Canine Aggression

Question 1

what dog breeds are overrepresented in biting dogs? does neuter status play into risk factors for aggression?

Answer 1

1. spaniels
2. terriers
3. mini breeds

neuter status not a risk factor

Question 2

describe the disposition of dogs that show aggression to family members

Answer 2

1. more excitable and fearful in first 2 month
2. more likely to have had a serious illness in first 4 months (less socialization)
3. more reactive on leash and get less exercise
4. slower reacting to commands

Question 3

what are the 12 classifications of aggression?

Answer 3

1. FEAR:
   -ears back
   -can be in response to very specific triggers
   -fight tends to be a common response bc predator species
2. territorial reactivity: anxious and submissive, not confident!
3. owner-protective
4. medical
   -pain elicited
   -neurologic
5. instrumental: learned
   -like for a toenail trim, can desensitize with treats and slow progressive steps
6. arousal-related: lunge at a dog on a walk and then redirect to bite the owner, redirect arousal to a different target
7. redirected: common in cats related to fear based behavior
8. maternal: hormone mediated defense
9. dominance: conflict induced
   -dogs don’t usually attempt to show dominance to humans! more among dogs with inter-house aggression (unclear hierarchy, but uncommon)
10. play
11. predation
12. idiopathic; Siebert says dogs are never irrational so there’s always a reason

aggression is a symptom, NOT a diagnosis

Question 4

what are 4 differential diagnoses for aggression?

Answer 4

1. neuro conditions:
   -seizures, storage diseases, inflam and infectious diseases, brain tumors, hydrocephalus (VERY aggressive with hydrocephalus)
2. sensory deficits
3. liver disease:
   -hepatic encephalopathy, portosystemic shunt
   -ESPECIALLY schnauzers
4. conditions causing pain or discomfort
   -dermatologic conditions, otitis, osteoarthritis

can be primary or secondary to contributing; address behavior and medical at same time

Question 5

describe possessive behavior (6)

Answer 5

defense of specific moveable items

food, food bowl, toys, bones or rawhides, stolen objects

-can also be in locations where get fed or receive treats

-not specific to any breed, history, sex, behavior, etc.

-owners do not need to “win” or get the item, just need to desensitize the aggression

NOT confident! very submissive (break eye contact, side eye = not trying to challenge you just to track you), lack of confidence

Question 6

describe food guarding

Answer 6

food guarding in absence of ritual dominance signals or aggression to people in any other situation is simply food guarding

many food guarders are quite submissive and non-aggressive in all other situations

Question 7

what are 4 environmental influences of canine aggression?

Answer 7

1. inappropriate punishment
2. abuse or trauma
3. inadequate socialization
4. owner reinforcement

fear is also genetically based! environment influences genes

Question 8

what is flooding? give 4 disadvantages

Answer 8

deliberate exposure of individual to conditioned stimulus until response extinguishes

disadvantages:
1. risk of injury
2. stressful for patient
3. inability to do correctly
4. ineffective

Question 9

describe how to approach a dog?

Answer 9

threat reduction; crouch sit or squat, pet under chin if dog wants, break eye contact frequently, move slow, speak low, avoid cornering

Question 10

describe shaping

Answer 10

gradually require individual to engage in behavior that is more and more like final behavior before they are rewarded

Question 11

how to change behaviors?

Answer 11

1. find high value food reward
2. reward confident postures
3. offer treats by dropping them
4. keep interactions short
5. shape confident behavior
6. cue behavior, withhold reward until postures seen, use marker to mark postures, follow with food reward

Question 12

describe desensitization

Answer 12

decrease in responding produced by gradual exposure to stimulus eliciting undesirable behavior; stimulus exposure proceeds at such low level that behavior is not elicited

Question 13

describe counter conditioning

Answer 13

conditioning procedure that reverses previous response by associating that stimulus with UCS that promotes an opposite type of reaction

ex. conditioned response of anxiety is replaced by relaxation

Question 14

when do you use desensitization and counter conditioning?

Answer 14

1. approaches from strangers
2. hand gestures
3. petting on head or over back
4. approaches to food bowl
5. procedures