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Canine Aggression

By Andy Kohly

Gun Dog Editor

I recently picked up on a message string that was circulating on one of the national gun dog message boards.  What had caught my eye was a message posted that eluded to a line of German Shorthaired Pointers from Arizona that were not only aggressive but down right nasty.  Wanting to learn more about this, I contacted several professional trainers and breeders but none of them had ever heard of such a bloodline in GSPs. I own two GSPs and they are from distinctly different bloodlines and like many gun dog owners I selected the breed based upon its reputation for being a good hunter as well as having a good, even tempered demeanor.

Even so I thought it would not be a bad idea to touch on the subject as in my quest for information I found that aggression is one of the biggest problems that exists with dogs today.  In fact, if you consider the trend to sue over almost anything, it’s easy to understand why an aggressive dog could be a personal injury attorney’s dream.

If you are among the unfortunate who have an aggressive dog, the first thing to do is visit the vet.  Like we humans, dogs can become grouchy, mean and irritable when sick or injured so a trip to the vet can eliminate any health problems that could be the cause.

If physiological causes are ruled out then the next step is to determine what type of aggression your dog has:

·        General Aggression

·        Chained Aggression

·        Possession Aggression

·        Cage Rage

·        Dominance Aggression

General Aggression

General aggression is the term used to describe a dog’s tendency to exhibit aggressive behavior to humans as well as other dogs.  In most cases it is due to improper socialization.  By selecting an honest and knowledgeable breeder who understands the value of socialization and incorporates it into his or her puppy programs, many aggression related problems can be avoided.

Chained Aggression

Chained aggression describes the aggression that can occur when a dog is chained up.  In this situation, the frustration factor increases in three ways.  First the dog believes everything with the reach of the chain is his territory and will often feel the need to defend his territory from intruders.  In addition a dog can become frustrated when day after day, children or even other dogs, cats, etc. stay just outside the reach of the chain and taunt or tease the dog.  The frustration factor increases even more when dog feels a need to escape a perceived threat which can lead to a dog attacking out of outright fear.  This type of attack can be by far the most serious, as the dog actually believes he his fighting for his life. Chained aggression is one of the easiest forms of aggression to control.  Provide adequate space for your dog and DON’T CHAIN YOUR DOG!!!!!

Possession Aggression

Possession aggression can occur if a dog perceives a certain item such as a toy, bone or shoe belongs to him.  Should someone the dog believes is beneath him in the pack order, say a small child, pick up the item, the attacks based on the belief that he is regaining his property.  Possession aggression can be avoided by early socialization and by letting the dog know where he or she fits in the pack order.

Cage Rage

Cage Rage is often the by-product of dogs that have been caged for long periods of time such as in the case of puppy mills or neglectful owners.  What happens is that over time the dog comes to see the confines of the kennel box or cage as his territory and that it must be defended from intruders.  In addition a dog that has been kenneled and taunted or teased can exhibit cage rage.  To avoid cage rage give your dog plenty of “free-time” outside of the kennel box.  Also, a rule in my home is that anytime a dog retreats to the safety of his kennel box he is to be left alone.  This can prevent the dog from feeling cornered and feeling a need to defend himself since escape is no longer an option.  This one is especially important for dog owners with young children who may crawl inside a dog’s cage or kennel box.

Dominance Aggression

Dominance Aggression can occur if a dog has trouble figuring out where they stand in relationship to the family/pack hierarchy.  What happens in the case of dominance aggression is that the dog believes he is the Alpha entity and will among other things ignore commands, snatch food off the plates of his perceived underlings and also “discipline” those who violate the rules he has established.  This most often occurs with new dog owners as they have yet to learn how to present themselves around their dogs.  Years ago I actually had a rescued Chesapeake bay Retriever who had a problem with this and a good friend of mine, an Army MP Dog Handler helped me solve the problem.  The first step was obedience training as well as a little training for me.  Enforce every command given, make the dog wait for you to enter a truck, building or gate, and also never allow yourself to be in a position lower than the dog.  This is especially critical as dogs see height as a sign of dominance but most humans don’t think twice about rolling around, wrestling or playing with their dogs.  Something else my friend showed me was what he called “The Alpha Role”.  The Alpha Role is very much like a Judo technique in which you literally roll the dog onto the ground and underneath you.  From that position the dog gets the idea very quickly that you not he, are the top dog.  It is important to note however that the Alpha Role is not something that should be attempted without proper training or supervision.

Conclusions

Unfortunately there are those sad cases in which a dog’s genetic makeup makes the dog aggressive by nature. In these instances the dog is very often put down but only after harming someone.  For the most part though a dog exhibiting canine aggression can usually be reprogrammed to more acceptable behaviors by providing a safe, loving and happy home for your dog.  Even easier is avoiding the problem altogether by being a responsible and conscientious dog owner and purchasing dogs only from reputable breeders with socialization built into their puppy programs.

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