Aggression in Dogs

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what is it?
 

For the purpose of this article, aggression in dogs can be defined as "Threatening to harm, attempting to harm, or, actually harming another animal or person".

Aggression is a normal and necessary behavior in dogs and in all other species as well. In a pack of wild dogs or wolves, aggression is used to establish and maintain the pack hierarchy and to keep order. It's used to protect the pack's territory and food source, and to settle disputes over who gets to breed what, etc. Aggression is an innate behavior and every dog inherits it to some degree and brings it with him into domesticated life. It's only perceived as a problem (by humans, not dogs) when we feel the aggressive behavior was unwarranted, or, an inappropriate response to a particular situation.

what causes it?
 

Researchers have identified many causes of aggressive behavior, but for practical purposes they can be categorized under four main headings.
 

1. Pain-induced aggression

A dog in pain is like a bear with a sore tooth. If he's been hit by a car, for example, moving him, or even just examining him for injuries, may cause him severe pain. No matter how gentle and loving he is at other times, the pain may make him react aggressively. Even constant mild pain, an infected ear or tooth, could nag at your dog to the point where he would react violently when you try to examine it. Pain-induced aggression, especially if it continues over a period of time, is often re-directed, generally, but not always, towards a lesser member of the pack (animal or human).

2. Fear-induced aggression

The most common cause of fear-induced aggression is insufficient or improper socialization as a puppy. The window-of-opportunity for socialization is from three to sixteen weeks of age. Puppies that are raised in isolation or get very little exposure to the world they will have to deal with later in life, or, if they receive very little handling from their human care-givers, or have been denied the opportunity to form bond with humans, will be fearful in any new situation. Normally, these dogs will run away and hide if they can. However, if they feel cornered, they may react aggressively. If growling and snapping results in the person, or perceived threat, backing off, the behavior may escalate to the point where the dog reacts to any stressful new encounter with an all-out attack (fear biters).
Traumatic experiences during the early development stages can also result in fear-induced aggression.

3. Territorial aggression

Territorial aggression is associated with the natural instinct to protect territory, food, other members of the pack, old bones, toys, or anything else the dog looks upon as a personal possession. A dog's territory may be just his own yard, but if he is walked around the block or taken to a nearby field every day for exercise, he may decide those areas are part of his territory also. Full-blown, all-out territorial aggression can be an awesome thing. Once you've seen a large male protecting his home, or a female protecting her puppies, your respect for their ability to take 'care of business' is likely to jump up a notch or two.
But territorial aggression is not the biggest problem ...

4. Dominance aggression

Dominance aggression is by far the biggest, scariest, most dangerous problem with dogs today. It stems from the natural instinct of all social species, and probably some of the less social as well, to climb as high as they can in the pack hierarchy. People do it, horses do it, cows and cats do it, and dogs do it too. Nature has designed dominance aggression to ensure survival of the species. She wants the strongest, smartest, most suited dogs to lead the pack. They eat first and have the best chance of surviving tough times. They do all the breeding. This ensures new generations of strong, smart dogs for the future.
Poor Mother Nature! How could she have known that man would eventually take control of the breeding of dogs and all her well laid plans would get flushed down the toilet?
Dominance aggression is caused by a leadership vacuum. The dog sees no-one in authority and decides to take charge himself. Or, he sees certain individuals in the pack as being on the same, or lower, level as he is. As a dog begins to mature he will do little things to test the waters-of-authority. Nature programmed him that way. Many times the owners do not recognize these first little challenges and the behavior is inadvertently reinforced. If and when they do recognize the challenge to their authority, they often do not do the right thing at the right time. More about that later ...

What to do to avoid it?
 

Aggression is rooted in the genetic make up of the dog.
Rule No. 1 - Don't purchase a puppy from overly aggressive, or, out-of-control, dominant-type parents unless you are sure you have the knowledge and experience and the fortitude to handle him. Chances are the puppy will inherit the same characteristics. (No, you can't transform him with love.)

