Shiba Shake

Dog Tips, Care & Training

Pack Leader To An Aggressive Dog

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It is especially difficult to become pack leader to an aggressive dog because we will naturally fear our dog’s aggression.

My Shiba Inu used to have the worst bouts of aggressive leash biting. He would jump up on me, grab my jacket sleeve, and shake his head very rigorously, in what I call the kill-move (the shaking, head tossing motion that animals make to kill prey).

Pack Leader To An Aggressive Dog.
Pack Leader To An Aggressive Dog.

The more fearful I got of my dog, the more aggressive he became. He started humping my leg, and attacked the leash whenever I held it. Thankfully, he never broke skin, because of bite inhibition training. Nevertheless, I dreaded walking my dog, or even just being with him.

Here are some techniques that helped me conquer my fear, and become pack leader to my aggressive dog.

The more fearful I got of my dog, the more aggressive he became.
The more fearful I got of my dog, the more aggressive he became.

1. Practice calm energy

Cesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer always emphasizes the importance of projecting calm energy, especially when interacting with an aggressive dog. If we interact with a dog using nervous, submissive, fearful, or otherwise unbalanced energy, the dog may pick up on that, get stressed himself, and behave badly or start showing aggression.

Some techniques that helped me remain calm include:

  • Taking deep breaths and focusing on breathing to remain calm.
  • Actively thinking of something else, whenever I start to get stressed about what my dog might do.
  • Using the “tsch” from Cesar Millan. No, it is not a magical sound for calming dogs, but it helps to remind me to stay calm.
  • Walking with an assertive posture (shoulders back, head up).

In addition, make sure that we are not putting undue tension on the leash.

The thing that helped me most was to imagine the worst that my dog could do. In the leash biting case, it was a bite to my hand or arm. I decided that for my Shiba Inu, I could deal with some bites. If he did that, I would hold firm, get him home as quickly as possible, and thus end the fun walk. If he continued to bite at me or the leash once we are home, I can put him directly in a time-out area. In this way, he learns that –

Biting on leash = End of walk or temporary loss of freedom,
No biting on leash = Fun walk and exploration continues.

Once I had a plan for dealing with the worst, I became less fearful.

Once my energy improved, my dog’s bad behavior also improved significantly.

2. Have a drag-lead on our dog and keep him on a schedule

Have a drag-lead on our dog and keep him on a schedule.
Have a drag-lead on our dog and keep him on a schedule.

When our dog does something undesirable, it is always our reflex to chase after him. However, we will quickly realize that our dog can run much faster than we can!

To get better control of my dog and avoid chasing games, I usually put a drag-lead on him. Initially, I use a longer leash so that I can control him without being close to his mouth.

Only use a flat collar with the drag lead and NOT an aversive collar. Some example aversive collars include the prong collar and choke chain.

Also remember that while dealing with an aggressive dog, safety is of the utmost importance. If necessary, I muzzle my dog with a basket muzzle. A dog can still chew with a basket muzzle, and it is less restraining. To make the muzzling process less stressful, we may want to desensitize our dog to the muzzle, by pairing it with food and fun.

Both Siberian Husky puppy Shania and Shiba Inu Sephy have drag leads on in case play gets out of control.
Both Siberian Husky puppy Shania and Shiba Inu Sephy have drag leads on in case play gets out of control.

3. Have clear and consistent rules for our dog at all times

Have clear and consistent rules for our dog at all times.
Have clear and consistent rules for our dog at all times.
Fun scratch session continues as long as there is no biting on hands.
Fun scratch session continues as long as there is no biting on hands.

In the beginning, we want to be more strict with our dog. Institute more rules so that we have many opportunities to show our dog, that we are the boss.

If my dog does not follow the rules, then he does not get his most desired resources, for example, access of the backyard, walks, yummy dog treats, fun dog toys, play time, and access to pack members.

One of the best ways to become pack leader is to control his resources by following the Nothing in Life is Free (NILIF) program.

This just means that our dog does not get anything, until he does something for us first.

