Aggression

Aggression is a normal part of being a dog. A dog can bark, growl, or snap to defend his possessions, protect himself when he is scared, or chase, grab and kill as his canine ancestry has genetically programmed him to do. Unfortunately, his natural behaviors can get him into life-threatening trouble when used in contexts that are unacceptable to humans. None of us can afford the liability of owning a dog that beats up the neighbor’s dog or tries to bite kids and can’t go out in public because he looks like Cujo when he sees a dog or person walking up the sidewalk.

Why this Dog? Why Me??!

Your dog’s aggression most likely has both a genetic and a learned component. If your dog is a certain breed (or mix of breeds) that was bred for a specific purpose, that could play a roll in how the dog reacts to things that surprise, excite or frighten him. Breeds intended to be predatory, such as many terriers and dogs bred to herd livestock are more prone to chase and bite fast moving animals, objects or people. Unfortunately, he is chasing something or somebody you do not want him to chase.

If the dog is a breed designed for protection of people or livestock, this means they have a more suspicious nature. They are faster to assume new people or dogs are threatening them or their property. These dogs need LOTS of proper early socialization so they learn to be more trusting of people and new situations.

If the dog has not had proper socialization as a puppy, he may not realize the new person or dog isn’t going to hurt him. On the contrary, he may assume that he will be hurt by these strange new things. The dog may feel threatened and feel his only alternative is to try to keep the scary thing away from him by using a scary display, or actually biting.

Dogs with high energy levels may also be more prone to nip as a way to release pent up energy. They are not being spiteful, they just don’t know what to do with all their energy. Giving the dog an exercise outlet can often help all dogs, but especially the ones going stir crazy.

Another reason is an imbalance in the dogs system. Borderline and low thyroid levels have been shown to cause aggression in dogs, often seemingly unprovoked. Dr Dodds has done extensive research on this and will review your dog’s blood work to determine if thyroid supplementation could help. Some dogs have such high levels of fear or adrenalin, they need medication to get to a more normal level where learning can take place. Talk to your vet about this.

Some important facts about dog aggression…

Without careful intervention and positive training, aggression is likely to get worse not better.
Once aggression “works” for the dog and he learns he can get what he wants by using a threat or bite, he is more likely to become more aggressive.
Aggression in itself can become rewarding to the dog. It releases chemicals into the dog’s system like adrenalin that make the dog feel more powerful.
Health issues and chemical imbalances can contribute to aggression in dogs.
Punishing training methods to stop aggression are more likely to make it worse, causing more fear. They may appear to work because they suppress behavior, but the aggression will resurface to haunt you. Overall, the dog will become more reactive and defensive.
Aggressive dogs can learn more socially acceptable behaviors, but it is going to take lots of careful hard work to teach the dog new ways of responding.
Never assume your dog is “cured” of his aggressive behavior. You will spend his lifetime managing him; preventing him from rehearsing aggression, managing his environment, and helping him to act in socially acceptable ways.
Sadly, sometimes an aggressive dog’s behavior cannot be changed enough for the dog to continue to live with you. Most likely, you will not be able to find anyone else who wants a dog with his behavior problems and you will need to make the tough decision to have the dog humanely euthanized.

The road to a safer dog…

Have the dog thoroughly vet checked for any health problems that may be contributing to his aggression. Pain, chemical imbalance and other physical issues can contribute to the dog’s behavior.
Seek professional help from a positive dog trainer that has helped aggressive dogs in the past (be sure to check references! The wrong trainer can make things worse!)
Learn the exact triggers precede the aggressive episodes. What causes the dog to react?
Watch for the triggers. Learn to intervene before the aggression starts.
Teach the dog new acceptable behaviors to use in situations where the dog is likely to act aggressively.
Manage the dog’s behavior and environment to prevent aggression.

Assessing the Situation…Why might my dog be aggressive?

He might be fearful and he’s learned that being defensive works. Maybe he’s had scary experiences before and he’s sure he better scare the other dog or person away before the dog or person gets too close.
He might be a controlling sort of guy who has learned that aggression works to get him what he wants.
He might be protecting something that he thinks belongs to him like, his person, his food, his mate, puppies, or territory. Maybe you are one of his favorite possessions, (just think of yourself as a BIG cookie bowl) and he’d like to keep you all for himself!
He might have something physically wrong with him that is making him more likely to be aggressive.
He may be showing predatory aggression (more commonly directed at smaller animals or fast moving children)
He may be get over aroused during play
He may be redirecting aggression. He‘s frustrated at not being able to bite something else (usually a dog, sometimes a toy he’s being teased with) and bites a person or another dog instead.
He’s a dog and he just can’t think of anything else to do! He’s learned an obnoxious habit and has fun doing it.
You haven’t gotten around to neutering him yet and he’d just rather that competitors not be in the neighborhood!
He’s excited and happy and just can’t think of anything else to say!