Some breeds have been developed by selecting for aggressive characteristics. Predator-control dogs such as the Kuvaz, Terriers bred to hunt and kill small game, dogs bred for fighting such as the pit-bull, and the list goes on...
Rule No. 2 - Before you decide on a puppy, research the characteristics and talk to some people who are familiar with the breed you are interested in. Don't choose a puppy from a breed that may turn out to be more than you or another member of your family can control. I can't tell you how many really nice people I've known who got in over their heads with an Airedale Terrier.

Puppies learn to read and write 'Dog Language' from their mother and their litter-mates. They learn to recognize threats. They learn to recognize and respect signs of submission in the other pups. They learn good things like inhibiting their bite and non-aggressive play. They also have the pack to support their first interaction with humans. Taking a puppy before he's had time to learn these things is asking for trouble down the road. Puppies that never learned 'dog' language don't know when another dog is submitting. They don't know whether the other dog is about to attack them either. They don't know how to signal the other dog of their own intentions and wind up sending conflicting signals. One half of the dog is signaling submission, the other half signaling aggression. They have the same problem reading human behavior and send them the same conflicting signals. Communication break-down like this is responsible for many dog fights and bitten fingers.
Rule No. 3 -  I recommend puppies stay with their mother and litter-mates until they are ten weeks old. Many breeders want to send puppies to their new homes at seven weeks. I think that's a poor age for them to go. From eight to ten weeks is a touchy time in the puppy's life. It's the time of the primary flight stage, and if he is traumatized or over-stressed during this period he can carry the scars for life. This is not a time for him to be all on his own with strangers in a new environment. Ensure that during the time he is with the breeder he is getting lots of individual handling and exposure to new things. Ask your breeder what he's doing to socialize the puppies.

Educating your dog and caring for him is a never-ending task.
Rule No. 4 - Prepare before you bring your puppy home. Gather up the physical necessities, crate or bed, feed and water bowls, leash, whatever. Map out a program for his education. Housetraining, socialization, obedience training, fitness and health and recreation are all important aspects of raising a well adjusted dog. You don't want to have to make everything up on the spur-of-the-moment. That's how things go wrong.
While we're on the subject of education, try to set aside a little time each week to further your own knowledge about dogs. The more you understand about your puppy, the less chance you'll have to deal with aggressive behavior down the road. I've been in dogs for longer than I like to admit, and I'm still learning new things almost daily. That's what keeps me interested. Search the net. Read a good book. Enjoy your dog ...

Your dog is programmed to try and get control of the household if he can. Signs that he is succeeding include such things as ...

Diving into the feed dish before you have a chance to set it down.

Teach him to sit and wait until you tell him it's OK to eat.

Charging out the door ahead of you.

Teach him not to go out the door until you say "outside". Work towards leaving the door open and going around the house without him coming outside.

Towing you down the street when you take him for a walk

With dogs, as with people, 'What you do is what you are'. Leaders lead, followers follow. Guess what's in this dog's head.

Going the other way when you call him to come

One of the most common and most subtle forms of challenge to authority. Generally about the first indication you get that the dog is testing the pack order. Don't make the mistake of ignoring this behavior.

Ignoring you or challenging when you tell him to move or get off the couch

Don't walk around him after you've told him to move, and don't leave him on the couch after you've told him to get off. Dogs are really good at recognizing when they've won. Small victories beget bigger challenges.

Rule No. 5 - Make sure you are always in the driver's seat. Your dog will just have to resign himself to riding in the back. Ages ago, when I was just learning to train, the old-timers used to say "For the first three months we'll do everything my way. After that we'll continue doing everything my way." I never new many of those trainers to have problems with dominance challenges.

Don't encourage aggressive behavior in your dog. Don't play tug-of-war with him. Don't put on heavy gloves and rough-house with him. Don't encourage him to chase the neighbors cat, or to bark at a neighbor you have a secret dislike for. It may be cute now, but later on, both you and the dog may have to pay dearly.
Rule No. 6 - Leave guard-dog training to guard-dog trainers.

What to do if you already have it
 

Whatever category of aggression you have ...

