Aggression

by Brett
(Houston, Texas)

My well-trained Aussie just bit the mailman that she has met a few times before (without problems). She is almost 2 years old, has never shown any signs of aggression before, and is well trained. She hasn't been to obedience school, but I have trained her myself. She's very smart, and is proficient with most commands. She's never had behavioral issues before.

Two things that I think might have attributed to the incident: I was not around when it happened (my mother had taken her and our other 3 dogs outside to use the restroom), and she hasn't been able to get her usual amount of exercise (I live in Houston where it's 100+ degrees from 10AM to 10PM). She does get to go for a run in the mornings, but her usual park visits in the afternoons have been almost nonexistent because of the sweltering heat.

What should I do? I love this dog too much to put down, its out of the question, but this behavior is unacceptable. Please, any and all tips, critics, concerns are welcome.

Note from Anton: Simple obedience training and dealing with behaviour problems like aggression are different. Daniel Stevens addresses these kinds of behaviour problems in his "Secrets to Dog Training" program here. Every Aussie owner should have Daniel's training program! Depending on dog bite laws in your area you could be vulnerable to fines, lawsuits and having your dog put down. There are dog bite lawyers who build their entire careers going after owners of biting dogs.

Have Dog Training Questions?

Check out these introductory dog training videos...

I want my dog to stop being aggressive.

I want some help training my new puppy.

I want my dog to stop barking at everything.

I want my dog to walk nicely and calmly on the leash.

I want my dog to listen and come every time I call!