Niko Meets Shawn: Board-and-Train Pick-Up

What you're seeing

This is the first time Niko and Shawn meet. Niko has bitten a couple of people, and his family is struggling to manage him safely. Shawn has arrived to collect him for an aggression rehab board and train. Over the course of about thirty minutes, you see Niko go from threatening to wary, to cooperative, to friendly, to offering some basic obedience.

Why the first meeting matters

An territorial and aggressive dog has often simply learned that pressure makes people back off. The first meeting decides whether the trainer is one more person to drive away or someone worth following. Rushing it, cornering the dog, or bribing it are dangerous and ineffective ways to approach this problem. Getting it right in the first half hour sets up the next several weeks.

How it was done

Shawn does not go straight for a command. He controls space and movement by taking control of Niko with the leash, protecting himself from a bite by holding a tennis racket between him and Niko, and beginning controlled movement. Trust comes first, then cooperation, then affection, and only then obedience. That order is not an accident; it is the P.R.I.M.E. framework applied to a dog that has previously shown a willingness to bite. No treats and no e-collar.

Get this with your dog

Niko's program is our board and train for aggression and behaviour cases. If your dog has bitten or is heading that way, read Aggressive Dog Training at Home and get a free phone consultation before it gets worse.