Dominant dogs are inclined to take ownership of anything they possess. Separating such a dog from a chewed slipper can be a frightening experience as he growls and snaps a warning.

This cannot be left unchecked as the number of objects he regards as his own will grow exponentially. Pretty soon he will take ownership of the sofa, an easy chair or a kids toy and impress his authority with acts of aggression.

To correct this I usually start with his (empty) food bowl walking him on lead around the bowl and ordering him to ‘leave it.’ I may start walking a circle 12 ft in diameter around the bowl and slowly move closer to the centre depending on his progress.

Once successfully achieved I will do exactly the same with food in the bowl and only tell him to ‘get it’ once the exercise is complete.

Whilst he is eating I will pick up the lead and telling him once more to ‘leave it’ I walk him away from the bowl. With a really aggressive dog I may keep an old tennis racquet by my side to protect myself should he lunge at me.

Remember the farther away he is from the target of his attention the weaker his reaction will become. The reverse is of course true and closer you move towards the ‘target, i.e. the dog bowl, the more intense his response.

Under no circumstances put your hand in front of the target, far better to use a broom handle to control the distance of the food bowl. That way you keep all your fingers.

You can use this same technique to train your dog not to grab a ball or a play toy until you give the ‘get it’ command.

DO NOT TRY THIS WITHOUT THE HELP OF A BEHAVIOURIST TRAINED IN THE HANDLING OF AGGRESSIVE DOGS