UNDERSTANDING & DEALING WITH AGGRESSION
Canine aggression is a term frequently used to refer to the negative behaviors (often violent) that our dogs engage in, which often we cannot understand, appreciate, nor want in our lives. It covers behaviors such as: attacking, growling, biting, jumping up / on people or other animals; pulling violently on a leash; mouthing; tearing up objects, etc. The list is long…
Canine aggression can be frightening to watch. It happens so quickly that we cannot always see the events leading up to it. Many owners often say “I did not see it coming”; or “my dog suddenly attacked another dog for no apparent reason!”.
However, there is always a reason; and your dog usually WILL give signals that lead up to the aggression – only sometimes these signals take place in a split second and our human brains are not equipped to be able to follow this.
3 REASONS WHY OUR DOGS CAN REACT AGGRESSIVLY
I look at canine aggression through a different angle than most people, and to keep it simple, I like to look at it from 3 points of view:
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the physiological factors of your dog (that can create misunderstandings);
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your dog’s arousal levels;
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and communications (or lack of communication) between both parties.
Any and all of these points can cause misunderstandings between you and your dog, and can break a relationship.
Physiological factors
Dogs are primarily SCENT-orientated, whereas humans are primarily VISION-oriented, so in theory, we should be able to see what’s happening before it happens. However our brains are not setup to function at the same speed as our dog’s brains! This is one reason why we are unable to capture all the subtle signs leading up to an aggression.
In our dog’s world, all human actions take place at a slower pace than canine actions. If your dog loves to catch an object when you throw it, have you noticed that he seems to anticipate where it will fall and he nearly always catches it?
The reason is your dog’s brain has the time to register where the object will fall and the dog has those few extra seconds to place himself in the right position to catch it!
This is one reason why we are physically unable to see and understand every action our dogs take, and one of the most common reasons why misunderstandings often happen.
The Different Arousal Levels
The second point is your dog’s different Arousal levels and how they can affect your dog’s training capabilities and his behavioral problems. The higher the arousal level, the more exaggerated the dog’s movements and actions become, and the more reactive they will eventually become.
The different levels of arousal will affect how your dog responds to you (verbal or hand signals; body language …); and how he responds to the environment (other dogs/people/ animals; different noises; movement, vehicles …). In addition, arousal affects how positive and negative events are processed and the resulting behaviors. Pain or injuries can also cause your dog to react negatively towards his environment.
A calmer dog will choose calmer behaviors
Communication
The third point is communication. Each species has their own way of communicating with each other, and to a limited extent – with other species. This is through the cognitive senses that differ for each species.
Unfortunately, only the human brain has evolved to include speech and logic - to the detriment of our own cognitive senses - and to our dogs who can only rely on their cognitive senses to communicate with us.
We have lost the full use of most of our primal senses and replaced them with technology to enable us to communicate with one another – televisions, internet, cell phones, social networks etc., all exterior means of communication.
Why should we expect our dogs to know what we want if we are unable to understand and communicate with them!
5 TIPS ON HOW TO HANDLE AGGRESSIVITY
So, if our dogs are unable to understand what we want, let's try and understand them!
Tip 1 - We should stop working AGAINST our dog’s natural instincts and learn to work WITH them!
Tip 2 – Take the time to OBSERVE your dog
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Note what he likes and dislikes: food, toys, at home and in different environments. Your dog ‘s preferences will change with the environment.
Tip 3 - LEARN HIS BODY LANGUAGE.
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Watch what behaviors he carries out in different situations and in different environments. This will enable you to avoid possible conflictual situations. (Download the relevant documents here)
Tip 4 – Look at YOUR OWN BODY LANGUAGE around your dog
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Do you lean over your dog, either to pet him; to put down his food bowl; put on his leash/harness etc.? The majority of dogs do not like full frontal, close contact as this can represent a threat. It all depends on your dog’s personality – if he has a general optimistic view of life, he will probably not even notice. If he has a more negative attitude, then this is more likely to worry him and he may react negatively towards you.
You could try changing your direction and position. A side approach and kneeling down is less threatening to your dog.
Tip 5 - Look and see what CONCEPTS YOUR DOG STRUGGLES WITH. Then play the games that will strengthen and improve these concepts.
WHAT ARE THE CONCEPTS THAT DEAL WITH AGGRESSION?
Each dog will have different needs due to his character (is he an optimist or pessimist?); to some extent his breed (hunting, working, toy breed, etc.); his habitat (single or multi-dog household? Children? etc. ) his health, age and the type of aggression he displays. (Check out the presentation videos for more details on the concepts)
However all dogs suffering from reactivity issues, will periodically struggle with one, or more of the following concepts:
CALMNESS – many reactive dogs do not have enough calmness in their daily lives. Dogs, like us, need a certain amount of calm away from other activities and people, to lower their arousal level and recover their strength.
OPTIMISM - many dogs are pessimistic for one reason or another. The more pessimistic they are - the quicker they will go into high arousal, and the more reactive they can become. High arousal is detrimental to your dog’s optimal training capabilities.
Senior dogs and dogs with pain-related problems are more easily prone to pessimism and very quickly loose their confidence.
DISENGAGEMENT - this is a BIG struggle with most dogs. They are unable to disengage from events, unable to listen to you, unable to walk away.
THINKING IN AROUSAL – this is linked to DISENGAGEMENT. Is your dog able to quickly go back to a calmer level of arousal from a higher one? Is he able to re-engage with you instead of the environment, when his arousal level is increasing?
Whatever games you play with him, don’t forget to make it easy for your dog, and let him WIN!