Help!! Can this clicker method help me train my "harmless" 7 lb dog to stop getting aggressive towards strangers and biting them? actually not only strangers but also her owners when they try to take her food away or move her from a comfortable spot. Recently when my husband got up suddenly while she was sitting calmly by his feet, she got startled or I don't know what and lunged at hima and bit his hand.
She's healthy and she's 5 years old. Maybe she's too old for this method? I notice the book on "calm your dog" by Emma but it seems to be a book geared towards aggression to other dogs- I want to stop her from biting people!!!
If anyone can help it would be appreciated!!
Absolutely!
Clicker training can absolutely help! I'd point you toward 'Click to Calm' by Emma Parsons and 'Control Unleashed' by Leslie McDevitt for some good exercises that will help you with this problem. Not everything in those books is geared specifically toward dogs with people problems, but they're easy to adapt for your needs. In my experience, by the way, older dogs often catch on faster - my youngest dog gets so caught up in the fact that there are treats in my hand that it can really slow our progress. My older girl, who I started on clicker training when she was 3 or 4 years old, is the one who really gives the exercise some thought and figures out exactly what I'd like her to do.
Good luck, and let us know how it goes!