Nervous aggressive dog behaviour.

Nervous aggressive behaviour.

This is usually the result of a dog that has had insufficient socialisation in its formative months and years, and/or a negative event with another dog. This can happen on a number of occasions, leading to an even more fearful dog as time progresses. Some dogs seem to have a demeanour that attract other dogs, and for some of those dogs to attack it. I suspect that dogs attack a fear-based output from some fearful dogs, and this then leads to a more ingrained behaviour on the attacked dog’s part. The dog can then adopt an ‘offence is the best form of defence’ approach. Once it learns that this results in other dogs moving away with an owner that naturally wouldn’t want to become involved, the dog again learns the value of such behaviour and perpetuates it more and more with great effect.

Fear based aggression is (as I see it) a relatively modern phenomenon, and reflects back upon our more insular lifestyles and lack of time available to pay proper attention to the socialisation process. With less and less time to address areas of training and socialisation the strain is showing in our dog population.
It is not unusual to see figures quoted that 80-90% of dog to dog aggression (indeed dog to people with strangers) is a fear based behaviour. I can well believe these figures, and they are borne out in my own experience.

I have for some time described fear based aggression as being virus-like in its manner of spreading from one dog to another, with each newly attacked dog going on to become sensitised (depending on the dog’s nature and owner’s level of control) and displaying similar behaviour towards other dogs.

Many owners with young pups fall into the trap of not giving full and correct control when in the park and are unable to recall the dog prior to allowing it to run freely in the local park. This is rather like allowing the dog into the snake pit, with a number of other dogs near by that are unknown as a quantity, and that may pass this ‘virus’ onto the young dog. Developing a sound leader based relationship; a strong recall combined with a long line is certainly far sounder than the practices of many unthinking (albeit well intended) new dog owners that simply allow the dog to run freely from day 1.

www.alphadogbehaviour.co.uk

A long line...your saviour?

It's pretty common for me to place a long line on a dog to create a far higher level of control for the owner, and to allow interruption of unwanted behaviour should it happen.

The long line is a god-send for owners of dogs that don't recall when called.

Typically I make up a 20metre line with a regular dog lead clip on one end, and a simple looped handle on the other. Some go for the thick flat corded type of line that can be knotted to create 'stops', but I prefer a 5-6mm line that remains light even when wet, allowing the dog to drag it without hindrance.

With really young dogs people seem determined to let them off to run freely without having put in place adequate measures for them returning when called. Place your pup on the long line for the first few weeks, and keep recalling using high value treats to reward each return. Any ignoring of your calls can be dealt with by a light tug of the line to remind the dog of your presence. THEN you can begin to introduce more freedom when your trust is there, and the dog associates your calling with an immediate response to look to you and recall. My little Pip stops like a twanged ruler when I call her...simply due to doing the above from an early age with plenty of repetition. It's not hard...you can do this too :)

Keep it simple.
Keep it fun.

Should you wish to talk to me regarding your dog's behaviour, you can contact me here: http://www.alphadogbehaviour.co.uk/