Dog-To-Human Aggression Overview

Fight/Flight Is The Why

There are many different reasons for Dog-To-Human Aggression. In fact, most dogs will display one or many of these aggressive behaviors during their domestic life and assimilation with humans. The truth is dogs are aggressive because they are dogs. When left off leash in a natural setting, with other dogs, they will regularly argue and display aggression. In this setting, no one takes offense to this, as it is the natural behavior and culture of dogs. However, every member in that natural setting will do their part to de-escalate or unfortunately-Escalate the circumstances.

In the domestic setting of a home, humans will inadvertently escalate dog-to-human aggressive behaviors by (lack of knowledge, not understanding triggers, rehearsal of fight or flight response, no containment strategy, bad set up ect). In order to counter condition or rehabilitate aggression, pet parents must first understand how to de-escalate and practice de-escalation routinely. When a dog is causing severe physical damage, normally it is because they have gone past the emotional threshold of what they handle, and they are highly stressed, anxious, or scared. When my dog Trinity used to bite us, it was because she didn’t know how to handle the high level of anxiety and panic she was experiencing whenever we left the house. Whenever a dog is causing severe damage, we need to get to the root of the issue and treat immediately.

*The period of decompression after a bite episode is 3-6 months. This means, you must do everything humanly possible to avoid going passed threshold in this 3-6 month period, in order for it not to trigger another episode. So all circumstances which could possibly escalate or trigger fight/flight response need to be obliterated, especially in the period of the 3-6 month decompression, after a dog has caused physical damage.

Reasons for aggression can include, but are not limited to:

• Territorial aggression, resource guarding, fence fighting ( fence fighting is a stimulating rehearsal of territorial aggression). Can include property, space, food, toys, or anything the dog values and is willing to fight for.

• Medical issues (the dog is experiencing physical pain), from joint issues, arthritis, cancer, inflammation, liver issues, thyroid imbalances (This is a common one), neurological issues, and the list goes on. To rule out a medical issue, please ask your veterinarian for a full CBC profile or senior dog blood panel for senior dogs. Parasites can also cause behavior issues, please have a fecal to lab done twice a year.

• Mental health such as anxiety disorders, including separation anxiety, obsessive/compulsive disorder, a lack of proper socialization, a stressful environment or an environment that leaves room for escalation.

• Genetics plays a gargantuan role in aggressive behavior. Most ethical breeders will not breed from lines of dogs who display anti-social, aggressive behaviors, however, there have been studies showing that aggression is one of the unfortunate characteristics of inbreeding. Most popular dog breeds such as labs and golden retrievers are inbred. This may explain the rise in aggression from these breeds.

• Lack of Socialization From Mother During Neo Natal Period

• Lack of Socialization in Puppyhood and Adolescence.

• Fear Aggression is arguably the most common reason for aggression in pet dogs. Having worked with hundreds of aggressive dogs for over a decade, 96% were fear based, the remaining 1% constituted a lack of neo natal socialization, 2% was thyroid imbalances, and the rarest 1%, a neurological disorder. Most aggressive dogs I treated displayed aggression due to FEAR, which is why this overview is titled “Fight/Flight Is The Why”.

Anyone who does shelter or rescue work for any length of time encounters their share of fearful dogs—I am no exception. Having adopted a rescue puppy, Lakota, who was fearful from day one, I now have a special place in my heart for the fearful ones.

​In working with fearful dogs, understanding how human body language affects them is crucial. The way we move and act has a direct impact on a dog’s emotional response. Honing the finer points of human body language in relation to dogs will allow us to not appear threatening, and to gain a dog’s trust. Being able to put a frightened dog at ease is an invaluable skill for shelter workers, rescue workers, those who foster dogs, and, of course, owners.

The following tips on human body language are applicable when interacting with any dog, but are especially important when dealing with a fearful dog. Adopt these mannerisms and teach others who interact with your dog to do so as well:

​1. Let the dog come to you. If your dog is frightened, he/she must be allowed to decide whether or not to approach. Don’t restrain your dog and force them to accept contact from others. Remember the “fight or flight” response; if you take away the opportunity for flight, your dog’s choices are limited.

​2. Turn to the side. Facing a dog directly is more confrontational than keeping your body turned partially or completely to the side; even turning your head to the side will make a frightened dog feel less anxious.

​3. No staring, please! A direct stare is a threat in the animal kingdom (and on New York City subways!). It is perfectly fine to look at your dog; just soften your expression and don’t “hard stare” directly into her eyes. Do not allow children to put their faces near your dog’s face or to stare into her eyes.

​4. Don’t hover. Leaning over a dog can cause the dog to become afraid and possibly defensive. The one time I was bitten while working at All Pets Vet Hospital happened when I went to return an adorable, fluffy puppy to her pen. While placing her on the ground, I inadvertently reached over her equally adorable little pen mate—who jumped up and bit me in the chest.

​5. Pet appropriately. Approaching dogs by patting them on the head is ill-advised. Envision the interaction from the dog’s point of view; a palm approaching from above can be alarming. I do a demonstration with kids to teach them how to pet dogs properly. The child plays the role of the dog; I tell the child that I will pet him in two different ways, and he is to tell me which is nicer. First, I reach my hand slowly toward the child’s cheek and stroke it, smiling and softly saying, “Good dog!” Next, I bring my hand brusquely palm-down over the child’s head repeatedly, while loudly saying, “Good dog, good dog!” Kids almost invariably like the first method better. If dogs could answer for themselves, nine out of ten dogs would vote for the first method as well! It’s not that dogs should never be petted on top of the head, but that head-patting (or petting over the dog’s shoulders, back, or rump) should not be used as an initial approach. It is wiser to make a fist, hold it under the dog’s nose to allow her to sniff, then pet the dog on the chest, moving gradually to the sides of the face and other body parts, assuming the dog is comfortable. Likewise, a hand moving in quickly to grab for a dog’s collar is more potentially fear-inducing than a hand moving slowly to a dog’s chest, scratching it, then moving up to take hold of the collar.

​6. Stoop, don’t swoop. Small dogs in particular are often swooped down upon when people want to pick them up. Fast, direct, overhead movements are much more frightening than slow, indirect ones. To lift a small dog, crouch down, pet the dog for a moment, then gently slip your hands under her belly and chest, and lift.

​7. Watch your smile. While humans interpret a smile as friendly, a dog might not be as fond of seeing your pearly whites. A show of teeth is, after all, a threat in the animal kingdom. A friend of mine once accompanied me to visit the wolves at Lakota wolf preserve in NJ. She patiently sat on the ground, motionless. Finally, a large, black wolf approached to investigate. Unable to contain herself, she broke out in a huge, toothy grin. The wolf darted away as though she had raised a hand to hit him. The lesson? Save the dazzling toothpaste smile for charming your dates and accepting awards. Smile at canines with a closed mouth.

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