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Various  Types & Degrees of Aggression in various breeds of dogs

Different types of Aggression

 Sadly Aggression is one of the main reason dogs are put down by a vet or a rehoming centre. its estimated between 20/30% of all dogs in rescue centre's are there because its shown aggression towards its owner or someone else close to the dog. Several dogs have more than one of the following types of behaviour so every dog and every situation is different dont treat or expect two different breeds to act the same. 

It would be prudent before starting on any program of Aggressive Behaviour Treatment, to rule out any medical reasons for it's behaviour by taking them to a trained specialist we are highly trained and have worked with various breeds of aggressive dogs and treat each one differently so read on to see the different types of aggression and tips on how to spot problems before they escalate, there can also be many medical reasons why a dog may be showing aggressive tendencies, these range from ,poor skin conditions making it uncomfortable for them, injurys new or old,neglect,diabetes,ear infections,poor diet etc.

Here we will take you through a small part of the different types of aggression a dog can experience there are many causes if unsure allways seek expert advice from a vet or a trained specialist.

Fear sometimes known as Nervous Aggression:

 Fear or nervous aggression takes many forms and relates to many things sometimes this behaviour stems directly from the pup’s mother  if she is nervous its a good chance this trait will be passed on to her offspring especially the more time the pups stay with their mother the more likely to inherit more of her traits just like our children copy us or do the things we do, Breeders that breed from fearful and timid bitches will often make excuses as to why you cannot see the puppys mother (Dam) so its allways a good idea to see the puppys mother when you visit, If you do view a litter of puppies and the mother is fearful then be wary of buying a puppy from this litter unless something else stands out exceptional markings or you just fall in love with this one pup, or you think the mother is only acting defencesively and shying away as not to attact attention and wants to be left alone then sometimes a second visit is allways a good idea a reputable breeder won't have a problem with this.

Quite often the pups will inherit some of the mother’s traits & habits through both genes and interaction with others, genetically the pups may inherit her timidness and the more time spent with their  mother may inherit more of her fearfull traits but a good dog owner can replace this type of behaviour with gentle coaxing and patience as  positive reinforcement is key to changing any unwanted behaviour.

The first 10/12 weeks are critical in a pups development so even a well rounded non fearfull pup if put with another fearfull bitch can indeed inherit these fearfull traits ,like us they can and will pick up bad habits ,If  a dog cant show another dog submissiveness and cant back away if you are taking it for a walk on a lead for instance this can be another reason for showing this type of Nervous Behaviour as it cant express what it wants or needs to express  to the other dog, so treat every situation on its own and try to learn from your dogs body language its there you just need to know what to look out for and hopefully over the rest of the page you may gain an insight into the different types of aggression dogs can display.

This is why between 6/18 weeks pups should learn to socialise with other dogs and various different breeds fromsmall to large dogs this will help in it's development and in the long run make it a more confident happy socialised dog.

How can you tell if it is fear?

Dogs that are like this are like this whether they are approached by a dog or a bitch and if the owner is nervous this in turn will make the dog nervous to the point it will cower down or the opposite stand and growl this is easy to spot as the owner tenses up pulling on the dogs lead and making the dog fearfull of the approching dog as they half expect the two dogs to act aggressively nervous dog owners can also give off an odour of adrenaline that the dog instantly detects remember dogs are used to detect narcotics,dead bodies,bombs etc so they sense & smell things we can't.

A confident dog owner can difuse the situation and in turn makes their own dog feel at ease don't be afraid to use a stern voice and direct your dog to your commands this will show if its inherint in the dog or if its the dog owner passing on their own fear so swap around with another dog owner if your not confident and both of you go for a walk in the park and try a few things out.

Fear / Nervous Aggression (Inter-human)

Again pups that are'nt socialised with us humans from as little  as 2/3 weeks old  can show this behaviour towards us so if possible make sure the breeder handles the pups often or why not go and spend a bit of time with the pups if the breeder allows.

Nervous and fear aggression is nearly always defensive  sometimes it is related to the sex of the person If the dog breeder was male and few females visited or handled the puppies then the timidness and fear may be worse with women. This particular problem like interdog hostility, will show  itself  with individuals rather than crowds. You will find that the puppy or dog will be barking a lot but will also be behind something its tail may be down and the hair on its neck may be up although it may seem overly aggressive this dogs posture will be on its back feet & not on its front which is a defensive posture all the dog wants is for you to back off  and is not  necessarily trying to bite or attack you so patience is key here to establish trust don't have too big of crowds at first and be consistent in your approach and never approach to quickly remember it will be done in their time and not yours, dog's that are nervous can also be very unpredictable to the untrained Dog Handler.

