Different Types of Aggression

8/7/2019 Different Types of Aggression

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Different Types of Aggression

Aggression is one of the main reason dogs are euthanised or rehomed. At least 30% of all dogs in

rescue centre's are there because of the incidence of aggression in one form or another. It isactually unusual to have a dog that is aggressing to have just one type, Most dogs have more than

one of the following types of behaviour. It would be prudent before embarking on any programof aggressive behaviour modification, to rule out any medical reasons for that behaviour,

especially if there is a sudden change in the dogs temperament.

Their are some fifty-odd different medical reasons why a dog may be showing aggressivetendencies, these range from Pain to Thyroid Dysfunction, EpilepsyHypoglycemia and

Diabetes. This is only a part of the different types of aggression, because of the constraints ofspace it can only be a fleeting reference. I have covered fully Food Guarding and Object and

Possession Aggression in previous articles in Dogs Monthly (one of the numerous magazines Iwrite articles for)

1. Fear / Nervous

Aggression

(Interdog)

Quite often, thisbehaviour has its

roots directly tothe pups mother.

Breeders thatbreed from fearful

and timid bitcheswill often make

excuses as to whyyou cannot see the

dam. If you do

view a litter of puppies and the mother is fearful then do not even consider buying a puppy. It isalmost certain that the pups will inherit some of the mothers traits, through both genetics andsocialisation, genetically the pups may inherit her timidity and through the time they are with her

will observe her fear and follow suit.

Scientific research has shown that even pups that are born to a solid and stable mother are thenput with a bitch that is fearful, they will pick up some of the unstable habits from the fearful dog,especially in weeks three through to seven. Other reasons for this fear type of problem is when a


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puppy or adult dog is attacked by another dog, especially whilst on the lead, especially if the doghas no means of escape or is restricted from showing submissive body language to the attacker.

If we then comfort the injured or frightened dog we only confirm that the fear is real and thatwill only make matters worse.

Lack of early socialisation can also have an affect on this type of behaviour, If the young pup,especially between the age of seven and sixteen weeks, is not carefully socialised with both adultand pups alike, then they do not learn to meet and greet . The complex body language dogs

learn at this age is crucial to their later behaviour when approaching unknown dogs. If they areunable to either perform or understand the greeting rituals, then they are immediately viewed

with suspicion by the approaching dog, and conflict may arise

How can you tell if it is fear?With nervous and fear aggressive dogs, you will find that they will react similarly to any dog,

regardless of whether it is male or female. The behaviour is often worse if the dog is on the leador is cornered, especially if close to the owner, who backs up the behaviour, (though unwittingly)

by becoming nervous and agitated as another dog approaches.

This manifests itself in a tightening up on the lead and shoulders because of the expectation of

conflict. Nervous owners also kick out a cloud of adrenaline that the dog instantly detects acauses it to look for what is causing the concern. It sees the dog approaching and reacts

accordingly. This type of dog is also normally a barker, it will lunge and bark at the approachingdog but generally will not snap, unless all its options have run out ie flight or freeze and after all

its threat posturing the other dog has still got too close.

This problem can often be diagnosed if someone who is confident around dogs (that the dog doesnot know well) takes it out on the lead. It will not get the same fearful vibes from the owner,

therefore the reaction to another dogs approaching will be less intense. It is a good way offinding out if your dog suffers fear aggression as the behaviour will either not be exhibited or

will be less pronounced. The owner can then use a desensitisation program for both the dog andthemselves.