I do not give my dog all of his food on a silver platter. Instead, I use it for dog training, grooming, and other activities. I don’t leave food or high priority resources (e.g. food toys) out for him to use whenever he wants. Being the boss means that I control the key resources, and I decide when, where, and for how long he gets access to those resources. Of course, I also make sure that my dog has many opportunities to work for all the things that he wants.

Some useful rules to establish and maintain pack leadership include:

  • No getting on furniture.
  • Sit calmly before going through doorways, and only go through on command.
  • No jumping on people.
  • No leash biting.
  • No food aggression. Must release resource (food, toys, or other items) on command.
  • Absolutely no growling, barring of teeth, mouthing, or biting of people.

Once we gain some confidence and our dog is behaving better, we may relax some of these rules.

Must work and lie calmly for food.
Must work and lie calmly for food.

4. More walks of shorter duration

More walks of shorter duration.
More walks of shorter duration.

Most aggressive behaviors occur on neighborhood walks because that is when our dog is exposed to the most interesting stimuli (e.g. other dogs, cats, squirrels, people). On walks, we also have less control over the environment, and may not easily and quickly get our dog under control.

When I had troubles with my Shiba Inu, I shortened our walks but increased their frequency.

First, I would walk him in a heel position inside the house. Doing the heel exercise helps to put me in a pack leader mindset, and enforces my leadership status. In addition, if my dog starts any aggressive behaviors, I can more effectively stop him.

Once we are ready to go, we practice manners at the door. This helps to further secure my leadership role. My dog has to sit calmly while I open and close the door. If he remains calm, we can leave and start the walk.

Initially, I walked my dog close to the house, so that I can quickly end the walk, get him home, and put him on a time-out if he shows any aggression. As we started to have more and more successful short walks, I was able to gain more confidence, and control my fear. When things started improving, I slowly increased the distance and duration of the walk.

When I had troubles with my Shiba Inu, I shortened our walks but increased their frequency
When I had troubles with my Shiba Inu, I shortened our walks but increased their frequency

5. Address aggressive behaviors as soon as possible

Address aggressive behaviors as soon as possible.
Address aggressive behaviors as soon as possible.
No food aggression or food guarding.
No food aggression or food guarding.

A good pack leader is a vigilant pack leader. Watch our dog closely, especially when he is young (< 1 year old). Stop any aggressive behaviors as soon as we see them.

If we do not address aggression issues early, our dog will likely escalate his behavior, and start practicing aggression in a broader range of contexts. Once this occurs, it will be harder to break him of the habit.

I do not let my dog leash bite, show teeth, growl, or mouth at me. Any of these offenses will get him a warning (ack ack). If he continues, he gets a time-out. I carefully manage the everyday details of our time together, so that I set both of us up for success.

Proper management can significantly increase the number of successes, reduce the number of aggressive episodes, and help us  become a good pack leader.

For aggression issues between two family dogs, please refer to Introducing a Second Dog into the Home.

Proper management can significantly increase the number of successes, reduce the number of aggressive episodes, and help us become a good pack leader
Proper management can significantly increase the number of successes, reduce the number of aggressive episodes, and help us become a good pack leader

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Comments

  1. Thank you for your article. We have a 4 yr old blue doberman. About 1 1/2 years ago we brought a trainer in work with him as he was being possessive of his kennel and also had bit both of us. We applied what she said and things went smoothly until yesterday. My husband put his hand down to pet the dog and he bit it and then started growling at my husband as he walked away. Two things to note: he has been acting sick (tired/glazed eyes) and at the time (seconds before the incident) I was having extreme anxiety about him biting my husband. I know the later did not help at all. We immediately told him to sit and lay down and he did just that. My husband thinks the dog is mental. Do you think reestablishing our dominance will solve the problem? We really want to be able to enjoy and not fear him.

    Reply

    • What sort of techniques did the trainer suggest to address his kennel guarding behavior? When you apply these techniques, what is the dog’s response?

      There are many reasons for dog aggression. While dominance may sometimes be a contributing factor, often, aggression is the result of negative conditioning, fear, stress, guarding, health, or something else. Here is a bit more on dog aggression.

