Most dog aggression to people is caused by punishment  , rough or unpleasant  handling eg dragging by the collar  ,or frightening the  dog . Hundreds of scientific studies have  confirmed this  and I certainly find it to be the case in my practice .

It’s very simple – if you don’t  want to get bitten don’t teach your  dog  to expect you to  hurt it , or that  you will take things  from it .(Trade , don’t  steal!)

Consequences  for unwanted behavior  don’t  have to be painful or scary  to be significantly unrewarding and mildly unpleasant   to the  dog. With holding a  reward or leaving  the room  or not responding are very effective  consequences.  If you don’t  think so , you’re not  doing  it right !

Punishment is reinforcing to the punisher .The  fall out   of physical punishment  is   aggression ,anxiety, fear, and distrust. And your dog still doesn’t  know what you want because you haven’t  taught it !You have only suppressed the behavior , not changed  it .

But you didn’t know this and now you have  a  problem , or a previous owner or trainer caused  this  issue.

The good news is we can change   your  dog ‘s expectations. Reactivity techniques  work  by changing the  dog’s perception  of people , forming positive  associations  and building an expectation that  people are not  threats  but  instead are the cue that good things will happen. 

Your aggressive  dog is fearful and unhappy . There  is no need  for this. Change this now.