2. Fear / Nervous Aggression (Inter-human)


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Once again, thiscan be caused

through lack ofearly socialisation,

bad breeding and

sometimes lack ofhandling at anearly age, starting

as young as twoweeks old. Pups

that are nothandled gently and

often by thebreeder, do not get

the strongolfactory and

tactile bond withhumans. This is

often the case withpuppy farmed

dogs and dogsborn to large

breeders. Thishandling at such

an early age causes a mild stress response in the tiny pup, which benefits its ability to cope withmany situations including people and dogs in later life

Nervous and fear aggressing is always defensive in nature, sometimes it is related to the sex of

the person. If the breeder was female, and very few males visited or handled the puppies then thetimidity and fear may be worse with men. This particular problem like interdog hostility, will

manifest itself mainly with individuals rather than crowds. You will find that the puppy/dog willbark a lot but will be under a table or behind a settee. The tail will be down and although it may

seem overtly aggressive, the dogs balance and weight will be on the back foot not over the frontfeet. This demonstrates that the dog wants you to go away and is not always initially trying to

bite or attack you. A gradual and careful introduction to the stimulus that is causing the fear withpositive reinforcement for calm behaviour is the way to overcome this type of problem though

the dog will rarely make a total and full recovery and will never be the life and soul of the parkparties.

3. Frustration or Redirected AggressionResearch has shown that dogs who are not allowed to interact normally with people and dogs

who were prone to displays of bad temper and behaviour that is overtly aggressive are dogs thatare generally physically restrained or restricted from normal interactions (interactions with

people, other dogs, and the outside world). The more the dog develops an intense desire to gainaccess to all of those things he desires.


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This desire can escalate into escape and roaming behaviour, agitation, biting and unprovokedattacks. It is often observed in dogs that are left tied up in flats, left in gardens, or near a window

where they can see the things they want to interact with, but cannot get to them displayunprovoked aggression. To some extent the aggression shown to the postman is sometimes based

on frustration. I have seen dogs attack their owner or a second dog in the home because it cannot

get to the delivery man.

4. Sexual Aggression.This type of aggression is usually limited to male dogs. They will mount both people and otherdogs. Mounting activity directed towards humans may reflect a lack of opportunity for the dog to

play with other dogs, or an over-attachment to people in early life, Mounting on other dogsespecially if they initially try to put their heads over the other dogs necks can be related to rank

and control complex behaviour. Castration and behaviour modification can help with thisproblem. Allowing the dog to mate may often be recommended by the amateur dog expert, this

normally makes the problem far worse.

5. Territorial AggressionThis may be towards other dogs, people or both. By definition,

territorial aggression should be directed toward members of thesame species ie other dogs. Domestic dogs, however, seem to

regard humans as conspecific and consequently may directterritorial aggression toward us When dogs display aggression to

strangers only on the home property garden, house, or yard, yetdo not respond aggressively to strangers on neutral territory, then

territorial aggression is the likely diagnosis. There are twoprimary motivations for territorial behaviour, control complex

behaviour ie dominance or fear/anxiety. It may be worse in asmall space such as a car than in an open area . Some dogs like this can be fine in the home, but

not so good in the garden or yard.


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Some breeds appear to frustrate much quicker than others, these are generally the working dogssuch as Collies, Springers Cockers and some Retrievers The only answer to this problem is to

work on the dominant/territorial problem in a way in which a dog understands its positionthrough a behaviour modification program using position reinforcement techniques. Remember

not to praise for the cessation of bad behaviour rather praise for that bad behaviour not

happening in the first place. In other words, say the dog jumps up on someone and you sayOFF if the dogs get off then do not praise as you will be praising for the inappropriatebehaviour, which was the jumping.

6. Misdirected Aggression

Separating two dogs that are fighting can be dangerous as not all known methods are effectivewith every pair of dogs.

Dogs fight at differentintensities and for different

reasons. Learning how toavoid situations that can

lead to a dog fight is betterthan having to break one

up. Frequently one or bothdogs can misdirect their

aggression towards theperson attempting to break

up the fight. Whether this isconsidered to be a dog

attack on a person willdepend on the

circumstances leading up tothe incident, and the actions

of the person breaking upthe fight and the past history of the aggressing dog.

Human hands intervening may not be seen as a hand, but as another element of the original

attack. People who try to break up fights between dogs are often the victims of what is calledaccidental or misdirected aggression. This is quite a common situation, resulting in accidental

bites from dogs that are otherwise wonderful, loving pets. Often it is a human not a caninemistake that triggers the bite. And does not always signify or indicate that the dog is in any way

dangerous or out of control.

