hey, y'all -

i was thinking about this problem of dom-dogs + human-primates, and the gap in understanding
among humans about dog-aggro. a dog does not wake-up one morning and decide - dogs bite for dog-reasons -
please do not layer human-filters on dog-behaviors; this is oxymoronic + self-defeating.
we need to use our Homo-sapiens brain-cells to grok a k9 Umvelt and dog-emotions -
not project our human-morals or human-emotions onto a dog-template as if they are
furry, 4-footed humans.
dogs deserve to be recognized for their unique status as our co-evolved, longest
non-human relationship... and dog-culture is just as valid as, altho very different
from, our various human cultures.

8 possible reasons for dog-aggro include:
* invasion of personal space -
in their crate, under a bed, their body is handled... IOW they are cornered, crowded, etc.
* PAIN or FEAR - self-defensive responses -
** flooding ** can trigger extreme-aggro; so can other severe emotional stress.
if U think humans do not guard injuries, chat with an EMT sometime - not one has not been
punched, elbowed, bitten, etc, by an adult-human in serious pain or panic (even sober adults).
* startled -
sleeping, resting, back turned, toddler falls over dog, DEAF dog touched unexpectedly, etc.
* medical condition -
hypothyroid, focal-seizure, trancing, heat-stroke, choking, airway blocked, hysteria or phobia (the vet
setting is a common trigger), DIET - corn-based foods will short dogs on tryptophan, a precursor
to serotonin, which lower theirs threshold of reactivity - looked at the other way, a corn-heavy diet
increases irritability greatly.
* territorial invasion -
a stranger enters the house via the back-door - the dog is cornered in the hallway,
bites, then flees to the living-room, barking maniacally. how was the DOG to know
that this person is a guest in the backyard, who only wanted to use the toilet? oops...
* maternal -
any bitch with pups; any livestock-guard with foals, lambs, chicks; etc.
* resource guarding -
defending ownership of a bone, food, toy, bitch in heat, OWNER, etc.

Quote:

FYI - The original Bone of Contention - many toys are readily shared; bones have Owners. if in doubt - give a bone ONLY in a crate, or skip'em altogether. Simplify life. - terry

* re-directed aggro -
the dog is actually upset with A, but cannot get to A and substitutes B -
or the dog is actively-aggro + engaged with A, and B sticks a body-part in there.
sticking HANDS, ARMS, etc into a Dog-Fight is really stoopid - don;t do that. Grab a trailing leash
on a combatant; stick in a chair / folding-table... open an UMBRELLA between them, etc.

__________________________________________________ _______
Special Note -
YOUR dog will not recognize U in the heat of battle - and a pitbull is
safer to touch when dogs fight, than is a toy-Poodle. (nope - not a joke.)
__________________________________________________ ____

dogs have no moral sense - they do not AVOID biting because it is a *bad* thing to do...
anymore than they deny themselves a meal out of a virtuous sense of self-denial.
dogs do not ENJOY getting so stressed, that they bite -
a dog trained in bite-work is engaged in a GAME, not frightened or angry;
a dog forced to bite by circumstances is in an entirely different frame of mind and emotion!
that dog is upset - very much so - and is not enjoying this at all.
over 85% of all dog-aggro is rooted in FEAR - and fear is not a pleasant emotion.
fear is stressful + distressing.

if Ur dog has bitten or threatened to bite, look at the circs from a dog POV - or ask a dog-pro
to evaluate the dog re various stressors, including handling (vet exam, husbandry behaviors,
grooming, claw-trims, etc), the dogs perception of various types of humans (an elder with
a cane, a child on a bike, a teen on a skateboard, a tall bearded man with a hat...),
threats to valued resources, strangers approaching the house, and so on.

lastly, try to frame all training, habituation and socialization not as suppressing
or quashing UNwanted behaviors, but rather as What behaviors do i *want*?
teach and reward those desired behaviors - and shape the dog for success,
by goof-proofing the process as much as is possible. Manage First - Then Train.
a dog who has been exposed to a wide array of settings, people, other animals, and so on,
with happy encouragement which avoids over-facing the dog, is capable of tremendous rebound
from big stress - we have immunized the dog against most trauma.
dogs who are forced or flooded are not able to bounce-back; they are brittle and fragile.
build the bounce into Ur dog!

happy training,
--- terry

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terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, TDF
*wolves R wolves, dogs R dogs, + primates R us.*
tmp, sept-2007

Good post. I had someone tell me their dog was aggressive because they were always getting in its face and kissing it so it got freaked obviously and growled at them. They then smacked it on the nose everytime it growled and wondered why it was beginning to snap when they leaned over it to kiss it

Good post as always Terry - worth reading through to the end.

Anyone who's ever read Jean Donaldson's 'Culture Clash' will recognise that biting is a normal expression of dog behaviour and it's us that gets it wrong... not the dog.

My dog has been my teacher, and I have experienced all the above scenarios with him (probably why they say Border Collies and Belgians are not for novice owners! but even though I was fairly green I knew I would have the right understanding for whatever he landed me with). Living with reactive breeds does teach you. Every time I wish I'd got an easier dog, I think about how less interesting it would be in comparison, and how strong a character he is in his positive side (which I love) that probably wouldn't be there in a different dog.

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re nicky-09

oh, well, great sequence of perfectly normal chimpa... errm - human behavior.


U gotta laugh - (said while shaking my head ruefully) - because otherwise
You would roar like an enraged Wookie,
and bonk those dog-owners hollow heads together whilst shouting,
Train positively! Shape for success! Teach, do not punish!
Do not invade the dogs personal space! Consequences drive behavior!
A, B, C - Antecedent, behavior, consequence! Dogs don;t hug! 80% compliance before attaching the cue! Proof all cued behaviors! Distraction, distance, duration! Premack for difficult behaviors! No behavior is trained until it is on stimulus control! Error-proof the training process! Four score and seven years ago!...
and then those nice men with the rubber-lined truck will come and lead U gently away, still shouting incoherently...
Every day in every way, i am getting better and better! Tide rinses clean! Dogs love their routines! You;re in good hands with All-State! The quick red fox jumped over the lazy brown dog!
fading into the distance..

the use of shock in re-training
i have heard that shock-treatment for the humans can be very helpful -
not psychiatric, no; the spouses take turns wearing the shock-collar, and applying the shock to their OH whenever s/he behaves inappropriately toward the dog.
warning the offender with a short, loud beep 2-seconds ahead of their zap, which allows the pending offense to be interrupted, avoids the casual application of shock. but one woman forgot to remove the collar from her husband before he got into the shower
(they cannot be taken off by the wearer - only by the spouse), and when he began singing, she automatically and thoughtlessly hit the shock button. oops...


he is recovering from the trauma, but still becomes hysterical when he hears rounds being sung by the 4-H and summer-camp kids...
he had sung Row, Row, Row Your Boat, and had segued into Frere Jacques, when she zapped him... it was an honest mistake.

better living thru electricity,
--- terry

__________________
terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, TDF
*wolves R wolves, dogs R dogs, + primates R us.*
tmp, sept-2007

Hehe good idea. The most frustrating thing they train everything else with treats, point blank refuse to use anything cruel like a choke collar it's just this one thing

bump..............

__________________
terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, TDF
*wolves R wolves, dogs R dogs, + primates R us.*
tmp, sept-2007

bump..................

__________________
terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, TDF
*wolves R wolves, dogs R dogs, + primates R us.*
tmp, sept-2007

bump...........

__________________
terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, TDF
*wolves R wolves, dogs R dogs, + primates R us.*
tmp, sept-2007

Great post Terry

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