Common Misconceptions about Dog Behavior

By Linda Cole

The dictionary defines a misconception as “A false or mistaken view, opinion or attitude.” When someone believes something about dog behavior that isn't true, it can put the dog at risk, and possibly damage a relationship with a pet. Unfounded misconceptions can even jeopardize the life of some dog breeds. Dog behavior isn't always easy to figure out, though, and misconceptions are common. Here are six of them:

1. Aggression runs in some breeds 

Dog breeds were developed to do specific jobs for us. For some breeds, toughness, determination and a fighting spirit was essential for them to do their jobs. Dalmatians, for example, were used for centuries as guard dogs, war dogs, border security and sentinels. They ran with horse drawn carriages, protecting wealthy riders from robbers. When necessary, a Dalmatian can stand up to a foe with a determined defiance. Nevertherless, a well socialized and trained Dalmatian is a wonderful family pet and has a unique ability to calm horses.

At one time, Pit Bulls were used to bait bulls. When that was outlawed, irresponsible owners threw them into illegal dog fighting rings. Pit Bulls were once “America's Nanny Dog.” In the care of a responsible pet owner who understands the needs of a particular breed and the importance of proper training, socializing and respect, no breed is more aggressive than others. However, there are harder to control breeds that should never be in the hands of someone who isn't an expert in the breed and doesn't know how to take the lead role. Dog experts harp about finding the right dog for your lifestyle for a good reason.

2. You can't fix an aggressive or anti-social dog

Many dogs rescued from dog fighting operations have been successfully rehabilitated and placed in new homes, including ones with kids. Dogs live in the now, leave the past behind, and don't hold grudges. Any bad behavior can be corrected, but it takes time, commitment, patience, understanding and leadership. Depending on the type of aggression, a professional may be needed. Aggression could be indicating an underlying medical issue, and pain can cause a dog to be aggressive. It's important to recognize and take immediate steps to change unwanted behavior.

How to Change a Possessive Dog's Behavior

By Linda Cole

When I was a kid, a friend of my parents had a Chihuahua that would snarl and try to bite us if we got too close to her owner or her toys. One time when we were visiting, the dog bit me because I had gotten too close to a toy she had hidden under a bush outside. Possessive behavior in dogs can easily turn into aggression if it's not corrected.

A possessive dog is trying to control and dominate people and other pets in the home by claiming things like his toys, sleeping area, food bowl, and even his owner. He sees threats all around him and it makes him uncomfortable, so he reacts in an aggressive way. The possessive dog is always on high alert and refuses to give up what he thinks is his and won't back down.

Possessive behavior says your dog believes you can't and won't protect him, so he has to do it himself. He's confused, stressed out and insecure from always being on guard. Small dogs that display possessive behavior are often laughed at by their owners who think their dog's aggression is cute, but it's not. He's a very stressed out and extremely unhappy little dog.

The best way to keep your dog from developing a possessive behavior is to establish yourself as his leader from day one. Your interactions with your dog tell him where he stands in your pack, and you need to be the one holding the top spot. You don't become the leader by trying to dominate a dog, you prove yourself as a fair, compassionate and understanding leader, and earn it. Most behavior problems can be avoided when the dog is allowed to be just a dog while you make all of the decisions and show him you will protect all members of your pack, including him.

Food aggression and guarding the food bowl

You are the one who controls the food, not him. Food aggression is a serious behavior that needs to be dealt with immediately. Growling at you, the kids or other pets that come too close to his bowl is food aggression. Instead of putting your dog's full bowl on the floor, have him sit in front of you and keep his food up away from him. Hand feed him his meals for three or four days.

How Trust and Love Can Change a Dog

By Linda Cole

I have to admit, I'm an advocate for any stray dog or cat – even the ones with aggression issues. I believe pets deserve a second chance when they've been lost or cast aside by their owners. Unfortunately, many aggressive shelter pets will never be adopted. But sometimes the right person comes along who makes a difference in an aggressive dog's life. With trust, patience, respect and love, one person can create small miracles and move mountains. We can change the plight of stray pets, one animal at a time, as long as we don't give up on them. It's worth the time to unravel a troubled mind in order to save a soul. I have worked with both an aggressive dog and cat, and that's one reason why I was drawn to the story I'm about to share with you.

When a stray dog shows up in a neighborhood or at a local shelter, we don't know what they went through living on the streets. Their history is unknown and we have no idea if they were mistreated, abused or became aggressive while on the streets in order to survive. When a dog shows aggression, his behavior is often viewed as a lost cause and he's put down. Most people won't deal with an aggressive dog because they don't know how to help him, or simply don't want to deal with trying to change the dog's behavior. A woman named Heike Munday saw something special in an aggressive dog and rescued her from certain death.

