Dog aggression/socializing

[KEILY BOLDEN]

I have a 2.5yr old lab that I adopted 4.5mths ago. She was heartworm positive and just got off her restrictions from treatment so we haven’t had much of a chance to work on socialization. She was locked in a bathroom with no windows and little human or dog interaction for the first yr of her life according to the shelter and then spent another year in a kennel at the shelter. I have slowly introduced her to two of my aunts dogs and they play and kiss each other and share toys and water dish and sleep next to each other. However, she has had moments where she will suddenly stare at them with fixed eyes and then attack. I have taken her to the vet to rule out medical issues. Should I keep her away from all other dogs or is it ok to put a muzzle on her for safety when she is around them (with me present of course). She just snaps so quick I’m concerned I won’t be able to stop her or correct her in time without her having a muzzle. I don’t want to make her worse though. She is also extremely reactive to other dogs on walks which we have been working on…high quality treats/clicker, turning and walking the other way, sit and stay. Trying different methods. 

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hi there! Welcome to the forums,

Please see my thoughts/tips in non-bold. 

I have a 2.5yr old lab that I adopted 4.5mths ago. She was heartworm positive and just got off her restrictions from treatment so we haven’t had much of a chance to work on socialization. She was locked in a bathroom with no windows and little human or dog interaction for the first yr of her life according to the shelter and then spent another year in a kennel at the shelter.

Thank you so much for opening your heart and home to a rescued dog! It's sad when dogs miss out on crucial socialization and are neglected in many ways. It's great though that she is now in good hands! I am sure it must feel great now that she no longer needs restricted exercise/cage rest. Being heartworm positive on top of a history of not being socialized/receiving interaction must have been tough on both of you!

I have slowly introduced her to two of my aunts dogs and they play and kiss each other and share toys and water dish and sleep next to each other. However, she has had moments where she will suddenly stare at them with fixed eyes and then attack. I have taken her to the vet to rule out medical issues. She just snaps so quick I’m concerned I won’t be able to stop her or correct her in time without her having a muzzle. I don’t want to make her worse though.

This sounds concerning. I mean the fact that she snaps so quickly and randomly. I was hoping to read about some trigger like "she will attack when my other aunt's dogs come too close to me, or when I am petting her and my aunts dogs' come nearby me or when they get close to her food bowl, toys or her bed." Even "she attacks when the other dogs try to play with her or are getting out of a door or tight passageway or when they're sleeping and moving in REM stage" could have been better than just random attacks with no predicting events.

However, one good thing is that at least you have a precursor sign of her about to snap: that is, the hard stare. We often see this hard stare, with the fixed eyes glazed over when the dog is warning of an impending attack because another dog is getting too close to their perceived territory or something that they find valuable (toys, food bowl, sleeping areas). Some dogs may even act possessive of people just as they would do with a valuable bone. 

I am glad that you had her checked over by a vet because many dogs will also give hard stares when they are not feeling well such as having achy joints or something else internally going on. So a thorough check up is important.

Should I keep her away from all other dogs or is it ok to put a muzzle on her for safety when she is around them (with me present of course).

OK, so in these cases we need to carefully evaluate use of a muzzle. Just recently, I was asked whether it would be appropriate to muzzle a dog when exposed to a toddler who is at the grabby stage, grabbing the dog's tail which the dog doesn't like and has caused him to snap at the child. 

Sure, a muzzle can add an extra layer of protection, but it you're putting on a muzzle so that the toddler can liberally pull on the dog's tail and smack his face over and over and your dog can't react by biting, that is a big no-no. 

Dogs shouldn't be expected to put up with everything a toddler does without wincing or reacting. Rather, it should be the other way around, the toddler needs to learn how to behave properly when around a dog. If the toddler never learns this, he or she may get bitten/attacked by any dog he is exposed to and it likely won't be pretty.

So a better plan of action would be if the child can be guided by the parents who can show him how to gently pet the muzzled dog, while the dog receives tasty treats. 

So back to your case, putting a muzzle on a dog who hard stares and tries to snap with little warning and for no particular reason, without working on the underlying issue can cause more problems along the road. 

Even though your Lab can't bite, she will still be emotionally charged and she gets  to rehearse reactive/aggressive behaviors such as hard staring, growling, snarling, snapping and lunging. The more dogs get to rehearse these problematic behaviors, the more they put roots and become habit-forming. On top of this, when dogs rehearse reactive/aggressive behaviors stress hormones circulate around the dog's body which can have a snow-ball effect and lead to trigger stacking. 

