assistants. By having more than one instructor, you and your puppy will have more one-on-one time with one of the trainers. During class, you will learn about your puppy’s developmental stages and even some basic obedience commands.

It’s fun to learn how to teach your puppy to “come” but the biggest benefit of joining a puppy class is the socialization. Until you’ve finished your puppy shots, many vets will discourage you from taking your puppy out in public. The main concern is parvo, which is highly contagous and very dangerous to puppies. Puppy classes provide a safe environment to start socializing your puppy at an earlier age. There are usually several “play sessions” per class to let the puppies run around and play together off-leash. This group play helps them learn how to interact with other dogs. It also gives them a chance to meet new people and start learning that they don’t have to be afraid of strangers.

As good as puppy school is, socialization doesn’t stop there. It should be an ongoing experience throughout the life of your growing puppy and adult dog. Take him to as many new places and environments as you can. Just be careful not to overwhelm him. Start off slow, and build his confidence gradually. If you’re consistent with socializing your dog, he will grow into a friendly and confident dog - with no reason to fear strangers.

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