Aggression: Some Reasons Behind it

Understanding why a dog might feel the need to act aggressively, and recognizing the early signs in the dog’s body language. By Suzanne Clothier, SuzanneClothier.com

Whether we like it or not, we need to recognize that the wide range of behaviors labeled as aggression are communications from the dog to us. Dogs do not snap, snarl, growl, or bite without reason, and those reasons can range from feeling afraid to being confidently challenging. If you are able to recognize early signs of dog feeling uneasy or pressured in some way (whether you intended that response or not!), you can avoid pushing dog into feeling the need for more dramatic or more dangerous aggressive behavior.

Many of the dogs presented to me as aggressive are often quite fair about offering warning signs, but sadly, people have not been able to accurately read the signals the dog is sending. How frustrating that must be for the dog, who may then feel the need to escalate his own behavior in order to make his message clear!

Here are some typical clues that a dog is feeling pressured, and shifting from relaxed to another state of mind:
Shifts in breathing
Typically, a dog who is feeling uncertain or threatened or is annoyed exhibits changes in the way he breathes. The breathing slows, becomes very shallow or is actually held (no breaths!). Watch rib cage or flank area – a normal relaxed dog is visibly breathing! A dog who closes his
mouth, even briefly, may be offering a warning. Breathing may be monitored by visual observation, by hearing the shifts, and also by noting changes in the dog’s breathing through your hands (helpful when you are handling a dog up close and may not be able to easily visually observe such changes).

Changes in whiskers
Learn to recognize what’s normal for your dog in terms of how he holds his whiskers when relaxed. A stressed dog (fearful, confused, overwhelmed) often folds the whiskers back against the muzzle. A dog who is angry or challenging may have whiskers brought forward.

Changes in head & eye movements
A relaxed, comfortable dog has slow, easy movements of the head and eyes. The more rapid the movements you observe in eyes and head, the more
panicky or fearful the dog is becoming, though this may rapidly escalate to a complete freeze of all movements but with the head and eyes turned slightly or markedly away from what concerns the dog. On the other end of the scale, the dog who becomes very still and stares at something with ears up and fixed (think “locked on target”) is heading up the scale towards possible aggression or predatory behavior, with the whole body held quite still but oriented towards the target. Less dramatic but important shifts in head & eyes: dog looks away or turns head away from person or other dog; this dog
is actively avoiding confrontation.

Freezing
An overwhelmed dog may literally freeze – no movement, all body posture pulled back and down and/or away from threat. The danger here is that dogs in freeze may explode into fight or flight if pushed further. Do not mistake a frozen dog for one who is gladly accepting whatever is happening – a common mistake that leads to “he just exploded with no warning.”

A dog who is accepting of whatever is happening continues to have normal movement of the body, head & eyes; a dog who is simply enduring an unwelcome or unpleasant event often freezes when he cannot escape, and thus the internal pressure continues to build as evidenced by
the freeze. Should that internal pressure reach an intolerable level, the dog may explode in some dramatic behaviors. Changes in shape and expression of eyes On the fearful/anxious end of the spectrum, the dog will look away from or glance sideways at the source of his problems, and the pupils may dilate considerably if the dog is really stressed. This change is due to shifts internally that result from the cascade
of stress hormones (the ones that prepare a dog for flight/fight). Dogs are incredibly expressive in their eyes and facial muscles – attention to subtle changes here will pay off for anyone trying to understand the dog.

Changes in lips
Get a feel for how the dog normally looks when relaxed, particularly how he holds his mouth and lips. Are the lips held tightly? drawn back? panting? drawn forward? Tension around the lips and muzzle indicate a problem. The more fearful/anxious the dog is, the more drawn back the lips become. When a dog is becoming annoyed or angry, the lips may tighten and the corners are drawn forward; you may even see an “rumpling” of the whisker bed, giving the dog’s muzzle a “lumpy” look which precedes an actual snarl.

Increase in muscular tension As the dog’s emotional state shifts, so will the overall tension in his body. Do not mistake
stillness for “okay”! Sometimes, a dramatic shift can be seen in the dog’s feet – look for clenching of toes, a sign I often see as the dog’s fear/anxiety increases. Dogs who are confident & challenging and getting very annoyed or angry move “up” on their toes, whereas fearful dogs often clench or spread their toes preparatory to moving away (if they can). Of course, pay close attention to the degree of muscular tension throughout the dog’s body.

