Most Dog aggression can be very worrying for all concerned
What is aggression? The first step in preventing aggression is understanding what it is. In everyday conversation, the term aggression is usually used to describe any behaviour that either threatens or causes injury, such as lunging and barking, growling, snarling or snapping as well as biting. However, there are different reasons for aggression in dogs, and in many cases this sort of behaviour is in fact the dog’s way of trying to avoid causing or being injured. We therefore need to look a little deeper at what aggression is and what causes it if we are to prevent it.
What causes aggression in dogs? There are two very different types of dog aggression – ‘predatory aggression’ and ‘emotional aggression’.
Aggression that involves chasing, catching and killing smaller animals is usually predatory . Predatory aggression is generally very quiet, to avoid alerting the prey to the dog’s presence. Some dogs may also stalk or approach very slowly so they can get as close as possible before starting to chase. However this depends on how much breeding has affected their normal predatory behavior. Predatory aggression isn’t linked ‘fight or flight’ behavior, and so whilst the dog is usually very excited he isn’t fearful or distressed. Instead predatory aggression triggers pleasure similar to that experienced when eating. Therefore, whilst the behavior needs to be controlled, we also have to accept it is a normal part of dog behavior.
Alternatively, aggression used to protect something is referred to as ‘affective’ or emotional aggression. Dogs may use this to protect themselves or a member of their social group, especially offspring. They may also use it to protect something of value to them such as food, toys, a territory or a person they rely on for food or protection. In many cases they are reacting to a real threat such as when another dog attacks them or a human uses excessive punishment. However dogs can also interpret a situation as threatening even when it isn’t, perhaps due to past experience or misinterpretation of the other’s behaviour. This can make their behaviour seem unpredictable or unprovoked. However, there is invariably a trigger for it if we dig deep enough, even if it is due to a misunderstanding or the expectation of threat from another even though it wasn’t intended.
Aggression can be used for self defence
Emotional aggression differs from predatory aggression in that it includes a great deal of communication, including noise such as growling or barking. The dog may also snarl, lunge or snap before they bite. These behaviours are all intended to try and get rid of the threat. As such the majority of the behaviour described as ‘aggressive’ using the everyday definition is in fact communication, intended to avoid the situation escalating to the point where they may be injured.
What influences whether a dog will use aggression?
Breed is not a reliable predictor of whether a dog will use aggression alone
Behaviour, and therefore aggression, may be affected by the dog’s physical state, such as their health, being in pain, breeding cycles, age and some medications. Genetics is also important. Most breeds were originally developed for their behavioral traits so these will have some influence on how they behave in certain situations. For example the Border collie is bred to stalk and chase but not to kill the sheep and so is less likely to harm small animals. Other breeds have been bred to show higher aggression when protecting their territory or were originally bred for fighting. However to what degree breed traits are seen in an individual dog depends on its unique combination of genetics, experience and handling and so breed is not a reliable predictor of a dog’s likely use of aggression alone.
All of a dog’s experiences from conception onwards will also influence how they behave. For example if a dam is stressed during pregnancy this may affect the puppy’s reaction to stress and so use of aggression in later life. A puppy’s experiences during his first 13 weeks or so also play a huge part in their development, including how they cope with new things or react when scared. In fact every experience throughout their life has the potential to affect how the dog reacts in the future. In the case of aggression this is particularly relevant where a dog has had frightening experiences or has been punished in a way that makes people seem scary or unpredictable.
Aggression arises due to a combination of physiology, experiences and what is happening at the time
Historically it was often suggested that dogs showed aggression purely to try and be ‘pack leader’ so they would have the right to breed. However we now know this isn’t the case. This is discussed more in ‘Understanding Your Dog’ Part 1 and Part 2 .
In the next part of this series we will look at
fear aggression in dogs in more detail, including the type of communication dogs use to try to avoid being injured.
About Stephanie Hedges
Stephanie has a first class honours degree in Veterinary Nursing and worked as a vet nurse for over 20 years. She studied Applied Animal Behaviour at the University of Southampton and started her canine behaviour practice in 2005. She is a full member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC) and a Certified Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CCAB). She now combines her full time role as a Behaviour Counsellor with writing and a variety of speaking engagements. Her first book ‘Practical Canine Behaviour for Veterinary Nurses and Technicians’ was published in August 2015.
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