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Aggressive Behavior in Dogs(1) What do we mean by "Aggressive Behavior"?To say that a dog is “aggressive” can mean a whole host of things. Aggression encompasses a range of behaviors that usually begins with warnings and can culminate in an attack. Dogs may abort their efforts at any point during an aggressive encounter. A dog that shows aggression to people usually exhibits some part of the following sequence of increasingly intense behaviors:1. Becoming very still and rigid2. Guttural bark that sounds threatening3. Lunging forward or charging at the person with no contact4. Mouthing without applying significant pressure5. “Muzzle punch” (the dog literally punches with his/her nose)6. Growl7. Showing teeth8. Snarl (a combination of growling and showing teeth)9. Snap (Air bite)10. Quick nip that leaves no mark11. Quick bite that tears the skin12. Bite with enough pressure to cause a bruise13. Bite that causes puncture wounds14. Repeated bites in rapid succession15. Bite and shake ()Many times, pet parents don’t recognize the warning signs before a bite, but dogs rarely bite without giving some type of warning beforehand.(2) Aggressive behavior problems in dogs can be classified in different ways -1. Territorial Aggression - ex. - dog bites a person that enters the yard 2. Protective Aggression - ex. dogs protects a family member. 3. Possessive Aggression - ex. dog guards its food dish.4. Fear Aggression- ex. dog bites when it goes to the vet.5. Defensive Aggression - ex. dog bites when someone rushes toward them.6. Social/Dominance Aggression - ex. dogs attacks a family member if they believe their position/status in the "pack" is being challenged.7. Frustration-Elicited Aggression - ex. dog becomes agitated if something it wants is held back.8. Redirected Aggression - ex. dog bites because it was already annoyed about something else.9. Pain-Elicited Aggression - ex. dog bites because it is in pain.10. Sex-Related Aggression - ex. dog bites as it competes for a potential mate.11. Predatory Aggression - ex. a dog bites as it hunts for food.Before you can hope to help your dog, you need to accurately diagnosis the reason for your dogs aggression. ()(3) Aggression directed toward people can take many forms –1. Aggression Directed Toward Familiar People - (1) May be a form of social/dominance aggression (2) May be a result of miscommunication (3) May be a form of fear aggression related to a previous punishment or some other unpleasant experience associated with the owners.How can aggression toward familiar people be learned?If owners do not prevent the dog from engaging in an aggressivebehavior, the behavior can be reinforced (which can lead to repetition of the behavior). (AN UPDATE ON CANINE HUMAN DIRECTED AGGRESSION BEHAVIOR, Debra Horwitz, DVM, DACVB)2. Aggression toward unfamiliar people -(1) May be a form of territorial aggression.(2) May be a form of protective aggression where theanimals is trying to protect family members regardless of the location. (3) May be fear-motivated aggression where the dog istrying to protect itself rather than the owner.Generally people and other animals that are least familiar to the dog or most unlike the members of the household are the most likely “targets” of territorial aggression. (AN UPDATE ON CANINE HUMAN DIRECTED AGGRESSION BEHAVIOR, Debra Horwitz, DVM, DACVB)(4) What should you do if your dog is aggressive?1. Take your dog to the vet to rule out the presence of any underlying painful medical conditions such as orthopedic problems, thyroid abnormality, adrenal dysfunction, cognitive dysfunction, seizure disorders. Sensory deficits or dementiacan also provoke aggressiveness, as can certain medications or changes in diet.2. Take your dog to an animal behaviorist experienced in treatingaggressiveness. A qualified professional can develop a treatment plan customized to your dog’s temperament and your family’s unique situation, and she can coach you through its implementation. She can monitor your dog’s progress and make modifications to the plan as required ()Watch this video clip - “Training Aggression? Counter-conditioning a Dog to Blowing in Face” (Click on the web address (Control + left click) or copy it into you address bar)(5) Can aggressiveness be cured?Our current understanding is that while the incidence and frequency of some types of aggression can be reduced, there’s no guarantee that an aggressive dog can be completely cured.Even if a dog has been well behaved for years, it’s not possible to predict when all the necessary circumstances might come together to create “the perfect storm” that triggers her aggression. Dogs who have a history of resorting to aggression as a way of dealing with stressful situations can fall back on that strategy. Pet parents of aggressive dogs should be prudent and always assume that their dog is NOT cured so that they never let down their guard. ()(6) Why do some breeds show a greater tendency toward aggressiveness?Dr. Kathelijne Peremans DVM, a veterinary radiologist at Ghent University, Belgium studied the aggressive dogs to see if there was a connection between brain structure and aggressive behaviors. According to Dr. Peremans, aggressive dogs have different brains.Dr. Peremans found (1) that the frontal and temporal cortices in brains of aggressive dogs were significantly different from those found in non aggressive dogs (animals24-) #2 frontal cortex #4 temporal cortexTaken from - (7) Can aggressive behavior be eliminated through breeding?In the 1950's, a Russian Geneticist named Dmitry Belyaev became interested in the process of domestication. Belyaev set out to see if he could breed the aggressive tendencies out of wild foxes being kept at fur farms through selective breeding.Watch this Video Clip – “Dogs That Changed the World” (From time 11:52 – 15:45) (Click on the web address (Control + left click) or copy it into you address bar)What did Belyaev discover?Selecting for one set of qualities can trigger many other changes.When Belyaev selected for tameness (lacking savageness or fear of humans) the following changes became apparent after 4 generations -New Physical traits - Change in coat color (increase in white), Floppy earsNew Behavioral traits - Increase in vocalization/barking Exhibits playful behavior lacking fear Animal will respond to it's name(8) Some video clips you may want to watch –Video- Tough Love: A Meditation on Dominance and Dogs Dogs Learn - Sophia Yin ................
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