Today's Topic: Having a dog who displays aggressive behaviors, whether it’s directed towards other dogs, people, or things in the environment, can be difficult enough to manage and live with when your dog’s triggers are known and reliably trigger your dog.  But it can be made more difficult to deal with when the aggression is significantly more random in nature. It can have profound effects, for example, on where you feel you can go, who you feel you can be with, and who you’re comfortable leaving your dog with (if ever), for fear that an incident involving your dog will result in physical and/or financial harm.  That’s why we invited the world-renowned expert on aggression in dogs, and the founder of AggressiveDog.com, Michael Shikashio, CDBC, to the pod, to discuss the difference between reactivity and aggression, the common signs we miss, how to turn unpredictability into predictability, and whether he thinks that all aggression in dog cases can be addressed using positive training techniques (HINT: YES, YES, YES!)

Guest Bio: Michael Shikashio, CDBC, is the founder of AggressiveDog.com and focuses on teaching other professionals from around the world on how to successfully work aggression cases. He is a five-term president of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) and is a full member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT). Michael is sought after for his expert opinion by numerous media outlets, including the New York Times, New York Post, Fox News, The List TV, Baltimore Sun, WebMD, Women’s Health Magazine, Real Simple Magazine, SiriusXM Radio, The Chronicle of the Dog, and Steve Dale’s Pet World. He also hosts the popular podcast show “The Bitey End of the Dog” where he chats with the foremost experts on dog aggression. He is a featured keynote speaker at conferences, universities, and seminars around the world, and offers a variety of educational opportunities on the topic of canine aggression, including the Aggression in Dogs Master Course and the annual Aggression in Dogs Conference.

Relevant Links:

• Website: https://aggressivedog.com/
• Aggression in Dogs Master Course: https://aggressivedog.thinkific.com/courses/aggression-in-dogs
• The Aggression in Dogs  Conference (10.24.21-10.26.21): https://thelooseleashacademy.com/conference
• The Great Big Dog Aggression Workshop Ii: Meds, Moods, And Modification (11.6.21-11.7.21): https://aggressivedog.com/event/gbdawii/