What is
dog aggression?
For the purpose of this blog post, we will define “dog
aggression” as any circumstance in which a dog displays an undesired behavior
toward another dog. This behavior could be as simple as excessive barking or may
be a more severe reaction such as snarling, snapping, or biting. There are a
number of triggers for these behaviors, but they all fall under the umbrella of
“dog aggression.”
What
causes dog aggression?
A common misconception people have about dog aggression is
that it is purely a result of poor socialization and it can be “cured” with training/dog
parks/play dates/etc. The cause of dog
aggression is actually multifactorial; a combination of nature and nurture. Sure,
poor upbringing and lack of socialization play a part in the development of dog
aggression, but so do genetics. Just
like humans, dogs’ personalities are highly variable. Some are born to be
outgoing and universally dog friendly while some are born to be more reserved
and dog selective.
The age of the dog also plays a role in dog aggression.
Often puppies are very dog friendly, but their dog tolerance can change as they
reach maturity (around 2-3 years of age).
What
triggers dog aggressive behaviors?
Aggressive behaviors can be triggered by a variety of
circumstances and the purpose of the aggression can range from protection of
resources/territory (toys, food, spot on the bed, etc) to formation of a social
hierarchy (establishment of alpha dominance).
My dog
gets along with some dogs, but not others. Does that mean that he/she is dog
aggressive?
Bad Rap has a wonderful article about dog tolerance levels.
They describe four tolerance categories (dog social, tolerant, selective, and
aggressive) and explain that these categories are constantly in flux. A dog
that was previously dog social can lose tolerance as they mature and ultimately
fall into a more dog selective category. I think it is important to figure out
where your dog’s tolerance level falls. When you understand your dog’s
preferences you can better prepare yourself to manage the situations to which
your dog is exposed.
What can
I do to improve my dog’s behavior with other dogs?
First and foremost, the best thing you can do for your dog
is to set him up for success. Don’t put your dog in situations that result in
the undesired behavior. Avoidance of triggers is the easiest and most effective
way to manage dog aggression. For example: is your dog possessive of his toys? Then
pick up the toys when other dogs are around. Do your dogs fight over food? Then
feed them separately. Does your dog hate strange dogs running up to him? Then
the dog park is not the ideal setting for him.
Once you learn to avoid triggers, you will be 75% of the way
to a happier household. The remaining 25% of your energy can then be spent on
training and behavior modification exercises.
Why do I
need to manage my dog’s interactions?
Have you ever met a person that you don’t like? Perhaps that
person is too rude, too bossy, or too awkward. Whatever it is, you’d just
prefer to avoid any future encounters with that person. It doesn’t mean that
you hate all people, it just means
that there are certain personalities that don’t mesh with yours. The upside for
us is humans have the ability to alter their situation. We can control our
level of interaction with people we don’t like. Dogs can’t. They rely on us to
do that for them.
What are
some training exercises to help with dog aggression?
The best training trick you can teach your dog is “focus.” The ability to gain your dog’s focus despite any
surrounding chaos can help in a wide range of situations. Imagine you are
walking your dog when he suddenly sees a squirrel. Without a second thought,
little Fido jerks the leash from your hand and takes off running. He is just
about to run into oncoming traffic when you shout a stern “Fido!” and he stops
dead in his tracks and turns to look at you. All of that “focus” training just
totally paid off, didn’t it?
 |
Harry practicing his "focus" while Layla
watches squirrels |
To practice gaining focus, start in your house with a low
level of distraction. Keep a few tasty treats on hand and watch your dog as he
goes about his business. As soon as his focus seems to be away from you, say
his name once, in a happy tone. If he turns to look at you, reward him with a
treat. Continue practicing, increasing the distractions as he learns.
The “focus” in response to verbal command generally works
great at home, but sometimes once you are outside amidst the excitement of a
walk the verbal recall is not as effective. In these situations, I find that
bringing my dogs’ favorite squeaky toy is a miraculous replacement for my
voice. Here, I give one squeak on the toy alongside my verbal command and “POW!”...
I’ve got their attention again.
When you notice your dog’s attention turning negatively
toward another dog, use the “focus” trick as a tool to get your dog’s attention
back onto you. Once you regain focus, remove the trigger as quickly as possible
to prevent any further negative behaviors.
Our dog
does well with other dogs outside the home, but he/she is not adjusting well to
the new dog we brought home. What can we do?
I highly recommend a process called “crate and rotate”
whenever you bring a new dog into the home. “Crate and rotate” is an exercise
where for a set period of time (generally 1-2 weeks) you keep your
resident dog and your new dog completely separate from each other. This means
that only one dog is out at a time.
