Ritualized aggression is part of 'pack' behavior (in this case pack means a group of animals). In reality it is a way for social animals to clear up conflict without weakening the family group. While I don't agree with pack theory or dominance theory, ritualized aggression is behavior seen in quite a few different types of animals that live in groups. Horses practice ritualized aggression, dogs, primates (including humans) and many other sociable animals. Ritualized aggression is a series of escalating threat displays that may or may not lead to physical contact although injury rarely results.
An example of ritualized aggression is a herd of horses which include a lead mare, a stallion and 5-10 mares. A bachelor stallion moving in to attempt theft or even a coup will be met by the herd stallion. They issue challenging vocalizations, square their bodies up and move towards each other with stiff, aggressive movements. When they are close to each other they will often shake their heads while pinning their ears back, kick, strike or try to nip each other. Very very rarely does this type of encounter lead to anything more than some scrapes and bruises (mostly from sliding on rocks) and a set of teeth marks.
Because of it's role in social heirarchy, I chose not to place it on the aggression list. Since ritualized aggression is not truly an issue for the health/wellbeing of humans interacting with the dog it doesn't actually effect us. In dog/dog aggression the best way to deal with it is to let the dogs sort themselves out. I don't mean that you should encourage the behavior, you most emphatically shouldn't, but you don't need to step in and correct your dog for non-harmful scuffles. If the situation begins to get out of hand and one or both dogs escalates into full-blown killing mode you and the other owner need to get involved. I'm sure many people reading this will take it in a way that I didn't mean it but I honestly feel that allowing dogs to be dogs is better for a healthy mindset.
I use two different methods when I am needed to halt or suspend a dog fight. One for when I'm alone and the other for when my kinda-boyfriend is around.
Method 1: This is the one I use when I am on foot, alone and the fight is either my dog and a stray (or a dog whose owner doesn't understand the leash law).
I tie my dog's leash to a post, bumper or other sturdy object. This keeps him from being able to follow the other dog when I get them split up. If only one dog is loose I have less to worry about. Grabbing the other dog by the loins (that squishy area right in front of the hip bones and behind the ribs) I yell !!OUT!! and pull back. My dog will release on the OUT command and the other dog will spin in an attempt to bite me. As the dog spins towards me I make a circle (think wheelbarrow cookies) to keep myself out of reach and the dog off balance. Once I am out of range of my own dog I begin watching for signs of the dog I'm holding to get tired or give up. Once the dog has stopped snapping at me or is snapping slower I shift my grip to tail and scruff so that I can push the dog over and get my phone. At this point I call the non-emergency number for the police or the number on the dog's collar.
Method 2: Same as above only my companion holds my dog.
I do NOT recommend you try either of these methods. I am willing to put myself at risk because I know I am capable of pulling the manuever off. It is much safer if you can break the fight up with a hose (cold shower) or a stick or some other ranged 'attack'. I am simply stating what I've found works best for me. You know your own dog and you also know your own abilities, find a way that works for you without you being hurt.
8/25/09
8/24/09
I believe my thoughts are more in order(ish)
I finally managed to get my hands on a copy of Jean Donaldson's "The Culture Clash" and I'm really impressed. Once I've gotten my notes finished I'll post some of what I got out of the book. You can find her here: http://www.jeandonaldson.com. Her site is well worth visiting and I can recommend her books as well. Most of "The Culture Clash" seems like it should be common sense but when the waters have been muddied by TV shows and yank'n'crank propaganda it can be hard to stick to your guns.
I'm consistently taking Quark out for walks, car rides and bike rides (he has to ride on my lap or in a back pack right now) to achieve proper socialization. He has gone to stores with me, hung out at parks, visited picnics and has not met a person he doesn't like yet. He's been playing with other dogs, cats and kids (supervised only) and at 10 weeks old he seems to be settling in very nicely. Hopefully we can nip any behavioral issues in the bud. We have started with Clicker Training and his speed at grasping the concepts is truly astounding.
Liwanu has been running alongside my bike for 45 minutes a day, every day for the past week. It does seem to have made quite a bit of difference in his attitude. We have also been practicing his basic obedience commands especially 'leave it' and 'sit/stay'. He has not been lunging or snapping nearly as much while we are walking and he has also been less grumpy during the day while he is crated. I'm currently re-writing his goals and our plan of 'attack' so that we can make the most of my newly gained knowledge.
