Doggy Talk – Dealing With Aggressive Breeds
For many years I fostered dogs, over the course of the last decade about a dozen. In the course of dealing with my own pets, my fosters and the dogs in foster programs I became familiar with a variety of breeds but one type of dog usually showed up at my door more than any other: Pit Bulls. And why was that you might ask? For two reasons: One, the civic animal shelters here in California have an automatic kill policy when they pick up a Pit Bull and two, an overwhelming predjudice against them. Most no-kill shelters refuse to deal with them and even many people in the dog world think the worst of them.
The pit-bull, the most hated and feared animal in suburban America. Number one target on local humane societies "To Be Destroyed" lists. I've listened to every B.S. excuse under the sun, but the fact of the matter is, thanks to a bunch of ignorant owners and sensationalistic press, the populace looks at this dog as if it was evil incarnate.
I will be realistic and fair. Dog attacks are tragic, and if they involve children, often fatal. Pit-Bulls are aggressive dogs, just like Rottwielers, Doberman Pinschers and Chow-Chows. The only difference between those breeds and the genetically nebulous "Pit-Bull" is an American Kennel Club registration. Making the Pit-Bull financially within reach of the inexperienced pet owner who isn’t quite as serious about dog ownership as someone who will lay out 600$ or more for a Rottweiler puppy.
What most people don't understand is that dogs are not human beings. Even the people that are fond of pointing out that animals are not human seem to have a problem grasping this concept when encountering interspecies relations. They expect dog to understanding things that they simply cannot. Dogs cannot learn or comprehend things that even a two year old human children can because some things are just outside their capacity of understanding. They are canis familiaris, and they can't think outside that box. To them, there is the territory and the pack to be lived in, loved and defended. Like humans who do not realize that animals think differently, dogs do not understand that humans think differently from them. They just see a strange smelling two legged dog. Dogs don't understand the concept of "grounding" or punishment meted out for infractions of two hours ago. Dogs don't inherently know the difference between your sneaker and a rawhide bone, it's all just leather. Unsocialized dogs who spend little time with human beings will not know the difference between a visiting nephew and an intruder in their backyard. Dogs who only see the family will be frightened of and aggressive towards anyone who is a stranger. Dogs who never see the outside their property will revert to basic animal "fight or flight" responses when outside their comfortable environs. To put a modern term to it, animals are far more "hardwired" in their behavior and thought patterns than humans are. The best human beings can do the get dogs to adjust to our lifestyle is to begin within their intellectual framework and work outward with routine and simple commands.
Sadly, in the past, most people looking for a Pit-Bull were not experienced dog owners. Oh, they may have had dogs, but they did not understand how to train animals and how important that was about to become. There are many aggressive breeds of dog, some of them ones most people wouldn't think of. Siberian Huskies, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Akitas and Shar-peis, who were bred for exactly the same purpose that Pit-Bulls were; to kill other dogs in the pit (the extra skin was bred in so that even when another dog has a grip, the Shar-pei can still turn and bite it's attacker). All dogs are conscious of their place within the pack, but the more aggressive breeds will try and move up the ladder of social standing, especially the males. In a human household, this means challenging the head of the family. The trick at this juncture is how to enforce the position of command, while maintaining a trusting relationship between the dog and owner. This is not something for people whose only experience is feeding the family golden retriever in the back yard when they were growing up. For the uninitiated, these can be a very frightening and frustrating moments that usually ends up in a subtle loss, resulting in a rebellious animal that will resist training and acts as "doggy" as he pleases or worse, continues to challenge what he perceives as the head of the pack for dominance. The usual result of which the animal is relegated to the back yard and is seen once or twice a day with feeding and watering. The dog sees no one, goes no where and does not understand human beings as much as his humans don't understand him.
