canine
Managing an Aggressive, Fearful, or Reactive Dog Don Hanson provides advice for guardians who are struggling with their dog’s aggressive behavior, highlighting the importance of identifying triggers and being aware of the dog’s emotional state in any given situation or context
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hen you have a dog that is exhibiting aggressive behavior, you have a responsibility to keep yourself, your family, your pets, and your community safe. A dog that is behaving aggressively is experiencing some form of emotional stress, so it is your responsibil ity to identify and keep him away from the stressors that trigger the be havior while working with a professionals who can help you.
#1. Get Help from an Accredited Professional as Soon as Possible Helping change aggressive behavior is not a DoItYourself project, nor is a dog likely to “grow out of it.” Aggression is an emotional response. That response could be due to fear, anger, or frustration and may be in tensified by chemical imbalances in the brain. Working with a dog trainer and teaching behaviors like sit, leave it, stay etc. are extremely unlikely to change how your dog feels. As such, I recommend you immediately seek help from a veterinary behaviorist, applied animal behaviorist, or credentialed behavior con sultant (PCBC or CDBC). The earlier you get professional help for your dog, the sooner you can relieve his suffering and the greater probability you have of changing his aggressive behavior. Resolving this behavior will very likely require behavior modification and, potentially, medica tion as well. A veterinary behaviorist can provide you with both.
© Can Stock Photo / mcgill
Stress is frequently a component in undesirable behavior for people and animals
#2. Ensure Safety Preventing your dog from hurting you, another person, another animal, or themselves must be your priority. • Please keep your dog physically isolated from people or animals that could become the target of his aggression. This may mean keeping him crated, preferably in another room, or closed/locked in another room when you have guests in your home. • When the dog is outside of your home, make sure that you can safely handle him. When he is outside of your home and in an unfenced area, he should be on a regular 6ft.leash. Please do not use a Flexi or retractable leash, as they do not provide ade quate control. The leash should be securely attached to a front connect harness. • Consider using a muzzle if you can do so safely. It is essential to gently condition your dog to wear a muzzle before using it. Seek the advice of a trained professional in helping you accom plish this task (see Resources). Muzzles can be a useful manage ment tool. However, in my experience: 1) a determined dog can get out of any muzzle; 2) putting on the muzzle can cause the dog stress; 3) muzzling your dog and having him around others can be tantamount to advertising that you have an aggressive dog and, thus, may change the people’s behavior which can cause a reaction by the dog; 4) a muzzle may make the dog more fearful; 5) A muzzle can limit your dog’s ability to breathe correctly, causing additional distress. A muzzle is, at best, a temporary solution and does nothing to address the source of
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the dog’s behavior or his emotional state. Do NOT leave your dog outside, unattended. Being tiedout can be very stressful to a dog and can be a frequent cause of fear aggression. When a dog is tied up, he knows he cannot flee or fight, which are both typical reactions a dog would pursue if afraid. Even if you have a fenced yard, I recommend you remain with your dog whenever he is in the yard, as no fence can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. If your dog does not need to go with you, leave him at home. A dog that is reactive while in the car can be a threat to your safety and that of others. If he becomes reactive wherever you take him, you may make yourself unwelcome, and you are probably making him more likely to react in the future too.
#3. Prevent the Behavior from Getting Worse •
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This is a given but I will mention it anyway. Refrain from using any training and management tools that have the potential to cause your dog distress, discomfort, or pain. Avoid placing your dog in situations where there is a potential for him to display the behavior of concern. Preventing him from acting aggressively is essential to ending this behavior. Each time the dog has the chance to engage in the behavior, it can make it more likely to occur again and to increase in intensity. Events like this can affect the chemistry and anatomy of the brain, making future reactions more likely. Limit movement when your dog reacts. Activity can increase
BARKS from the Guild/November 2020
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