AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR IN DOGS
The activity reports for my website indicate that 90% of people visit this site having entered some form of dog aggression into their search engine. This is trully startling if not extremely worrying.
Dogs are animals.
All animals can bite.
"In dog culture there are no letters to the editor, slanderous gossip and backstabbing, guilty feelings, democratic institutions, or lawyers. There are growls, snarls, snaps and bites. Aggressive behaviour does not fracture relationships in dog society. It's all taken very much in stride. The problem is that aggression often changes things a great deal in dog-human relationships. We routinely execute dogs who bite. That's quite the culture clash."
Jean Donaldson : The Culture Clash
Our expectations of dog behaviour has changed dramatically over the last few decades. For example, 30 years ago if you went home and said to your Mum "The dog down the road tried to bite me" she would probably have responded "Well, what did you do to annoy him?" Now, the response is generally very different!
Aggression in dogs is the most common reason for dogs being surrendered into rescue centres. Many dogs have been euthanised unnecessarily because of "aggressive" behaviour. A dog is not BAD, it does not wake up in the morning thinking "I will bite someone today." Positive Punishment is NEVER a suitable teaching technique, especially in cases of aggression.
Dogs that growl, lip curl, hard stare and snap without biting are politely requesting more social distance in their language. A dog NEVER misses with a bite, if the dog didn't bite you, then he didn't try to! Never believe that you got your hand out of the way in time!
Most aggression are secondary to an underlying anxiety of situations/sights/smells/people/children/dogs etc that the dog has not been adequately socialised (habituated) to.
Displays of aggression can also reflect poor impulse control.
Identifying the triggers for the anxiety and implementing a desensitisation and counter conditioning program will prove the most influencial way of extinguishing the displayed aggression. Aggression is a natural response to danger. It's part of what's called the fight or flight response, where the release of adrenaline (hormones) prepares our body to either run away from the danger or fight the danger.
We often hear that a dog bite is unprovoked. What is really meant is that we were unaware of what triggered the dog into biting. Human communication (body language) is so very different from a dogs. A build up of stressors can make ANY dog bite. There is no such thing as a dog who would not bite. This is a MYTH.
Dog aggression problems are SERIOUS. You should always seek professional help if you think your dog has an aggression problem.
Prevention is ideal, but the next best thing is early identification and intervention to stop what is always an escalating problem if left unaddressed.
Although I don't follow a medical model approach (diagnostic) and prefer a behavioural approach (identifying environmental causes and motivation) the following are accepted medical model categories of aggression.
Types of aggression
Fear aggression
This is one of the most common types of aggression and can be directed towards other dogs or humans. In most cases the dog becomes scared or threatened in the face of fairly normal situations or experiences. It may also be overly frightened when it is examined by a veterinarian.
Fear aggression can develop at any age, but most commonly the first signs can be seen early, before the onset of social maturity, around 18 to 24 months of age.
A dog suffering from fear aggression has recognisable body language. Its body will tend to be crouched low, its head will be held low with its ears back, and it may sometimes tremble and hold its tail between its legs while barking or growling.
A dog with fear aggression will bark and vocalise more than dogs with other types of aggression. The most common sequence of events is that the dog will bark, growl and back away from the fear, then may snap and bite as a last resort. Another dog in comparison may also show these features but will not show any signs of aggression but instead may roll over and show its belly as a submissive posture.
You may find that this type of aggression is worsened by being on a leash.
Food related aggression
In the wild, dogs had to protect any food they obtained from other competing dogs, sometimes in order to survive. This instinct persists even in a domestic situation.
The intensity of aggression may be variable depending on whether the food is highly prized. For example, a dog may growl and show its teeth whilst eating its dinner but might lunge and bite if its eating treats such as bones, pigs ears or raw hides.
Food related aggression is commonly first seen in puppyhood. The puppy might snap at other dogs while eating or not allow a treat to be removed without biting the owner. If not addressed at this point, then it is likely to worsen as the puppy matures. There is also a possibility that food related aggression may be an early sign of dominance aggression. It is therefore critical to intervene early.
