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. Read the rest of this entry »