Five Simple Steps to Establishing Yourself as Pack Leader

I have come to realize that some of the stuff I've written about pack leadership is a little complicated, so here's a short and sweet article to drill it down to the basics of how. For more detail about the whys, be sure to take a look at Who's the Boss? Establishing Pack Leadership and without further ado, here are your five simple steps. The goal of these steps is to give your dog the impression that you control every aspect of his life. Because you do. And if your dog is aggressive or otherwise trouble, you absolutely must because it could be your dog's life if you don't. 

Step 1 Control Your Dog's Movements
At first, your dog should be on a leash all the time. You should keep him close to you in the house and he should be at rest when you're at rest. When you are standing, but not moving, he should be sitting at your side and when you are sitting, he should be laying at your feet. You should take the time to obedience train your dog and practice daily. You can and should practice and walks and during playtime. When you are doing something that makes it difficult or impossible to supervise your dog, he should be secured in a crate. You make all the decisions about where you go and when and you go first.

Step 2 Control Your Dog's Schedule
Feed your dog at the same time every day (1-3 times based on age and size) and give him 15 minutes to eat. After 15 minutes pick up the bowl and put the food away till the next meal time. Never feed your dog because he's begging. If you want to give him table scraps, save them for the next meal and put him in his bowl. Very small treats can be given as training rewards. Take your dog outside to go potty at the same time every day (4-10 times a day depending on age). Take your dog to the potty spot and give him a command to potty. Take your dog for a walk (1-2 times a day) at the same time every day. When you get up in the morning, ignore your dog while you brush your teeth, make your coffee and put on your clothes and shoes, only then call him over and put him on his leash for his morning walk. When you come home, hang up your coat, put away your purse, get yourself a refreshing beverage before you even look at your dog. Then, when you're ready, call him over and put on his leash for his afternoon walk.

Do not respond to requests by your dog to alter the schedule.

Step 3 Control Your Dog's Stuff
Actually, your dog has no stuff. Everything in your house is yours, not your dog's. All the dog toys in the house belong to you. You simply allow your dog to play with your toys when the mood strikes you and you end the game likewise when you decide the game is over. All the furniture is yours. Your dog is not allowed on it unless you invite him. If he ever shows any possession over the furniture, such as spreading himself out over the couch so there's no room for you, leaning on and pushing people off the furniture, or growling at people when he is moved off the furniture, he can not go on the furniture. At all. Ever. The crate is yours, you tell him when to go in it and when to come out of it (and graciously allow him to retreat to it for comfort and security). The yard is yours; you decide when he goes out in it and what part of it he's allowed to use as a bathroom. Etc.

Step 4 Make Your Dog Earn Everything
Your dog must sit and stay while you are getting his dinner ready and putting the bowl down (If he breaks his stay, put the food away and walk away, come back a few minutes later and try again). He must sit and stay while you are getting his leash, putting the leash on and opening the door and must not get up until you invite him to do so. He must not have free access to toys. You decide when to play with the toys, you start the game and end it. He must sit to earn a ball throw, etc. If your dog wants to be petted, he must sit calmly first or do some other trick at your whim.

Step 5 Exercise Your Dog
Engage your dog 15 to 30 minutes a day in obedience training practice. Practice sit/stay, down/stay, leave it, drop it, come, place, kennel up and more. You can and should combine your obedience practice with games and walks. See Games Good Dogs Play: Three Ways to Stay. Once you've got your basic obedience down, you can add more tricks to his repertoire. Check out The Everything Dog Training and Tricks Book.
Your dog needs 30 minutes to an hour of brisk walking every day and 15 to 30 minutes of play. For that matter, so do you.

Training your dog and leading him in walks and play enforces your standing as pack leader. However, if your dog becomes aggressive or overly hyper during play, end the game immediately, put the toys away and try again in a few days. If you are at all frightened during play, then don't do it at all. No big deal.

If your dog is already extremely bossy, you may need to do a reboot. Spend a three days to a week ignoring your dog. Let him out to go potty, put down his food, put him in his crate and go about your business. Once the time you've determined on has passed, re-establish your relationship using these five rules. Note that very bossy dogs may become extremely sassy during this time, butt-biting is not unheard of. If this occurs, do what you need to do to protect your bottom and continue to ignore her until she gets well past that (Although I usually use him/her randomly when I write, using her here is very appropriate). Very sensitive dogs may become withdrawn and depressed. If you see any sign of this, abort the reboot and go straight to the rules.

