Many people will tell you to go to a dog obedience class. Dog Obedience Classes are not the answer to solving every behavioral problem because dog classes mainly focus on command training and not behavioral training. Command training meaning sit, heel, down, stay, come, etc. Behavioral training meaning to solely concentrate on helping one correct or control their dog's problem. Click here to read about my first dog experience and my first time going to an obedience class.

If you own a dog that bites, please DO NOT go to a dog obedience class because command training will only make the situation worse and not better. Command training is too much for a biting dog. The dog needs behavioral training which will allow you to first gradually gain control over the dog and then once this training is complete the you can think about going to a class.

Let me explain why command training is too much for the biting dog because commanding is dominating the dog. An aggressive and dominating dog will resist this control and may result in biting. If an aggressive dog doesn't bite there, then when the "Down" comes, the aggressive dog will most likely bite out of protest because the down is a submissive position and most aggressive and/or dominating dogs will resist. The ones that are just dominating with not much or no aggression may not have any reaction other than locking legs or get up right after being placed into the down position.

Command training doesn't focus on problems like constant jumping up (this is dominating behavior), domination, aggression, very timid or shy and very exuberant behavior. Your dog needs behavioral training so you can gradually gain control over your dog first and then once this training is complete you can think about going to a class.

My main concern is for your safety because once you start training your dog. If your dog has not received any command training previous to this, then when you do command him or her and then show the dog how to do a training step, he or she may resist this approach. The Halti and leash method is the best for dominating and aggressive problems. Without the Halti or halter method, you are putting yourself and other people at an even greater risk of being bit. The Halti gives you the perfect amount of dominating training you need. In a class there is way too much domination of the dog, which may be too much for a dominating and aggressive dog to take all at once.
 
 

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