This is why hitting an aggressive dog doesn’t work. Not only are you not communicating what the dog is doing wrong, you are simply reacting to his challenge as if you were another dog and the two of you are in a fight that the dog thinks he might possibly win rather than establishing your complete mastery over him and the situation. I have my non-violent techniques for dealing with a challenge from an aggressive dog. However, since I am not a professional trainer who methods are well tested in a variety of situations, the best thing to do is go to your local Pet Smart or PetCo or whataveyou and take a training class and get advice from the pros. (I could tell you what I do and on the off chance it doesn’t work and you get mauled, you could sue my butt. I’d like to avoid that.) What I can tell those of you interested in any aggressive breed of dog is TRAINING (with its twin sister: CONSISTENCY. By being consistant with the rules of the house, you maintain your status as the leader of the pack) and SOCIALIZE, SOCIALIZE, SOCIALIZE. From the very beginning have lots of friends over, take the puppy to friend’s houses, go to a dog park regularly like every week at least, take an obedience class. Get the dog used to strangers and other dogs so that it will not automatically perceive them as threats.
DO NOT TRY TO CREATE A GUARD DOG. Dogs do not “get off work”. They cannot differentiate between their job and being a pet. This is why you don’t go up to Police K-9 units and pet the puppy. The dog is not just working, but a worker and might misconstrue your approach as a threat. Most often the only people to adopt retired police dogs are the officers they served with or retired K-9 officers who fully understand how to handle the dog. (Even then things like this can happen.) If you get a dog and train it to be aggressive, most likely what will happen is that it ends up being aggressive to everyone. Guard dogs are working dogs that need to be trained by a professional and handled differently than pets. Unless you have the Hope Diamond in your house, you probably don’t need one anyway. Most of the time the mere presence of a dog on the property is enough to make thieves go look for easier pickings. When my sister and her husband bought their house, the gentleman who sold them their security system told them that houses that have the “Firemen! My pets are inside! Please help them out!” stickers on their windows, even after the pets had passed away or the house had changed owners, have a lower occurrence of break in. The sticker alone was a deterrent.
I have spoken with breeders of American Staffordshire Terriers, the main genetic stay of the Pit-Bull breed, and they have all said the same thing. These dogs must be with the family. They thrive on "pack contact", and suffer and become unstable if ostracized long term. Pits follow you around the house like a shadow. When you sit down, you have a foot warmer. If you went to the bathroom, they would sit outside the door and whine. I can imagine how lonely and desperate for affection they would be if left to the back yard. I can imagine how frightened they would be if they ever got out from that prison.
Think about it; barring television, if you didn't leave your house for most of your life, and then escaped to encounter traffic for the first time, how would you react? Now magnify your sense of hearing and smell and dim your vision. Now think seeing all these odd beings who are much bigger than you. Be pretty darned scaredy wouldn't it? And this is usually is the circumstance of pit-bull attacks. Neglected dog escapes yard and feeling threatened by people he's never seen before, in a place he's never been before, he attacks someone. Not so un-understandable. Despite our evolutionary advantage over dogs, our first reaction to the unknown is still fear.
Most people do not help matters by their reactions to the leashed and well behaved Pits they encounter. Many people shy away with a "OhMyGawd! It's a PIT BULL!" (yelling, that's a great way to keep the situation calm *rolls eyes*) and I have seen people go as far as to kick them or throw things at them when they are simply walking by on their leash. As if by being antisocial or violent to them, they will stop the dog from becoming antisocial or violent. The only rational response to such behavior I can think of is to say, "DUH!"
People who own the dogs involved in attacks usually should have never had the dog in the first place. Two 100 + lbs Canary Island Fighting Dogs in an apartment? That right there shows how responsible that owner was (why hadn’t the local animal services done anything about this?). But does that mean the dog itself should not exist? Because by legislating a systematic genocide through our county and city animal shelters, that is what we are saying: The animal should bear the burden for our sins. How arrogant of us! We sit and debate the ethics of genetic manipulation when we've been doing it for millennia to other species and won't take responsibility for the products. We create German Shepard's that can't walk, Pugs who can't breathe, Bulldogs who can't give birth and an entire breed of dogs we now are trying to destroy and we think we're capable of making the correct decisions about human genetics? HA!
The fact of the matter is, we created this breed, now we must deal with it. And shoving them all into the euthanasia room at the local animal shelter is not the answer. If we wish to admit the mistake and eliminate the breed, a sad end to a dog who is loyal, energetic, smart and playful, then required sterilization is an acceptable answer. But the problem doesn't end there, what of the thousands of Pits left to wander the streets of our nation, or the thousands of people who generously devote their time to try and save them? Most Pit-Bull rescue programs are overwhelmed with dogs; unplaced puppies, dogs saved from abusive homes or abandoned. They take these dogs in, get them sterilized and healthy, and, if needed, rehabilitate the dogs into family pets. These dogs are not evil or human killers by nature, but simply are. I would very much like to see a study of the different breeds of dog involved in attacks. I think the numbers would surprise some people. Pit-Bulls have been maligned and neglected for over a decade and they desperately need the public's understanding and assistance.
First I ask for people to make sane choices when getting a new dog. If the only pet owning experience you've had are Retrievers, don't jump into a Rottweiler or other aggressive breed. Second: Train, be consistant with the trianing & house rules, and socialize. Everyone who gets a puppy of any breed (even chichuahuas, chihuahuas can actually be cool dogs if they are treated like canines rather than stuffed animals or fashion accesories) should be doing this, but it is beyond imperative for owners of aggressive breeds to do so. Second, I ask for the media to stop with the sensational headlines involving Pit-Bull attacks. If the media insists on playing up dog attacks, I would like to see ALL dog attacks covered (And there is a shit zu in my neighborhood who has bitten several people, including children. I don’t see a media inflamed lynch mob coming for him). Third, please help the local No-Kill shelters and adoption agencies. All those folks you see every weekend at your local pet store trying to find good homes for dogs and cats, help them out. Donate time, donate money, donate bags of pet food, just help them. They are deluged by animals and need all the help they can get. If you have a specific breed that you love, find the local chapter of that breed's rescue service and help them with time and money.
Useful websites:
A very informative and useful page on dog bite for both non-owners and owners.
It includes this list about how to prevent dog bites/attacks:
Dangerous situations:
~invading dog's territory
~threat to dog's family
~threat to dog
~jealous dog
~Blog Note: I will also add a dog loose on the street without it’s owner nearby. You have no idea what that dog’s history is. If they are socialized or not, if they are aggressive or not. If you are like me and hate seeing stray dogs, try to call the dog to you but do not try to chase after or corner it if it runs away. I’d bite too if someone did that to me. Notify the local ASPCA of the loose dog in your neighborhood.
You must be careful to avoid:
~approaching or bending over dogs especially if they are lying quietly
~approaching them immediately after entering their territory
~teasing or waking them
~playing with them till they become overexcited
Blog Note: The best rule of thumb when dealing with strange dogs is not to try to approach them period unless the owner has introduced you.
Ten rules DO NOT:
1. hold your face close to a dog
2. allow dogs to roam unleashed
3. approach a strange dog
4. tease a dog
5. startle a dog
6. disturb a dog that is sleeping, eating, or caring for puppies
7. leave a small child and dog alone
8. omit vaccination of a dog
9. leave a dog alone with strangers
10. ignore the warning signals of aggressive behavior:
(Blog note: How to read a dog can be found here. I will note that growling and snarling are usually the very last warning signs a dog gives shortly before attack but there are more subtle warning signs they give off before that. The stiff body posture is usually a give away.)
A Threatened Dog Often Bites:
~ Never run from or scream at a dog.
Blog note: Do not let you children try to hug a strange dog either.
Lemme explain these in order:
Running from them. Think about back when Fluffy was a wild animal. Wolves run in packs to run down large animals like deer and tear them to pieces. That's why many dogs chase cars. By running from a dog you can trip this genetic programming.
Screaming at them (and yes that includes children). For the most part, dogs do not communicate verbally. They may bark or howl in what they perceive to be a dire situation or out of boredom (“Hey! Is anyone out there?”) and some dogs get loud competing for attention in a loud household, but the most part by nature they are quiet animals. Loud noises can scare them.
Hugging dogs. It’s been my experience that hugs are a simian thing that most canines have to get used to (certain lap dogs seems to have a genetic predisposition towards it). It is not natural for them (and indeed, why would it be) but they recognize it as a form of affection and tolerate it from their family/pack members but don’t like it. Getting up in their face is a threat/challenge to a dog, not to mention a stranger trying to hold them could be seen as trying to capture/control them, and a child’s misguided attempt at affection could become tragic.
Do not challenge the dog by staring it right in the eye.
Blog Note: They are quite serious about this. It is challenging to them.
Be as still as possible if approached by an unfamiliar dog.