  2. 3yrs ago I bought my husband a 1 yr old boxer/pit mix frm a shelter. This dog was really sick with stomach issues & under weight. He had a sweet disposition but had anxiety issues. We have nursed him to health & my husband has spoiled him to the point that now at 3 yrs of age,I’m seeing him slowly trying to become dominant. Not listening, refuses to sleep on floor, will whine if ignored & eventually growl at u. My husband doesn’t think much about it but we have a 20 mo old son that he has also started growling at & has also snapped at him & since baby’s eye-level with our dog, its his face the dog snaps at. I’m so nervous as I had a friend who’s family chow bit her 2 yr old & that baby had to have plastic surgery to repair the damage that dog caused. My husband gets irritated when I say if I have to choose, guess who goes. I have noidea what to do at this point, this is cause to be wories correct? Can this be remedied safely with this type breed & age?

    Reply

    • Dogs will often repeat behaviors that are rewarding to them, and stop behaviors that are not rewarding. Often, dogs show bad behaviors – not because they are trying to be dominant – but simply because –
      1. They do not know that we find those behaviors to be undesirable.
      2. They get rewarded (inadvertently) for those behaviors.

      Here is a bit more on my own experiences with training my dogs.

      In the situation you describe, getting a good professional trainer to come over for a visit, can perhaps be helpful. A professional trainer can identify the trigger events that are causing the snapping and growling, and perhaps also convince everyone in the family to participate in retraining the dog. In dog training, consistency is very important, therefore, it is best when everyone is on the same page.

  3. Hi. We have an 18 month Leonberger. She’s 130 lbs, bigger, stronger, and faster than I am. She’s a sweet, friendly dog, wouldn’t hurt a fly. But, she has begun growling at me when she has something she’s not supposed to have. I think she grabs things she knows she’s not supposed to have to get my attention. Once I see her and say “no” or “drop it” she runs away. If I ever do catch her, she growls at me. I try and open her mouth to take it and she growls and clamps down so hard I can’t open her mouth anyway. I don’t think it’s a REALLY aggressive growl, however I don’t think it’s quite all play either. I think she’s testing my authority and I’m not quite sure how to handle it. Another trainer suggested I not yell at her or chase her, since that’s what she wants, but instead to go get a treat and trade. I did that for a while and of course she drops whatever for a treat, but I think she does it more now because she knows she’ll get a treat out of it. I don’t see how running to get a treat when she has something she’s not supposed to have is enforcing my authority, even if I give the “drop it” command first. So I’m not quite sure how I should handle it when she does this? My husband does spank her and she respects him much better, but that doesn’t seem to work for me. Thanks for your help!

    Reply

    • Hello Jessie,

      I think it would depend on the source of the behavior.

      When my Shiba Inu was a puppy, he would pounce on absolutely everything while we were out on our walks and treat pieces of tissue like it were gold. Often, I would forcibly remove what I considered to be “trash” from his mouth because I didn’t want him eating the stuff. What I failed to realize, however, was that I was inadvertently teaching him the wrong lesson – which is that when people came near him, they will likely steal away his valued possessions by force. As a result, he started growling to keep people away, and he would also run away from people and hide in corners so that he could keep his “treasures”. This is also known as resource guarding.

      In this case, what worked best was to teach Sephy the Leave-It command and prevent him from getting the trash in his mouth in the first place. I also dog-proofed my house by removing anything dangerous that Sephy could get to. Then I spent a lot of time teaching him what things are ok to chew on, and that books are not chew toys. 😀 When he chews on a something undesirable, I would no-mark him (Ack-ack) and redirect him onto something acceptable (e.g. his toy). If he redirects, I would reward him well with attention and his favorite game.

      Here is more on my experiences with resource guarding.

      Another thing that Sephy absolutely loves, is to play chase. To start a chase game, he would steal the t.v. remote controller and start running around with it at high speeds. My instinct, of course, was to chase him. However, that turned out to be the wrong thing to do, because that was exactly what Sephy was hoping for. Instead, I put a drag lead on him (**only with a regular flat collar and not an aversive collar, and only when I am at home to supervise). When he starts his chase hijinks, I would just step on the drag lead and put him in a short timeout.

      Sephy quickly figured out that stealing things in the house got him nowhere, so he stopped doing it.