I feel kind of bad about using him as a guinea pig but he seems to enjoy spending the extra time with me and since the whole 'assert dominance' phase (that was at the beginning of our trek) his behavior has not been negatively effected by my attempts at redirecting his negative behaviors.
I'm consistently taking Quark out for walks, car rides and bike rides (he has to ride on my lap or in a back pack right now) to achieve proper socialization. He has gone to stores with me, hung out at parks, visited picnics and has not met a person he doesn't like yet. He's been playing with other dogs, cats and kids (supervised only) and at 10 weeks old he seems to be settling in very nicely. Hopefully we can nip any behavioral issues in the bud. We have started with Clicker Training and his speed at grasping the concepts is truly astounding.
Liwanu has been running alongside my bike for 45 minutes a day, every day for the past week. It does seem to have made quite a bit of difference in his attitude. We have also been practicing his basic obedience commands especially 'leave it' and 'sit/stay'. He has not been lunging or snapping nearly as much while we are walking and he has also been less grumpy during the day while he is crated. I'm currently re-writing his goals and our plan of 'attack' so that we can make the most of my newly gained knowledge.
I feel kind of bad about using him as a guinea pig but he seems to enjoy spending the extra time with me and since the whole 'assert dominance' phase (that was at the beginning of our trek) his behavior has not been negatively effected by my attempts at redirecting his negative behaviors.
8/7/09
Sorry for the lapse...
I've been experiencing technical difficulties for quite some time and I've finally got them worked out (knock on wood). I will be putting new posts up soon, just need to get my thoughts properly organized. Update on life with the dog(s).
Liwanu is maintaining. He's not 'cured' by any means but he hasn't deteriorated.
I recieved an APBT pup (8 weeks old this sunday) as a thank you for helping a friend out with his dogs/puppies. Quark is a brindle male who has the appearance of being a 'steady' dog as long as I work it right.
Liwanu is maintaining. He's not 'cured' by any means but he hasn't deteriorated.
I recieved an APBT pup (8 weeks old this sunday) as a thank you for helping a friend out with his dogs/puppies. Quark is a brindle male who has the appearance of being a 'steady' dog as long as I work it right.
7/1/08
Aggression
I'm going to cover a basic summary of the different types of dog aggression. Keep in mind that there is a HUGE difference between dog/dog(animal) aggression and dog/human aggression.
1) Fear or nervous aggression. This is a common form of aggression for dogs and can be directed towards animals, people, objects and can even be triggered by scary places. Fear aggression is correctable with proper socialization and R+ training methods (You can read about Liwanu's battle with this on the blog 'Curbing the Violence')
2) Frustration aggression. Also known as fence-fighting or boundary aggression. Dogs who are kept in dog runs behind the house 24/7, are chained 24/7 or otherwise live a fairly isolated life (IE are not family pets, don't get to explore or meet other dogs/people) are prone to this type of aggression.
3) Sexual Aggression- This usually occurs between two intact males in regards to a female in heat. Females may show aggression towards other females during their season or even the male if they are not receptive to his behavior.
4) Territorial Aggression- The name speaks for itself. Many people mistakenly think that this type of aggression is appropriate because they have never seen how quickly it can get out of hand. Anything the dog regards as 'their property' is defended often with serious injury being done. Many dog attacks happen because of someone mistakenly entering the dog's perceived territory and not knowing how to react to the initial threat display. NILIF is a great method to help break the cycle of territorial aggression.
5) 'Dominance' aggression- While I do not support the dominance theory, dogs do establish a ranking order when meeting other dogs. When two dogs meet who are equal rank or where one is trying to 'buck up' there is likely to be aggressive posturing, intimidation tactics and potentially a dog fight.
6) Predatory aggression- This is fairly straight forward as well. Predatory aggression is the act of fulfilling their prey drive. It comes into play when people, animals or other objects appear to be running from the dog.
