After You Get a Dog

  • Spay or neuter your dog as soon as possible. Healthy puppies can be spayed or neutered as early as eight weeks of age. Spayed or neutered dogs may be less likely to bite.
  • Socialize your dog! An ounce of prevention (puppy socialization) is worth a pound of cure (trying to fix behavior problems in adulthood). Well-socialized dogs make enjoyable, trustworthy companions. Undersocialized dogs are a risk to their owners and to others because they’re frightened by everyday things. Fearful dogs are more likely to aggress or bite. They tend to fight with other dogs. They don’t adapt to new situations, and routine outings (like to the vet’s office) become difficult for them and everyone involved. Socializing is the opposite of isolating. It means to let puppies meet, greet and enjoy a variety of people, animals, places and things. Done properly, socializing helps puppies feel comfortable and friendly-rather than uncomfortable and potentially aggressive-in many situations and around all kinds of people and animals. The main rule for effective socializing is to let your dog progress at her own pace and never force her to be around someone or something when she’s clearly fearful or uncomfortable.
  • Take your dog to humane, reward-based training classes-the earlier the better. We recommend starting your puppy in puppy kindergarten classes as early as eight weeks, right after her first set of vaccinations. Early training opens a window of communication between you and your dog that will help you consistently and effectively teach her what you expect of her.
  • Make your dog a part of the family. Don’t chain or tie her outside, and don’t leave her unsupervised for long periods of time-even in a fenced yard. Because tied-out dogs become frustrated and can feel relatively defenseless, they’re nearly three times more likely to bite. Well-socialized and supervised dogs are much less likely to bite.
  • Don’t wait for a serious accident to happen. The first time your dog shows aggressive behavior toward anybody, even if no injury occurs, seek professional help from a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB), a veterinary behaviorist (Dip ACVB), or a qualified Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT). If you elect to hire a CPDT because you can’t find a behaviorist in your area, be sure to determine whether she or he has professional training and extensive experience in successfully working with aggression, as this training and experience are beyond what CPDT certification requires.
  • Err on the safe side. Be aware of common triggers of aggression, including the following:
    • Pain
    • Injury or sickness
    • The approach of strangers or strange dogs
    • The approach of people in uniforms
    • Costumes or unusual attire (especially hats)
    • Unexpected touching
    • Unfamiliar places
    • Crowds
    • Loud noises like thunder, wind, construction, fireworks and appliances
  • If possible, avoid exposing your dog to these triggers. If she seems stressed or panicked in crowds, leave her at home. If she overreacts to visitors or delivery personnel, keep her in another room when they come to your house. Work with a qualified behavior and training professional to help your dog become more comfortable with these and other situations.
  • Always supervise children and dogs. Never leave a baby or child younger than 10 years old alone with a dog. Teach your children to treat your dog gently and with respect, giving the dog her own space and opportunities to rest. Some good books and videos that we recommend on children and dogs are the following:
    • Living with Kids and Dogs…Without Losing Your Mind by Colleen Pelar
    • Raising Puppies and Kids Together-A Guide for Parents by Pia Silvani and Lynn Eckhardt
    • Child-Proofing Your Dog by Brian Kilcommons
    • Dogs, Cats and Kids, a video by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).
  • Fulfill basic animal-care responsibilities. License your dog as required by law and provide regular veterinary care, including rabies vaccinations. Don’t allow your dog to roam alone.