If a dog knocks you over, roll into a ball and stay still.”
Additionally:
A little test that helps one identify that best breed of dog for their lifestyle, not definitive, but a good starting place
Breed Rescue Organizations
You can check on the Internet for No Kill Shelters and dog trainers in your area.
The pit-bull, the most hated and feared animal in suburban America. Number one target on local humane societies "To Be Destroyed" lists. I've listened to every B.S. excuse under the sun, but the fact of the matter is, thanks to a bunch of ignorant owners and sensationalistic press, the populace looks at this dog as if it was evil incarnate.
I will be realistic and fair. Dog attacks are tragic, and if they involve children, often fatal. Pit-Bulls are aggressive dogs, just like Rottwielers, Doberman Pinschers and Chow-Chows. The only difference between those breeds and the genetically nebulous "Pit-Bull" is an American Kennel Club registration. Making the Pit-Bull financially within reach of the inexperienced pet owner who isn’t quite as serious about dog ownership as someone who will lay out 600$ or more for a Rottweiler puppy.
What most people don't understand is that dogs are not human beings. Even the people that are fond of pointing out that animals are not human seem to have a problem grasping this concept when encountering interspecies relations. They expect dog to understanding things that they simply cannot. Dogs cannot learn or comprehend things that even a two year old human children can because some things are just outside their capacity of understanding. They are canis familiaris, and they can't think outside that box. To them, there is the territory and the pack to be lived in, loved and defended. Like humans who do not realize that animals think differently, dogs do not understand that humans think differently from them. They just see a strange smelling two legged dog. Dogs don't understand the concept of "grounding" or punishment meted out for infractions of two hours ago. Dogs don't inherently know the difference between your sneaker and a rawhide bone, it's all just leather. Unsocialized dogs who spend little time with human beings will not know the difference between a visiting nephew and an intruder in their backyard. Dogs who only see the family will be frightened of and aggressive towards anyone who is a stranger. Dogs who never see the outside their property will revert to basic animal "fight or flight" responses when outside their comfortable environs. To put a modern term to it, animals are far more "hardwired" in their behavior and thought patterns than humans are. The best human beings can do the get dogs to adjust to our lifestyle is to begin within their intellectual framework and work outward with routine and simple commands.
Sadly, in the past, most people looking for a Pit-Bull were not experienced dog owners. Oh, they may have had dogs, but they did not understand how to train animals and how important that was about to become. There are many aggressive breeds of dog, some of them ones most people wouldn't think of. Siberian Huskies, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Akitas and Shar-peis, who were bred for exactly the same purpose that Pit-Bulls were; to kill other dogs in the pit (the extra skin was bred in so that even when another dog has a grip, the Shar-pei can still turn and bite it's attacker). All dogs are conscious of their place within the pack, but the more aggressive breeds will try and move up the ladder of social standing, especially the males. In a human household, this means challenging the head of the family. The trick at this juncture is how to enforce the position of command, while maintaining a trusting relationship between the dog and owner. This is not something for people whose only experience is feeding the family golden retriever in the back yard when they were growing up. For the uninitiated, these can be a very frightening and frustrating moments that usually ends up in a subtle loss, resulting in a rebellious animal that will resist training and acts as "doggy" as he pleases or worse, continues to challenge what he perceives as the head of the pack for dominance. The usual result of which the animal is relegated to the back yard and is seen once or twice a day with feeding and watering. The dog sees no one, goes no where and does not understand human beings as much as his humans don't understand him.
This is why hitting an aggressive dog doesn’t work. Not only are you not communicating what the dog is doing wrong, you are simply reacting to his challenge as if you were another dog and the two of you are in a fight that the dog thinks he might possibly win rather than establishing your complete mastery over him and the situation. I have my non-violent techniques for dealing with a challenge from an aggressive dog. However, since I am not a professional trainer who methods are well tested in a variety of situations, the best thing to do is go to your local Pet Smart or PetCo or whataveyou and take a training class and get advice from the pros. (I could tell you what I do and on the off chance it doesn’t work and you get mauled, you could sue my butt. I’d like to avoid that.) What I can tell those of you interested in any aggressive breed of dog is TRAINING (with its twin sister: CONSISTENCY. By being consistant with the rules of the house, you maintain your status as the leader of the pack) and SOCIALIZE, SOCIALIZE, SOCIALIZE. From the very beginning have lots of friends over, take the puppy to friend’s houses, go to a dog park regularly like every week at least, take an obedience class. Get the dog used to strangers and other dogs so that it will not automatically perceive them as threats.
