Teaching your puppy to be nonaggressive

Caution needs to be used when attempting the exercises outlined below because risk of having the dog become more aggressive and attacking the handler exists, particularly with individual dogs who already have significant aggressive tendencies. All of these exercises mentioned below should immediately followed by lavish social praise for compliance.

• Insert a chewable into your pup's mouth followed by removal. You have to get your pup used to having objects removed from his mouth.
• Encourage your pup to lick your hand/face. Associate the phrase "Give me a kiss" with this behavior. You can initially get things started by dabbing some butter on your hand or face.
  
• Encourage your puppy to roll over for tummy rubs.
• Encourage your puppy to "shake hands".
  
• Get your puppy used to being handled over all parts of his body. Get him used to being handled and or groomed in those areas where grooming or handling will take when your pup gets older. Specifically, the mouth, ears, paws, tail, etc. Work hard around the paw region. Pretend to actually clean out ears, cut nails, etc.
• Some kinds of non-confrontational postural manipulation exercises can be undertaken (depending on the dog) . These include: (a) Straddling; (b) Prone posturing; (c) Whirles; (d) Pull by scruff-of-neck; (e) Direct stare until your pup looks away; (f) Lifting up into air; (g) Path displacement associated with the word "move."

• On a daily basis work your puppy around his food dish. Handle your puppy when he is eating. Concentrate handling around the mouth/head region. When your pup is in the middle of eating command him to sit. If he sits, reward lavishly and let him continue eating. You may also reward with a bit of cheese. If he does not sit, or exhibits any sign of aggression whatsoever, reprimand the pup and immediately remove the food. Ignore the pup for the next 20 minutes and then try again.