How to Train Your Dog to Not Play Aggressively

Hello Tyler, It is fairly common for older dogs and younger dogs to disagree because of the differences in energy levels. Maggie is probably getting tired and feeling overwhelmed after playing for a bit because Ruby does not let up when Maggie is giving her signals that she is ready to stop. Maggie may be resorting to aggression because she feels like she has to to get Ruby to give her space. You will need to do a couple of things. The first is supervise their play and be Maggie's advocate. When you see that she is getting tired and not having fun anymore distract Ruby away from Maggie. Perhaps have Ruby do something with you, or go lie down with a toy, or even have some quiet time in her crate, if she is use to being crated, with a fun toy, like a Kong chew toy stuffed with her kibble and a little peanut butter. If you separate the two dogs before Maggie feels overwhelmed she will begin to feel like you are handling the situation and that she does not have to be the one to control things. The second thing that you can do is to reward Maggie with something she loves, such as treats or a favorite toy, whenever Ruby comes near her. When Ruby is away keep things boring for Maggie and when Ruby comes close give Maggie something special so that she will associate Ruby's presence with good things and begin to want Ruby around. I would suggest doing both of those two things, as well as rewarding Ruby for leaving Maggie alone when you interrupt their play. Teaching a "come" or an "out" command can be great for Ruby. An out command is simply a command that means get out of the space you are currently in, that space being wherever Maggie is. Best of luck with your dogs, your girl is beautiful in the photo. Thank you, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Maria, When the two dogs start telling rough, you can help them learn to keep their play calmer by teaching them both an "Out" command. "Out" means: get out of the area. It's a bit like telling two human boxers to go to their corners for a minute. First, teach each dog the meaning of "out" individually: by calling that dog over to you, tossing a large treat a few feet behind her (so that she moves away from you), while you say "Out" and point to where you toss with your treat-tossing hand. When she goes over to the treat, praise her. After she eats it, tell her "okay" and encourage her to come back. Repeat this exercise until the dog will move away from you when you say "Out" and point, before you have tossed the treat. Once she starts moving to where you are pointing then toss the treat to her as a reward for obedience. Practice this, until she can do this consistently too. Once the dogs both understand what "Out" means, use it in other areas of life, like when you want them to leave the kitchen or not bother a person. If the dog obeys, give her a treat. If she disobeys, get between her and whatever she is supposed to leave alone and walk toward her until she backs out of the area and goes where you pointed to. Once she is out of the area, block her from coming back in until she gives up trying to go back. Once she gives up, go back into the area yourself. If she follows you back, repeat walking toward her to get her out of the area again. Imagine yourself as a linebacker, soccer goalie, or brick wall. You should be calm, but very firm and business-like when you do this. Now, once the dogs understand the "Out" command and have learned that you will enforce it, use it when they start playing too roughly. If they disobey, grab a pillow, put it in front of your body at the dog's level, and block the rough-house instigator and walk her out of the area, like you practiced at other times. Only do this if there is no true aggression, but just excitement. If there is real aggression during the fights, this needs to be handled differently, with more preventative measures to keep everyone safe. Your description sounds like normal dog rough play. Give the dogs a few minutes to calm down, practice some obedience like sit and down, and when both dogs are focused on you and calm, if you want to let them continue playing, you can tell the less excitable dog (usually your Border Collie) "Okay" first -- to see if she still wants to play. If she does, tell the second dog "okay" also. I also suggest teaching both dogs a "Place" command or "bed" command and really working on their obedience with that. You can use that command when they just need to leave each other alone. They do not need to be wrestling all the time, but since they are young they are going to want to without other constructive things to do. Teach a "Place" command and give each dog a fun chew toy on her bed -- one that won't cause fights and jealousy if that's ever an issue for them. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Carolyn, Don't expect the animals to play together, instead teach the puppy to respect the cat's space, then if the cat decides she wants to play, she can initiate it when the puppy is more mature and calmer - but very few cats ever initiate play with dogs so don't expect it. If it happens it will be a pleasant surprise. A more realistic goal for the animals is for them to be able to calmly hang out in the same room and simply get along without getting rough or scared. Just because they do not play, that does not mean that they will not enjoy each others company though. Our cat growing up simply liked to lay near our cat-friendly dog - even though they didn't play or touch usually. When Charlie starts getting rough with the cat, get between the animals, tell Charlie "Out" (which means leave the area) while you point to where he should go to (away from the cat), and walk toward Charlie until he moves to where you have pointed to - away from the cat. Pretend that you are a goalie or a herding dog, trying to herd him away from the cat using your body. Be calm but firm when you do this. You don't want to add even more excitement to the scenario by being excited or angry. When Charlie is "Out", then stand in front of him and block him from going back to the cat until he stops trying to get back. When he stops trying to get around you or fixating on the cat, or leaves completely, then walk back toward the cat yourself. If he tries to follow you back, then tell him "Ah-Ah" and repeat walking toward him to get him out of the area again. Practice walking him out of the area, standing in front of him to block him from returning to the cat, going back over to the cat yourself, and walking him out of the area again if he tries to follow you back. When you are ready to let him come back, tell him "Okay!" in a cheerful tone of voice and encourage him back over - he does not have to come back over though. Be consistent and don't let him go back over to where the cat is unless you have told its "Okay". Expect to have to repeat walking toward him and blocking his way a lot at first. He will not understand what you are doing at first, so needs to practice this. He also will likely not want to obey, but should learn to obey if you are consistent and show him through your consistency and insistence that obeying that command isn't optional. Also, when he is calmly hanging out by the cat, laying down while the cat moves around nearby, or obeys your "Out" command when first told - without you having to walk him out of the area, then reward him with treats and praise. By doing that, you are teaching him to continue to love the cat but also to be respectful toward her and calm around her. Your cat will probably appreciate Charlie's new manners and might choose to be closer to him if she feels as if she can trust him more. I also recommend teaching a "Leave It" command, so that you can tell Charlie to leave the cat alone when you know that he is thinking about bothering her but hasn't yet. Check out the article that I have linked below and use the "Leave It" method. When Charlie can do the "Leave It" training with food and objects, then practice with moving things, like yourself, other people and the cat walking by. Block him from getting to the cat if he disobeys - by getting between him and the cat like you did with the "Out" command. When he stops trying to get to the cat, then you can reward him for leaving her alone. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Kien, If everyone is consistent, with time, practice, and a bit more maturity age-wise Lucky should improve. It can be hard to be the middle-man and reiterate advice you have been told. I suggest hiring a trainer to come to your home and work with Lucky while the entire family is present. If your family can hear the advice directly from a professional instead of through you that may help. If they can try the training for themselves and see improvement in Lucky's behavior, that might also help. As a trainer, human cooperation is often the hardest part of the job. People have to believe it will work and choose to do it for themselves. At the end of the day you cannot force a person to do something. It's their choice. Look into local obedience clubs to see if there are dicounted classes you can attend together or see if there is a local trainer who will come to your house and give your family one-on-one attention. A well qualified trainer with a good reputation for success and teaching that comes to your home will probably be the most effective but a class will be cheaper. In the end the family members have to choose to participate. Neither you nor a trainer can force that, but a good trainer might be easier for them to listen to. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Lachlan, Dog parks are fun but they do not teach a dog how to be calm. It sounds like Norman is trying to play with you the way he would with the other dogs. I suggest working on structure and boundaries with him, spending time teaching him commands like Place, crate training, and Stay. It is normal for him to have a lot of energy at this age, and he definitely needs exercise, but he also needs mental stimulation - which tires a dog out twice as much as physical exercise alone. Practicing commands, new things, and working on current obedience at a challenging level can stimulate him mentally. Some games are also mentally stimulating. Check out the video below for addressing boundaries with him and helping him to calm down and focus better: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcwvUOf5oOg Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Crate manners: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn5HTiryZN8 When he is in the crate, you can also give him food stuffed toys - which will stimulate him a bit mentally and give him something to do. You can feed him his meals this way so that he has to work for food. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden