How to Stop Dog Aggression in Bulldogs by Reducing Stress

In this Waterloo dog training session, we helped Roscoe, a 6-year-old English Bulldog. He has been showing more signs of aggression, especially towards strangers. We shared some tips to prevent dog aggression in bulldogs.

Combating Dog Aggression in Bulldogs

When I called before arriving for the session, I found out that the guardians hired a trainer two years ago. This trainer recommended using a prong collar and a method he calls “snap praise.”

“Snap praise” involves putting a prong collar on the dog and then jerking it up 15 times in a row and saying “good dog” each time. It is by far the worst thing I have ever heard a dog trainer ever advise to anyone, ever.

There is absolutely no benefit to this action and if anyone ever suggests it to you, run away as fast as you can.

I don’t like using prong collars. Studies show that using them for a long time can raise Cortisol levels in a dog’s blood.

Cortisol is the stress hormone. Pulling a leash up repeatedly on a dog with a prong collar adds a lot of Cortisol to the dog’s body. This is definitely a factor that increases the dog’s stress.

Since all aggression comes from stress, removing any stress causing factor is the first step in stopping aggression in dogs. Fortunately the guardians were already ahead of me in some regards, finding positive reward based training videos online.

Are Bulldogs Aggressive?

Bulldogs can exhibit aggression if their guardians do not train and socialize them properly from an early age. Originally bred for bull-baiting, they may retain traits like a strong will and a history of assertiveness.

With the right guidance and good experiences, bulldogs can be gentle and loyal. They make great pets for families with children.

I started out with Roscoe in the room, but he clearly showed stress and reacted infrequently. Once a dog goes above threshold, you are not going to reach them. I suggested we put Roscoe in another room to discuss things and give everyone a reset.

While I talked with the guardians, one mentioned she was worried about his behavior when I was present. This can add to a dog’s stress and aggression.

I planned to bring Roscoe out again for the last part of the session. However, I changed my mind. We needed to go back to the basics. An anxious guardian can cause the dog to react aggressively.

This will allow the guardians and dog to reset, take a deep breath and start out on the path to positive dog training. This means knowing where the dog is coming from.

It also means understanding what it is trying to say. You need to build skills that help the dog feel more confident and less stressed.

Positive Ways to Help Aggressive Dog Behavior

One of the best things the guardians can do is create a routine for petting Roscoe. They should reward him when he shows good behavior on his own. I call this Petting with a Purpose and Passive Training.

You can learn how to do both of these techniques by watching the free dog training video below.

The more the guardians reward good behaviors and guide Roscoe towards them, the more he will want to repeat these actions. My hope is that Roscoe will start pre paying for attention by sitting nicely and offering other positive behaviors.

I told the guardians to use positive dog training techniques for a month. This will help the dog forget about the “snap praise.” It will also lower the cortisol in his blood. This way, we can build a strong foundation for future training.

I sensed that the guardians were a bit let down I didn’t work with Roscoe directly. However, if the guardian is so anxious that she needs to leave the room, it’s not a good time to work.

I want to give Roscoe every advantage I can. I have never worked with a dog who received “snap praise” for so long. It’s going to take some time.

I hope to return and work with Roscoe in a month. By then, he should be less stressed. I want him to practice positive behaviors. I also want his guardian to feel confident that he can stop being aggressive towards strangers.

A few other exercises they can utilize are teaching him to focus, training him to move away from the door instead of charging it, wait for permission to go out an open door and to drop items on command.

I’d also like the guardians to teach him some new tricks and commands like the hurricane, how to stay for duration, stay for distance and others. Positive dog training is a wonderful way to build up positive training experiences, boost the dog’s confidence and strengthen the bond between human and dog.

I also suggested that the guardians watch this video. I filmed it with another dog that also showed dog aggression towards guests. By waiting for the dog to calm down before coming inside, Roscoe can listen better. He will not be as aggressive or reactive.

He shouldn’t attempt this exercise with strangers; he should only do it with people he knows and is excited to meet.

To help the guardians remember all the dog behavior tips I shared in this in-home dog training session, we shot a roadmap to success video that you can check out below.