Not All Aggression is Created Equal

Whenever there’s a debate over whether an “aggressive” dog could, or should, be “saved,” such as the recent case with a certain cookie-named dog, I always wonder how much people actually understand dog aggression. Based on the number of arguments along the line of “I rescued an abused dog once that just needed to learn to trust people,” I’m guessing the average knowledge library on this issue has some seriously empty shelves.

Aggressive dogs aren’t just distraught children who need a hug. Dogs are faster, stronger, and have much sharper teeth than humans. A dog bite is not the same as your puppy nipping you in play. It’s painful and can do serious damage. Despite all the things that are wrong with way the media reports dog bites, the potential damage is not a lie and is not unique to just that one dog. I wonder how much people really realize this when they’re so quick to want to release a dog deemed aggressive into society. I wonder if they’ve ever met a truly aggressive dog. Maybe some have, but I’d bet many haven’t (which is a good thing because if aggression was that common, we’d have a problematic relationship with our best friend).

Aggression is a deviant behavior, meaning it’s outside the normal reaction you’d expect. That doesn’t mean all types of aggression can’t be managed or that you have a “bad” dog (for instance, aggression toward other dogs*), or that aggressive dogs don’t deserve a chance. But the difference between certain types of “regular” dog behavior and aggressive behavior is an important distinction because a lot of people assume they’ve witnessed aggression when they haven’t.

Your neighbor’s dog barking as you walk by the fence isn’t necessarily aggression – it’s a dog telling you it’s protecting its territory. Now, if the dog was actually trying to bite you through the fence or was redirecting on whoever else was in the yard, that might be another story. A growl is not a sign of aggression – it’s one of the few ways that a dog has to express its displeasure. Can it be a sign of aggression? Absolutely. Growling needs to be taken seriously because it certainly can lead to a bite. But, in and of itself, it doesn’t mean the dog is aggressive, just that it’s unhappy at the moment and you need to pay attention to that.

Most aggression does stem from fear at one level or another, but even then, that doesn’t mean it can always be fixed. There are some fears that are so deep and so pervasive, they just can’t be taken away. (Fear in dogs, that’s another thing that seems to be woefully underestimated. Even without the aggression piece, fearful dogs – and I’m not talking about the ones who tremble in the bathroom during thunderstorms or run away from the vacuum cleaner – are a work in progress for their entire lives.) It’s not wise to assume that all aggression is fear-based; there are some dogs who are clearly just not wired right. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re inherently mean or it’s somehow their fault, but sooner or later someone will get hurt. There are humans that fall into this category, too. They’re called serial killers, and no amount of “showing a little love” and “teaching them to trust people” will change that. Luckily, that’s not the norm in the human or the dog world, but denying that it’s a reality is dangerous.

Aggression comes in many colors from resource guarding (i.e. biting the hand that feeds) to aggressive behavior toward a certain group (such as dogs/cats/bald men). Sometimes you can predict what situations will get a certain dog riled up, and you can even guess why. That’s helpful in overcoming the behavior. But sometimes you can’t find rhyme or reason, and sometimes you know why the behavior exists, but there’s nothing you can do to change it. That’s why one experience of working with one dog who was a little untrusting is not enough to judge what can or can’t help another dog.

I’ve worked with several different types of aggression cases (many of you know who is who in the picture…and why that’s the perfect one for this post). Even after several success stories, I learned the hard way – with a broken window, a bitten leg, and the hardest decision of my life – that they can’t all be saved. Rehabilitation is about a whole lot more than time and love. The stronger the aggression, the more that’s going to be true. It takes controlling the dog’s surroudings and interactions so that they have the right kind of experience. It’s about understanding that every move you make in the presence of your dog is sending a message, which could be one of leadership and trustworthiness…or not. It’s about keeping your dog safe from stress and keeping everyone else in the world safe from your dog. And much, much more.

*Obviously dog aggression could be its own post. I want to stress that dog aggression doesn’t mean your dog is bad or is automatically dangerous around humans. It doesn’t mean there’s something “wrong” with your dog, but it is something that needs to be properly worked with and managed for the dog’s entire life.