Do you think your dog might be reactive or even aggressive? Some reactions are normal and necessary to survive, but when is help needed? Maybe you’re frustrated or embarrassed by the dog’s frustration when the delivery man arrives, or sad or even scared when the dog barks and pounces on the neighbor’s dogs. It doesn’t mean you have a bad dog, or that you’re a bad dog guardian. But it does mean that your dog needs help processing their feelings about certain parts of their life.
Emotions drive behavior. So, if your dog doesn’t have the necessary skills to deal with what scares him, his response may be to fly, freeze, or fight. Michael Shikashio, a certified behavior consultant who specializes in aggressive dogs, says, “I don’t distinguish between reactive and aggressive; they are one and the same. We look at actual behavior. “Usually, aggressive behavior stems from fear and “means threatening distance with a provocative stimulus,” says Michael.
Causes of fear-based aggression vary, but may involve:
- improper socialization
during early development - learning history
- Environment
- hurt
- genetics
Agents that cause reactions or aggression in dogs
Let’s say the stranger or person who excites your dog is a stranger. When she sees them, she tries to distance herself and hide (fly). But maybe a well-meaning stranger got closer, so she froze. The person then reaches out to stroke her, and she bites or bites (fights).
Or let’s say the trigger is other dogs and she barks and rushes in, trying to make the scary things go away. If the dogs walk away (or even continue in the direction they were headed), she feels her behavior “worked” and is likely to manifest these behaviors again. Unless she gets help.
Here are some typical triggers for aggression in dogs:
- Stranger
- Other dogs
- Cats; squirrels, chipmunks or other creatures
- Home visitor or delivery person
- Grooming procedures (especially nail trimming) or other treatments
- Being disturbed while resting or sleeping
- Protecting resources (protecting food, chews, toys, sleeping places, etc.) – a normal behavior that can escalate if not addressed early
Signs of aggressive behavior
So, what does aggressive behavior look like? A wagging tail is not always a sign of friendliness or happiness!
Your dog’s body language should be evaluated overall, but look for:
- Staring or “whale eyes”
- Body facing forward
- Tight mouth or corners of mouth
mouth with the letter “C” or “V” - Ears perched forward
- Tail straight, possibly wagging /
vibrate - Stressed body
More obvious signs of aggression will include:
- bark
- wandering
- growl
- Snapshot
- bite
“Nips” is the bite! And if your dog growls, don’t punish him, even verbally. A growl is a warning – punishing her means your dog may not give that gift next time.
Fear sign body language
Since fear is the most common cause of aggression, recognizing when your dog is scared and providing support is key.
Search:
- Folded tail
- Crouch
- Ears retracted
- Head turned to one side
and/or avoid eyes - Lick your lips, flick your tongue
- Yawn
- Panting or closing your mouth
- Increased vigilance
- tempo
- Move away
How to stop aggressive behavior in dogs?
If you observe body language or aggressive behavior, here’s what you should do:
- Manage behavior by removing your dog from the situation before things escalate.
- Any dog that exhibits aggressive behavior should be thoroughly examined to rule out a medical cause, especially if the behavior has a sudden onset. Michael emphasizes, “In many cases of aggression, there is an underlying medical problem or the need for behavioral medication or other support, starting with the veterinarian.”
- After excluding medical concerns, the focus was on emotions. Certified behavioral consultant Pat Miller says, “Fear-related aggression is by far the most common manifestation of aggression that I see in my behavioral practice.” If you believe your dog may be aggressive, it is important to seek professional help as soon as possible. A professional trainer will develop a tailored behavioral treatment plan for your dog after the assessment.
- In the meantime, prioritize safety. Manage your dog’s environment to protect people, especially children and other animals. Limit, or even eliminate, when possible her exposure to triggers as much as possible until you can put in place a training plan. This could include using an exercise crate, a children’s gate, or even moving your dog into another room to avoid contact with guests or delivery people. Feeling the need to react, even aggressively, is no fun for your dog, so give them a safe place to go. Add a food puzzle, to make it a good thing. If your dog is triggered by strangers, other dogs, or outside creatures, walk the dog in less busy areas at less busy times and when the creature is less active. . Anticipate triggers when possible and set your dog up for success. Also, consider properly training your dog with a well-fitting muzzle. Don’t just put your muzzle on her! Seek professional help to keep your dog entertained for long periods of time.
