Stopping My Doberman's Aggressive Behaviour

The Doberman is a fiercely loyal, smart and resilient breed of dogs. They are fantastic pets and formidable guard dogs. They are very possessive and protective of their owners. Poor training, previous abuse or ill-treatment and anxiety can lead to this dog being aggressive. Due to their size and strength an aggressive Doberman possess a serious threat to its owner, other people in its immediate environment and even himself.

Aggression in Doberman’s can however be corrected. the best results are achieved when this is done in a humane way. The mistake most trainers or owners make is that they attempt to correct aggression in dogs with a counter aggression; this does not solve the aggression problem. It only gives the dog a reason to search for another outlet to manifest this behavior.

Below are steps that any Doberman owner can implement and achieve positive results whilst trying to stoop aggression in their dog. These are better carried out when the dog is still young because as they say ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’. The latter isn’t totally true but lessons are better learnt whilst young.

You will need a leash and treats to implement the steps below.

Step 1

Observe your Doberman's conduct closely  to determine what triggers the aggressiveness. The breed is natural guard dogs and Dobermans are naturally defensive, so it’s plausible that his hostility comes from a natural yearning to caution off strangers. Different reasons may cause his anxiety and possessiveness. If your Doberman is aggressive just to guests, he is being territorial. In the event that he gets aggressive when startled, it’s in all probability anxiety based hostility. If he is aggressive around his food, he's securing his assets.

Step 2

Note down the motions and activities that your Doberman uses to display his hostility. These may include snarling, barking, gazing and baring of the teeth.

Step 3

Leash the Doberman. In a controlled environment free from any distraction, recreate the circumstances that trigger his aggressiveness, .For example you can have your friend or colleague stroll up to the house or put the vacuum cleaner on. Ensure that you have moderate control over the dog at all times. Don't incite him or whip him up into aggression.

Step 4

Give him treats and praise the dog. This is a positive “reinforcer”. Your Doberman will appreciate being pampered this way. You can then effectively unsettle him  by essentially stopping the treats and pampering. This is called negative discipline. It is a kind and powerful option to counter aggression, which relies on corrective punishments such as smacking, yelling in an attempt to correct an undesirable conduct.

Step 5

Remove the trigger for aggressiveness. When your dog shows signs of aggression stop praising him and ignore him totally. He will observe this sudden change in your attention and focus towards him. This shows him that when he gets to be aggressive, the encouraging feedback he was getting will stop. This tells his mind that, an aggressive conduct diminishes the nature of his surroundings and his owner’s attitude towards him.

Step 6

Give treats to the dog when he displays calmness. When he gets into a relaxed state praise him and rewards him. This shows your dog that being quiet when confronted with a hostility jolt delivers a decent result. Over the long haul, he'll discover that animosity or aggression delivers a negative result and calmness a positive one. Rehash this activity routinely until your canine is able to totally overlook or detach himself from the stimulus which triggers his aggressive nature.

Lastly, never underestimate your Dobermans ability to sense your emotions, as the latter feed the dog’s temperament. You shouldn’t be an aggressive person and expect the dog not to notice and pick on that aggressive streak.