Aggression in Dogs: Understanding and Controlling the Behavior
I'm often contacted because their sweet four-legged companion has suddenly become aggressive. But is it really sudden? Evaluating most of these dogs, it's commonly noticed that poor communication between the owner and their dog has occurred. In other words, the aggression was likely brewing all along and without the proper cues, the dog didn't know how to express itself any other way.
Aggressive dogs are commonly identified as being "reactive." Reactive dogs commonly show aggression in one of three areas: while eating, towards people, and or other dogs. Either can become liable, costing you money, whether it's paying medical bills for self, others or dogs.
Reading Your Dog
As its owner, as with your child, you should learn to read your dog to determine if said liability lingers. Signs of progression can be a dog snarling, which commences with the dog elevating its lips, slightly showing teeth; following snarling, the dog starts growling. While snarling may only show teeth, growling is when the dog becomes slightly noisy, conveying that the dog is becoming more irritable; Progression from this point may be a dog that starts barking, whereas when the dog was growling, the sounds appeared to be coming from under its breath, while barking is more of a deliberate act of intimidation; and finally, biting, where the dog makes intentional contact with its teeth.
Depending on the dog's confidence and or training, the dog may bite out of fear and or confidence. In most cases, dogs bite out of fear, in many instances when feeling threatened or cornered. Regardless, it's important to harness said behavior as dogs integrated into your family unit should be to add peace, whether for companionship, security, etc.; not to stress you out, becoming a liability.
Controlling the Behavior
Aggression is a behavior issue like any other – digging, chewing furniture, etc. The objective is to channel the dog's behavior from being a nuisance to an enjoyable companion. Like many animals, food determines the direction of the pack and or the leader thereof. If you feed your dog after the dog has acted out in an unbecoming manner, you're basically rewarding the dog for that behavior; and if the behavior was aggression, then you've encouraged it rather than deterred it.
Control the food and you'll control the beast. This is where your compassion will be tested. Food manipulation, done appropriately, plays a major part in rectifying most behavior issues. However, as mentioned, compassion tends to become a major issue when instructing the owners to be assertive and firm, while trying to redirect the dog from bad behavior as aggression.
Since food is a necessity, the food manipulation should be used as a troubleshooting tool, specifically when the dog conveys aggression. In other words, redirect the dog towards the food in those moments the dog's aggression is triggered. Food, as a necessity, should take precedence over all distractions; distractions that trigger aggression.
A Creative Solution:
As in classical conditioning, whenever handfeeding a dog, I recommend associating a sound simultaneously. I use a verbal clicker sound, which is intended to redirect the dog's attention from the distraction that's triggering the aggression, back to me as I'm offering the dog food – necessity. If the dog allows the distraction to override the food being offered, the implication would be that the dog isn't hungry enough to bypass the distraction. Hence, the evidence that your compassion is interfering by over feeding when you should be holding back.
By understanding your dog's behavior and employing creative solutions like the one above, you can help your pup become the happy, confident, and well-behaved companion you had always hoped for.