No matter what form of aggression your dog is exhibiting, there are certain basic things that should be done, so let's deal with those things first.

Begin to keep a record of everything that might be pertinent to the problem.

Write down, or, record on tape, all the detail regarding incidents of aggressive behavior. Make a list of anything else that may be a contributing factor such as, a new addition to the family, relocation, or major changes in the family routine. After a few weeks this record will begin to show a pattern. Dealing with aggression is likely to be a long term project, and the records will be invaluable, especially if you need to get help from a professional later on. Write down what you see. Write what you think too, if you like, but keep your thoughts in a separate column or as footnotes. Be very objective. Don't make excuses, either for your dog, yourself, or other people involved.

Rule out health problems that may be the cause

The most vicious dog I ever knew eventually died of a tumor. Get your vet to do a complete workup if possible.

Check the pack hierarchy

Pain-induced aggression and fear-induced aggression are not controlled by the pack order, but both territorial and dominance aggression are symptomatic of an 'out-of-whack' pecking order. The first thing I do when dealing with an aggression problem, is test to see whether the dog is out of control. I start by asking the owner to make the dog lie down. If the dog doesn't want to lie down for them, I generally let them niggle at the leash and plead with the dog for about a minute. When they've tried to get him down six or seven times , I stop them, and ask if they are afraid of the dog. If they say they aren't, I say; "Tell the dog to lie down, but only tell him once. If he isn't on his belly half-a-second later, repeat the command with more authority and at the same time use the leash to physically force him to lie down." Now, I find out three things. I learn the degree of contention in the dog, I find out if they were telling the truth when they said they weren't afraid of him, and I get a pretty good Idea whether they have the determination and the attitude necessary to get control of the dog. If they don't, the road ahead looks pretty much 'all uphill'.

Get an attitude

When you've seen a thirty-pound Spitz dominate a Great Dane that could almost swallow him whole, you realize that leadership is all about attitude. Buster, the Spitz, belonged to me. The Dane belonged to a neighbor down the street. Buster could walk under the Dane's belly without ducking his head. Physically, the Dane out-classed Buster from all angles, but when it came to 'attitude' Buster towered head and shoulders above him.
Buster did what leaders do.
What do leaders do? Well, they lead, that's what they do. Followers follow, that's what they do. Leaders make decisions, followers accept the leaders decisions. Buster decided where they would go, what they would do, who they would be friends with and who they would chase out of his domain. If your dog is deciding who will be allowed to visit, or who you will have as friends, you need to get an 'attitude'.
Back before electric lights, when I was still conducting obedience classes, I used to tell the class; "The correct attitude for training is ... You're going to do it! You're going to do it right! And, you're going to do it right now, or I'm going to rip your head off and hand it to you". I'd let them squirm in their seats for a few seconds, wondering if I was some kind of Troll and might jump out from under the bridge, then I'd say, "See, a few words and all of you are convinced that I'm a knock-'em-down and kick-'em-into-shape type of trainer. If I can do that with fifteen people, think how easy it should be to convince one dog. The beauty of it is I didn't have to get physical to convince you. I don't have to get physical to convince the dog either".
It's all about 'attitude'.

If your problem is fear-induced aggression ...

Depending on the severity of the condition and the age of the dog, some improvement may be possible if you are able and willing to work with him over a long period of time. The prognosis for curing a severe case of fear-induced aggression in an adult dog is not good and the best you are likely to achieve would be to mask the condition. The fear and aggression will still be just beneath the surface. Full-blown fear-biters live in a shadow world of constant apprehension. The safest, and possibly the kindest, thing to do would be to have him put to sleep.
If you are determined to try to cure him, or have a less severe case, begin with saturation or desensitization training. If your dog is afraid of people, it must have enough exposure to people that people become 'old hat' and are no longer perceived as a threat. Be prepared for a long hard ride. It won't happen over-night.

