I am not a pet expert or dog trainer, but a dog lover and I received a note from a distressed reader about her Aussie mix who is starting to be a bit too possessive of the owner and starting to show signs of aggression. The owner wants to have a baby… I had a similar situation with a dog I owned and I was pregnant. Our problem was that he liked to run away (yes, we had a fence) and was not very obedient. He hadn’t shown any signs of aggressive or possessive behavior. I took him to obedience classes where the trainer, Michael Humphreys, said, ‘whoa he’s about a 7 on the Alpha scale…’ and that comment came from a professional dog trainer. Long traumatic story short- we were shocked when the dog bit my child on the hand over a pan of brownies, and we had to find the dog a more appropriate home. Although the decision was clear since I would never take an animal over my child, we all cried when his new family came to pick him up. Part of the reason we got a dog was to teach our children about caring and here I was sending the dog away. I felt like a failure as a parent to both my children and the dog. I totally sympathize with this dog owner. Of course you may want to get the dog checked out to see if there is a medical reason for the aggression and maybe talk to your vet and a professional trainer. So, should she get her dog professionally trained or should she find another home for her beloved dog? Do you have any advice for this dog owner?

Micheal Humphreys is THE dog trainer of Cascade/Ada Michigan. He’s been training for over 40 years and has a magical way with canines. Watch him try to train Cocoa, the ordinance breaker of Cascade!!! In this short clip Mr. Humphreys is teaching Cocoa to sit in stay….just a few short classes until agility training…NOT. If you are interested in classes or training with Michael Humphreys please call Cascade Hospital for Animals at 616-949-0960 or visit their website www.chfa.net Please stay tuned for more helpful Vlogs from Michael Humphreys.