Often dogs do not recognise their owners in these situations may bite them when they come too

close. Owners in other instances can accentuate a fight by intervening, as the dog will then fightnot only to protect itself but also its owner.

7. Control Complex / Dominant AggressionThe initial approach to other dogs is often cautionary and contains many status signals, like tailcarriage held high and quickly moving from side to side, standing on tip toe etc. If the other dog

submits, then all is usually fine, if not the fighting can be extremely noisy and in some cases


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quite severe. In both the last two examples, dominant and territorial aggression, I usually find thedog will pull quite badly on the lead.

These dogs can also display aggressive tendency towards members of the family this could lead

to an attack if not controlled in their early stages. By working on a programmer that will give the

dog a purpose and a position in life almost a job and teaching the dog to walk on a loose leashcan sometimes overcome the problem. The type of program I would use is the NILIF programwhich stands for Nothing in Life is Free See my website under dominance

8. Chase or Predatory aggressionThis can be directed at many things including dogs, cats, oranything that stimulates a chase response. Squirrels are a

favourite, as their quick jerky movements seem to stimulateeven the most placid of dogs. I see a lot of predatory chase

aggression in for instance Border Collies, in particularstimulants like bikes, skateboards joggers and cars.

One of the key factors that distinguish predatory aggression

from other forms of aggression is that movement often is thetriggers . In the wild, this movement is in the form of running and escape attempts of a small

animals. Predatory behaviour can be seen in dogs of any sex and age. Dogs that show intenseinterest and become aroused or anxious by the movement or noise of children or other pets

should be closely monitored at all times. Prognosis is not good for this type of aggression.Reward based obedience training can help however this is only any use if the owner/trainer is

able to constantly monitor the dog at all times.

It is easier to control the chase stimulus when it is directed at cars, joggers, or bikes. Two types

of common treatments include counter-conditioning used to change the dogs perception of thefalsely identified prey. Many also believe punishment works ie noise aversion when the

behaviour is first stimulated. Throwing water from a car window or sounding a rape alarm or airhorn at the exact time the dog takes off, throwing down a plastic bottle of stones from a passing

bike or car can sometimes alter this behaviour.

However. To be effective, punishment must be seen as aversive and the timing of the punishmentmust be exact so that the dog associates the punishment with the behaviour. Electric shock

collars have also been suggested but are not part of treatment programs I would ever recommend.

As mentioned aggression often has its origins in bad breeding, lack of socialisation, high preydrive, and poor basic training. However, as stated before it can be related to medical conditions

and before embarking on a course of behavioural therapy have your dog checked over to see ifthere are any underlying medical conditions.

Learned aggression can normally be cured however, hereditary aggression cannot, it can only becontrolled and hopefully contained. Castration sometimes helps, Please remember castration is

male dogs and should be considered in an overall aggression reduction program.


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Dog Aggression

The Humane Society of the United States

iStockphoto

A dog's bark may be worse than his bite, but most of us would rather not find out one way or the

other.

Growling, baring teeth, snarling, snapping, and biting are all aggressive behaviors. Although

these messages are among the handful of communication tools available to dogs, they're

generally unacceptable to humans.

Because aggression is so complex, and because the potential consequences are so serious, werecommend that you get professional in-home help from an animal behavior specialist if yourdog is displaying aggressive behavior.

Types of aggression

Dominance aggression is motivated by a challenge to a dog's social status or to his control of a

social interaction. Dogs are social animals and view their human families as their social group or"pack." Based on the outcomes of social challenges among group members, a dominance

hierarchy or "pecking order" is established.

If your dog perceives his own ranking in the hierarchy to be higher than yours, he'll probablychallenge you in certain situations. Because people don't always understand canine

communication, you may inadvertently challenge your dog's social position. A dominantlyaggressive dog may growl if he is disturbed when resting or sleeping or if he is asked to give up

a favorite spot, such as the couch or the bed.

Physical restraint, even when done in a friendly manner (like hugging), may also cause your dog

to respond aggressively. Reaching for your dog's collar, or reaching over his head to pet him,


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could also be interpreted as a challenge for dominance. Dominantly aggressive dogs are oftendescribed as "Jekyll and Hydes" because they can be very friendly when not challenged.

