Dog on Dog Aggressive Behavior
Posted on September 5th, 2010 Written by +Brian Benson Email Author
Dog to dog aggression may be due to varied reasons. This behavioral problem is complex and may surface at different times in a dog’s life. If this problem is left untreated, it may escalate and become dangerous to the people around.
More often than not, dog behavior problems such as this may be caused by previous occurrences. An example is when a dog is attacked by another dog. This may cause trauma that eventually leads to aggression.
In other words, owners must be cautious about how they allow their dogs to socialize. This is especially true with puppies since they are more susceptible to trauma.
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Owner Responsibilities
When faced with a threat, puppies and young adults look up to the leader of their pack for protection. In the case of domestic dogs, they look up to their owner as the leader of the pack. It is a common mistake for owners to let their puppies socialize with strange dogs. There are adult dogs that attack puppies and hurt them. Thus, owners must be cautious not only because it may result to injury but also because it leads to trauma.
Like humans, dogs go through stressful occurrences in their lives. These traumatic incidents, most of the time, lead to aggressive behavior. Owners cannot blame their dogs if they protect themselves whenever they feel threatened by other dogs. It is in their natural instinct.
With that said, owners must learn to understand dogs as animals with instincts and drives. This way an owner can avoid traumas and other difficulties in raising a canine.
Aggression and the Rank Drive in Dog Packs
Some owners do not understand how genetic pack drives influence a dog’s behavior. This drive subtly manifests itself when an owner brings a dog home. A dog’s pack drives has an effect on how they interact with the rest of the family members.
One dog, for example, lives with a family composed of a mother, a father, and their son. The dog deals very well with both parents but somehow gets aggressive with their son. This may be a manifestation of how the dog is trying to move up the pecking order in the pack.
This is also manifested in canine sibling rivalry. Puppies tend to compete for their mother or owner’s attention and this may result to aggressive behavior causing one puppy or dog to hurt the other.
In instances such as this, verbal correction is always helpful. Owners must also verbally correct their dog the first time they notice such behavior.
Most experts in canine training suggest keeping not more than two dogs in a household. The reason is the fact that pecking orders are established when there are three or more dogs raised at the same time. Once a new pecking order is established, each dog will compete to be the head of the pack. This is when dog to dog aggression usually happens.
Owners who do not have the time or the skills to handle dogs properly should not have more than two dogs in one household.
Aggression and Prey Drive
Even domestic dogs have prey drives. Some have more prey drives than others. These dogs will kill or chase other animals out of their own instincts or drives. Cats and chickens are the most common victims of dogs with high prey drives.
Some owners correct this behavior by using an electric shock collar. As the pack leader, the owner must take charge. The owner must always use the “leave it” command in using the collar. It is also important that the dog knows the command is coming from the pack leader.
Obedience Training and the Pack Leader
In most homes, dogs do not see their owner as their leader. For dogs, love and respect are two different things. They may love the hands that feed them but they respect the dominant member of the group.
With that said, the main solution to behavior problems such as aggression is to solve the pack leader issue. Some owners make the mistake of going through behavior training without establishing themselves as the pack leader. This problem is manifested when the dog behaves during normal circumstances. However, when it sees another dog, the desire to protect itself or to fight may be too h2 that it becomes aggressive again.
Once the pack leader issue is solved, an owner can take charge over the behavior problem. This can be done by using a firm command voice. Prong collars are used when a dog ignores the owner’s command. This sends a message to the dog so it knows who the boss is.
Seek Help
There are reputable behaviorists out there who can help solve behavior problems among dogs. These veterinarians, experienced trainers, and academics work on modifying particular dog behavior. They emphasize on problems involving separation anxiety, phobias, timidity, aggression, obsessive compulsive behavior, and fears.
Most of these behaviorists have developed their skills through years of behavior research and experience. Most of these professionals have background in veterinary medicine, animal behavior, animal science, biology, psychology, sociology, and zoology. They apply their knowledge and training to the relationship of a dog and its owner.
There are associations all over the world that are dedicated to the improvement of behavioral dog training. These trainings are helpful in many ways. For the last decades, dogs are used in police operations to help detect bombs and other missing items. This has helped save many lives. In a domesticated setup, however, dog training has helped improve the living condition of both the owner and the dog.
Dog behaviorists are also very adept at correcting aggression problems between one dog to another. The methods used to correct these problems depend on several factors. These factors include the trainer’s techniques and attitude on training, the dog’s disposition, the intensity of the dog’s violence against other dogs, and the trainer’s experience in handling such situations. Some dog behaviorists do not employ any coercive or aversive methods. These trainers rely on foods and treats to train and discipline dogs.
Others use verbal correction, correction collars, head collars, and electric collars to make dogs obey commands. These tools are effective in cases of dog violence involving other dogs.