There are more, but I think I've covered the basics for now. It comes down to a very simple fact. Aggression is a serious issue and correcting it takes help from a behaviorist. Because of the complex body language and various cues (many of which can barely be seen by an unblinking human eye) the average dog owner is not capable of telling which type of aggression their dog has, which makes it very difficult for them to correct.
1) Fear or nervous aggression. This is a common form of aggression for dogs and can be directed towards animals, people, objects and can even be triggered by scary places. Fear aggression is correctable with proper socialization and R+ training methods (You can read about Liwanu's battle with this on the blog 'Curbing the Violence')
2) Frustration aggression. Also known as fence-fighting or boundary aggression. Dogs who are kept in dog runs behind the house 24/7, are chained 24/7 or otherwise live a fairly isolated life (IE are not family pets, don't get to explore or meet other dogs/people) are prone to this type of aggression.
3) Sexual Aggression- This usually occurs between two intact males in regards to a female in heat. Females may show aggression towards other females during their season or even the male if they are not receptive to his behavior.
4) Territorial Aggression- The name speaks for itself. Many people mistakenly think that this type of aggression is appropriate because they have never seen how quickly it can get out of hand. Anything the dog regards as 'their property' is defended often with serious injury being done. Many dog attacks happen because of someone mistakenly entering the dog's perceived territory and not knowing how to react to the initial threat display. NILIF is a great method to help break the cycle of territorial aggression.
5) 'Dominance' aggression- While I do not support the dominance theory, dogs do establish a ranking order when meeting other dogs. When two dogs meet who are equal rank or where one is trying to 'buck up' there is likely to be aggressive posturing, intimidation tactics and potentially a dog fight.
6) Predatory aggression- This is fairly straight forward as well. Predatory aggression is the act of fulfilling their prey drive. It comes into play when people, animals or other objects appear to be running from the dog.
There are more, but I think I've covered the basics for now. It comes down to a very simple fact. Aggression is a serious issue and correcting it takes help from a behaviorist. Because of the complex body language and various cues (many of which can barely be seen by an unblinking human eye) the average dog owner is not capable of telling which type of aggression their dog has, which makes it very difficult for them to correct.
Ian Dunbar's Bite Assessment Scale
Level 1- Dog growls, lunges, snarls-no teeth touch skin. Mostly intimidation behavior.
Level 2- Teeth touch skin but no puncture. May have red mark/minor bruise from dog’s head or snout, may have minor scratches from paws/nails. Minor surface abrasions acceptable.
Level 3- Punctures ½ the length of a canine tooth, one to four holes, single bite. No tearing or slashes. Victim not shaken side to side. Bruising.
Level 4- One to four holes from a single bite, one hole deeper than ½ the length of a canine tooth, typically contact/punctures from more than canines only. Black bruising, tears and/or slashing wounds. Dog clamped down and shook or slashed victim.
Level 5- Multiple bites at Level 4 or above. A concerted, repeated attack.
Level 6- Any bite resulting in death of a human.
Cesar Milan has over simplified aggression for dogs. In his mind all dogs are aggressive from fear or dominance. He calls every dog that performs Level 2 or above a 'red-zone' case and overall makes it sound as if they were a lot worse than they actually are. As the above scale illustrates, there are several different levels of severity in aggression. Liwanu for instance; was at worst a 3+ which in the big picture isn't that bad. It's not good and it doesn't make him less of a danger but it doesn't mean he needs to be put down for being vicious. Levels 5 & 6 are the ones that most likely will need to be humanely euthanised because most owners are not capable of putting the time, energy and money into rehabilitating them. I really hate the term 'rehabilitation' because Cesar Milan has decided to use it as a catch phrase. Using R+ methods aggressive dogs can be healed and eventually can be integrated into a very average lifestyle. I would never consider an aggressive dog cured, it's more like being a recovering addict. Each day that the dog is able to maintain appropriate behavior is a success. There will be back-slides and gains, it's part of life for everything and everyone.
Level 2- Teeth touch skin but no puncture. May have red mark/minor bruise from dog’s head or snout, may have minor scratches from paws/nails. Minor surface abrasions acceptable.
Level 3- Punctures ½ the length of a canine tooth, one to four holes, single bite. No tearing or slashes. Victim not shaken side to side. Bruising.
