MISCONCEPTIONS
WHAT CONSTITUTES AGGRESSION
If your dog growls at you when you are playing tug o' war, but not at any other time, then you don't have an aggression problem. It's a "play issue". Left unchecked it can lead to aggression in the future.
If however, your dog growls at you, or the children, while he is eating, when you are putting on his leash and collar, or when you give him a command, then you DO have an aggression problem.
If the dog nips and is young, then the prognosis is good that all you need to learn are a few positive and negative reinforcement techniques for a speedy reversal of the situation. However, if the dog bites and is NOT a puppy, then you have a more serious problem and require professional intervention. Biting, for whatever reason, can be the most difficult problem to correct. Professionally handled, it is considerably easier than you might think! Left unchecked, it is THE most serious problem you have to face with your dog!
FIRST TENET OF AGGRESSION THERAPY
The first tenet of Aggression Therapy is: Aggression begets aggression. Hitting an animal to correct aggression is not an option (although in an emergency situation, it may be your only recourse if are actually being attacked, although there are better means of protection and escape). If it is your own dog, you should immediately consult someone who is experienced in working with aggressive dogs. If it is NOT your dog, but you know the owners, then you should attempt to put them in contact with a professional behaviorist or trainer experienced in working with such dogs.
AGGRESSION CATEGORIZATION
Canine aggression is often classified as: dominance aggression, fear aggression, protective aggression, territorial aggression, dog to dog aggression, play aggression, possessive aggression, pain aggression, or predatory aggression. However valid these categorizations may be; if looked at closely, all come from a basis of only three sources...FEAR, FRUSTRATION, or PHYSIOLOGICAL DISORDER.
FEAR AGGRESSION
With the exception of "pain aggression" and possibly "play aggression", all of the aforementioned "aggressions" stem from FEAR. Fear of losing something of value to the dog i.e.: dominance, a family member (human or not), turf, or food (prey). The solution is to show the dog that he is NOT going to lose anything by being non-aggressive, but in fact will greatly benefit from being well behaved!
PLAY AGGRESSION
Play aggression is simply not having been taught how to "play nice". What appears to be "play aggression" may be the early stages of the what becomes "possessive aggression" if not corrected early on. Play aggression is one of the easiest of aggressions to overcome.
FRUSTRATION AGGRESSION
One form of aggression that has not been formally categorized: FRUSTRATION. Frustration aggression is very common in reality. A dog may act out his frustration at not understanding what you want. by growling or nipping. If your method of teaching is not modified, the dogs frustration may compel it to start biting. Most likely to follow is striking out at the dog, which only compounds the problem and a cycle of abuse begins.
PHYSIOLOGICAL DISORDER AGGRESSION
Aggression can also be from a PHYSIOLOGICAL DISORDER. Almost any physical discomfort the dog is experiencing can be a root cause of aggression. While a common disorder, such as an ear infection is easily detected, many disorders require further veterinarians skills to detect. Be sure you know that your dog is completely healthy before deciding that the aggressive behavior is more problematic.
POOR BREEDING AND RESCUE DOGS
Many physiological, as well as psychological disorders can be traced to poor breeding. Sad as it may seem, not all dogs are as cute inside as they are outside. Yes, aggression can be an inherited trait! Aggressive, as well as non-aggressive dispositions can be bred. As a friend of mine states: "Genetics loads the gun. Environment fires the gun."
Referring to Environment, some breeds of dogs are more predisposed to aggressive behaviors, due to either the original purpose for which it was bred, or the breed holding closer ties to its wolf instincts. Be sure you are aware of your breeds general behavioral background tendencies and then train with those thoughts foremost in your methods.
If you have, or plan to get a rescue dog, try to find out as much background information about the dog as possible. While much of the time the information is simply not available, the more accurate information you can get, the better your chances of not repeating a mistake.
The vast majority of these dogs have been abandoned to the fates by owners who simply did not know how to train properly. Many of these dogs come from abusive situations. Whether the abuse was intentional, or not, many of these dogs have suffered physical and/or mental abuse and have resorted to aggressive behavior for protection. PLEASE ADOPT, by all means! There are thousands of wonderful companions out there just waiting for a good home.