Overall shifts in body posture
Consider the overall “geometry” of the dog’s body posture. Calm and relaxed results in the dog being balanced, neither looking drawn forward nor drawn down and away. Fear/anxiety based response: dog backs up, turns obliquely away from the problem, may even curve his body dramatically away while holding still. This dog is trying to avoid confrontation or hoping to escape from the situation. Aroused/confident/challenging: dog comes forward, shifts to sit from down or stand from sit, all body posture aimed at person or other dog. Friendly gesture – the dog may approach with decided curves in his body, neck and tail, even a lot of wiggles, and may offer his side, often accompanied by a lot of curves through the body, neck and tail.

Lack of handler leadership
Typical symptoms: Dog may actively resist being forced or even gently modeled into position by handler (i.e. tucked into sit or down) by growling, snapping, biting, or by wrestling, pushing handler away with feet, mouthing handler’s arms & hands. The dog is saying that handler has not earned the right to handle him in such ways. Possible solution: Do not force the issue but find reasonable compromise in class situation, and if at home, back off and find a way to gain voluntary cooperation or use of lure to avoid conflicts. Emphasize work on controlling resources at home to gain leadership & respect.

Overstimulation
Typical symptoms: The excessive stimulation may come from the collar or lead, the handler, corrections, the overall environment,
other dogs or animals. Many mouthy dogs respond to overstimulation by grabbing at the handler’s arms, hands, legs, feet, clothing, lead, etc. This is often not aggression but a response to too much stimuli; attempts to use force or corrections only pour fuel on the fire. Possible Solution: Remove dog to a “cool down zone” that offers a visual barrier and/or much more distance from other dogs/animals; reduce sensory input to the dog with quieter handling, less or no corrections, switch equipment to something milder, or change between equipment as necessary in any given situation. Work quietly and reward good behavior – careful not to use physical praise, big/fast hand movements or excited voice.

Fear based
Typical symptoms: Usually seen when approached by other dogs or people. May be afraid of handler; if so, watch handler’s technique – may be too harsh. Watch for grabbing of joints, pushing down on hips or back instead of tucking, holding onto legs, pulling, pushing, etc. (This could end up with the dog both afraid and in pain.) Possible solution: Encourage & show handler how to use softer approach. May need to switch to lure/reward only. If afraid of other dogs, respect this, put red bandana on to remind other students. See if you can find well behaved, well socialized dog who will lay quietly in a down and allow fearful dog to approach and sniff from behind. If afraid of people, use Treat/Retreat with all students participating to build confidence (can practice while instructor holds each student’s dog; doubles as practice for CGC.)

PREVENTION HELPS!
Learn to identify potential problems which may result in aggressive behavior:

• Watch for dogs with no appropriate sense of personal space & handlers who allow their dogs to invade others’ space
• Watch dogs who need extra room & space (may look unsure, frightened of other dogs approaching or get stiff, bark, growl) ? offer them a red bandana to buy them the space they need
• Eye contact to or from other dogs – usually accompanied by body postures (head up, tail up, stillness). This may also be true in dogs who react to eye contact from people, though they may also exhibit fearful, avoiding behaviors.

Resistance
Sometimes, aggression follows close on the heels of resistance, especially when handlers ignore the importance of resistance as meaningful information. Resistance or refusal to cooperate are important communications from dog which say he is:

• Confused or doesn’t understand – Solution: back up to previous level, re-evaluate technique
• Feeling afraid or anxious or simply unsure – Solution: work to alleviate fear & build confidence
• Is bored (often seen with repetition of exercise dog does not find enjoyable) – Solution: STOP boring your dog!
• Isn’t motivated (examine level of motivation) – Solution: find suitable motivation (better rewards, hefty paycheck)
• Is not physically able to do as asked – Solution: evaluate dog as athlete, work with the individual dog’s limitations, do not ask for more!
• Does not respect the handler sufficiently to do what he’s being asked to do in that particular situation – Solution: Build respect through Puppy Politeness Poker or other exercises.

Possible causes for resistance:

• Handler induced – watch the handler for changes in breathing, muscular tension, facial expression, movement. The dog will notice and respond to all of these!
• Equipment – may be giving signals to dog that are not clear or are too clear & overstimulating or simply too harsh
• Method – any technique which uses application of force may elicit reflexive resistance from the dog. Particularly true with pull or jerk on collar – if you must use equip ment to send information, try a pulsed (give & take) signal, ‘asking’ not demanding
• Find a way to address the resistance, and avoid the dog feeling the need to underline how he’s feeling by escalating to more dramatic behaviors.