Aggression is a very serious and complex topic. There can be so many different combinations of genetic influences, biochemical factors, environmental and experiential factors; such as, inadequate socialization - especially during the critical socialiation periods; abuse, traumatic experiences and/or inappropriate handling and training which impact the end result which lead us to this subject. What we, as Canine Behaviorsts do need to know to formulate a program are the type or types of aggression(s) being displayed and to what degree.

Aggressive behavior is probably the most common problem seen by Behaviorists across the country. Dog bites, especially to children, have reached what some consider to be epidemic proportions. One report estimates that almost half of all school-age children have been bitten by a dog(1). Owners of dogs that have biten are at risk of being sued and are at risk of losing your homeowner's insurance, and you may even be the recipient of ill will of the victims, their families, and neighbors.

Given these serious and even dire potential consequences, aggression problems, more so than any other behavior issues, require that responsibility be taken and to consult with a qualified, experienced Canine Behaviorist.

Canine Cadre believes that education is particularly important, especially with aggression cases. There are so many myths and misconceptions and such a general lack of understanding about aggression that owners require a significant amount of education.

Myths regarding problem solving and techniques to avoid. With some limited exceptions, the popular literature on dog training has done dogs, owners, and society a huge disservice in regard to canine aggression issues. There are three major areas in which misinformation is widespread: Most aggressive and threatening behavior problems are related to dominance issues. Dominance aggression is about the control of resources and social rank. How your dog responds to a stranger or guest in your home has nothing to do at all with the dominance heirarchy between you and your dog. However, territorial aggression, one of the reasons why dogs threaten and/or bite visitors has nothing to do with dominance aggression. You can not treat aggression with aggression. The best that punishment can offer is to teach the dog to inhibit the aggression when he know punishment is coming. This will never teach him how to be friendly to guests, or the world is a friendly place to be. If anything, punishment makes interactions even more unpleasant for the dog and it can exacerbate the problem. It is possible that punishment will teach the dog to inhibit one type of threatening behavior or aggressive behavior. However, the dog is still motivated to be aggressive. The use of physical force is not the answer to aggression problems. What contributes to dominance aggression problems. Many popular dog-training books stress the importane of the owner being dominant over the dog, and they often recommend brute force as the way to achieve dominance. Yet, no scientific studies document that any training can prevent dominance aggression.

Initially, we require a medical work up to be performed on the dog to make sure any medical etiology or causes are ruled out. Such as: allergies, skin aliments, chronic ear problems, orthopedic problems, etc.

The 'Consultation' can either be completed at the Canine Cadre facility or your home. We have traveled the Tri-State area and further, for example Louisiana.

If there are any types of aggressions with your pup. Always remember two pieces of information: 1. You can not treat aggression with aggression and 2. If left untreated, the problem will not go away by itself, it may on exacerbate or get worse. The owner of a dog who has threatened or bitten must take the problem seriously. You cannot excuse the behavior as a fluke, think it won't happen again, hope the dog will grow out of it, assume the dog was abused as a puppy, or chalk it up to the fact that the dog was just having a bad day. The first priority would be to take steps to ensure that people and other animals are protected from injury by the dog. Steps should be taken immediately to address the problem, and you almost always need professional help with canine aggression issues. Yet the existences of such a problem should not be to automatically condemn the dog to death.

Also, it is very important to realize there are no guarantees and that, even with treatment, your dog will never again bite or otherwise harm a person or another animal. Anyone who tells you that they can 'fix-it' and will guarantee the dog will never bite is, quite frankly...well... Instead of seeking a nonexistent guarantee, you should enlist the help of a well-qualified Canine Behaviorist to make a reasonable assessment of the degree of risk your dog presents and a treatment program.