- Prevent your dog from being exposed to what scares them until you have help and a plan on board. “We don’t want to give our dog the chance to practice aggressive behavior… the more opportunities the dog has to practice the behavior, the harder it becomes to correct the behavior,” says Pat. so the longer people wait, the bigger the challenges.” Pat says reduce stress and minimize as many stressors as possible, not just immediate triggers. things that stress your dog and try to eliminate them if possible and minimize other things.Less stress means your dog feels better and is more receptive to learning.
Treating aggressive or reactive dogs
Because we look at behavior in the context in which it occurs, there is no universal cure.
Modern approaches to treating aggression are based on:
- Discover the underlying cause of aggressive behavior
- Addresses the underlying causes so dogs can learn healthy ways to deal with fear, stress, and anxiety.
Today’s treatment plans vary but often include correction and desensitization, which work to change how dogs feel about triggers for the word “Wow, that’s scary!” to “Yeah! great! “Active conditioning, such as the Look-That Protocol, helps dogs learn to engage with and detach from triggers voluntarily and calmly.
Many treatment plans also involve medications prescribed by a veterinarian or veterinary behaviorist.
Newer treatments may also incorporate one or more of:
- enrichment bracket (make sure to meet the dog’s needs)
- relaxation exercises (teach calm manners)
- empowerment (encourages choice and control)
- myths (understanding the relationship between heredity and behavior)
- erroneous learning (prevent
unsolicited response) - canine cognition (combination of problem solving and
decision) - microbiomes (test and study gut/brain connection)
Research on aggressive behavior or responses in dogs
We’re also tracking studies and studies like those of Darwin’s Ark, a pairing science expert and pet parent. As part of that research group, Dr. Jessica Hekman hopes to use canine genetic research to better understand the genes that influence aggression.
“We do not currently have any genetic markers predictive of canine aggression,” said Dr. Hekman. We don’t think we’ll be able to run genetic testing on a shelter dog to predict if it’s a safe pet, but one day we might be able to help breeders better guesses about which dogs they should breed for production. Safer pets. ”
Remember: Your dog doesn’t give you a hard time; she is in trouble. Be your dog’s advocate and assemble a team of experts to help. And have compassion for your dog and yourself – dealing with aggression is a difficult thing.
Teach this game
Look! is a fighting protocol also known as an interactive/withdrawal game. To keep your dog from being overstimulated by a trigger (like another dog), she learns to calmly look (engage) and look away from (interrupt) the trigger instead of reacting .
Here’s how to get started:
- Use a marker – a word like “yes” or an accent. Pair the marker with a multi-million dollar gift dozens of times so your dog knows the word/click predicts something great.
- When your dog is on a leash, stand a safe distance away from the trigger so they’ll notice but don’t react.
- When your dog looks at the trigger, use your marker and as soon as he looks at you, reward him. Repeat at least a dozen times.
- Gradually reduce the distance between your dog and the trigger, marking and handling if it is unresponsive. Repeat a few times before reducing the distance again.
Patience is the key. You want your dog to be able to look at the trigger consistently without reacting at increasingly long distances. Here are a few tips:
If your dog doesn’t look at you and remains focused on the trigger or response, turn around Step 1 and/or increase the distance between your dog and the trigger and start over.
Start with a low-level trigger in a familiar, low-stress environment.
Don’t get too close – let your dog decide the pace of progress.
When faced with an unexpected trigger, immediately go in another direction to increase distance.
Consider training your dog with an Emergency Look or Turn/Walk signal ahead of time for these types of situations.
If your dog is struggling and responding from any distance, Ask a coach for help.
Get more information on this technique from our sister publication The complete magazine about dogs in whole-dog-journal.com licensed How to teach your dog to just learn to walk.
Need a coach or behavior consultant?