Interdog aggression
This type of aggression may occur whenever the dog encounters another dog, either inside or outside the house or both. Dogs with interdog aggression are not normally aggressive to humans. They often misinterpret the the body language of the other dogs as being threatening and respond with aggression. Most dogs with interdog aggression have an underlying anxiety problem. They cope with this anxiety by being aggressive.
This type of aggression commonly develops first at the onset of social maturity, around 18 to 24 months of age.
When two dogs meet in the outside world, they establish a hierarchy within a very short space of time, if not instantly. They use body language to communicate their state of mind. Most dogs find these signals easy to read.
Dogs with interdog aggression are not good at reading these signals, are anxious about where they stand and use aggression in order to establish this.
Play aggression
It is normal for dogs to play. Dogs play with other dogs, humans and other animals. A play growl or bark has a higher pitch, and the dog may bark quickly and frequently. It is not normal for dogs to become aggressive when they play. Dogs with play aggression may growl and raise the hair on their backs when they start to play.
This type of aggression may occur if a puppy was not taught appropriate ways to play. In most cases, puppies learn to play appropriately with their littermates. If a puppy is removed too early from its litter or encouraged to play roughly, it may never have had the opportunity to learn what is appropriate and what is not.
Territorial aggression
Also known as protective aggression although similar, there are some differences between the two. Many dogs have a natural instinct to protect, this is stronger in some dogs than others. Working guard dogs are highly trained and under complete control of their trainer. They do not have an aggressive problem.
Dogs that have territorial or protective aggression are not normal and are certainly not under th control of their owners.
In both types of aggression, the dog identifies something that has importance and is worthy of protecting. Dogs with territorial aggression typically protect an area of land, a space in the home or even the local park that they regularly visit. Protective aggression on the other hand, tends to be objects, animals or humans.
Often there is minimal warning before the aggression is initiated.
Dogs with territorial aggression may bark or growl excessively when there is a knock at the door. It may not even stop when requested by the owner.
Random aggression
Sometimes the dogs aggression can seem to be random. This is most likely becaue the early warning signs of another type of aggression were missed. Random aggression is very rare. However, occasionally dogs can become aggressive when (apparently) completely unprovoked.
Random aggression is probably the most dangerous form of aggression, because it occurs without warning and can be very violent. In some cases, owners describe their dogs attacking toys or furniture. They are often frantic, might salivate and have wide eyes with dilated pupils (whale eye).
This type of aggression is the most difficult to rehabilitate and despite possible pharmaceutical intervention, often the dog requires to be euthanised for the safety of others. Fortunately, this type of aggression is very very rare. If your dog displays this form of aggression, please do not ignore it. Be a responsible dog owner, keep the dog on a leash and use the appropriate muzzle when in public. Please seek professional help immediately.
Courtesy of Canine Communication:Dr Justin Wimpole;Dr Kate Patterson;2008:New Holland Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd,Sydney
If any of these types of aggression appear familiar to you, please do not put off contacting a professional for advice. In the first instance you should make an appointment at your veterinarian for a physical examination to rule out any physical causes or illness. You should consider purchasing a basket type muzzle for use in the short term.
Aggression in dogs escalates if left untreated or if approached using aversive interventions.
The "aggressive" dog must be counter-conditioned to the causative stimulus through a systematic desensitisation and counter conditioning program.
Fortunately, there are very few dogs that will bite without a warning. A dog will communicate it's uncomfortable feelings towards us in an ascending scale. If we ignore these signals or if we do not respond in a way that the dog understands then we are likely to get bit. Knowing dogs body language, both visual and verbal, then we can reassure the dog that we are not a threat.
Learning how we as humans can emulate calming signals to a fearful or uncomfortable dog lessens the likelyhood of expressed physical aggression. This is my speciality. I can teach you how to interpret what your dog is trying to tell you. When you know this then you can communicate back to him in a way he understands.
In working with dog aggression, I have studied and found that desensitising and counter conditioning using classical conditioning and (free) shaping incompatible behaviours through operant conditioning with a clicker is by far the best way of achieving success. Traditional methods, in my experience, have either exhacerbated the aggression or produced a fearful dog, who has learned not to demonstrate warning signals. This is a recipe for disaster. The dog has never actually learned what to do, just what not to do (when you are in the vacinity) for fear of punishment.