Dog
Aggression
Q:
When
my husband and I merged our households,
we each had dogs (both were 13 years old)
and we got a third dog together, who is
3 years old. I also have a cat who is
now five. In the beginning one of the
dogs was attempting to fight with all
of the animals but only one of the dogs
would fight back. One time the two of
them got at each other and the other dog's
jaw was hurt. Since then, the dog that
originally picked the fights no longer
does but the dog who was injured is now
the aggressor.
They
seem to get along together when they are
outside and they can sit right next to
each other in the house and seem fine.
The problem is when we are going to sleep
or sitting in the living room and the
aggressive dog suddenly attacks the other
one. My fiancé has even been bitten
when he's gotten in the middle of the
dogs when they're fighting. We just can't
go on like this. Help!
A:
Your
immediate concern is for the dogs' safety.
Please set up your environment so it is
IMPOSSIBLE for the two dogs to attack
each other. This is critical. I suggest
baby gates and tethering (leashing a dog
to something but only while you're in
the room so he doesn't get tangled). A
muzzle is also a good safety choice in
properly supervised environments and can
be used when it's absolutely necessary..
There
are several forms of aggression, including:
- Fear
or pain induced aggression;
- Resource
aggression – aggression around
food, toys, people; and
- Redirected
aggression, such as when a dog can't
get to something and takes it out
on whoever is closest.
There
are no quick fixes to handle aggressive
behavior. Because it has gone on so long
and due to the age of the dogs, it will
take time to change this. A behavioral
expert or trainer who is well-versed in
positive training methods is necessary.
He or she can evaluate the situation,
get complete histories on the dogs and
set you up on a behavior modification
program. You can find a trainer in your
area that uses only positive training
methods through the Association of Pet
Dog Trainers ( www.APDT.com
) or The National Association of Dog
Obedience Instructors ( www.NADOI.org
). Also, check with friends, neighbors
and your veterinarian for possible referrals.
It is important to avoid training that
includes jerking, forcing a dog to the
ground, hitting, shocking or shaking.
No choke, prong or shock collars should
be used.
Medical
check-ups may be necessary to see if there
are any physiological problems influencing
the dogs' behavior.
Basically,
three things are needed:
- Safety.
It's important to set up
the environment so the behaviors cannot
happen.
- Counter
Conditioning. A professional
trainer can set you up on a program
that will change the way the dogs
feel about each other in a step-by-step
manner. This is done by associating
positive things (like food treats)
with the thing he doesn't like (the
other dogs).
- Operant
Conditioning . This is a
training process where you will increase
your dogs' behavioral reliability
and establish an appropriate leadership
relationship with you and your husband
as the leaders. Once again, a qualified
professional can show you what to
do.
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