Generally, the use of pain, fear, confusion, and other stressors should be avoided. This may cause inverse results and may even trigger more violence.
Factors that Contribute to Aggression
Dog aggression towards other dogs is also known as canine to canine antipathy. This form of aggression is defined as an intention to inflict harm. Most dogs show this by growling, snapping, and barking as they move towards a dog or a person. These dogs display this behavior as a form of defense. When left with no other option, this defensive behavior may lead to inflicting harm towards another dog. There are cases wherein medical conditions are involved. Some dogs display aggression as a result of hormonal imbalances.
Dog aggression is natural among canines. This is present in all breeds of dogs although some breeds are more predisposed to display aggressive behaviors than others. There are breed standards that serves as a guideline on whether or not a dog’s aggression is common for its breed. For example, bull and terrier breeds are more aggressive compared to other breeds. They are also more likely to develop canine to canine antipathy as they mature. The owner is therefore responsible for its proper socialization and exercise.
As discussed earlier, trauma is another main factor for dog aggression. A dog that was attacked as a puppy may develop phobia among its attacker. This also increases a dog’s chance of developing aggression towards other dogs.
Dogs that show antipathy towards other dogs don’t necessarily behave the same way to humans. Human and dog type aggressions are two different things. They do not usually occur in one animal and are not necessarily related.
To sum up, the common factors in canine to canine antipathy are as follows:
- Phobia, fear, or anxiety from previous trauma or experience.
- Absence of structure or correction of wrong behaviors
- Lack of socialization with other dogs
- Trauma
- Territorialism
- Medical conditions such as thyroid malfunction
- Experience of abuse from previous trainers or owners
- Physical illness and other medical ailments
- Predisposition based on genetics and breeding
Dog aggression is noticeable during social maturity or adolescents. The most common warning sign is nervousness, anxiety, and fear towards other dogs. Aggression while in the presence of the owner, on leash, and in the presence of treats or food is also a sign dog aggression.
Over the top behavior during play is a common sign as well. Play behavior has an evolutionary function of preparing a puppy for hunting or combat. These include chasing, tackling, pawing, nipping, wrestling, and mouthing. Puppies that show aggressiveness while doing these behaviors may develop aggression as it ages.
Most people mistake anxiety related aggression as a form of dominance aggression. This is inaccurate and unfounded. Rarely does dominance cause aggressive behaviors. The greatest cause, however, is anxiety and fear.
Lack of exercise does not cause aggressive behavior either. Although serotonin levels increase causing cortisol level to decrease with consistent exercise, it is still not enough to result to aggression.
Eradicating Dog Aggression
Dog aggression can be dangerous to humans and to other animals in the neighborhood. As discussed earlier, there are many treatments for this behavior but it depends on the underlying cause of the aggression. Most trainers recommend for dogs to get a veterinarian screening before any treatment, medical or not, is used.
Dogs that are aggressive due to fear may be genetically predisposed. It may also be caused by traumatic experience. To reduce a dog’s reactivity to the cause of the aggression, counter conditioning and gradual desensitization are usually employed. These programs are done by minimizing a dog’s exposure to stressful situations. The dog is then provided with praise, food, and play rewards. When implementing these programs, ignoring aggressive behaviors are highly not recommended.
Punishment as a method for curing aggressive behaviors may not be the best option especially to the unprofessional. Choking or shocking a dog may only lead to more stressful situations that may cause adverse results. A dog’s association to punishment is also difficult to control. Punishment also decreases the aggressive behavior but it certainly does not modify it. That is why there is a bigger risk for dogs to skip the aggressive signs such as barking and growling and directly precede to biting.
Behavior correction approaches based on dominance is highly controversial. It needs more studies as well since these methods are not yet validated. Dominance based approach also carries a great risk and chance for behavioral fallout. There may be an escalation of the behavior or a high risk of redirecting the aggression to other members of the family.
In all countries in the world, the United States has the highest recorded incidence of dog behavioral problems. There is an estimated 4.5 million victims of dog attack every year. One of the most probable reasons is the increase of multi-dog households in the country. A dog living with other canines may compete for food, attention, treats, and affection. This causes canine sibling rivalry that may eventually lead to aggression.
Another reason for the increased number of dog behavioral problems in the country is the busy lifestyle of the owners. AS working hours get longer and longer, an owner’s responsibility may slip and a dog may be neglected. Mild to extreme cases of negligence physically and mentally affect the well being of a dog.
Dog to dog aggression can be a serious problem. However, it can also be managed. Owners are responsible for the well being of their canine friends the same way a parent is to a child. Domesticated dogs have lost their natural instinct to hunt and gather food. They depend on their owners to feed them and take care of them. The rewards are very high since a dog who has love and respect for its owner can be more loyal than any other human can provide.
