How can I determine if conflict/social status aggression is developing?
Early signs of conflict aggression are usually subtle. Dogs mostly use facial expressions and body postures to signal intent. Unwanted encounters between family members and the pet usually begin with prolonged eye contact and maybe growling and/or snarling (lifting of the lip to expose the teeth, usually without noise) over resources such as food, resting places, moving the dog and perhaps handling the body. If the owner sometimes acquiesces but at other times continues the “challenge,” the relationship may be unclear. This can create anxiety for the dog and things may escalate to snapping, lunging and biting. It will be necessary to determine the context of the aggression such as certain types of petting or handling, approaching when the dog is resting or sleeping, touching the food or toys, discipline or scolding the dog, ability to handle the body, or stepping over the dog. These aggressive displays may not occur in every situation, only those where the dog is more motivated to keep an item, when it is not in the mood for social interactions or if it is fearful and/or defensive (see Canine Communication – Interpreting Dog Language).
Not all of these dogs behave the same and a description of what the dog looks like, how they responded to challenges, and where and with whom they occur are important pieces of information to obtain before making a diagnosis. A dog may only show aggression in limited contexts, say food guarding only, in which case the diagnosis is not conflict aggression, but guarding a highly favored resource; in this case, treatment should be focused on the possessive aggression (see Aggression – Possessive – Objects and Toys and Aggression – Possessive – Food Bowl). Within a family, a dog may show conflict or may challenge some family members while avoiding or deferring to others (see Canine Communication – Interpreting Dog Language and Dominance, Alpha, and Pack Leadership – What Does It Really Mean?).
How the dog behaved during the initial aggressive episodes is likely a better indicator of cause, since with each aggressive event, the dog learns new ways of behaving in that situation or with that person. It is possible for the dog to growl at family members because of fear and, if the person backs away, the pet learns that aggression is a successful way to resolve a social conflict. Over time, with repetition of the same scenario the dog learns that aggression results in a favorable outcome. This may result in a dog that acts confident rather than fearful, but underlying anxiety and fear may be the cause of the aggression. This would result in a different diagnosis; rather than social status aggression, this dog may be exhibiting fear or conflict aggression.
Kelsey Cruz is a feminist blogger from the city of brotherly love who is obsessed with bourbon, black blazers, and blow-out bars. She loves to cook and is always up to swap smoothie recipes. Mostly, though, she likes long walks on the Philly streets with her pit-boxer Henry of whom she will definitely show you pictures. Follow her on Twitter @kelsey_cruz.
Now that you know the type of aggression your dog demonstrates and the signs to look for to help prevent a possible dangerous situation, below, find ways to help your dog combat his aggression:
There are countless types of aggression – predatory, social, defensive – but, below, The Humane Society of the United States defines three of the most prominent:
Do any of those forms of aggression seem familiar? Has she not been aggressive yet, but you fear she might? According to an article by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), “A dog that shows aggression to people usually exhibits some part of the following sequence of increasingly intense behaviors”:
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In most cases, dog aggression can be lessened through proper training and socialization with other dogs. But there are instances where training alone will not solve the problem. If a dog was abused as a puppy, it is possible that they will never fully recover and will always be leery of anything not in their daily routine. In these cases, in addition to constant reinforcement through training, holistic medicines may also help. If this is a the case with a particular dog, look for some of the following ingredients in any holistically-based medicine:
After diagnosis is confirmed, the proper treatment plan can be implemented. There are several treatment plans available depending on the source of the aggression:
First and foremost, before any corrective action can be taken, it is necessary to know the underlying cause of the dog aggression. A vet should first check to diagnose any medical issues which may be contributing to dog aggression. For instance, a dog suffering hypothyroidism would not benefit from a treatment plan that is centered on training with no medical action. On the other side of the coin, a dog with no medical problems that could be causing the aggression would only benefit slightly from a purely medical approach to treatment.