Therefore, it's important to avoid any situations that may cause your dog to react negatively. This is known as "management." Management basically entails not putting your dog into situations that evoke reactive behaviors and the underlying negative emotions. It helps prevent a dog's behavior from getting worse. 

So in this case, unless a precise pattern is recognized as to what predictably evokes her behavior of hard staring and snapping, it would be best to keep her away from these encounters. Firstly for safety as we don't know what level of bite inhibition she or your aunts dogs have in case biting occurs and they react defensively, secondly because we don't want her attacks to negatively impact your aunts' dogs emotionally, thirdly to prevent rehearsal of problematic behavior and its negative repercussions.

On top of this, with muzzles to prevent biting we need to be absolutely certain that the muzzle used is bite-proof (most are not) and muzzles need to be introduced gradually. In any case, muzzle training comes always handy so that we are prepared for that time our dog may need to wear one:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/train-your-dog-to-wear-a-muzzle/

She is also extremely reactive to other dogs on walks which we have been working on…high quality treats/clicker, turning and walking the other way, sit and stay. Trying different methods. 

Even on walks we need to be extra careful in not allowing her to rehearse reactive behaviors. If she is extremely reactive, you may need to take some steps back and start from getting a calm state upon watching dogs walk by at a distance.

 

Firstly, it would help to obtain a fluent response to the smacking sound: 

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/the-airplane-game/the-smacking-sound/

Then one can do some exercises at a distance from a window with helpers walking dogs back and forth using the LAT by the window exercise making the smacking sound:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/

The goal again is to get a nice +CER

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/conditioned-emotional-response-cer/

Afterward, one can progress with the dog on leash with the door open and helpers walking dogs once again back and forth. Praise and treats for calmly looking at the dogs walking by. 

Then, the exercise can be done by the deck, then on the sidewalk, always with the helper dogs being walked back and forth. 

Important is to always monitor the dog for signs of being over threshold and aiming to keep under the threshold as much as possible. 

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/

Any setbacks (like barking, growling, tensing up) need to be considered and steps should be taken to reduce the chances for these to repeat (increasing distance, walking the dog at a slower pace, avoiding direct eye contact between the dogs). The plan needs to be measured for signs of progress and any repeated setbacks must be taken as a sign that we are working too fast and need to take some steps back. 

Being caught off guard is something that can turn problematic. This also makes dogs more likely to be hypervigilant (I need to be prepared as dogs seem to pop up suddenly from anywhere). If a dog is coming your way and your dog needs more distance, simply do an emergency U-turn, it sounds like you're already doing this which is great:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/emergency-u-turn/

Because dogs who are reactive on walks tend to go over threshold and rehearse reactive behaviors, many behavior professionals suggest now that, when feasible, reactive dogs should take a break from walks around other dogs until they are better under threshold. This helps lower cortisol levels and decreases risks for the trigger stacking phenomenon. During this time, dogs should be provided with mental stimulation (brain games) and some prep training that can turn helpful during walks (smacking sound, attention heeling) 

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/heeling-attention-heeling/)

In general, I find that attention heeling works better than sitting considering that it keeps the dog moving (increasing distance) versus being static which can cause some dogs to feel more vulnerable. It's worth of experimenting whether your dog seems to respond to this better as well and leaving the sits and stays for later on.

I have also found that some dogs respond better to treats being tossed to the ground rather than hand-fed as it's more dynamic and a fun game. 

Other methods to keep her more under threshold include scanning the road ahead and walking in areas without corners as much as possible, (just a straight road with plain views where you can always see dogs with people approaching) using distance, and again doing emergency u-turns as needed to prevent  a dog from coming too close.

Calming aids (DAP collar, calming supplements with l-theanine etc check with your vet) may help as well. Some dogs are too overwhelmed to be learning and therefore may need prescription medication to calm down enough to open up those cognitive functions. 

Working alongside with a professional can help on many fronts such as reading her body language, keeping her under threshold as much as possible, keeping you, and people and other dogs safe, protecting your hard work from setbacks, and making important judgement calls such as when to progress. A behavior professional may also have access to a 'bomb-proof" dog that can be used for the task and is savvy in giving out calming signals. Some may even start with stooge dogs to act as real dogs before moving into LAT.

