As a professional dog trainer with over 11 years of experience, I’ve received countless calls and emails from dog owners asking why their dog has become aggressive. Many ask whether I offer consultations for aggressive dogs, and the truth is—yes, I can provide guidance right here in this article.

Before we dive in, I want to make one thing crystal clear: I am not and will never blame you for your dog’s aggression. – In fact, I blame the pet industry and trainers who don’t know how to solve aggression yet also claim to have the ultimate solutions to prevent it.

There is a pervasive belief within the pet industry that aggressive dogs are the result of neglect or abuse. Shelters, rescues, humane societies, and even many trainers often assume that if a dog becomes aggressive, it’s because the owner failed in some way. But this assumption overlooks the reality that many loving, dedicated owners end up with aggressive dogs despite their best efforts.

When aggression can’t be blamed on neglect or abuse, it’s often attributed to poor socialization, lack of effort from the owners, or the dog being “broken.” This harmful mindset shifts blame to the owner or dog rather than where the blame should be placed – the core failing philosophies of the pet industry.

Abuse and Neglect: The Myth of Aggression

One of the most common assumptions about aggressive dogs is that they were abused or neglected. However, in over 11 years of working with dogs, I’ve found that this is almost never the case.

Yes, some dogs have experienced abuse or neglect—but in the cases I’ve seen where it’s been proven, I can’t recall a single instance where the dog was highly aggressive. These dogs are usually fearful and timid, not aggressive.

On the other hand, many rescued dogs are labeled as having a “history of abuse” based purely on speculation. If a dog shows fear of men, children, or certain other dogs, shelters and rescues often assume the worst and pass that story along to adopters. But in most cases, there is no hard evidence to support these claims.

This narrative can lead well-meaning families to avoid correcting bad behavior, fearing that discipline will remind the dog of some traumatic past experience. In reality, the dog’s aggression is usually the result of a lack of structure and leadership, not some hidden trauma.

Common Behavioral Patterns in Aggressive Dogs

If your dog is exhibiting aggressive behavior, chances are they’re also displaying related traits, including but not limited to:

• Neediness and demanding behavior (constantly seeking attention)

• Jealousy (getting upset when you interact with other pets or people)

• Anxiety (pacing, whining, or seeming on edge)

• Low self-control (difficulty staying calm when asked)

• Stubbornness (resisting boundaries or commands)

• Barking excessively (using vocalization as a way to seek control or attention)

• Highly dramatic reactions (overreacting to minor stimuli or corrections)

• Protectiveness (Protecting you, toys, or the property.)

• Resource Guarding (Generally, a leader dog also shows protection over toys, food, and other items they deem important.)

These behaviors are all precursors to aggression. Recognizing them can provide valuable insight into why your dog’s behavior is escalating.

When Aggression Seems “Out of Nowhere”

I often hear from dog owners who are shocked when their dog suddenly becomes a liability, saying things like, “Oh my gosh, my dog just started biting people out of the blue!”

If your dog exhibits many of the behaviors I listed above, the aggression may not be as “out of the blue” as it seems. These behaviors are all stepping stones to a bite—the natural next step in a pattern of escalating behavior. In reality, the dog has been getting more and more out of control over time, and the bite is simply the next progression in a series of warning signs.

“But My Dog is Nice Sometimes…”

One of the most common things I hear is, “My dog is usually really nice—he only acts aggressive sometimes.” To that, I always say: Al Capone was nice sometimes, too.

Al Capone didn’t become the leader of the mafia overnight. Sure, he may have been mischievous as a young man, but he didn’t start out as a ruthless crime boss. He climbed his way to the top, earning his place step by step. He was promoted, groomed, and learned how to seize power. And yes, he was capable of being charming, generous, and even “kind” when it suited him—but that didn’t erase the fact that he was also manipulative and ruthless when things didn’t go his way.

Dogs can operate the same way. If your dog is sweet and calm when things are going their way but turns into a bully when they’re told “no” or don’t get what they want, that’s an attitude problem. It’s important to remember that being nice sometimes doesn’t mean they don’t have an underlying issue.

Most dogs are capable of being sweet and friendly in the right circumstances—that’s a quality almost every dog has. But our goal isn’t to have a dog who’s good only when it’s convenient for them—we need dogs to be consistently well-behaved, even when life isn’t going their way.

The Misconception About Socialization

Another belief perpetuated by the pet industry is that early socialization is the key to preventing aggression. The idea is that by exposing dogs to as many people, dogs, and new environments as possible during their formative months, they will grow up to be friendly and well-adjusted.

While socialization can be helpful when done correctly, it’s important to understand that socialization alone does not prevent aggression.

I’ve seen countless dogs that were heavily socialized at a young age—introduced to people, dogs, and other animals—who still became aggressive over time. In fact, I’ve experienced this personally with my own dog – which is what ultimately led me down this path of dog training. Despite being socialized extensively, aggression can still develop if other underlying issues, such as a lack of leadership or boundaries, are not addressed.

Conversely, I’ve worked with dogs who had little to no socialization and yet were some of the friendliest, most well-behaved dogs you could imagine. They had never been exposed to large groups of people or other animals, but because they had strong guidance and structure – or maybe just a naturally friendly disposition, they did not develop aggression.

The takeaway here is that socialization is not a magic bullet for preventing aggression. If you don’t understand why aggression happens and how to address it, no amount of socialization will stop it from developing.

The Pet Industry’s Positive-Only Approach

Because of the invalid belief that socialization and positive reinforcement prevent aggression, most trainers today rely almost exclusively on positive-only training methods. This means they focus solely on rewarding good behavior and avoid implementing any form of correction or discipline.

Even trainers who do use corrections often place a heavy emphasis on rewards and hesitate to apply discipline. But as I mentioned earlier, there’s a reason police officers don’t hand out Starbucks gift cards to speeders. Consequences are necessary for rules to be respected.

When dogs are only rewarded for good behavior and never held accountable for bad behavior, they can quickly learn to manipulate situations to their advantage. They start to believe that they’re in control and can decide when to listen and when to ignore commands. This lack of structure can lead directly to behavioral issues, including aggression.

Where Aggression Really Comes From

In more than 99% of the aggression cases I work with, the root cause is not abuse or neglect—it’s the absence of leadership and an overcompensation of gentle parenting for presumed prior trauma.

Many families openly admit to me that they’ve “spoiled” their dog. They provide an abundance of love and gentleness but shy away from enforcing structure or boundaries, fearing it will damage their relationship with their dog. Ironically, this excessive love and gentleness can create the very problem they’re trying to avoid.

Without clear leadership:

• They may try to take control of situations because no one else appears to be in charge.

• They interpret the lack of boundaries as permission to act however they want, leading to demanding and sometimes aggressive behavior.

Dogs need balance—yes, love and affection are important, but so are rules, boundaries, and accountability. Dogs thrive when they know their place in the “pack,” and that requires a calm, confident leader to guide them. I teach dog owners the exact formula they need to follow in order to achieve and maintain this leadership in their relationship with their dog.

The Path Forward: Building a Respectful Relationship

If your dog is showing signs of aggression, don’t lose hope. I will guide you through the process of teaching your dog how to have a respectful relationship with you, your family, and other animals.

While the concept of respect may seem simple, the steps to achieve it are incredibly intricate and nuanced. Each dog and family dynamic is unique, and I can’t go into all the details until you’ve signed up for my training program. Once you do, I will provide thorough education and support, helping you address the behavior step-by-step until you feel confident and clear about what needs to happen.

Final Thoughts – Can I help?

If you’ve read this article, there’s a high probability that everything I’m saying is making sense to you – much more sense than anything else you’ve probably been told before. This is because what I’m saying is the correct information you need to hear right now. I don’t think there’s a better way to train a dog than the way that I teach – but if there is – I’d switch in a heartbeat. I only use methods that work – not methods that sound good.

I have experience helping dog owners – in the most dire of situations – overcome their obstacles and achieving complete trustworthiness with their dog. Even in situations where I would expect a high chance of failure – we’ve succeeded time and time again. So no matter how bad your situation is – I believe this will work for you. There are a few key elements that I find determine success.

If you want success – here are the qualities I have seen that create the best opportunity for success:

1. An overwhelming trust in me and what I’m teaching. The clients who truly trust me – and do exactly what I say – often have the best results. This may seem obvious – given my track record of transforming the worst cases into major success stories – but I’m shocked when people attempt to seek advice elsewhere, especially when very few trainers are telling them they can have complete trust.

2. A never-give-up attitude. Dog owners who refuse to quit – refuse to give in – often get what they want. You’ll be amazed at how powerful a never-give-up attitude can be in the psyche of your dog.

3. A willingness to override emotional barriers. One of the worst things you can do is allow emotion to intervene in the best course of action for your dog. As a parent, I hate it when I have to tell my kids “no” when they want ice cream at 10 pm. It would make me feel really good to be able to give them the joy of ice cream so late at night – but that would be rather irresponsible – and would attribute to more problems the next day. There’s a time and place for everything – but you can’t let emotions control you.

4. A willingness to make mistakes. That’s right – you read that right! So many dog owners want to “do everything the right way”. I have some wise words for you – “It’s hard for a good person to be king.” When you’re a leader – you inevitably have to make decisions that will be wrong. But as the leader – you have to accept that responsibility. We are human – we make mistakes. You should just follow my help as best as you can – and even if you make mistakes – I promise you we will get you to where you want to be. This goes back to quality number 1: trust me.

Everyone else is going to flat out tell you that you’ll never be able to trust your dog again. And yet here I am telling you that I have direct experience to the contrary! Let me help you – I know I can help you achieve the results you need.