Level 4- One to four holes from a single bite, one hole deeper than ½ the length of a canine tooth, typically contact/punctures from more than canines only. Black bruising, tears and/or slashing wounds. Dog clamped down and shook or slashed victim.
Level 5- Multiple bites at Level 4 or above. A concerted, repeated attack.
Level 6- Any bite resulting in death of a human.
Cesar Milan has over simplified aggression for dogs. In his mind all dogs are aggressive from fear or dominance. He calls every dog that performs Level 2 or above a 'red-zone' case and overall makes it sound as if they were a lot worse than they actually are. As the above scale illustrates, there are several different levels of severity in aggression. Liwanu for instance; was at worst a 3+ which in the big picture isn't that bad. It's not good and it doesn't make him less of a danger but it doesn't mean he needs to be put down for being vicious. Levels 5 & 6 are the ones that most likely will need to be humanely euthanised because most owners are not capable of putting the time, energy and money into rehabilitating them. I really hate the term 'rehabilitation' because Cesar Milan has decided to use it as a catch phrase. Using R+ methods aggressive dogs can be healed and eventually can be integrated into a very average lifestyle. I would never consider an aggressive dog cured, it's more like being a recovering addict. Each day that the dog is able to maintain appropriate behavior is a success. There will be back-slides and gains, it's part of life for everything and everyone.
6/25/08
BSL, MSN and other Anti-Dog laws....
For those who are not familiar with the terms I'll give a brief run-down.
BSL= Breed Specific Legislation. BSL is aimed at dogs who fit a certain type considered dangerous. The problem is that there is almost no way to tell a dog's definite breed without a large pedigree listing it's lineage. Rottweilers, 'pit bulls', boxers, Dobermans and such are all under attack. These dogs are judged by the actions of animals owned by uncaring/irresponsible owners which in turn ruins it for the rest of us.
MSN= Mandatory Spay/Neuter. MSN was recently passed in L.A. (I believe, I'll correct it if I'm wrong). It requires early spay/neuter and breeders need to buy a permit in order to have their animals intact. It also requires written documentation of medical reasons if a pet cannot be spayed. This was originally thought of as a solution to BYBs and Puppy mills. Since the people responsible for puppy mills and BYB facilities don't follow laws, MSN only punishes the responsible.
There is a way to correct the dog bite problem and reduce the pet overpopulation problem. It doesn't require laws punishing the responsible and it does work.
http://www.windsorhumane.org/pdfs/Bill%20Bruce.pdf
http://caveat.blogware.com/blog/_archives/2007/1/29/2694938.html
Essentially, Calgary has reduced their dog bite stats, increased licensing and increased owner responsibility. How you ask? Like this:
In grade school, their children are taught the 'Four Pillars of Owner Responsibility'. Their children learn from an early age (which is how it should be) that companion animals are not just throw away toys.
The Four Pillars of Owner Responsibility:
1) Companion Animals need to be licensed and Permanently Identified. This is fairly simple and inexpensive if only people in the US would do it.
2) Companion Animals should be spayed and neutered for their health and to prevent accidental litters.
3) Always provide the necessary food, training, exercise and care for companion animals.
4) Never allow your pet to become a nuisance or danger to the community.
Are these things really that hard?? It seems to me that it's cheaper and less time consuming just to do the above list than to face criminal charges, fines and steep medical bills. Experience should have taught us that criminals do NOT follow the laws. By adding more laws to what we have, only the law-abiding citizens suffer. Please take this to heart and pass it on! Teach your children the Four Pillars and volunteer to do an Assembly at your local schools. By preventing the creation of right removing laws we protect the future of our country.
BSL= Breed Specific Legislation. BSL is aimed at dogs who fit a certain type considered dangerous. The problem is that there is almost no way to tell a dog's definite breed without a large pedigree listing it's lineage. Rottweilers, 'pit bulls', boxers, Dobermans and such are all under attack. These dogs are judged by the actions of animals owned by uncaring/irresponsible owners which in turn ruins it for the rest of us.