How to Deal With Small Dog Syndrome

By Linda Cole

About a year and a half ago, my neighbor brought their new puppy over and begged me to take her off their hands. I took one look at the little wiggling Terrier pup tucked under my neighbor's arm, and saw a bright eyed face I couldn't say no to. Riley was 8 weeks old at the time. About a month after she came to live with us, she decided she was going to show our larger dogs who was boss. She went after my Lab mix who looked at her like she was an annoyance he could do without. It's easy to mistake a little dog's actions as being jealous, but she was a perfect example of a pup with small dog syndrome.

Regardless of a dog's size, all dogs should be treated equally. We have a tendency to view small dogs as needing us more than a larger dog. We see things that small dogs do as cute, but if a big dog did the same thing, we would consider the dog's actions as aggressive. A dog who growls at another dog, a cat or a person is saying they are the dominant dog. Growling is also a sign of aggression. It doesn't matter what size the dog is, a small dog acting badly should not be tolerated any more than allowing a larger dog to act in an aggressive matter.

What to Do if another Dog Attacks Your Dog

By Linda Cole

Walking your dog is a healthy activity for you and your dog. Going to dog parks provides a safe and enclosed area where you can let your dog run off leash and play with other dogs. Sometimes, however, a dog comes from out of nowhere and attacks your dog. Breaking up dog fights between your own dogs at home is one thing, but trying to break up a fight when you're away from home is something completely different. How can you protect your dog and yourself if another dog attacks your dog?

It can be hard to figure out why another dog suddenly attacks your dog. A dog's body language can be subtle, and signals from both dogs can be missed by the person holding the leash. However, whatever it was that caused the hostile reaction doesn't really matter when two dogs are locked in battle, with you on the other end of your dog's leash. Of course, it's best to avoid a fight all together, but that's not always possible and breaking up dog fights can be dangerous for dogs and people.

How to Deal with Food Aggression in Pets

By Linda Cole

You may have a loving pet who would never do anything to hurt a family member – as long as no one touches his food. A food aggressive dog or cat is more apt to be given to a shelter or put down because their owner didn't know how to deal with the problem. Food aggression doesn't mean you can't live with the pet; it simply means you need to change their behavior to one that's acceptable to you. Here are some tips on what to do (and what not to do) when dealing with food aggression in pets.

Food aggression in dogs is a serious and potentially dangerous issue that needs to be stopped before it gets out of hand. When a dog growls at other pets or people while he eats, or even when his bowl is empty, he's showing food aggression. It's never cute, and a puppy who shows signs of food aggression needs his behavior changed before he grows into an adult.

Medical and Behavioral Causes for Canine Aggression

By Ruthie Bently

Have you ever been growled at or bitten by a dog that as a rule is a calm, even-tempered animal? I have, and it was because I made a mistake. I had given my dog a bone and he kept trying to take it into the bedroom to chew it in his favorite place: my bed. I kept taking the bone into the kitchen and placing it on his rug where he was allowed to chew it. That just didn’t suit him.

I got bit when I approached him from behind and reached around him to take the bone away. The proper way to remedy the situation would have been to put him on a sit/stay, pick up his bone while facing him and crate him with his bone, so he could enjoy it in peace and my quilt wouldn’t get dirty. In his defense it was the first beef bone he’d ever been given and he was two years old. He had no idea who was behind him; he didn’t have eyes in the back of his head and was protecting his property. This aggression was caused by a behavior I was able to correct with patience, understanding, love and CANIDAE Snap Biscuit treats.

Behavioral causes for canine aggression can include protection of their persons, perceived property or other four-legged companions. Some dogs will show this aggression when being walked by their owners. They are walking happily down the sidewalk when all of a sudden there is a barking, snarling mass of fur at the end of a leash. If you are walking with or without your dog in the other direction, I suggest crossing the street before continuing on your walk.

A dog does not necessarily see property lines in the same manner that humans do. It doesn’t matter if they are behind or in front of a fence – in some dogs’ minds the property ends with their line of sight. If you have ever parked in a parking lot and been accosted by a dog in the car next to you showing teeth and/or growling, it may be because the dog sees you as a threat to the car they are in. They don’t know that you could care less; they were left there by the alpha family member and are doing their job.

Fear can cause aggression. A dog may be afraid of thunder, fireworks or other loud noises. They may be fearful of noises made during the normal running of appliances that they may not be used to (i.e., the dishwasher, clothes washer or dryer). A dog may be afraid of another dog, and may show aggression to make himself look more threatening to a dog that is approaching them with body language they don’t like.

Dominance can also cause aggression. Dogs may fight over territory, a female they both covet, food or even a family member. Jealousy can also cause dominance aggression. I had a client with a male Akita, and she began dating several years after she became a widow. The Akita did not like the new man in her life and made his feelings known. By involving her new beau in the dog’s day-to-day schedule which included feeding, walking and training, the problem was resolved and they became a happy family.