DO NOT TRY TO CREATE A GUARD DOG. Dogs do not “get off work”. They cannot differentiate between their job and being a pet. This is why you don’t go up to Police K-9 units and pet the puppy. The dog is not just working, but a worker and might misconstrue your approach as a threat. Most often the only people to adopt retired police dogs are the officers they served with or retired K-9 officers who fully understand how to handle the dog. (Even then things like this can happen.) If you get a dog and train it to be aggressive, most likely what will happen is that it ends up being aggressive to everyone. Guard dogs are working dogs that need to be trained by a professional and handled differently than pets. Unless you have the Hope Diamond in your house, you probably don’t need one anyway. Most of the time the mere presence of a dog on the property is enough to make thieves go look for easier pickings. When my sister and her husband bought their house, the gentleman who sold them their security system told them that houses that have the “Firemen! My pets are inside! Please help them out!” stickers on their windows, even after the pets had passed away or the house had changed owners, have a lower occurrence of break in. The sticker alone was a deterrent.
I have spoken with breeders of American Staffordshire Terriers, the main genetic stay of the Pit-Bull breed, and they have all said the same thing. These dogs must be with the family. They thrive on "pack contact", and suffer and become unstable if ostracized long term. Pits follow you around the house like a shadow. When you sit down, you have a foot warmer. If you went to the bathroom, they would sit outside the door and whine. I can imagine how lonely and desperate for affection they would be if left to the back yard. I can imagine how frightened they would be if they ever got out from that prison.
Think about it; barring television, if you didn't leave your house for most of your life, and then escaped to encounter traffic for the first time, how would you react? Now magnify your sense of hearing and smell and dim your vision. Now think seeing all these odd beings who are much bigger than you. Be pretty darned scaredy wouldn't it? And this is usually is the circumstance of pit-bull attacks. Neglected dog escapes yard and feeling threatened by people he's never seen before, in a place he's never been before, he attacks someone. Not so un-understandable. Despite our evolutionary advantage over dogs, our first reaction to the unknown is still fear.
Most people do not help matters by their reactions to the leashed and well behaved Pits they encounter. Many people shy away with a "OhMyGawd! It's a PIT BULL!" (yelling, that's a great way to keep the situation calm *rolls eyes*) and I have seen people go as far as to kick them or throw things at them when they are simply walking by on their leash. As if by being antisocial or violent to them, they will stop the dog from becoming antisocial or violent. The only rational response to such behavior I can think of is to say, "DUH!"
People who own the dogs involved in attacks usually should have never had the dog in the first place. Two 100 + lbs Canary Island Fighting Dogs in an apartment? That right there shows how responsible that owner was (why hadn’t the local animal services done anything about this?). But does that mean the dog itself should not exist? Because by legislating a systematic genocide through our county and city animal shelters, that is what we are saying: The animal should bear the burden for our sins. How arrogant of us! We sit and debate the ethics of genetic manipulation when we've been doing it for millennia to other species and won't take responsibility for the products. We create German Shepard's that can't walk, Pugs who can't breathe, Bulldogs who can't give birth and an entire breed of dogs we now are trying to destroy and we think we're capable of making the correct decisions about human genetics? HA!
The fact of the matter is, we created this breed, now we must deal with it. And shoving them all into the euthanasia room at the local animal shelter is not the answer. If we wish to admit the mistake and eliminate the breed, a sad end to a dog who is loyal, energetic, smart and playful, then required sterilization is an acceptable answer. But the problem doesn't end there, what of the thousands of Pits left to wander the streets of our nation, or the thousands of people who generously devote their time to try and save them? Most Pit-Bull rescue programs are overwhelmed with dogs; unplaced puppies, dogs saved from abusive homes or abandoned. They take these dogs in, get them sterilized and healthy, and, if needed, rehabilitate the dogs into family pets. These dogs are not evil or human killers by nature, but simply are. I would very much like to see a study of the different breeds of dog involved in attacks. I think the numbers would surprise some people. Pit-Bulls have been maligned and neglected for over a decade and they desperately need the public's understanding and assistance.