The good news…

Unless your dog already has a history of actually biting (making holes in), seriously injuring, or killing, chances are that with diligent work on your part, you will be able to work to make your dog less reactive.

Most dogs get excited and bark on leash because they haven’t learned alternative rewarding behaviors. Your job is to teach your dog to focus on you and find the environment less captivating or scary. Your dog may be a bit scared and have learned that the best defense is a good offense. On top of that, you probably stiffen and tighten the leash when you see something that sets him off, signaling to your canine buddy that the other guy may be pretty scary after all. This behavior can best be dealt with by…

Practicing getting your dog to focus on you first in a quiet environment, then work up to keeping your dog’s attention when his trigger is in view. Work from greater distances to closer distances. This is best done working with a friend if your dog has people issues or with a friend who has a calm dog that you can use as the “helper dog” to train your dog.
Make it rewarding for him to see the things that cause him to bark. When the trigger is visible, the treats come out. When the trigger is not visible, the treats go away. Start at a distance the dog can handle without going off.
Take a deep breath, relax, and loosen the leash to keep from telegraphing fear or tension to your dog. And you can teach your dog that if the leash gets tight, that is a signal the dog should look at you (of course you make this rewarding.)
Teach your dog to sit behind you on cue so you can fend off any loose approaching dogs (or children) so your guy won’t need to worry about defending himself.

Why does my dog growl and snap at other dogs who are trying to make friends with him?

Many dogs just haven’t had enough experience meeting other dogs and get scared during greetings. Dogs can feel especially trapped and defensive when they’re being held on a leash and can’t distance themselves from the other dog. Some dogs have had bad scary experiences with other dogs and just can’t handle close-up greetings. Not only that, but many dogs are just downright obnoxious about how they come up to greet. They nose and sniff, and climb on other dogs. That’s just plain rude and your dog’s growl and snap may be teaching them to mind their manners.

My dog growls and snaps when he’s loose and other dogs try to play with him.

Dogs that have had a chance to play with other gentle dogs as they grow up usually can meet and play with other dogs quite well. If your guy has met dogs that have scared him he may be too tense around new dogs to relax and play. He may become defensive and feel the need to scare them away. Some dogs just don’t play nice. They might try to mount him or body slam him. No wonder he wishes he were someplace else. Be especially concerned in places like dog parks where groups of dogs might mob a victim or owners of offensively aggressive dogs turn their guys loose. Be ready to step in and keep your dog safe from other dogs.

My dogs like to pick on each other just like wolves in a wolf pack. Sometimes they seem to be beating up on each other. Is this normal?

Your dogs are NOT wolves in a wolf pack and each dog in your family has the right to feel safe in his own home. Your job is to manage and train your dogs so it isn’t rewarding for them to push each other around. You don’t want your dogs to learn to be bullies with other dogs or to have to learn to defend themselves against bullies. Sometimes, two dogs just can’t get along with each other in the same household and you may help them to have a better less stressful life by finding another home for one of the dogs. However, learn to recognize normal play, which can sometimes include growling, from actual fights. When the dogs have relaxed and loose bodies as they wrestle, that is fine. They may flop down on the floor, paw and chew at each other, “face wrestle” where each tries to grab the other’s face, but there is no tension. They are playing and having fun. Take a look at “dog body language 101” for more play signals. However, if the dogs are stiff and have rigid legs and the hair on their shoulders is raised and the dogs are giving each other hard direct eye contact, that is a fight. It often involves a hard grab, shake and pinning the weaker dog to the ground. It sounds really vicious and is very clear that the dogs are NOT playing.

Serious dog aggression means that your dog is doing more than just growling and snapping to protect himself or huffing, puffing and barking at other dogs. But, if his aggression is working and you’re not trying to change his behavior, his aggression may get worse over time.

Assessing the situation…How aggressive is he?

Has the dog already bitten? How bad was the bite?

Below is a standardized way dog specialists rate a bite case. Looking objectively at the severity of the bite will help you to better understand the prognosis for dealing with your dog.

