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Name
Dominance Aggression, Canine
Short Description
Dominance Aggression, Canine
Affected Animals: Dogs. The highest incidence of dominance
aggression occurs in intact males, followed, in decreasing order of
frequency, by castrated males, spayed females and unspayed females.
English springer spaniels, Lhaso apsos, cocker spaniels, Doberman
pinschers, and toy poodle and terrier breeds have been reported to
have a higher incidence of this type of aggression, but it can occur
in any breed of dog.
Overview: Dogs may become aggressive towards their owners
if they perceive that their dominance is being challenged or that
there is a threat to a "critical resource" such as food, a resting
place, a prized object, a favored person, or anything else that is
important to them. Owners seek professional advice about dominance
aggression more often than about any other type of canine
aggression.
The intensity of dominance aggression ranges from mild to severe.
Dominance aggression develops around the time a dog reaches social
maturity, which is about two years of age. Treatment involves
life-long management using a combination of therapeutic techniques.
This behavioral problem, which is common among canines, can pose a
safety threat to humans. Children that live in households with dogs
that have dominance aggression are at greatest risk for serious or
fatal injury.
Clinical Signs: Growling, snarling, lunging, snapping or biting
owners or other familiar people. The dog typically will have a
dominant body posture.
Symptoms: Owners frequently report that their dog becomes
aggressive without being provoked. Usually, they are unaware that
they have unintentionally challenged or competed with the dog. This
is very understandable, since the trigger for the aggression can be
something as subtle as petting the dog or looking at it.
Description: Dominance aggression has its roots in the social
organization of wolves, the closest wild relatives of domestic dogs.
Wolves live in social groups called packs. Within the pack there is
a social hierarchy in which each individual animal knows its rank in
relation to every other animal. The dominant individuals have a
priority to the critical resources of food, water, and resting
places.
Dynamic, rather than rigid, the hierarchy is maintained through a
complex communication system using signals of dominance and
submission; thus, the social relationships within a pack of wolves
are quite complex. One of the functions of the hierarchy is to
reduce aggression within the pack. When the hierarchy is stable,
overt aggression is minimized. Presumably, domestic dogs manifest
dominance aggression when they perceive that the hierarchy within
the household is unstable.
Diagnosis: First, a complete medical history, physical
examination and baseline laboratory work, including testing of the
thyroid hormone levels, is recommended to rule out medical causes of
aggression.
A specialist in veterinary behavior will ask owners for a history of
the animal's behavior and will note the dog's age, sex and breed;
this data is important because certain dogs, such as males that have
not been neutered, are more prone towards dominance aggression than
other canines. There is a breed predilection as well.
Next, a behavioral specialist will look first at the context in
which the aggression occurs. Dogs that have dominance aggression may
react aggressively to petting, hugging, being stared at, stood over,
or disturbed while resting. Owners that command, scold, punish or
force the dog to do something it does not want to do also may
trigger aggressive behavior. In addition, aggression can occur when
a family member attempts to interact with the dog when it is in the
presence of food, prized objects, a favored person, or a preferred
resting-place.
Because dominance aggression is directed predominantly toward the
dog's owners and other familiar people who the dog perceives to be
part of its family or "pack," it is important for the behavioral
specialist to determine the target of the dog's aggression.
Another important step in diagnosis requires
looking at the components of the animal's behavior while it is
acting aggressively. Dogs exhibiting dominance aggression often, but
not always, assume a dominant posture, such as an erect or stiff
body position, with erect ears and tail, raised hackles, and a
direct stare. Depending on the intensity of the aggressive display,
there can be snarling, growling, lunging, snapping, and biting.
However, a significant number of dogs with dominance aggression do
not exhibit this classical dominance posture and instead, some may
exhibit a fear posture or, more commonly, a posture that includes
varying degrees of both dominance and fear.
Finally, the veterinarian will consider the dog's age, sex, and
breed, as certain dogs will have a greater tendency to exhibit
aggressive behavior.
Prognosis: Dominance aggression is rarely, if ever, completely
eliminated. Optimal improvement is achieved when a veterinarian who
is knowledgeable and experienced in behavioral problems develops an
individualized management program. In many cases, the severity of
aggressive behavior can be reduced. However, euthanasia may be
considered if the animal's problems do not improve and there is a
great human safety risk.
Transmission or Cause: The fact that certain breeds of dogs have a
predisposition towards dominance aggression supports the possibility
that dominance aggression is to some degree inherited. For this
reason, dogs with dominance aggression should not be used for
breeding. Environmental experiences also play a role.
Treatment: Because of the dangerous and complex nature of
dominance aggression and the variations between each case, specific
treatment of individual cases requires the guidance of a
veterinarian with knowledge and experience in the management of
canine aggression.
Human safety being the first concern, the veterinarian will first
ensure that the animal's behavior is not posing a threat to members
of its household. It is particularly dangerous to keep dogs with
dominance aggression in homes with children. Due to their small size
and their physical movements and actions, young children are
potentially more challenging to dominant dogs because they are at
eye level and are likely to unintentionally exhibit behaviors that
are considered a challenge by the dog.
As much as possible, the circumstances in which the aggression
occurs should be avoided in order to prevent the aggressive
behavior. For example, if the dog guards its food, it should be fed
away from people. Training aids such as head halters and basket
muzzles may be necessary to control the dog and prevent its
aggression. Physical punishment is dangerous for both the owner and
the dog since dogs with dominance aggression become more aggressive
in response to punishment.
An important option to consider is neutering. Castration has
approximately a 50 percent probability of reducing aggression in
intact male dogs. Conversely, there is evidence that spaying intact
female dogs that are exhibiting signs of dominance aggression will
increase the aggression.
Although obedience training alone will not treat dominance
aggression, trainers can help develop behavioral "tools" that can be
used in conjunction with specific behavior modification programs.
These programs, such as the "Nothing in Life is Free" approach,
which requires the dog to defer to the owner by obeying commands
before receiving attention, food, or affection, frequently are used
to modify the dog's role in the household. Desensitization programs
to reduce the dog's reaction to triggers for aggression are often
helpful. Both the family and the animal should learn commands such
as "sit-stay" or "down-stay" that can help control a dog's behavior
in situations in which aggression is likely to occur.
A behavioral specialist may recommend changes in the way the family
interacts with the dog to change the dog's perception of its status
within the household. Lavish attention and coddling should be
permanently withdrawn. In fact, temporarily withdrawing all
attention from the dog except for the necessities of life will help
"set the stage" for behavior modification. Changes in the dog's
feeding routine, exercise schedule, and sleeping or resting sites
may have to be made as well.
Finally, drugs that increase the availability of a neurotransmitter
called serotonin, as well as other medications that facilitate
impulse control, may be recommended for severe cases.
Prevention: Well-informed selection of a dog may help reduce
the likelihood of obtaining an animal that will exhibit dominance
aggression. Reliable information should be sought about the breed
that is being considered. If possible, information should be
obtained on the temperament of both parents and of their previous
offspring. Obedience training is recommended because it will help
establish a basis of communication between the owner and the dog.
Life-long use of a non-confrontational behavior modification program
such as "Nothing in Life is Free" can help define the dog's role in
the family by requiring the animal to defer to the family members.
Mild or subtle signs of aggression should be addressed as soon as
they develop. Unfortunately, some
