In a comment to one of my recent blogs someone posted a very disturbing comment that female Dachshunds have a tendency to be "snappy". This is a dangerous comment for several reasons, the first is that it is not at all a factual statement. The other part of the post that was inaccurate is that the owner needed to "be the pack leader".

First, aggression is not more common in female dachshunds (or females in general) than males. In my practice as a professional Certified pet Dog Trainer I see both females and males with human aggression issues. Further, I have lived with, bred, shown, owned, trained and rescued countless dachshunds (and other breeds) and have never seen a trend towards aggression in the females. The fact that one person may have met many female Dachshunds with aggression issues, does not make this a fact.

Secondly, "pack theory" model in dog training has been disproven long ago. Dogs are not wolves and evidence has shown that wild dogs do not pack. So, social hierarchy and status have nothing to do with this dogs issues. Trying to treat aggression with punishment will not work, in fact, it usually makes it worse.

The advice that I give on this blog is based in science and factual information. All of my training advice and the actual methods I use in my business are based on current, factual and science based information.

If you have a dog that is exhibiting aggression, please do NOT attempt to punish the aggression out. It won't work and this is how people get hurt. Aggression (which is almost always fear based) needs to be treated with desensitization and counterconditioning, NOT being a pack leader or attempting to use force with the dog.

The best thing that anyone with a dog that is exhibiting aggression can do is find a reputable, highly skilled Certified Pet Dog Trainer or behavior consultant. You can get names of trainers by visiting the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (www.apdt.com) or the international Association of Animal Behavior Counselors (www.iaabc.org).