By Thomas A. Beitz

On a daily basis I receive calls from people who have experienced an aggressive behavior in their dog requesting advice. An aggressive dog is the most serious behavior any dog could exhibit. What I would like to do in this article is to give a quick overview of the three main areas I cover in my Assessment Consultations. First, I want to evaluate the dog, secondly to educate the dog owner and thirdly is to when appropriate to eliminate aggressive behavior in your dog.

Evaluating the type of aggressive is the first key to determining if the aggression can be resolved or corrected. There are many different forms of aggression which is to say that dogs bite for different reasons. For the sake of this article I do not have the time to describe each form of aggression but I will touch on three of the most common reasons why dogs bite or become aggressive.

Fear biters and territorial biters and dog to dog aggression seem to me from my experience to be the three most frequent forms of aggression that I am asked to deal with. In general terms, all of these forms of aggression may be as a result of “lack of socialization.” Perhaps this is why vets and trainers emphasize socialization training classes for a young puppy because they are most impressionable between the ages of 6 to 24 weeks of age. Socialization of a dog can be explained as introducing your dog to as many different people, places, situations and other animals as possible during this early period of the dog’s development. Although socialization is helpful in preventing aggression, it is not a guaranty.

During the evaluation stage of the assessment we need to consider a number of aspects of the dog’s makeup and history. How old is the dog? How long has the aggression existed? Has it been a long standing problem that is getting progressively worse or is it a sudden change in the dog’s behavior? Have we ruled out any medical issues that may be contributing to the behavior such as an ear infection or severe joint pain? What is the breed of the dog? Certain breeds have a predisposed tendency toward aggression due to breed specific characteristics. Is the aggression predictable? Given the same circumstances, will the dog demonstrate aggressive behavior or is it completely unpredictable?  How many people has the dog bitten? If the dog has bitten, who has he bitten; a stranger or a family member? Did the bite require medical attention? Has the dog had any formal obedience training beyond “puppy playtime” or “Mickey mouse treat training?” Some dogs that have been trained exclusively with treats may perform a series of exercises like sit, stay, down and give paw like a professional but the moment the situation presents itself, the dog instantly changes. Are there children that live with the dog?

After we have answered these questions I will typically educate the pet owner on different training strategies used to help eliminate aggression in dogs. It is important to understand that NO TRAINING exists that will CURE a dog of aggression or eliminate aggression completely. Any dog in the right situation with the right circumstances can bite. Training is designed to significantly CONTROL aggression. In most cases, where the aggression is predictable and relatively a new development, training the dog will significantly reduce aggressive behavior IF managed properly. An aggressive dog is a high maintenance dog. What I mean by that is that you will need to seriously control the dog behavior through rigid obedience training exercises along with specific behavior modification strategies.

TRAINING TIP: It is not unusual for people to actually reward their dog for being aggressive unknowingly. Here is a common scenario. The dog “goes ballistic, gets wacked out, freaks and just goes for it.” The normal human response to such things is to try to console the dog and get him to settle. Getting him to settle may include throwing him treats or stroking him and telling him, “it’s alright” or “it’s OK.” Everyone one of these human responses is actually rewarding the aggressive behavior. Let me give you an example. Let’s say you are driving down the expressway doing 100 miles per hour and you get pulled over by a Trooper. The Trooper asks you if you realize how fast you were going and you respond by saying, “yes. I was doing 100 miles per hour.” The Trooper then responds; “that’s alright, here is a hundred dollar bill, please go on your way and don’t speed anymore.” What would a hundred dollar bill do for your speeding behavior?

You CAN NOT reward aggressive behavior and expect it to go away. It won’t go away, it will get better and what I mean by better is your dog’s aggression will increase NOT decrease. By rewarding aggression with treats or consolation, you are teaching your dog to be MORE aggressive. So, the training tip of the day is, DON’T REWARD YOUR DOG’S AGGRESSION.

Aggression is not something that an inexperienced dog trainer or pet owner should address without professional advice. Aggression is NOT a quick fix proposition. It requires an incredible amount of structure and supervision which is not always reasonable in a family with very young children. Our dogs have become part of our family and considering the option of putting a dog to sleep over an aggression issue is one of the most painful decisions anyone could ever make.  

In this article I have tried to make some very general statements relating to the assessment of an aggressive dog from evaluating the dog, educating the owner to establishing a rigid training-management strategy. Other considerations should include the moral and ethical issue, the psychological issue of the victims of a dog bite not to mention the legal liabilities associated with the aggressive dog. I am confident after weighing in on all these considerations; the rational and reasonable person should be able to choose the appropriate course of action after their dog has bitten.

If you feel you have an aggressive dog (a biter) you should consider seeking professional help from a trainer experienced in successfully treating aggressive behavior.

Contact Information

Tom Beitz is the owner of the Academy for Puppies and Dogs and is an authorized dealer for Pet STOP Hidden Dog Fences. Tom can be reached at (716) 628-0651 to answer your questions or he can be found on the web at www.smartdogtrainer.com . E-Mail: Tom@Smartdogtrainer.com

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