Dominance aggression may be directed at people or at other animals. The most common reasonfor fights among dogs in the same family is instability in the dominance hierarchy.

Fear-motivated aggression is a defensive reaction and occurs when a dog believes he is indanger of being harmed. Remember that it's your dog's perception of the situation, not youractual intent, which determines your dog's response. For example, you may raise your arm to

throw a ball, but your dog may bite you because he believes he's protecting himself from beinghit. A dog may also be fearfully aggressive when approached by other dogs.

Protective, territorial, and possessive aggression are all very similar, and involve the defense

of valuable resources. Territorial aggression is usually associated with defense of property, andthat "territory" may extend well past the boundaries of your yard. For example, if you regularly

walk your dog around the neighborhood and allow him to urine-mark, he may think his territoryincludes the entire block. Protective aggression usually refers to aggression directed toward

people or animals whom a dog perceives as threats to his family, or pack. Dogs becomepossessively aggressive when defending their food, toys, or other valued objects, including items

as peculiar as tissues stolen from the trash.

Redirected aggression is a relatively common type of aggression but one that is often

misunderstood by pet owners. If a dog is somehow provoked by a person or animal he is unableto attack, he may redirect this aggression onto someone else. For example, two family dogs may

become excited, and bark and growl in response to another dog passing through the front yard; ortwo dogs confined behind a fence may turn and attack each other because they can't attack an

intruder. Predation is usually considered to be a unique kind of aggressive behavior because it'smotivated by the intent to obtain food, and not primarily by the intent to harm or intimidate.

Individual variation

The likelihood of a dog to show aggressive behavior in any particular situation varies markedly

from dog to dog. Some dogs tend to respond aggressively with very little stimulation. Othersmay be subjected to all kinds of threatening stimuli and events and yet never attempt to bite.

The difference in the threshold prompting aggressive behavior is influenced by both

environmental and genetic factors. If this threshold is low, a dog will be more likely to bite.Raising the threshold makes a dog less likely to respond aggressively. This threshold can be

raised using behavior modification techniques, but the potential for change is influenced by a

dog's gender, age, breed, general temperament, and the way in which the behavior modificationtechniques are chosen and implemented.

Because working with aggressive dogs can be potentially dangerous, behavior modification

techniques should only be attempted by, or under the guidance of, an experienced animalbehavior professional who understands animal learning theory and behavior.

What you can do


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y First, check with your veterinarian to rule out medical causes for the aggressive behavior.y Seek professional advice. An aggression problem will not go away by itself. Working

with aggression problems requires in-home help from an animal behavior specialist.y Take precautions. Your first priority is to keep people and other animals safe. Supervise,

confine, and/or restrict your dog's activities until you can obtain professional guidance.

You are liable for your dog's behavior. If you must take your dog out in public, consider acage-type muzzle as a temporary precaution, and remember that some dogs are cleverenough to get a muzzle off.

y Avoid exposing your dog to situations where he is more likely to show aggression. Youmay need to keep him confined to a safe room and limit his contact with people.

y If your dog is possessive of toys or treats, or territorial in certain locations, prevent accessand you'll prevent the problem. In an emergency, bribe him with something better than

what he has. For example, if he steals your shoe, trade him the shoe for a piece ofchicken.

y Spay or neuter your dog. Intact dogs are more likely to display dominance, territorial, andprotective aggressive behavior.

What not to do

Punishment won't help and, in fact, will often make the problem worse. If the aggression is

motivated by fear, punishment will make your dog more fearful, and therefore more aggressive.Attempting to punish or dominate a dominantly aggressive dog may actually lead him to escalate

his behavior to retain his dominant position. This is likely to result in a bite or a severe attack.Punishing territorial, possessive, or protective aggression is likely to elicit additional defensive

aggression.