      In the two situations above, the end-behavior is similar, running away with something in his mouth. However, in the first case, Sephy was trying to protect his possessions, while in the second case he was trying to start a chase game.

      Finally, I also want to mention that Sephy is very sensitive to my energy. If I am angry, frustrated or fearful, he picks up on my turmoil, gets even more stressed, and acts out even more. When I am calm, it is much easier to get him to calm down and listen to what I am “saying”.

  4. I first want to say that I love your sight and the many articles on here. It’s helping me and my family get a better understanding of our own Shiba, Pebbles. Our female dog is very stubborn, my husband and I are still trying to figure out a way for her to come inside the house after we let her go outside to go potty and/or play time in the backyard. I regret letting her outside in the backyard because afterwards she never wants to come back inside the house, no matter how much we call her or get upset. She is overly excited and a couple times my daughter has accidentally let her out the front yard where there’s no fence and Pebbles just takes off. When this happens my husband has to go chase her down cause she never comes to us when we call her, so when he finally finds her the only way to get her back is to show and shake her favorite treat bag and then she comes running to you. Is there any way to get Pebbles to come to you when you want her to come or come back inside the house? Oh, is there a way for her to quit jumping on you and to quit biting on shoes or children’s toys?

    Reply

    • Hello Kelly,

      Shibas are really not the best when it comes to recall training. My Shiba Sephy will come when he feels like it, or when I have something that he truly wants. Therefore I never let him go off-leash in an unenclosed space.

      For recall training, I usually use a long-line. In this way, I can reel him in if he decides to ignore the command. Here is a bit more on how I do recall training with my dogs-
      http://shibashake.com/dog/hyperactive-dogs-how-to-calm-a-hyper-dog-or-hyper-puppy/comment-page-1#comment-20723

      is there a way for her to quit jumping on you and to quit biting on shoes or children’s toys?

      When my dog jumps on me –
      1. I no-mark him (Ack-ack).
      2. Then I ask for an alternate command (e.g. Sit)
      3. If he does this, I reward him with attention and a fun game.
      4. If he continues to jump, then I withdraw my attention by folding up my arms and turning away from him.
      5. If he escalates his behavior and starts to bite on me and my clothing, then I say Timeout and put him in a timeout area.

      In this way, he learns that-
      jumping on me = lose freedom
      no jumping = attention, games, and other rewards.

      Here is more on dog jumping.

      When my dog bites on an unsanctioned item –
      1. I no-mark him (Ack-ack).
      2. Then I redirect him to bite on a sanctioned item, e.g. a favorite toy.
      3. If he does this, I reward him by playing with him or by adding food to his toy.
      4. If he continues, then I tell him to “Leave-It” (previously trained)
      5. If he complies, then I reward him really well with his favorite treats, and maybe even a food toy.
      6. If he ignores me, then I either body block him away from the object, or lead him away using his drag-lead.
      7. If he keeps going back to the unsanctioned item, then he loses his freedom temporarily with a timeout.

      Note that it is important *not* to take items away from a dog too often by force. If we keep taking items away, then our dog may decide to protect his stuff using aggression. I try to communicate clearly and consistently with Sephy and give him many alternate behaviors to achieve success. Here is a bit more on food aggression and resource guarding-
      http://shibashake.com/dog/stop-food-aggression-stop-resource-guarding

  5. Hi, my friend’s Shiba inu had been an obedient dog, but after she went on a vacation which lasted about 3-4 weeks, her Shiba would bite her feet when she takes her dog bed away, because she usually bites her bed and swings her head around aka “kill move” when she’s bored, my friend tried to timeout her, but it didn’t had a great impact, so what can she in order to stop her dog biting her bed and how can she correct her dog for biting her feet (EXCEPT FOR TIMEOUT)??? My dog doesnt usually get bored, but she said her dog gets bored easily, so is there any activities that you recommend (except for fetching)?? Please reply me asap
    PS (More info): I helped her to train her dog before, but it took a long time to correct a lot of her bad behaviors (about 2 months), but this time, her father is considering to remove the dog from their family/pack, because her father said that if the dog doesnt stop biting her mattress and attacking her daughter then we will give the dog away, so I am looking for a faster method, and timeout doesn’t seem to work in this case… THANKS!!! I REALLY APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU ARE HELPING A LOT OF PEOPLE :DDDDD

