Socializing your dog at a very young age is the key to curb territorial behaviour and hopefully ensure you’re dog won’t bite other dogs and, God forbid, children. Bringing them to play groups, dog parks,  or even a doggie daycare is a great way to socialize them in neutral territory. Once they’ve established a healthy behaviour outside of the home, invite friends and family over with their dogs and train them into sharing their space with other animals. Their natural instinct is to protect their home, and pack,  but a domesticated pet should be trained into allowing people into the home when invited. A new puppy should meet 100 new people and have 100 new experiences in a short period of time. They need to be stimulated and taught how to act in any circumstance.

Dogs act completely different when their humans aren’t around. I’ve had people drop their dogs off to be groomed and been told ‘they might bite’. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't.  The owner only knows how their dog acts when they’re around but when the dog is alone with a stranger, its often a very different story. They act out when their owner is around because they feel they need to protect them. This all boils down to a lack of discipline, or a traumatic experience previously,  and their owner not establishing their ‘alpha’ status in the pack. If your dog needs to be corrected around other people the best person to do that is the owner. If a stranger tries to discipline when the owner is around that’s when they bite or attack.

I remember one dog that came for a grooming. The owner wanted to stay just in case the dog bit so she could take him home immediately. Sure enough the dog went for me 3 times while she was there. We ended that session and a few weeks later she came back with the dog. I took the lead and told her she could leave and I would ring when the dog was finished. I was able to completely groom her dog with very little argument from him. He kept looking at me as if to say ‘I’m not sure about this’ but my assertive stance and no fear policy put the dog at ease and I was able to do anything I needed to. The owner was shocked but delighted nonetheless. No one was ever able to groom the dog entirely because they were afraid of him. Working with animals since I was 12 has taught me how to read dog behaviour.

This doesn't always mean every dog can be groomed. Some have been so badly traumatized from either another groomer or even a vet visit that they can't be rehabilitated without a lot of time and effort if at all. I have had to send some home either incomplete or not even started and that saddens me. Do the best thing for your dog and research any professional you leave them with. Get referrals from friends or family who have had good experiences in the past with their pets to ensure they are not traumatized because that one bad experience will last them a lifetime.