Keeping Your Aggressive Dog

When your best friend attacks a friend, neighbor or family member, you may be advised to re-home or euthanize your pet immediately. However, not everyone is willing to give up on their pet so easily and you may be wondering if you can keep your dog without anyone else getting hurt. The answer to that question is maybe.

Aggression is like cancer. A doctor will never tell you your cancer is cured, but will say instead that it is in remission. You can never really say that a dog's aggression is cured until he has lived out his natural life without ever biting anyone again. Some dogs never see biting a human as an option but for those who do see it as an option, it will always be there under the surface; the willingness to bite. Your dog may never bite someone again, but the fact that he already has bitten someone tells you he can and will if properly provoked. Your job then, if you choose to keep him, is to make sure that never happens.

So, it's important to take this decision very seriously and spend some time thinking about it and discussing it with your household.

Know the Risks and How to Mitigate Them
Keeping an aggressive dog is obviously risky. Someone could be bitten, you could be sued or face police action if you slip up. It is important that you take steps to minimize the chances of any of these things happening.

1. Make sure you have homeowners insurance and your family has health insurance. That way if something happens you are prepared to handle any costs associated with it. It may be helpful to also have legal coverage.

2. Train your dog. If you are going to keep your potentially dangerous dog, it is important that you have complete control over him at all times. Hire a trainer who is experienced with aggressive dogs and practice, practice, practice! Your dog should be able to sit and stay, down and stay, come, leave it and drop it at a word and/or hand signal with no backtalk. Also, your dog must be crate trained so that she has a safe place to stay when there are guests or there is a high level of energy in your house. She should go to the crate on command, again with no backtalk. Depending on the level of aggression, you may also need to muzzle train your dog.

3. Maintain a healthy pack structure in your home. See http://www.thegooddogjournal.com/2009/02/whos-boss-establishing-pack-leadership.html

4. Exercise your dog. Give your dog a good walk (at least 30 minutes) twice a day. Nervous energy can lead to aggression.

5. Learn your dog's triggers and body language so that you can intervene before things get ugly. You can ask your trainer for help with this and you may also find this guide helpful: http://www.pawsacrossamerica.com/interpret.html

6. Manage your dog's environment to keep things calm and remove her from any environment that you can't manage. 


7. Keep up with your dog's veterinary checkups. There are several health conditions that can exacerbate aggression so make sure you have your dog checked out regularly and let your vet know his history. Also, if there is a biting incident, someone may want to see your dog's shot records, so keep them where you can find them.

8. Have an exit strategy. Discuss this with your family so that everyone knows what the final straw will be. One more bite? One more snap? One more lunge? Discuss this with your veterinarian ahead of time so you know what your options are on that front. You will be very lucky to find a new home for a dog with a history of aggression (though it is not impossible). If things turn out badly at his new home or a shelter, chances are the end will be very unpleasant for him. It may be kinder for you to have him euthanized surrounded by the people who love him than to send him off into the unknown on the off chance it'll work out and risk a lonely, frightened end.


Keeping a dog is a huge responsibility but keeping a dog with a history of aggression is an even bigger responsibility. However, it's not hopeless. Some types of aggression seem to disappear completely with a little pack leadership, but it's important to always remember what your dog is capable of and maintain whatever measures you have in place.

Playbiting is No Fun!

All babies mouth things when their little as part of their sensory exploration and as they get to know other individuals, they mouth those individuals playfully, affectionately and curiously. Human babies can chew and suck on mom & dad's hands with impunity for about 6 or 7 months or so before that first tooth comes in, but puppies are born with needle sharp teeth and it is no fun having those on your skin!

Those teeth, however, serve a valuable purpose; They help teach a pup that biting is not acceptable acceptable before his jaws become powerful enough to do too much damage. How is that? They hurt! Very little pressure is needed to inflict pain with teeth as sharp as a puppy's milk teeth and the reaction of a pup's playmate to the least bit of pressure will help your pup learn how to keep his mouth "soft" when playing. Of course, if the reaction is very exciting or amusing, it can have the opposite effect. If your puppy learns that he can use his teeth to get his playmate to make really interesting noises and flail around in funny ways, he is going to do it again and again, simply for entertainment value.

Problems arise when a pup bites a human and that human shrieks, squeals, yells (sounds like barking Yay!), jumps up, waves their arms around, etc. All of this looks like great fun for a pup and encourages him to bite again. Pushing him away just makes the game more challenging. Running away makes the game really exciting. The more energy the human puts into getting the pup off of him, the more energy the pup puts into getting his teeth on that human again so that when he finally does, he does it with even more force than last time and that hurts even worse! So the cycle continues until someone, usually a small child, gets hurt.

Dogs, on the other hand, are much more effective about getting their point across when they want playbiting to stop. The let the pup know vocally and then withdraw and end the game. The message is loud and clear, "I am not happy with what you are doing and I'm not playing with you anymore." The pup looks confused and disappointed for a moment and then runs off to pester someone else. He'll soon learn that playtime lasts longer if he's gentle with his teeth and ends when he gets too bitey. This is the message that humans need to try to cultivate as well.

The good news about playbiting is that your puppy will outgrow it if you don't allow it to become a habit. However, if you allow playbiting and  even encourage it as in the scenario above, your dog could be a handmouther for life (or until you train it out of him). The good news there is that his adult teeth won't be nearly as sharp as those puppy teeth are.

How to Break the Playbiting Habit

1. Allow your puppy to spend time playing with other puppies and older dogs from an early age. The dogs will teach your puppy using dog language, which is much easier for your pup to understand. Supervise these play groups carefully though. If your pup is bullying another pup or gnawing like crazy on some old dame that doesn't seem to mind, you'll need to intervene. Remove him from the playgroup and put him in a quiet place for time out for 5-10 minutes and then try again.

2. Communicate your displeasure with his playbiting in a way your dog can understand. Use a low, disapproving voice. (Don't yell and don't "yelp". Loud voices and high pitched noises are just too exciting to be seen as a correction.) Use only a few short words like "No biting" and freeze for three seconds. If your pup eases off, praise him and continue your game. If he doesn't ease off, remove him or yourself from the room and give him a 5-10 minute time out. Do this calmly and gently, excessive emotion on your part will just get him more excited.

3. Instruct children to stop playing with the dog if he starts to get to rough and bitey, but don't trust them to obey this directive. Always supervise children when they are playing with the dog. If you see him start mouthing on them say "No biting" in a low, calm, disapproving voice, and put him in time out for 5-10 minutes.

4. Pay close attention to your pup's activities and take note of what triggers play biting incidents and try to avoid those triggers. Some pups will begin play biting only after play has reached a certain energetic pitch and some will start gnawing when they are overtired.

5. Make sure your pup gets plenty of exercise and has safe, appropriate chew toys.

You will notice that after a few corrections your bite-free play sessions with your pup will get gradually longer until you can play with him bite free. It will be quicker and easier to teach a puppy to refrain from playbiting than it will an adult dog who has developed the habit. It is always more difficult to break a habit than to simply teach proper behavior in the first place. So start early and be consistent.

People Food

A lot of my clients have gotten strict advice from vets or other trainers never to feed their dogs "people food" and I don't always tend to agree with this advice. In fact, I feel that in some cases, feeding your dog "people food" is better than feeding your dog the stuff you get at the pet store. If you take a look at the ingredients on some of your dog treats, you might notice some nasty stuff in there; like corn syrup and sugar. Dogs like sweet, but they don't need sugar. A chunk of apple, a carrot, a slice of banana or a blueberry is plenty sweet for them and they'll perform for these just as happily as a sugar-laden dog treat. If you are going to feed your dog "people food", there are some rules you should follow.

1. Whole foods only. Do not feed your dogs cookies, candy, cake, bread, chips, or other "junk" foods. If you are going to feed your dog real food, feed him real food. Lean meat, whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables.

2. Know what's safe. There are some things that are edible by and even very healthy for humans that are toxic to dogs. Don't give your dogs any of these: chocolate, onions, grapes or raisins, avocado, macadamia nuts and anything containing alcohol or caffeine. The artificial sweetener xylitol is also poisonous to dogs. Many dogs are lactose intolerant so it's a good idea to stay away from dairy products. Those that have been cultured, like yogurt and cheese, are usually better tolerated. Also, too much liver can harm your dog, though he loves it. Reserve liver for very special treats only.

3. Don't feed your dog anything you wouldn't eat. Fat and bones, spoiled food, all of these things you wouldn't or couldn't eat. Don't feed them to your dog. He is just as likely to get sick from it as you are. Raw eggs, fish and meat (particularly pork) carry risks of bacteria and parasites that can make both of you very sick as well, but cooked fish and eggs are wonderfully nutritious for both you and your dog.

4. Prepare it well. Remove any seeds, stems, bones, skin and fat. Cook meat, fish and eggs to a safe temperature. Cook grains till they are soft. Potatoes should also be thoroughly cooked. Do not add sugar or salt.

5. Portion Control. Remember that all the food you give you dog should be earned as a reward or placed in his bowl at feeding time. Remember too that all the food you give him counts toward his daily calories so whenever you give him something special, you have to reduce his other food by a similar amount.

6 . Insist on Manners. Never feed your dog from the table, or from your plate. This encourages bad habits. If you would like to give your dog some leftovers, set aside a portion to go into his bowl at his next scheduled feeding time. Or, after  you have finished eating and dinner is all put away, you can let him earn some tasty tidbits by doing some tricks for you.

The all beings said, here are some great "people food" treats for your dog:

Diced pieces of grilled, baked or steamed chicken.
Small pieces of yogurt cheese.
Peeled, sliced apple bits.
A whole raw carrot - this is a great chew toy, but messy!
Blueberries - cut them in half and feed them to him one by one.
Steamed green beans (this is great to add to your dog's kibble when you're trying to cut calories.)

Remember that these suggestions are for treats, not for a homemade diet for your dog. If you are interested in a homemade diet for your dog, you will need to do a lot of research and preparation to ensure that you are meeting his nutritional needs. The following books might be useful for you.

Feed Your Best Friend Better: Easy, Nutritious Meals and Treats for Dogs

The Healthy Dog Cookbook: 50 Nutritious & Delicious Recipes Your Dog Will Love

Fighting Fleas

Chances are if you've had a dog for any length of time you've encountered fleas at some point. Fleas are nasty biting parasites that suck your dog's blood and yours and lay eggs that hatch in your carpet, bedding and furniture just in time to re-infest your dog when you think you've finally got them beat. Fleas can be quite dangerous to your dog (and cat) as they carry parasites, particularly tapeworm, and some animals and people are allergic to them the way some people are allergic to fire ants and bees! Not to mention that petting a flea bitten dog is not the most pleasant experience in the world and listening to your dog scratch all night means no sleep for anybody. So get a jump on fleas this year. Bite them before they bite you with a four pronged attack!

Step 1
Prevention

The first step to keeping your dog as healthy as possible. That means providing him with the best possible nutrition (consult your veterinarian on this front), giving him plenty of exercise and grooming him on a regular schedule. If you have a thick coated, long-haired dog he should be brushed daily and bathed and blow dried monthly. Shorter haired dogs can be brushed weekly, but the more often you give him a good brushing the more likely you are to spot a flea before it has a chance to move the family in.

In addition to keeping your dog healthy, there are a number of spot treatments that can protect your dog from flea infestation for a month at a time. Some people do not feel comfortable doing this as these are poisonous chemicals and some dogs are sensitive to them. However, they are considered safe for most dogs. If you are concerned, you can lesson your dog's exposure by only applying the product to your pet during flea season or when fleas are seen, but if you do this you must be extra vigilent in your grooming schedule so you can catch infestations early.

It should be noted that your local flea population has as much potential to evolve as any other creature and it is possible that your fleas might become immune to the product you are using. If you notice your product isn't working as well as it used to, you may wish to try something new. You may wish to alternate between K9 Advantix Flea Control  and Merial Frontline Plus Flea and Tick Control.

Step 2
Treat Your Dog

If your dog already has fleas, you can treat him in a variety of ways. I personally like to massage my dog with coconut oil, which suffocates the fleas and soothes his poor skin. I let it sit for an hour and then wash it off, it takes two lathers to get the oil all off, but afterward his fur looks lovely. You can also use SynergyLabs Richard's Organics Natural Flea & Tick Shampoo but remember to follow the directions carefully. It won't work if you don't use as directed. You may also wish to use a dietary supplement such as Program for Dogs or Novartis Capstar Flea Treatment Blue Tabs, but be sure to check with your veterinarian first.

If your dog is difficult to bathe, or if you are just totally grossed out by the flea thing, you can take your dog to a groomer and have them flea dip him.

Remember if you have other pets in the house that they are also susceptible to fleas, so have them treated too even if you don't see any fleas on them.


Step 3
Treat Your House

If your dog has fleas, chances are your house does too. Fleas spend much of their life cycle off of the dog and can be very happy in your carpet or couch cushions. The first thing you need to do is give your house a thorough vacuuming and run your dog's bedding - and your own if he's ever on your bed - through the washer and dryer.