In one 'medium intensity' case, a lady came to me with a two-year-old female Shepherd. This lady owned a small country store with a fair amount of local traffic. Since she had been busy building the business, the dog had spent its' puppyhood alone at the farm and its' socialization had been neglected. I had her leave the dog with me for a few days so I could evaluate her and then we planned our rehabilitation program. Most of her regular customers were from her neighborhood and well known to her. I had her explain to them what we intended to do and get their reaction.

I had her put a basket muzzle on the dog and secure her to the end of the counter near the cash register. The first week the dog was completely freaked out. The second week was a little better. By the end of the month she was doing much better in the store but was still shy-sharp everywhere else or if her owner was not nearby. We began to enlist the help of, first one, then another, of her customers. As they were about to leave the store, they would casually speak to the dog, toss her a treat and leave. The owner would then remove the muzzle and let the dog get the treat. After a while, when she was expecting one of these 'special' customers, she would remove the muzzle just before they arrived and pop the dog into a large wire crate we had set up at the end of the counter. Now, the customer would approach the crate and offer her a wiener through the wire. I had her caution them to keep their fingers out of the crate.

We began working with the dog in different areas. The village streets, the steps of the local post office on a busy Saturday morning, the parking lots of local malls and anywhere else that would provide exposure to a lot of people coming and going all became like second homes to the dog. She arranged to have friends drop in when she was at home with the dog. I was personally involved for six months and when I made a follow-up visit three months later, there had been no major incidents. The owner of that dog made major sacrifices, in terms of both time and money. We managed to rehabilitate the dog to a degree that the owner felt able to cope with her, but I always knew that all it would take was some individual with one too many under his belt to try and give that Shepherd a big hug. The problem had been defused but the explosives were still there.

If your problem is territorial aggression ...

If you've waded through all the stuff that came before this, you already have a good idea what needs to be done. In case you skipped over the first part, let's do a quick review.

• Keep records
• Plan your rehab program
• Begin work on all the little things that may have been neglected in his early education, like ...
  Sitting and waiting to be fed - the pack leader eats first.
  Not rushing through doors ahead of you - leaders lead.
  Not begging at the table - see sitting and waiting to be fed.
  Not sharing the couch or your bed - pack leaders get the best of everything. That's life, at least to a dog.
  
• remove any toys that the dog may regard as his personal possessions - see my article on toys if you feel he needs them.
• Begin work on the "LEAVE IT" command - not included with all the little things because this is not a little thing. This is the command that will prevent a dog from snapping at an outstretched hand, or attacking someone he thinks is a threat. If you have absolute obedience to this command you can prevent many serious incidents merely by breaking his focus before they happen. And before I get a bunch of email telling me there's no such thing as absolute obedience, yes, I'm well aware of that fact. That's why I'm saying you need it. The "LEAVE IT" command can never be good enough. You should never quit working on it.
• If you haven't already done so, wave the magic wand. Start obedience training - this will confirm for your dog, your superior position in the pack. It will also get him used to accepting and complying with your decisions.
• While you are working on getting control of this problem, be prepared to defuse any potential disasters before they happen. Put the leash on - the leash and collar mean control to the dog. Make sure it's a collar that gives you control - a flat, nylon, buckle collar on a dog with his mind set on doing somebody in, is about as handy as a house-boat in the desert.
• Lastly, if you think you need help, don't be too embarrassed to ask for it. Find a qualified trainer, experienced in dealing with aggression. Most veterinarians, boundless sources of knowledge though they may be, are not well qualified in this area. It's very unlikely that you will run into one of the three obedience-class-instructors who have the knowledge, and experience, you need. This is not meant to belittle or demean veterinarians or obedience-class-instructors. They have a lot of knowledge about dogs in general and may be able to point out mistakes you are unaware of, but your best bet is still a dyed-in-the-wool, two-fisted, walkin'-tall-and-charging-exhorbitant-rates, behavior-modification specialist.

If your problem is dominance aggression ...