This period of separation allows your resident dog to accept
the fact that there is a new dog in the home and that this dog is there to
stay. At the same time, it allows the new dog time to adjust to his new
surroundings without the added stress of having to meet and interact with his
new canine sibling.
 |
| Ringo and Crosby practcing side-by-side walking |
I know that “crate and rotate” is not ideal. Taking dogs
outside to potty separately and having to spend time with each of them
individually is time consuming and exhausting! But trust me, giving both dogs
time to adjust before forcing an introduction will make a world of difference
in how well they are able to get along.
Another trick I often resort to when things seem a little
tense between the Drool Crew members is side-by-side walking. This exercise is
best when there are two people (one to walk each dog). Walk the dogs side by
side, first with the dogs on the outsides of the two humans. As the walk
progresses, allow the dogs to walk side by side, between the two humans. Side-by-side walking allows the dogs to exercise
and bond as pack members all while reinforcing the humans as their pack
leaders.
Every dog
should get to go to the dog park and have doggy friends. Don’t you think avoiding
these “triggers” is unfair to my dog?
Absolutely not! It’s not unfair to avoid situations that
make your dog uncomfortable. It is, however, unfair to continue to put him into
situations in which he cannot succeed. His well-being is dependent upon you, and
being forced outside of his comfort zone is not in anybody’s best interest.
Oftentimes people project their wants/needs onto their pet.
It is YOU that wants to go to the dog park. YOU want your dog to
get along with your friends’ dogs. YOU want to bring home a second dog. YOU
think your dog is missing out on a great experience, but I can assure you…he is not.
Your dog doesn’t want anything beyond your love and affection.
Rachael, the proprietor at "Your Dog's Diner", is also the human behind the blog 2travelingdogs.com, a website dedicated to the adventures of her two rescue dogs, Brickle and Digby. After a few years of successful blogging, Rachael and her husband made the jump to small business owners. They combined their love of dogs with their lifelong love of cooking to bring us "Your Dog's Diner".
3. Combine meat, soup mix, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and 6 cups of water or unsalted chicken broth into a large pot.
1.
Layla (our first foster fail) has terrible
separation anxiety. In our attempt to find a solution, we tried leaving her uncrated
in the basement with a baby gate at the top of the stairs. We quickly
discovered that she could crawl under the baby gate. Our next genius idea was
to put two 30-pound dumbbells in the gap beneath the baby gate. They were heavy
enough that she wouldn’t be able to push them out of the way and escape…so we thought.
We came home from work that day to be greeted at the front door by Layla. With
a feeling of dread, I slowly moved toward the top of the basement steps. As I
turned the corner, I screamed. The giant floor to ceiling mirror had fallen to
the floor. The baby gate had been pried off the wall. And, at the bottom of the
basement stairs sat two 30-pound dumbbells; the tile floor beneath them
shattered. EPIC FAIL! (Please do not
judge our stupidity. We realize now that this was one of the most terrible
ideas ever conceived)
2.
Our foster Autumn (mother of the 7 puppies that
we also took in) had separation anxiety. She destroyed 6 metal wire crates
before we finally started just leaving her loose in the house. Once we started
leaving her loose, her anxiety improved immensely. So much so that she began
redecorating our home in her spare time. It was Christmastime and we had
decorations everywhere. We came home one evening to quite the surprise. She had
removed our stuffed snowmen from the living room shelf and placed them gently
on the floor of every bedroom and bathroom. She had also carried the low
hanging Christmas ornaments upstairs to our bed and tucked them beneath the
pillows. This happened almost every day in December. Although completely
adorable, scouring the house and cleaning up scattered decorations did get a
little tiresome. 
3. Several years ago we took in a momma dog and her
two 3 week old puppies. Those tiny puppies could not have been any cuter! Unfortunately,
those tiny puppies grew and turned into bigger puppies, and the bigger puppies
were poop machines! All of my free time was devoted to cleaning up their potty.
Usually while I cleaned up, the puppies pranced around, pottyed more, and tap
danced in their messes. I lasted almost 2 months before my husband found me
sitting in the puppy room, covered in puppy poop, crying hysterically. “If I clean up one more puppy mess I may lose
my mind!” I whined between sobs. Well guess what? I cleaned up more messes and
still had some sanity to spare. 
4.
Bogart (the momma to the puppies mentioned in #3)
was nursing when we got her so we couldn’t spay her until the puppies had been
weaned. Unfortunately for us, Bogie went into heat before we could get her
spayed. I won’t go into graphic detail, but I will say that the puppies (and my
furniture) were constantly covered in blood. The puppy room looked like a crime
scene. I can safely say that this was my husband’s least favorite fostering moment.
7. Sadly, our bed seems to be a recurring theme in
this list. I was napping one Saturday and Crosby climbed onto the bed and I was
awoken by the sound of him tinkling all over it. Needless to say, there was A LOT
of yelling. Crosby’s combination of tinkle and disruption of my nap made this
one of my angriest foster moments. 
