When training a dog its important to do it right the first time because once your dog has learned something the wrong way it can be hard to change. Bad habits are hard to break so it's always best to get it right from the start.
Some dogs are aggressive in their later years because their owners ignored their aggressive behaviour while puppies. Aggression in puppies is often brushed off as playfulness while it really should be corrected. Remember the saying 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks.' While you can change an older dogs behaviour it's a lot easier to do it while they're young.
Aggression is developed in dogs for several different reasons. One common and unfortunate cause is that their masters encourage this type of behaviour. A lot of people get dogs to look after their residence and they praise them when they bark and growl at people approaching their homes.
I always tell owners that any aggression shown by their pooch towards people should be dealt with early and strongly discouraged. Many people worry that if they always punish their dogs for growling or barking, they will become timid and that if one day someone breaks into their house their dog will be useless and likely try to lick the intruder. However if you train your dog to give one or 2 short sharp barks every time someone approaches the house, trust me, you will not have a problem with break ins.
If your dog displays signs of aggression respond quickly and firmly. This display could be a soft growl, barking or a stiffening of the body. Usually a strong 'stop it' command will do the trick. You shouldn't try to comfort your dog when they show aggressive behavior. All this does is teach them that its OK to be aggressive towards humans.
Confidence can also be a factor in their behavior. Dogs that are scared tend to show aggression a lot more than happy confident ones. You can help your dog become more confident by offering praise every time they do something right and not punishing or shouting at them unnecessarily.
Having a well behaved friendly dog is a great pleasure and is also a great source of pride for many people. Having a misbehaving dog is stressful to the owner and you shouldn't have to worry that your dog may bite or attack your friends and guests. Always remember to correct your dog if they do something wrong. Teach your dog good habits when they're young and you'll have a well behaved pooch who's a pleasure to look after.
This article was written by James Ambler. James is a dog lover and has over a decade of experience owning and training many different breeds of dog.
For more information check out the article on How to Stop Dog Aggression at Dealing with Dogs. Dealing with Dogs is a great free resource for dog owners and is full of useful advice and tips on how to deal with problem dog behavior.