First I ask for people to make sane choices when getting a new dog. If the only pet owning experience you've had are Retrievers, don't jump into a Rottweiler or other aggressive breed. Second: Train, be consistant with the trianing & house rules, and socialize. Everyone who gets a puppy of any breed (even chichuahuas, chihuahuas can actually be cool dogs if they are treated like canines rather than stuffed animals or fashion accesories) should be doing this, but it is beyond imperative for owners of aggressive breeds to do so. Second, I ask for the media to stop with the sensational headlines involving Pit-Bull attacks. If the media insists on playing up dog attacks, I would like to see ALL dog attacks covered (And there is a shit zu in my neighborhood who has bitten several people, including children. I don’t see a media inflamed lynch mob coming for him). Third, please help the local No-Kill shelters and adoption agencies. All those folks you see every weekend at your local pet store trying to find good homes for dogs and cats, help them out. Donate time, donate money, donate bags of pet food, just help them. They are deluged by animals and need all the help they can get. If you have a specific breed that you love, find the local chapter of that breed's rescue service and help them with time and money.
Useful websites:
A very informative and useful page on dog bite for both non-owners and owners.
It includes this list about how to prevent dog bites/attacks:
Dangerous situations:
~invading dog's territory
~threat to dog's family
~threat to dog
~jealous dog
~Blog Note: I will also add a dog loose on the street without it’s owner nearby. You have no idea what that dog’s history is. If they are socialized or not, if they are aggressive or not. If you are like me and hate seeing stray dogs, try to call the dog to you but do not try to chase after or corner it if it runs away. I’d bite too if someone did that to me. Notify the local ASPCA of the loose dog in your neighborhood.
You must be careful to avoid:
~approaching or bending over dogs especially if they are lying quietly
~approaching them immediately after entering their territory
~teasing or waking them
~playing with them till they become overexcited
Blog Note: The best rule of thumb when dealing with strange dogs is not to try to approach them period unless the owner has introduced you.
Ten rules DO NOT:
1. hold your face close to a dog
2. allow dogs to roam unleashed
3. approach a strange dog
4. tease a dog
5. startle a dog
6. disturb a dog that is sleeping, eating, or caring for puppies
7. leave a small child and dog alone
8. omit vaccination of a dog
9. leave a dog alone with strangers
10. ignore the warning signals of aggressive behavior:
(Blog note: How to read a dog can be found here. I will note that growling and snarling are usually the very last warning signs a dog gives shortly before attack but there are more subtle warning signs they give off before that. The stiff body posture is usually a give away.)
A Threatened Dog Often Bites:
~ Never run from or scream at a dog.
Blog note: Do not let you children try to hug a strange dog either.
Lemme explain these in order:
Running from them. Think about back when Fluffy was a wild animal. Wolves run in packs to run down large animals like deer and tear them to pieces. That's why many dogs chase cars. By running from a dog you can trip this genetic programming.
Screaming at them (and yes that includes children). For the most part, dogs do not communicate verbally. They may bark or howl in what they perceive to be a dire situation or out of boredom (“Hey! Is anyone out there?”) and some dogs get loud competing for attention in a loud household, but the most part by nature they are quiet animals. Loud noises can scare them.
Hugging dogs. It’s been my experience that hugs are a simian thing that most canines have to get used to (certain lap dogs seems to have a genetic predisposition towards it). It is not natural for them (and indeed, why would it be) but they recognize it as a form of affection and tolerate it from their family/pack members but don’t like it. Getting up in their face is a threat/challenge to a dog, not to mention a stranger trying to hold them could be seen as trying to capture/control them, and a child’s misguided attempt at affection could become tragic.
Do not challenge the dog by staring it right in the eye.
Blog Note: They are quite serious about this. It is challenging to them.
Be as still as possible if approached by an unfamiliar dog.
If a dog knocks you over, roll into a ball and stay still.”
Additionally:
A little test that helps one identify that best breed of dog for their lifestyle, not definitive, but a good starting place
Breed Rescue Organizations
You can check on the Internet for No Kill Shelters and dog trainers in your area.
posted by KiplingKat | 3:21 PM
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