    Reply

  6. I really enjoy reading your articles and posts, I found out that, there is an easy way to solve majority of the problems, which is to become the pack leader, and its the little things that makes you become the pack leader, going out the door first, eats meals first etc. But does your shiba dislike water??? Sometimes when I bring her to the beach, I swim with my shiba, but after a while, she just goes back to the shore and run around, and sometimes she stares at the beach and when she is about to swim, she runs quickly, is that normal???? Is she scared of water??? Or does she just dislike it? Lol thx 😀

    Reply

    • But does your shiba dislike water???

      LOL! Yeah Sephy is not a fan of water. When it is raining, he usually does not even like going out on his walks. He will go on a short walk and then want to come home.

      The only time that he tolerates water is when there is a fun game involved. For example, when playing in the park, he is totally fine with rain, mud puddles, and more. Also, he likes playing the water hose game, so that is how we give him baths.

      after a while, she just goes back to the shore and run around

      Heh, she is probably just excited and probably trying to get warm and dry. When I used to bathe Sephy in a tub, he would do crazy Shiba running afterward.

      Sephy dislikes getting wet, but he will tolerate it if I make it worth his while. 😀

      Here is a fun thread on the Shiba inu forum where a bunch of people weigh in on Shibas and water-
      http://www.shibainuforum.org/forum/discussion/5914/does-your-shiba-like-the-water/p1

  7. THANK YOU SOO MUCH :DDDDDD I also want to ask you something, my dog sometimes run in circles and then growls, so is that dog aggression or is my shiba inu just playing, to add on, sometimes she bites me hard and sometimes she play bite, so what do you usually do when your dog bites you??? AND HOW DO I KNOW IF MY DOG IS TRULY AGGRESSIVE???? the tie down is a good idea, but i wonder if i put my dog on a tie down, then will she whine and bark??? because sometimes when im at home and im doing work, I tie her with her leash under the sofa legs and she will whine if she can’t get her toy because the leash is not very long, so if I use the tie down will she whine??? and HOW DO YOU CORRECT THAT BEHAVIOR????? However I tie her for a short period of time, so is there anything that your dog likes and can keep her company??? Any suggestions eg toys???? My dog also likes to play with the toys roughly so she usually jumps around so after i tie her with her toy she will shake her head and then when she is not close enough to reach the toy she will whine again and then bite her bed, and she usually rip off the eyes and then eat the stuffing inside the so is there any durable toy you have for your dog??? Any suggestions??? AND ANY IDEA ON HOW TO CORRECT THOSE KIND OF BEHAVIORS?A MILLION THANKSSSS YOU :DDD

    Reply

  8. Hi, When i tell my dog to fetch a toy, she fetches it but she never gives it back to me, and then she will (my shiba inu) play with it by herself, and when I go over and take it, I say drop, then her ears goes back (like behind her head) and her eyes becomes bigger, and then when I do the aversive technique (the touch like cesar millan does) she bites my hand really hardly, I did some research and some say to use reward base training but cesar millan uses aversive techniques so which one should I chose and how should I correct my dog????? Have you dog ever bit you??????????? THANK YOU, also when Im doing work at home, I tie a string (her leash) to the sofa legs and then she just keeps on biting it and 3 leashes were broken. SO WHAT SHOULD I DOO???

    Reply

  9. Hi, when your dog bites, jump on the couch, you will say tsscht or ack ack right?? But I saw a tv show today, I think its called Cesar Millan and He would touch the scruff(dogs neck) with some pressure, and sometimes he will flip the dog on his side, so will it work???????? Or do i just stick with timeout… and why does he do those moves and what does those moves mean??????? THANK YOU

    Reply

  10. My dog is a HUGE PROBLEM whenever it comes to going in her cage, she will refuse and bite me whenever she goes near the cage and she will also move backwards and bite the leash and my jacket. My dog will also lick my hand for A LONG TIME AND ITS VERY ANNOYING, but overall she is a good dog but sometimes she just is short tempered she doesnt have patience, whenever i train her, she will walk away and when I say ack ack she will bite me and my clothes.

    Reply