Over 20 years ago I owned a big red doberman pinscher named Rusty. Rusty was my best friend, but he had a problem, he wanted to attack other dogs, and sometimes would nip at people. Looking back now, I think his biting on people had to do with redirected aggression, and he had a very low tolerance for frustration. But, he risked losing his happy home because of these tendencies. We decided he needed to be trained and since I was extremely interested in dogs and dog training, I was the one enrolled into obedience school with him. The instructor at that time was an “old school” trainer. Exercises were very military-istic and training was no-nonsense in those days. I was told to take a strip of rubber hose, and when Rusty turned to bite me I was to hit him as hard as I could over the head. Surprisingly enough, this worked. But at what cost? Could I have gotten the same results while using another method?
Fast forward over 20 years and we see new trends in dog training. The “purely positive” trainer has become more “the norm”. Many behavior modification techniques call for NOT correcting a dog for aggression. Claims state “aggression breeds aggression”. Does it really work? Can you fix aggression without correcting a dog?
I personally do not think of things in “extremes”. It makes sense to me that in some instances, correcting a dog for aggressive behavior will SQUELCH the behavior but will not have a long lasting effect because the underlying CAUSE for the aggression has not been altered. If for instance a dog is biting out of fear, correcting him just gives him something to fear. It may temporarily affect the outward expression of the behavior, but cause a seething monster to lay just below the surface, ready to rear its ugly head at the first opportunity. That is usually when I get owners telling me “he just bit me out of the blue”. The dog tried and tried to warn them he didn’t like something, but he got corrected for communicating his dislike and that left him with only one option when backed into a corner. Use his teeth, with no apparent warning.
Yet there are other times when a dog is just “being a jerk”. He is trying to use aggression just to get his way. He has learned that he CAN get his way. What then? Normally I would look at the individual case and take into consideration all the factors. Start with altering the circumstances and changing the lifestyle. Add obedience training, consider nutrition’s affect on behavior, implement leadership exercises, prevent problems with tools like muzzles if I have to etc. If that does not work I may consider a correction at that point, though it would be geared towards the temperament of the individual dog, and after a reasonable attempt at doing everything else possible to alter the behavior.
There is a definite divide in the training world regarding the use of aversives. I tend to stay away from them as much as possible, but if I really get the sense that they might save a dogs life, I don’t worry about it. The goal is to help the dogs and not satisfy my ego by arguing the different training methods.
This is why it’s IMPERATIVE when dealing with a dog that is showing aggressive tendencies, to hire a true professional that really knows what they’re doing and who has the references to show for it. A good trainer or behaviorist should be able to read YOUR dog and implement the best plan for your individual case. UNTIL you get the help of a professional, I don’t recommend using corrections for aggression in an attempt to squelch the behavior, oftentimes that can truly backfire. It can set you up for a dog who has no warning system, and that can be a VERY dangerous thing.
Filed under: Aggression | Tagged: dog aggression, dog behavior, dog training
I just took my dog to the dog park after about 3 months of not taking her (she is a red nose pitbull that grew up going to the dog park). She had been showing signs of aggression towards other dogs while on the leash but normally had never had any problems at the dog park. Anyhow, I took her today and she immediately got into it with another dog. I corrected her by telling her “no” and then we left. I’m really upset. I feel horrible like I totally screwed up by missing those three months of taking her to the dog park and I don’t know what to do. Her breed has so much energy and I have to be able to take her there, but not at the expense of other dogs. I don’t know what to do and I am desperate. Is there anything (websites, trainers, etc) that you could suggest to me??? Thank you so much.
Meghan
That can be a tough situation to deal with. Part of it could be her age. If she is “coming into her own” and maturing, that may be contributing to it. Where once she was a pup and wasn’t as overly concerned about things like status or whatnot, she is perhaps growing up and becoming more concerned about it. At the same time, other things could be going on here.
With her breed, while I am a big fan of pit bulls, and I love them dearly, they can be more reactive to other dogs. There is nothing wrong with that provided owners handle them correctly. They are not labs or goldens, they are their own special breed. Those who appreciate that, can appreciate that sometimes, they can just have issues with other dogs. As long as you are able to get her to behave at least civilly and under control around other dogs, you’ll be fine. She may not be the type of dog though that throughout her life can deal with the loose rules of a dog park.
Please realize that a dog park has its own needs and problems too. The problem I normally see at a dog park is that by and large, most people that go to one do not necessarily know how to read canine body language. Even if YOU did and were very much in control of your dog, someone else may NOT be. That puts you and your dog at quite a bit of risk. When dog parks were first becoming popular I used to take my old boy Maverick to them all the time. He was attacked on 2 separate occasions, and it took me at least 6 months to get him relaxed around other dogs again. These attacks were beyond my control. I have never taken one of my own dogs to a dog park again. (I personally run my own dog park/freeplay class where clients can bring their dogs to play off leash under the eyes of a couple of trainers and with very specific rules which helps quite a bit…though these aren’t available everywhere).
At this point the best thing is to try to understand her, and find a trainer that can help you get control quickly. And soon before it gets any worse. (I will contact you privately with some names as soon as I can). Keep me posted!!!! and I’ll post more as I think of it!
I have found a couple of good resources specifically for your breed which can be an excellent help. There is a group that deals specifically with pit bulls and understands their mentality and can help you get a handle on what is going on. Their website is http://www.badrap.org They have information regarding pit bulls and dog parks on their website, some of which can be read at: http://www.badrap.org/rescue/dogpark.cfm
You can also try SF SPCA. One trainer told me that because they have so many pitties up there they probably have a program designed specifically for them, and they are well known for being on top of animal behavior. This is one of those resources I was mentioning (you do live in an area where there are many resources for you thankfully!).
Hope this helps, let me know if I can help you more!