Yvonne got an interesting question from Mae the other day. I'm sure it's a question many of us dog
owners have faced at one point or another in our dog owning lifetime. I know it struck home with me because I've had to deal with it with two dogs I've owned in the past.
What do we do with a friendly, lovable, loyal canine family member that exhibits aggressive behavior towards other dogs, people or even children? This can take several forms. [unlike Darcie, shown with me on a camping trip, here]
- The protective dog that growls and menaces our friends when they come to visit.
- The dog that gets excited when our kids are playing tag with other kids and intervenes with a chase and a nip.
- And most commonly, the dog that behaves aggressively towards other dogs on almost any occasion.
It's a very common problem and can be very serious for the owner and the pet. The most common cause of euthanasia, and the most common reason an adopted dog is returned to an animal shelter involve behavior problems. And aggression is at the top of the list.
When I was in Vet School I had a beautiful German Shepard Dog named Fritz. Around my girl friend and I, Fritz was a wonderful loving dog, but he was very protective in any other setting. Then, when I was in practice in Montana a rancher gave me an Australian Shepard we called Woody. Woody never seemed to make the connection that our friends were any different than the cattle and sheep he was responsible for on the ranch.
When Woody bit one of my daughters friend's in the face when they were playing a game of tag, he bought himself a one way ticket back to the ranch.
I'll bet a dollar that Mae's mixed breed dog has a little Shepard or herding breed somewhere in the pedigree. These breeds and their cross's were bred to protect and herd. So, some of this type of behavior is genetic. But these dogs are also highly intelligent and very trainable and that in the end is how we deal with this behavior.
It's imperative that these dogs be socialized at an early age. The earlier the better. Once they are accustomed to their new home and you have established yourself as the dominant pack member it's time to get them out in settings where they meet other humans and dogs. It's also imperative that they get basic training as soon as possible.
These dogs need a masters degree in come, sit, stay, down and NO! And they need to be well versed in these basic commands in the presence of strangers. One of the best things you can do with a new pup is get them in a big multi dog, multi human obedience class. This is where they learn and socialize at the same time.
What about older dogs like Mae's pooch? Most of the same things apply except you missed the early socialization period. Make sure that you get in an obedience class if you need to. And since some of the undesirable behavior is already established you have to take steps to change it. Make sure you establish yourself as top dog. You don't have to be mean or punish. That doesn't work. It's especially ineffective after the fact.
The basic training process with an experienced trainer will help establish you as the alpha dog.
And finally, one of the most effective training tools I've ever seen is a Gentle Leader Collar. This alternative to the choke collar helps break the tug of war cycle we get into in bad situations. Take a look at the web site and when you sign up for obedience class ask the trainer if they think this can be an effective aid.
Good luck Mae and let us know if things improve!
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