MSN= Mandatory Spay/Neuter. MSN was recently passed in L.A. (I believe, I'll correct it if I'm wrong). It requires early spay/neuter and breeders need to buy a permit in order to have their animals intact. It also requires written documentation of medical reasons if a pet cannot be spayed. This was originally thought of as a solution to BYBs and Puppy mills. Since the people responsible for puppy mills and BYB facilities don't follow laws, MSN only punishes the responsible.
There is a way to correct the dog bite problem and reduce the pet overpopulation problem. It doesn't require laws punishing the responsible and it does work.
http://www.windsorhumane.org/pdfs/Bill%20Bruce.pdf
http://caveat.blogware.com/blog/_archives/2007/1/29/2694938.html
Essentially, Calgary has reduced their dog bite stats, increased licensing and increased owner responsibility. How you ask? Like this:
In grade school, their children are taught the 'Four Pillars of Owner Responsibility'. Their children learn from an early age (which is how it should be) that companion animals are not just throw away toys.
The Four Pillars of Owner Responsibility:
1) Companion Animals need to be licensed and Permanently Identified. This is fairly simple and inexpensive if only people in the US would do it.
2) Companion Animals should be spayed and neutered for their health and to prevent accidental litters.
3) Always provide the necessary food, training, exercise and care for companion animals.
4) Never allow your pet to become a nuisance or danger to the community.
Are these things really that hard?? It seems to me that it's cheaper and less time consuming just to do the above list than to face criminal charges, fines and steep medical bills. Experience should have taught us that criminals do NOT follow the laws. By adding more laws to what we have, only the law-abiding citizens suffer. Please take this to heart and pass it on! Teach your children the Four Pillars and volunteer to do an Assembly at your local schools. By preventing the creation of right removing laws we protect the future of our country.
Owner Responsibility..PT 2
I promise I'll get off my podium regarding this subject after this post.
This is more geared towards those who own large breed (over 50 lbs) or dogs who are typically seen as 'vicious', 'dangerous' or overly strong breeds. More specifically, the owners of bully breeds, German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Hounds etc need to pay attention.
I firmly believe that we who choose to own these beautiful, working dogs have added responsibility. It is part of our duty to provide everything in the previous post AND go the extra mile to ensure our dogs project a positive image for their breed. Liwanu is a mix. I know what breeds he consists of because of physical attributes, temperament characteristics and behavior traits. Since I know what he is, I know how he looks it is my job to ensure that no one gets hurt by him. Behaviors that other dogs can get away with are unacceptable. A growling Chihuahua would make everyone laugh, a growling 90lb mutt isn't as humorous.
As hard as it is, we need to have higher standards for our dog's behavior. Anything that could hurt or scare another is unacceptable. It's not fair that our dogs have to go above and beyond but in order to fight the misconception the Media blatantly throws to the public it is on our shoulders to prove them wrong.
This doesn't mean you hurt or get rid of a chow mix who has some behavior issues...it simply means that you need to take time and money out of your shoe or restoration car project to put into a behaviorist or R+ trainer. Pick up a book and read. Do what you can and if all fails at least you tried.
This is more geared towards those who own large breed (over 50 lbs) or dogs who are typically seen as 'vicious', 'dangerous' or overly strong breeds. More specifically, the owners of bully breeds, German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Hounds etc need to pay attention.
I firmly believe that we who choose to own these beautiful, working dogs have added responsibility. It is part of our duty to provide everything in the previous post AND go the extra mile to ensure our dogs project a positive image for their breed. Liwanu is a mix. I know what breeds he consists of because of physical attributes, temperament characteristics and behavior traits. Since I know what he is, I know how he looks it is my job to ensure that no one gets hurt by him. Behaviors that other dogs can get away with are unacceptable. A growling Chihuahua would make everyone laugh, a growling 90lb mutt isn't as humorous.
As hard as it is, we need to have higher standards for our dog's behavior. Anything that could hurt or scare another is unacceptable. It's not fair that our dogs have to go above and beyond but in order to fight the misconception the Media blatantly throws to the public it is on our shoulders to prove them wrong.
This doesn't mean you hurt or get rid of a chow mix who has some behavior issues...it simply means that you need to take time and money out of your shoe or restoration car project to put into a behaviorist or R+ trainer. Pick up a book and read. Do what you can and if all fails at least you tried.
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