Next, use a product containing diatomicious Earth such as St. Gabriel Laboratories All Natural Indoor/Outdoor Insect Dust Repellent  and sprinkle this into your carpet and under your couch cushions. Use a broom or stiff brush to work it in really well then let it sit 20 minutes or so, finally, vacuum up the excess. Although products like this are "safer" in the sense that they do not have harmful chemicals, they do tend to kick up alot of dust and you don't want to inhale all that, so make sure your pets and kids are out of the house while you're working and open up all the windows so you get some ventilation.

Continue to vacuum your house frequently, preferably daily or at least twice a week to ensure that any fleas jumping off your dog don't get to take up residence in your house.

Step 4
Repeat and Prevent Re-Infestation

Depending on the treatment you used for your  dog, you may have to repeat it after a week to ensure any newly hatched fleas are also killed. However, if you are using chemical pesticides, it will not be safe to re-treat your dog anytime soon. Read labels carefully and check with your vet or groomer. Follow the advice in Step 1 to prevent re-infestation.

And Then...
Watch Out for Tapeworms

Dogs and cats can get tapeworms from eating fleas, so if you've got a flea infestation, there's a chance you're pets have tapeworms as well. Your vet can test your pet's feces for tapeworms and, if the the test comes back positive, prescribe worming medication. Both the test and the medication are inexpensive. Whether the initial test is positive or negative, it should be repeated in a month to ensure that your dog really is tapeworm free.

A Dog for the Kids?

So you're thinking about getting a dog for your kids and your kids are right on board, promising to walk him and feed him and brush him and love him, etc. every day. Maybe you feel that your child deserves the unconditional love that only a dog can give him. Maybe you're thinking that a dog will teach your child responsibility, respect for other livings things, and empathy - and all of those things are entirely possible but not a sure thing. So before you take the plunge and buy that purebreed or adopt that stray, take a few days to really think it through and discuss it not only with the children but also with the other adults in your life. Too often the gift of a puppy results in family strife, tears and another unwanted dog.

Whose Job is it Anyway?

Your child may feel that he or she is capable of caring for a pet and you may agree, but remember that even if the dog is your child's responsibility; your child is your responsibility. It is your job to teach your child exactly how to care for her dog and that means that you must follow standard teaching procedure- First you do it, then they help you do it, then you help them do it, then you supervise as they do it alone and finally, you check in periodically to make sure it's still being done.

You will also be responsible for scheduling and providing transportation for every vet visit (at least twice a year) and every trip to the groomer as well as trips to the store for supplies. There's a very good chance you're going to be responsible for all of the money incurred as well. You are also responsible for hiring a trainer or providing transportation to and from obedience classes and please please for the love of all that is holy, you are responsible for making sure your kid doesn't treat his poor trainer with eye rolling disrespect and verbal abuse. (Yes, I realize I am simply an over-educated member of the servant class, I don't appreciate your kid informing me of this every time I come to your house.) And even if your child is the only one handling the dog during his lessons, you must be present the entire time.

You, not your child, are responsible for your dog's rabies certification and licencing. If your child's dog gets loose, you will be the one responsible for retrieving it from the pound and paying any associated fines. You will be the one charged with abuse or neglect if it comes to it. You will be the one to charged if the dog bites some one.

Do it Together

I have seen families reduces to screaming matches with crying moms, raging dads, stomping kids and cowering dogs over issues of who is responsible for what and whose fault it is that the dog pooed in front of the door again. But this can be prevented if you just go into it with the right attitude. You may be getting the dog for your children, but the dog is your family's dog. Chances are, he's going to bond closest to an adult rather than a child anyway, so telling your kid that the dog is just his is setting him up for heartbreak when the dog decides he's really mom's. Get a dog for the family, share the responsibility as a family and the whole family will benefit from his company and companionship.

Learning What?

There are lots of things a child can learn from a dog but a dog is a living, feeling being - not an object lesson. If your child is already reasonably well-behaved and kind, then a dog can teach your child even more about caring for others, responsibility and loyalty. But if your child is lazy, destructive and cruel, do not believe for a minute that a dog is going to cure that. On the contrary, a dog is likely to simply become the next victim of his laziness and cruelty.

Going through obedience training with a dog is a wonderful experience for a child. Obedience training teaches you more than just how to train a dog, it teaches you how to deal with any thinking creature, including humans. I have often had clients remark to me, "I wish I'd gone through obedience training before I had kids" or "... before I got married". If your child is interested in pursuing competition obedience, agility, flyball or some other canine sport, there are junior competitions available in just about every community if you just do a quick online search for them. Canine sports can be a wonderful outlet for your child and is a much more interesting way for your child to make sure his canine companion gets plenty of exercise.

