How To Make An Aggressive Dog More Sociable

An aggressive dog is still something worth loving. Such kind demands cultivation, reinforcement, and patience to turn them into more likeable ones. But all dogs have soft spots! Whatever breed or situation your dog may be in, we have compiled 6 ways to make them more sociable to others. 

An aggressive dog such as that requires intensive intervention and need to be carefully looked after whenever heading out with them.

Aggressive dog? Here is what you should do

1. Introduce your dog to a few new people each time
2. Have a friendly aura when dealing with people
3. Before meeting others, spend quality time with your dog
4. Reward whenever your dog acted appropriately
5. Be patient
6. Train your dog with other dogs

1. Introduce your dog to a few new people each time

Majority of dogs hate crowds, especially if some of them include groups of people they have a negative stigma on (e.g., guys on hoodies, masks, etc.).

What you need to do is to introduce them first to gentle people, like your trusted friends, neighbors, or colleagues. It must be in a controlled environment first, like your house or other places that your dog is pretty comfortable with.

Have your friend hand over food to your dog. If possible, let your visitor make gentle taps on your dog’s head or fur. It’ll somehow give an impression that not all new guys are bad people.

To avoid any contingencies, make sure your dog is leashed.

2. Have a friendly aura when dealing with people

In psychology, vicarious conditioning is a type of learning through observing how another reacts to the stimulus, instead of experiencing it directly.

This is applicable to animals too. Your dog sees you as his/her hero, so the way you react to certain groups of people will affect your dog’s reasoning. If the person seems like a threat to you because of your body language, then your dog will probably act in that way too.

Meanwhile, simply smiling and handshaking with another person can work wonders. Those actions send a direct message to your dog that the person is a decent and trustworthy one.

3. Before meeting others, spend quality time with your dog

If your dog feels lethargic and sluggish, minutes before you take him/her outside with you, your dog will likely to carry over those negative feelings outside.

Meanwhile, if you speak friendly to your dog or rub its belly before heading out, it could send him/her in a good mood, making them more amiable to other people or dogs.

4. Reward whenever your dog acted appropriately

If you want your dog to display a good behavior consistently, you have to reinforce it with positive stimulus.

Saying “good boy” or “good girl” while scratching your dog’s back or head is a clear sign that it did a good job.

And even if your dog is a naturally hostile one, it may be likely to open up to people or other dogs if you give it treats or chows.

Meanwhile, if it’s showing signs that it’s about to bite or maul someone (e.g., yawning, pinning its ears back, gritting its teeth), you have to stop your dog immediately. If you know your dog’s destructive potential, assuming it’s an uncontrollable one, remove your dog immediately from the vicinity.

5. Exude patience on your dog

It’ll take months before your dog can acclimatize to what you’re trying to teach him. He’s bound to commit mistakes and mishaps along the way, but you have to be patient with your buddy.

Never beat your dog up.

You may end up injured once it retaliates. Instead, make light punishments like cutting his/her snacks, or pointing fingers at your dog.

6. Use familiar, friendly dogs as training partners

If you know another dog who’s pretty calm and composed, you can introduce it to yours so you can better know how to handle such situations.

The calm demeanor of the friendly dog can somehow change the impression of your buddy about making introductions.

Avoid overconfidence though. Hounds are pretty instinctive, and even the most likeable ones can suddenly turn into an aggressive dog.

Dogs are heavenly creatures

As a wrap-up, dogs are heavenly creatures. They make our worries much bearable with their licks and mouthing. As their owners, they love us unconditionally, and doesn’t hold much grudge. But remember that they’re territorial down to their core.

With adequate love, training, and rewarding, even the most ferocious dogs can be at least casual.

This article is written by Joe Baldwin, native US resident & long-term experienced article writer for BidForWriting. Joe studied English literature and creative writing.