I hope this helps! Please keep in mind that the above is just an "example" of a behavior intervention plan for a dog who is reactive towards other dogs. Only a behavior professional working with you directly can provide you with a customized plan after carefully evaluating your dog and her specific triggers.

Keep me posted on how things go and feel free to ask any other questions!

Happy training!

Best,

Adrienne 

Disclaimer: behavior modification comes with risks. If your puppy or dog shows signs of potential aggression (lunging, barking, growling, snapping, biting) for safety, please consult with a dog behavior professional who uses force-free behavior modification techniques (no shock, prongs, or physical corrections) for direct in-person guidance. Articles, videos and general info found in the forums or course (or any online source) are not meant to replace in-person training/instruction. By using this course and forum, you are waiving any liability claims or other type of claims related to any dogs' behavior against you or others.

[KEILY BOLDEN]

Thank you so much. I guess I am her trigger and it is a protective thing as she has only attacked them when I am present. When my aunt watches her for me she plays fine with them and there are never any issues. I have been present every time she has done it. She actually went from asking for attention from a neighbor through the fence to growling at him  after I stepped outside in the yard. 

[Adrienne Farricelli]

You are very welcome. 

These cases can be a little tricky because we need to ascertain the dog is really guarding a person and the method chosen to tackle that may vary based on individual factors. 

Some dogs may display protective behaviors towards people or other dogs approaching a particular owner/caregiver. From watching dogs acting ''protective'', we can deduce that, from a functional standpoint, these dogs are displaying a distance-increasing behavior that is reinforcing to the dog.

In other words, these dogs desire space and want to put distance with dog that is approaching. We can deduce this because, when the person or other dog is approaching their favorite person, these dogs get increasingly stressed, and when the person or other dog leaves, these dogs appear relieved.

Many dogs have a space bubble, that is, an imaginary boundary, which when surpassed, makes the dog feels on the defensive. Dogs acting protective have a space bubble in place, but only exclusively when they are in company of their favorite person.

 In absence of their favorite person, these dogs do not exhibit "protective" behaviors such as tensing up and barking, growling and lunging. The barking, growling and lunging are therefore external manifestations of an internal turmoil with the dog pleading for distance when in presence of a particular person.

What is causing though the internal turmoil in these dogs? Are these dogs bold? Are they jealous? We can only make assumptions, but in most cases, confident, well-socialized dogs typically aren't the ones to act protective. Most often the issue stems from insecurity and fear.

 It comes natural for dogs to form a strong emotional attachment to certain caregivers and therefore, it is possible for the dog to "resource guard" his favorite person from other dogs just as they would do with a high-value bone, toy or a favorite sleeping spot. This type of guarding often stems in insecure dogs who are afraid of losing access to their resource.

On the other hand, more than a willful desire to protect a resource, there are chances that some dogs simply feel very safe when nearby a particular person so they act more "boldly" and put up a scene of "get away from us...or else..."

Indeed, if the owner happens to toss the leash and leave, the dog is likely to turn around and leave too rather than confronting the other dog alone.

Whichever the underlying cause, the behavior most likely stems from an underlying fear of either losing a resource (their favorite person) or feeling threatened by dogs the dog doesn't feel safe around, or perhaps a combination of both.

Interestingly, some dogs act protective of a particular person in particular circumstances, such as when the caregiver is pregnant or sick or when that particular person is sleeping. Some dogs may become protective in certain stages of the owner's life.  Some dogs may grow protective once the dog owner grows old and some dogs only act protective towards children. Others act protective only if other dogs approach when the owner is sitting down. 

Regardless of when or how the behavior happens, one thing is for sure, fast intervention is needed to nip this behavior in the bud before it is given the chance for establishing.

Distance-increasing behaviors such as barking, growling and lunging at other dogs when they approach the owner generally have a strong reinforcement history at play. This is because every time the dog puts on the aggressive display, approaching dogs tend to raise a "white flag" and move away. 

Protective dogs perceive this as Rover scoring 1 point and the other dog leaving scoring a big, fat 0.  While most dogs don't keep tabs on things like this, you get the point: if the behavior works, you can rest assured it will repeat and strengthen. 