Dominance towards other animals is a natural thing. If a second dog is brought into a household, one of them will dominate the other. Sometimes, especially with dogs that are good at communicating, there are very few signs that this is taking place and the pecking-order between them is settled very quickly. If one is a dominant type and the other a submissive, a little posturing and staring, and both of them know where they stand. If they are both dominant types, settling the issue may involve some scrapping or serious fighting. With normal, well-adjusted dogs, when one submits, the fighting stops with neither dog being badly hurt. The winner may have to remind the loser who's boss occasionally, but generally, peace and harmony is returned to the pack.

With dogs that have not had a good grounding in 'dog' language and pack etiquette, either because they were taken from the litter too early, or if they happened to be an only puppy, the period of adjustment can be disastrous. If one doesn't recognize when the other is submitting, he won't quit fighting. When the one that submitted sees that submitting isn't working, he will have no alternative but to fight for his life. Scraps like these may end with only one survivor.

If the owners interfere with this natural adjustment period, the issue of who's boss never gets satisfactorily resolved. So, unless intervention is necessary to prevent serious injury, it's best to let them sort it out and be done with it. In difficult cases, muzzling both dogs and letting them bump each other around is worth a try. Sometimes, in this manner, one dog can overpower the other by sheer weight alone, and in any case, no damage is done.
Sometimes, once the dogs have sorted out who's boss, the owner will side with the under-dog, chastising the dominant dog for 'picking on' the other one. This only makes the problem worse. Accept the situation. Feed the dominant dog first, and do what you can to confirm the pack hierarchy. If the dominant dog goes over-board in dealing with the subordinate dog, you can tell him to 'leave it', but that's about it. If after a reasonable adjustment period, either dog is still miserable, get rid of one of them.

In severe cases where the issue cannot be resolved without risk of serious injury to one or both dogs, the answer is simple. Find a good home for one of the dogs. I have little patience for owners who would keep two dogs in what amounts to a battle-zone. Not only is it an unsatisfactory environment for the dogs, but running the risk of family members, especially children, being caught in the middle of a dog fight makes no sense to me.

Dominance towards family members, or attempts at domination , is also natural behavior, not just for dogs, but for people as well. Attempts, by the dog, to dominate the human members of his pack only become a problem if the dog achieves some measure of success. If these attempts are not properly dealt with, the situation will escalate out of control. If you own one of the larger breeds, and your relationship with your dog has reached that point, you are in a dangerous, explosive situation. Don't fool yourself into believing that, if you just love him more, he will respond by not being so nasty. It has nothing to do with either love or being nasty. You're dealing with an innate instinct, and you can't change his behavior by skirting-around the issues.

If he has already dominated you to the point that you're afraid of him, you need to be honest in assessing your ability to get him under control. No-one can do this for you. Others can help but the issue is between you and your dog and must be settled between the two of you.

Re-read the above paragraph, and if you still haven't made any decisions, go back and re-read this article from the beginning. If you get back to here, do this ...

Find a competent, experienced, trainer who is accustomed to dealing with aggression and do what he tells you.

The operative word, here, is 'competent'. There are truckloads of self-styled experts out there who wouldn't recognize the path to rehabilitation if they banged their heads on the signpost.

A good trainer may suggest a period of working with the dog himself first, and then have you work with the dog under his supervision. He may suggest muzzling the dog while you do obedience training. He may suggest something else. Whatever he suggests, give it your best shot. You're paying for his help. Do what he asks. If he suggests you get rid of the dog, seriously consider heeding his advice. He will have assessed both you and your dog, and if he feels it's a case of 'the wrong dog for you' ( a common cause of all kinds of problems ), he should tell you that, up front.

Final thoughts

Aggression is a complex and difficult subject to deal with. There are no easy fixes, or magic bullets. Each case must be approached individually, even though they have many elements in common. For that reason it is a difficult subject to write about as well. It would take a whole book to cover everything, and, there is always the danger that what is written may be clear to the author, but easily misinterpreted by the reader. I have spent long hours trying to present the material in this article in terms that are not easily misinterpreted. I have tried to emphasize the wisdom of having serious cases evaluated individually, by a competent professional. However, if there are things which are unclear, or which you need more detail about, feel free to contact me.

Good luck with your training!

Neil

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