Level 1- The dog growls, shows teeth, barks, stares, or snaps to give warning

Level 2- The dog has made a single bite, bruise, or scrape but with no tooth holes

Level 3- The dog has made a single bite with 1-4 punctures, with the depth less than ½ the length of the dog’s canine teeth

Level 4- The dog has made a single bite with 1-4 punctures greater than ½ as deep as the dog’s canines or shakes his head while biting, bruising present

Level 5- The dog has made multiple bites that are greater than ½ as deep as the dog’s canine or shakes his head while biting –a mauling

Level 6- Fatality

Looking at the biting behavior of a dog can help you to make an educated decision about options for the future with him. If his behavior falls between levels 1-3, at least he has some bite inhibition. He’s not biting as hard as he can. Level 4 and above bites tell you this is a dangerous dog that could hurt someone else badly and not a good risk to work with.

If you want to keep your aggressive dog and want some idea of what you will need to do to work with him to lower his aggression in the future, here are some things you need to keep in mind…

You need to be realistic with your goals for how this dog is going to react in the future. He’s not likely to be a dog that is going to be easygoing and safe in all situations. You are going to have to manage him carefully to keep him out of situations that could cause him to bite.
If his bite was at level 4, the prognosis, at best, is moderate. Don’t expect a miracle cure for this dog. Bite levels 5 & 6 have a very poor prognosis, are a big liability and you need to consider euthanizing the dog.
If your dog’s bite included shaking behavior, your dog may be exhibiting predatory behavior.
Remember, the bite levels are relative, a level 4 bite from a small dog is a different safety issue than a large powerful breed inflicting the same bite.

Some considerations for working with your aggressive dog…

Can you control your dog either physically or verbally? The less control you have, the poorer the prognosis.
Is your dog well trained? Does he enjoy working with you? The more you two can work together, the better the prognosis.
Is he food motivated and is he easily trained using food as a motivator? If it’s hard to get him to focus and he’s hard to motivate, the prognosis is poorer.
Does he like being with you? The less social he is with you, the poorer the prognosis.
Is his aggression triggered because of something children or elderly people do? This represents very high liability risk and a poor prognosis especially if he lives with his trigger(s).
How big a dog is he? Smaller dogs do less damage when they bite and are less apt to harm someone seriously.
Is he a breed that has been bred to be aggressive? Because some of these breeds bite without much warning or don’t calm down easily when aroused, the prognosis can be poor for working with these dogs.
Can you afford the time, money and commitment that it’s going to manage and train your aggressive dog?
Is your dog genetically or neurologically prone to aggression or does he have an incurable disease that can make him irritable and more apt to bite?
How long has the problem been going on? The more the dog has developed aggression as a habit the poorer the prognosis.

Treating aggression will take lots of time and commitment on your part. You will want to work with a positive dog training professional who will be able to guide you and your dog on this journey. Here are some of the steps that may be part of that program…

You’ll want to have your dog evaluated by a veterinarian who is skilled at dealing with behavioral problems. The veterinarian may prescribe medications that can help your dog.
Get and study some positive training books that will help you understand how your dog learns and how you can best influence his behavior. The books: “Culture Clash” by Jean Donaldson, “Click to Calm” by Emma Parsons and “Control Unleashed” by Leslie McDevitt are all highly recommended.
Plan to manage your dog’s behavior so he does not have a chance to put anyone else or their dog in danger.
Keep your dog out of situations where he might continue to practice aggression.
Learn the triggers that set your dog off. Learn to intervene before the aggression starts or increase your distance from the trigger.
Teach the dog new behaviors to use in aggression inducing situations like “leave it” and “watch me” or as recommended in Control Unleashed, the “look” cue.
Be a good leader and guide to your dog by protecting his safety, providing structure for his activities and good training skills.
Feed him high quality food that isn’t loaded with corn, fillers, sugar and chemical preservatives. This alone can have a big impact if you are feeding a low quality food.
Give him plenty of exercise. Teach him fun and safe ways to interact with people and other dogs.

Face the facts. Having a dog that shows aggression to humans is very serious business. Having a child’s face mutilated or being sued because of a dog bite is no small matter. Dog aggression is serious. Please treat it that way.

Good books to read to learn more…

Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson

Click to Calm by Emma Parsons

Control Unleashed, creating a focused and confident dog by Leslie McDevitt

The Canine Aggression Handbook by James O’Heare, Gentle Solutions, Ottawa, Canada, 2001.

Aggression in Dogs – Practical Management, Prevention & Behavior Modification by Brenda Aloff

Mine! A Practical Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs! By Jean Donaldson (2002 Kinship Communications, San Francisco, California) – This book will help you change your dog’s behavior if he guards his food bowl, bed, or you!

All of these books are available from Dogwise (800) 776-2665, dogwise.com and some of them are available through the DSA store.

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