Aggression between dogs and humans
As a behavioral concept, aggression between dogs is separate from aggression towards humans. When observing aggression, it is prudent to consult your veterinarian, simply to rule out medical causes, as there are over 50 medical reasons for aggression.
Sometimes it’s hard for us mere humans to read the signs of dogs that are likely to attack us or intend to attack us, we are not equipped to read the body language or subtle cues of our canine friends. Dogs, for example, with floppy ears, such as Weimaraners, or dogs with tails that curl over their backs, such as Akitas and Chows, do not give the same signals as, for example, a Collie or an Alsatian. . The classic erect tail and set back ears cannot be seen in some. breeds which is also the case with hairy breeds, we cannot see the creeps and other obvious signs.
Most attacks are on relatives, neighbors, or people known to the dog owner. Due to overcrowding problems, most attacks take place in towns or cities rather than rural or agricultural areas. A sad fact of life is that children are often the victims. The incidence of facial reconstructive surgery in young children is not what many imagine caused by car accidents or others, but is favored by dog bites.
The choice of dog also has a marked effect on whether aggression or biting is likely to occur; protective breeds tend to guard, herders tend to herd, and recovery dogs retrieve efficiently. So if a dog has been bred to protect, we can’t be too surprised that it does exactly that.
It is very unusual for a dog to suddenly attack for no apparent reason, meaning unexpected attacks are almost unheard of. We’ve all met the person whose dog attacks his dog or bites his ankles and the pitiful cry is “Oh, he’s never done that before.” I even had an owner whose dog attacked mine and she said exactly that. Then the next day the same dog did it again and uttered the same mantra, I pointed out that he might want to get tested for Alzheimer’s.
The owners deny their dog’s behavior. They excuse the aggressive Terrier or the nipping Collie or the growling miniature breeds because they perceive this to be acceptable behavior for the breed. This mentality normally means that dogs go unchecked when first observed, allowing the trait to become stronger and eventually very difficult to eradicate.
I have found that most aggression is based on fear, although we often categorize it as predatory, sexual, territorial, protective, and nervous/fear aggression. Having said all that, it is rare for the dog to have just one of the above problems, and the worst combination is Dominant and Nervous/Fear aggression together. Dog aggression problems are often rooted in early play and contact with other dogs, especially dogs from the same household who play regularly. Taking responsibility and playing control games should give the owner control over each dog and help in both the short and long term with this type of unacceptable behavior.
Intact, unneutered males are more likely to show dominance aggression than either neutered males or spayed females. This is more likely to be controlled by androgens as females that show aggression before puberty and are spayed become more aggressive. Dominant aggression and protective aggression are the #1 and #2 causes of treatment by behaviorists.
Aggression between dogs. It is generally social in context and can occur between dogs within the same household, and is never driven by hormones, although it usually begins at social maturity (18 to 24 months). The dog is challenged by a stare or punch or body block, and then each dog behaves in reaction to what the other dog did.
Strange dogs meeting, even with two dogs fighting, usually respond to protective aggression (and classic lead aggression in some cases). One characteristic of dog-to-dog aggression is that aggressive intentions are not shown to other animals. The dog can live friendly with cats, horses and other animals or pets.
Protective aggression is stimulated by sudden movements. The dog often inhibits behavior in the absence of its owners (no owner to protect) or in strange places (dog shows are fine). Dominant aggression occurs overwhelmingly in males (90% of cases), is first evident in social maturity (18 to 24 months), worsens with punishment, and can be hereditary. This type of aggression is the type that is looked for in the 8-week puppy test. If identified at that age, early intervention is required to save the dog; but not all dogs with dominant aggression can be identified at 8 weeks.
Most of us have dogs that show signs of territorial aggression: our dogs bark at someone at the door, guard the car, bark when people pass by on the sidewalk. All social animals exhibit some protective aggression. This behavior is increased by fences; the dog is capable of continuous “patrol” and guarding, and the behavior becomes extremely bad if the dog is on an electric fence or chained. It can also worsen if “door greeting” abnormalities are tolerated: the owner greeting someone at the door with the dog restrained while he pulls on the collar.
For Dominant aggression, in contrast to Protective aggression, there is more growling, growling, biting, and staring. Barking is considered a sign of protective aggression – think of dogs that bark as you pass through a garden. Dominance aggression is considered a control concept, as opposed to possession of an object (food aggression) or challenge (will the dog get up from the couch or growl?). Dominance aggression is more common among male owners who like the concept of “big, tough dogs,” so some breeds are more likely to be diagnosed.
But the worst dominant aggressive dogs I have dealt with have usually been Toy Poodles and Shih Tzus; their behavior is more likely to be seen as innocent and tolerant of the owner. There are about 15 things people do to exacerbate dominance aggression, as simple as looking at the dog or pushing his butt, leaning over him, correcting him on the leash. There are about 20 signs that the dog intends to become dominant-aggressive, as innocent as standing on your feet, leaning against you, “talking back” to you, standing in front of you at the door, jumping into your lap, these signs often are tolerated in smaller dogs.
Dogs with aggressive dominance are classified behaviorally as those who think they are alphas, capable of controlling people and doing things their way, a poor, poor prognosis generally. And then there are those dogs where all the signs were. First, although other aggressive behavior does not predict dominance aggression, dominance aggression is all about control, and the dog usually has other forms of aggression as well.
Second, when the dog has climbed through various signs of aggressive dominance, standing over people, sitting in span, and the owner allowing it. Then the dog thinks he is in charge, as when the teenager starts to talk back to test the limits. This kind of dogs will alter their behavior to the individual. The dog may not behave aggressively with an experienced handler (the handler is in charge), or when he is eating he may not bark at people passing by. The dog can interrupt and inhibit aggressive behavior, but chooses her timing not to react.
It is actually the easiest dog to work with, as the dog is able to take cues from the context and behave appropriately. However, it would be extremely difficult to determine the exact genetics of this behavior, since the development of the behavior depends not only on the genes but also on the situation of the owner. If the dog was genetically predisposed but owned by a good trainer and discouraged at a young age from barking at the door, for example, it may not exhibit the trait. On the other hand, a dog that may be genetically less predisposed but encouraged to exhibit the behavior becomes a major problem.