Now, some times dog owners may unintentionally exploit a dog's protective behavior by encouraging it rather than taking steps in extinguishing it. This because they feel flattered by their dogs' guarding behaviors and perceive them as a sign they own a valuable guardian who will protect them from "people with bad intent." 

Sadly, this is rarely the case and these dogs just become "indiscriminate protectors " who will act aggressive towards everyone approaching, including innocent people and children. Due to a strong reinforcement history, these cases can be more challenging to overcome.

Management to prevent the dog from rehearsing the troublesome behavior entails not allowing other dogs/people to approach the protected person when in presence of the dog. 

Behavior modification for protective dogs  is likely to be based on desensitization and counterconditioning and often consists of treat delivery being contingent upon the presence of other dogs/dogs approaching, and then, once the dog leaves, treat delivery stops. You would have your dog wear a muzzle if you think she might bite as accidents may always happen (an off leash dog approaching quickly giving you little time to move away, a child approaching out of nowhere).

All dogs should be gradually trained to accept a muzzle: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/train-your-dog-to-wear-a-muzzle/

Try your best to stay away from areas where stray dogs abound or dogs are kept off leash.

Dogs are therefore exposed gradually and systematically (desensitization) to situations known to evoke the protective behavior making sure the dog doesn't go over threshold https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ and positive associations are created (counterconditioning).

For example, the dog may be shown the other dog known to evoke protective behaviors at a distance from where the dog is calmer or just less likely to react, and at the same time, she is fed high-value treats. The treat-feeding time is contingent upon the dog's presence. Then once, these figures are out of sight, no more treats are fed. This training method is known as "open/bar closed bar" and was crafted by dog trainer and behavior expert, Jean Donaldson. Here is more about it:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/open-bar-closed-bar/

Something similar can be done with a neighbor. Every time when your dog is in the yard with you, the neighbor is noticed at a distance from which your dog is under threshold (you would have to work with your neighbor on this to provide a structured setting), several small pieces of high value treats are fed to the dog one after another. When the neighbor leaves, no more treats. The exercises is repeated several times. The goal is to obtain a positive conditioned emotional response, when the dog sees a person or dog approaching you. 

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/conditioned-emotional-response-cer/

Should you ask your dog to perform a behavior before feeding treats? We are so used to feed treats to dogs "operating", that it may sound odd to feed treats for a dog only acknowledging something. That would be counterproductive though. Firstly, because dogs may be too concerned about their triggers to cognitively function (in other words it's hard for dogs to concentrate when they overly worried about a situation) and second because there are chances that the dog may think her behavior made the high-value treats happen when instead we want to create a strong trigger/food association rather than a trigger/behavior association.

Avoid having people approaching you to hand feed your dog. This may lead to dog approach/avoidance behaviors. With the help of professional though, people approaching you can toss treats to your dog in a treat-retreat fashion basically, tossing treats *past* your dog. 

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/treat-retreat-game/

Use a muzzle if your dog is prone to biting and make sure you have several layers of safety precautions in place with the help of a dog behavior professional to play it safe. 

If your dog at any time reacts, that is often a sign that he wasn't ready for that level of interaction and therefore you need to work from further distance or reduce the salience of the stimulus/situation.

With dogs acting protective towards other dogs approaching, things are a bit more challenging because you need both dogs to be perfectly under control. Hence, the importance of using leashes and a helper to keep both dogs at a distance from each other and prevent them from getting too close.

For mild cases of a dog preventing another dog from approaching the owner, it helps feeding the protective dog treats every time the other dog approaches. Of course, help from a professional is always advised for safety and correct behavior modification implementation.

More about this can be found here: 

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dogs-fighting-over-owner/

Remember: behavior modification takes some time to implement and requires management when the dog is not being actively worked with and conditioned. This means that when these sessions are not practiced, the dog should be kept away from his triggers (management) considering that, as mentioned, it can be highly reinforcing for dogs to bark/growl and lunge considering that the person or dog in question often leaves/or is removed following this display.

Disclaimer: behavior modification comes with risks. If your puppy or dog shows signs of potential aggression (lunging, barking, growling, snapping, biting) for safety, please consult with a dog behavior professional who uses force-free behavior modification techniques (no shock, prongs, or physical corrections) for direct in-person guidance. Articles, videos and general info found in the forums or course (or any online source) are not meant to replace in-person training/instruction. By using this course and forum, you are waiving any liability claims or other type of claims related to any dogs' behavior against you or others.