What to Do If Your Dog Bites Someone

A dogbite is a devistating and traumatic experience for everyone involved. If it's your dog doing the biting, you may feel panicked and unsure what to do. You may be overwhelmed with emotions and feel both angry and defensive toward both your dog and the victim. You may want to know how and why this happened and be preoccupied with finding those answers. While all of those questions and emotions are valid, now is not the time to entertain them. You have alot to do first, but if you follow some simple steps you can get through this.

Diffuse the Situation

Most dogbites consist of a single bite as most dogs retreat immediately after delivering a bite. However, some bites are part of viscious attacks and if this is the case with your dog, you may have to break it up. It is never a good idea to put yourself between your dog and his victim or you may end up with two victims. It's also not a good idea to grab a dog who is engaged in an attack as he could easily turn on you in the heat of the moment. Now if you're thinking my dog would never hurt me, this may be the truth, but dogs have terrible aim when they are excited and are subject to displaced aggression, that is, they may turn on their friends in a mindless fury if they are somehow blocked from their intended target.

Ideally, your dog will be on a leash and you can pull him away from the attack, but if he's not on a leash you may have to get creative. First, try to call your dog off. He may abandon his attack and come to your side if you simply call him. If that doesn't work, try to distract him. A very loud noise usually works. I have broken up fights with an airhorn. If you don't have one on hand, you could try simply yelling "HEY", blowing a whistle or a car horn, whatever is easiest to access for you, as time is of the essence. If a loud noise doesn't work, or you don't have the means to produce one, then you will need to try to redirect the aggre
ssion to another object, like a stick or a piece of cloth.  If you are wearing a hoodie, for instance, you could quickly take it off and flap it in the dog's face. He is likely to attack it and latch on and then you can pull him slowly away from his victim.

Get the dog away from his victim

Once you've aborted the attack, tell the victim in a low, calm voice, to move slowly to a safe spot, like another room or a car, while you move quickly to get a leash on your dog. Loop the leash through the handle to make a lasso and slip it over his head if he is still being difficult, hold it out at arms length till he calms down. Most dogs calm down quite quickly after an attack, and begin acting "guilty", but this isn't always the case. As soon as he starts responding to commands again, reemember to use them. Let his victim know that you will be right back and move the dog to a secure location such as another room, a crate or your car. If you happen to have a friend with you, have them stay with the victim while you remove the dog.

Get Help for the Victim

Once your dog is secure, it very important to get medical attention for the victim immediately. Call 911 or drive him or her to the nearest emergency room or urgent care center. Even bites that do not look severe can become a big problem, so don't let the victim convince you that it doesn't need to be looked at. You should be aware that a police report will probably be taken in the emergency room, even if the victim does not want to press charges. You should be prepared to provide your dog's liscencing medical and shot records to the physician that is treating the victim and the police officer taking the report.

Call Your Insurance Provider

As soon as you're sure the victim is being taken care of, make a phonecall to your homeowner's or renter's insurance provider. They may be able to pick any medical expenses that the victim's health insurance will not pay for. Their goal is to make sure that you don't get sued and cost them money, so they will spend money up front to make the victim feel there is no reason to sue and they may have other helpful suggestions to make everyone feel better about the situation. Don't be afraid to call them. This is what you pay insurance for, after all, you may as well get a return on your investment. If you don't have this insurance, get it now.


Call Your Veterinarian

Your veterinarian needs to be apprised of what is going on with your dog and may have some helpful information for you. Once things calm down and you have time to ask the "Why" And "What do I do with the dog now" questions, the veterinarian is going to be the person to help you with those. Make an appointment in the next few days to have your dog examined to make sure there isn't a physical problem that led to the aggression. Your vet can also refer you to a veterinary behaviorist for more help.

Call Your Lawyer

The victim has every right to sue you and the police may charge you under leash laws for not having your dog under control - even if he was on a leash at the time of the attack. Your lawyer should be notified immediately that these possibilities have arisin so he or she can advise you as to what action you can take to protect yourself and your dog even before you are charged or served. If you don't have a lawyer, consider signing up with a prepaid legal program like Legalshield before something happens. If it's already happened, look up legal aid in your area. You can usually get advice for free.

What Not to Do

Do NOT "get rid" of your dog. The decision may be made to euthanize him, ultimately, but law enforcement may require he be quarantined first. Re-homing him may be an option depending on the situation, providing the new owners are aware of his history and capable of managing his behavior, but you still need to comply with whatever law enforcement requires first. Talk to your veterinarian and your trainer about your options.