Frustration Aggression: Some dogs, if restrained when aroused or excited, will be aggressive toward the persons

restraining them. A dog being held back by the collar may turn and bite the hand on the collar. A related type of

aggression is barrier frustration and manifests when dogs are in a cage, crate or car. Aggression in these

circumstances, however, may also be defensive and/or territorial. Redirected Aggression is a type of frustration

aggression that is relatively common. If a dog is aroused into an aggressive response by a person or animal that he

is prevented from attacking, he may redirect this aggression onto someone nearby. Owners are often bitten when

they try to intervene in a fight between two family dogs. Another example occurs when two family dogs become

excited, bark and growl in response to another dog passing by the yard. The two dogs, confined behind a fence,

may turn and attack each other because the fence prevents them from getting to the intruder.

How to prevent redirected or respondentbiting in dogs


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Biting directed toward people, other dogs or objects

photo by holisticmonkey

One form of aggression is called redirected biting. This is one of the most volatile types of

aggression and takes dedication to cure. If a dog becomes over-excited or over-stimulated and

cannot get to the cause, the dog will redirect a bite to whatever is in its way. For instance, if a

dog sees a squirrel, becomes out-of-control over-excited and is on leash, it could redirect a bite toyour leg. Dogs having this challenge often do not have impulse control. To change this behaviordo the following.

Instructions

Step 1

Define exactly what is causing the behavior

Changing behavior is dependent on finding the exact cause. What precedes the behavior ofredirected aggression each time it occurs? Is it the same cause?

Is it a prey animal?

Is it the mailman?

Is it when the dog is in a certain location?

Is it when something appears out of nowhere, such as a bicycle, skateboarder, or even a car, or

airplane.

When does the dog build up so much excitement there is no impulse control or self-control?

Is fence chasing allowed? or door bolting?

Define it to change it.


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Step 2

Restructure the dogs environment

If the redirected biting occurs at home, the first place to start is taking a serious look at where the

behavior is occurring. Dogs should never be left unsupervised to repeat unwanted behavior.

If the dog is fence chasing as people walk by or sparring with a neighbor dog, create an inner

fence several feet away from the problematic fence and/or put up a solid barriar to reducevisuals.

Put a sign on the door discouraging people from knocking or ringing the doorbell. Encouragepeople to call ahead to let them know when they are coming over.

If the mailman is a problem, re-locate the mailbox, or get an off-site mailbox or call the post

office and ask to pick up your mail from a mailbox located at the post office.

Put up blinds, doors, curtains or dark paper wherever over-excitement is occurring or prey is

sighted.

The less the dog continues to do the behavior, the less they will need to do it. The more they doit, the more they will.

Step 3

Redirect the dogs behavior to another, safer object

Teach the dog to grab a ball, squeaky toy, tug toy as a way to redirect behavior to a safer spot.Often dogs taught to do this will simply run to get their ball as they are looking at the stimuli. It

satisfies their impulse to grab whatever is in the way of their excitement, it teaches approrpriateredirection behavior and keeps the dog busy eventually redirecting behavior to other activities.

This technique works well with dogs who are toy motivated.

Step 4

Prevent and manage behavior

If dog is over-excited by other dogs rushing fences as you take a walk, take different routes toprevent exposure to triggers. Drive to other places if needed, but avoid these triggersconsistently. The purpose is to stop repetition of bad behavior.

If there is one spot or area where the dog always becomes over-excited and over-stimulated, such

as a spot where bunnies or squirrels or birds might be sighted, either start a desensitizationprogram to teach the dog impulse control around prey or stay away from these spots on walks

and around the house.


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Always supervise the dog outdoors. Let the dog drag a training line, or have xpens to keeproaming area to a minimum. An xpen is an open top pen easily found at most pet stores. It can be

moved and expanded in size. It is a very helpful tool to teach a dog to respect boundariesoutdoors or indoors.

In summary, know what is causing the redirected biting to change the behavior. Understand thebehavior will always be there and the goal is to make sure the dog is not over-excited or over-stimulated. Redirected aggression is a dangerous behavior and a behavioral professional should

be consulted. Prevention and management is key to changing behavior.

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Different Types of Aggression