Biting dog

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hello MRSMO,

I will be back soon to provide a more detailed answer, but wanted to point out that this is a very delicate situation since your dog bit to the point of drawing blood and with the intention to really hurt. My quick answer for this is, if this behavior only occurs when startled from sleep, you need to use management as much as possible. In other words, keep your dog safely crated for naps or in an area where you know your son (or anybody else) will not startle him while sleeping.

 

An important piece of information is needed: has your dog has ever manifested any aggression outside of the sleeping context and being awakened? In other words, have you ever seen aggressive behaviors while awake (without being recently woken up)? Any protective behaviors when approached while on the couch/bed/ mat?

 

When you mention "at this time i intervened and jasper didn't even know me" do you mean that when you entered the room when Jasper was biting your son, Jasper acted as if you were a complete stranger and was trying to attack you too? Was the room dark when all this happened?

Edited April 16, 2019 by Adrienne Farricelli

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hello, I am back to provide some more info of possible causes while awaiting for further info from you to have a better idea of what may be triggering these events.

 

There can be various causes as to why a dog may act aggressively upon being woken up. There is a thin line separating an exaggerated startle response, from other situations possibly stemming from behavioral issues, sleep disorders and neurological issues. A thorough evaluation and assessment by a veterinarian and/or veterinary behaviorist is a must to sort through several differentials (possible causes). Here are some possible causes.

 

Interruption of Dreaming

Consider the fact that,dogs, just as humans, dream. Not always these dreams are pleasant and it can easily happen that their bad dreams may carry on when awakened suddenly. This sudden awakening may cause dogs to distort reality and exhibit decreased impulse control and aggression, albeit temporarily.

 

Resource Guarding

Dogs prone to resource guard sleeping areas typically exhibit aggressive behaviors when dog owners approach them while resting in their sleeping spots which are highly regarded as valuable places. The aggressive behavior is therefore for the most part contingent upon the owners approaching rather than upon the dog being awakened.

 

This behavior has nothing to do with 'dominance', the affected dog is just anxious and worried about losing access to his beloved resting place.

General treatment involves seeking the aid of a dog behavior professional for safety and correct implementation of desensitization and counterconditioning exercises for dog resource guarding. The goal is to condition your dog to expect good things when you approach him while he's on his favorite sleeping spot.

 

Impulsivity/Exaggerated Startle Responses

Some dogs will act aggressively and go straight to a bite, skipping all the warning signs when they are suddenly awakened. These dogs may be startled to such an extent that there is no thinking involved. Obviously, this is a very dangerous situation. All it takes is for the dog owner to accidentally touch the dog for the dog to react quickly and very aggressively.

 

These dogs are fast to react by biting. This form of impulsivity is often seen in dogs with an underlying pathology such as anxiety. The dog is over reactive due to feeling threatened at a deep level. These are often dogs who are overly anxious and act first and think later. Rather than seeking out more information from their environment which can help them calm down, these dogs react in a way that actually fuels their anxiety.

 

These dogs may overreact and show disproportionate impulse-based reactions by barking at minimal noises and even at their owners approaching in the dark. They do so without thinking, they just automatically assume that their life is in danger, but they may approach in offense rather than defense.

 

In some cases, dogs have stopped giving warning signals (and go straight to biting) because they have been punished for exhibiting warning signals in the past. For example, dog owners who punish dogs for growling risk ending up with a dog who bites without warning.

 

Affected dogs require a thorough examination as they may be suffering from something similar to post-traumatic stress seen in humans, neurological issues, dysregulated sympathetic circuits, heart arrhythmia etc.

 

General treatment: This form of startle response requires a close evaluation by a veterinarian or veterinary behaviorist. It is best to keep these dogs in an area away from the chaos (in a crate, x-pen or behind a baby gate) so they don't get bumped by accident by well-meaning owners. To prevent excessive startling in mild cases, dogs may benefit from being desensitized to their owners approaching when dark (using voice rather than touch) or upon opening doors and may need to be fed tasty morsels to create positive associations. A relaxation protocol may be required to keep these dogs under threshold (from over reacting). A consultation with a behavior professional is needed for correct implementation of behavior modification and safety.

 

Sensory Decline

Worth mentioning, is that sometimes dogs who react aggressively upon being awakened are dogs who have lost some or all of their sense of hearing. These dogs may get startled upon being woken up in the same fashion as sneaking behind a deaf person. Some zuchons are known for being prone to congenital deafness, so this may be something worthy of discussing with the vet.

 

General treatment: owners of deaf dogs may be advised to provide their dogs with separate sleeping areas, and for mild cases only, (with the help of a professional) the implementation of exercises meant to reduce startling should the dog need to be woken up.

REM Behavior Disorder

REM behavior disorder is a condition that occurs during a phase of sleep known as REM (Rapid Eye Movement). When dogs with this disorder attack, they do so not intently as part of their brain is turned off.

 

Here's a brief rundown of what happens. When dogs are in the REM stage of sleep, which is the stage where dreaming takes place, their brain is in a very active state. This is often when you will see dogs moving their legs, vocalizing and moving their ears and tails as if they are really chasing rabbits in their sleep.

 

While it's true that dogs move during this stage, they can do so only up to a certain extent. A special region of the dog's brain stem paralyzes motor neurons to prevent dogs from getting up and running around "acting out" their dreams.

 

Now, for some reason, in some dogs the paralysis of motor neurons during the REM stage of sleep fails to work. The end result is violent motor activity during the REM stage of sleep. There are reports of dogs with this condition who end up running into walls and bite and attack objects or people around them. Obviously, this puts the dog at risk and puts others around the dog at risk.

 

General treatment: Affected dogs should be placed during sleep in a confined, well-padded area, such as a crate to prevent any injury to themselves and others around them. Additionally, veterinarians may prescribe medications.

 

Possible Seizure Disorder

Sometimes, what looks like a dog acting aggressively upon being woken up is actually a dog suffering from a seizure.

 

One important aspect that helps differentiate a seizure from behavior issues is that dogs having seizures are not responsive and therefore, you cannot wake them up during a seizure. This however seems unlikely in your situation.

 

General treatment: for seizure disorders, veterinarian may prescribe anti-seizure medications such as phenobarbital if they occur with a certain frequency.

 

As seen, there can be several causes. The saying "let sleeping dogs lie" offers a world of wisdom when it comes to preventing occurrences of sleep aggression issues in dogs.

 

Sometimes, the issue just stems from autoprotective aggression associated with sleeping and resting areas triggered by the reactive arousal from being awakened repeatedly. Soon, a negative emotional response becomes contextualized (associated with the sleeping context) and the person startling the dog waking him up. This could sometimes be the making of a dog who exhibits explosive aggression when resting in response to minimal provocation.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Disclaimer: behavior modification and training comes with risks. If your dog is exhibiting aggressive behavior, please consult with a dog behavior professional for a hands-on evaluation and guidance.

Edited April 17, 2019 by Adrienne Farricelli