Canine aggression can also be caused by medical problems. One report mentioned over fifty different medical reasons for canine aggression. Hypothyroidism is one of the most common and occurs when there is too little thyroid in a dog’s system. Your vet can perform a test for hypothyroidism and may prescribe thyroid medication to remedy the situation. Hypothyroidism currently affects more than fifty dog breeds. Hypoglycemia, which is low blood sugar, is another cause and may or may not be linked to canine diabetes.

A trauma caused by a blow to a dog’s head or a brain tumor, which can cause swelling, bleeding or injury to the brain, can result in canine aggression. Dogs can contract either viral or bacterial encephalitis. Rabies and distemper are both forms of viral encephalitis. Some studies show that dogs can contract distemper from a distemper vaccination. The lack of serotonin in a dog’s brain can cause them to become aggressive, as it is the neurochemical control for aggression. Epilepsy, which has many causes, has also been noted as a form of canine aggression. Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome associated with aging canine seniors can also cause canine aggression.

Canine aggression can be due to either a behavioral or medical cause. If you have a regularly well-behaved dog that begins behaving oddly for no apparent reason, it is time to visit the vet for a checkup.

Read more articles by Ruthie Bently

Understanding Aggressive Behavior in Dogs

By Linda Cole

Even the friendliest dog can demonstrate aggressive behavior at times. There's a number of reasons why your dog can suddenly become aggressive towards you, another pet or a stranger. But what a dog considers to be normal behavior is certainly not acceptable to us. It's important to remember that just because your dog is acting in an aggressive manner, it doesn't mean he's become aggressive. Before you can change your dog's behavior or know if he even has a problem, you need to understand what caused the aggressive reaction in the first place.

Dogs are social animals and consider their people and other pets as members of the pack. It's normal behavior for a dog to protect his family and he may, at times, show a protective aggressive behavior if he feels a threat from outside his family. It becomes a problem when the dog can't distinguish between friend or foe. The dog guarding a new baby may be cute until no one is allowed to see the baby. It's natural for a mother dog to protect her puppies, but not to the point where she refuses to let anyone close to them.

Possessive aggression is where the dog will protect whatever he considers important to him. It can be his food or even his empty bowl. A dog may feel he needs to protect toys, beds, treats and his owner. If he feels threatened, it will trigger aggressive behavior. Some dogs will even take their favorite things and stash them in hiding spots around their home. If another pet or human is unknowingly near one of his hiding spots, the dog can become aggressive if he thinks his “treasure” has been discovered. The dog protecting his human may lash out at anyone or other pets who get too close.

Dogs who are afraid will show fear aggression. Usually, this dog won't attack someone or another animal unless they feel cornered or trapped. You can tell if a dog is fearful because they'll try to not look at what's causing their fear. Their tail is tucked between their legs and they may have a hunched back posture. Do not turn your back on a dog with fear aggression. There are different reasons why a dog is fearful and if one is showing fear, caution should be used because they can lash out in an aggressive attempt to get away from what's scaring them. This kind of aggressive behavior can be sudden with no warning signs.

Territorial aggression is a bit like protective aggression. The dog feels a need to protect his home and yard from strangers or other animals who violate his space. Like the protective dog, this can be a problem when people come to visit or if other animals, wild or domestic, wander into the dog's territory.

A dog who has been injured or is in pain for any reason can exhibit pain elicited aggression. Even the most loving, friendly dog can lash out at the person or animal who caused his pain. Many owners have been bitten while trying to treat a dog's minor injury or while grooming a dog with painful hips or joints. Long haired dogs who need their coats combed to remove tangles can bite when a stuck tangle pulls too hard.

Predatory aggression is when the dog chases bikes, cars, people running down the street, the neighborhood cats, squirrels, rabbits or anything else he sees moving. When his prey drive is activated, the dog with a more aggressive behavior may act on his natural instinct to capture his prey and he may harm what he catches if it's another animal. A dog showing predatory aggression is also apt to bite the person on the bike or the person jogging down the street.

Other types of aggressions include defensive aggression, social aggression, frustration elicited aggression, redirected aggression and sex related aggression.

A dog can show aggressive behavior at any time in their life. Any one of the above conditions can trigger a forceful response. Aggression can be reduced if you understand why they became that way in the first place. Any time your dog displays aggression towards you, another family member, other pets or outside people coming into your home or yard, it's always best to speak with your vet, because medical conditions can spark an aggressive outburst. However, if there's no medical reason for your dog's behavior, your vet can recommend a qualified behaviorist who can help you and your dog deal with his aggression. There are different ways of dealing with different types of aggression, and some are more controversial than others. Always make sure you are comfortable with any recommendations given to you by a behaviorist.

Read more articles by Linda Cole