Frustration in Dogs:

Dogs that are confined or chained or tied up show this behaviour and everytime someone or something approachs the dog it will either growl or the complete opposite jump up to show it wants out so responsible dog owners this is an easy one to spot and resolve,

Don't leave your dog chained or locked up for long periods make sure if they are kept inside you play & interact with them now is a perfect time to practice those commands London Dog Trainers have shown you after all would you like to be cooped up most of the day no you would'nt. 

Sexual Aggression:

Mostly male dogs as they maybe coming into sexual maturity or not having any interaction with other dogs also several studies now show castration does not to help but only goes to help in the roaming of a dog studies are ongoing into this. 

Neutering, and the age at which a dog is neutered, may affect the animal’s risk for developing certain cancers and joint diseases, according to a new study of golden retrievers by a team of researchers at the University of California, Davis.

The study, which examined the health records of 759 golden retrievers, found a surprising doubling of hip dysplasia among male dogs neutered before one year of age. This and other results were published Feb. 13 in the online scientific journal

“The study results indicate that dog owners and service-dog trainers should carefully consider when to have their male or female dogs neutered,” said lead investigator Benjamin Hart, a distinguished professor emeritus in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

“It is important to remember, however, that because different dog breeds have different vulnerabilities to various diseases, the effects of early and late neutering also may vary from breed to breed,” he said.

While results of the new study are revealing, Hart said the relationship between neutering and disease-risk remains a complex issue. For example, the increased incidence of joint diseases among early-neutered dogs is likely a combination of the effect of neutering on the young dog’s growth plates as well as the increase in weight on the joints that is commonly seen in neutered dogs.

Dog owners in the United States are overwhelmingly choosing to neuter their dogs, in large part to prevent pet overpopulation or avoid unwanted behaviors. In the U.S., surgical neutering — known as spaying in females — is usually done when the dog is less than one year old.

In Europe, however, neutering is generally avoided by owners and trainers and not promoted by animal health authorities, Hart said.

During the past decade, some studies have indicated that neutering can have several adverse health effects for certain dog breeds. Those studies examined individual diseases using data drawn from one breed or pooled from several breeds.

Against that backdrop, Hart and colleagues launched their study, using a single hospital database. The study was designed to examine the effects of neutering on the risks of several diseases in the same breed, distinguishing between males and females and between early or late neutering and non-neutering. 

The researchers chose to focus on the golden retriever because it is one of the most popular breeds in the U.S. and Europe and is vulnerable to various cancers and joint disorders. The breed also is favored for work as a service dog.

The research team reviewed the records of female and male golden retrievers, ranging in age from 1 to 8 years, that had been examined at UC Davis’ William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital for two joint disorders and three cancers: hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament tear, lymphosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma and mast cell tumor. The dogs were classified as intact (not neutered), neutered early (before 12 months age), or neutered late (at or after 12 months age).

Joint disorders and cancers are of particular interest because neutering removes the male dog’s testes and the female’s ovaries, interrupting production of certain hormones that play key roles in important body processes such as closure of bone growth plates, and regulation of the estrous cycle in female dogs.

The study revealed that, for all five diseases analyzed, the disease rates were significantly higher in both males and females that were neutered either early or late compared with intact (non-neutered) dogs.

Specifically, early neutering was associated with an increase in the occurrence of hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament tear and lymphosarcoma in males and of cranial cruciate ligament tear in females. Late neutering was associated with the subsequent occurrence of mast cell tumors and hemangiosarcoma in females.

In most areas, the findings of this study were consistent with earlier studies, suggesting similar increases in disease risks. The new study, however, was the first to specifically report an increased risk of late neutering for mast cell tumors and hemangiosarcoma.

Furthermore, the new study showed a surprising 100 percent increase, or doubling, of the incidence of hip dysplasia among early-neutered males. Earlier studies had reported a 17 percent increase among all neutered dogs compared to all non-neutered dogs, indicating the importance of the new study in making gender and age-of-neutering comparisons.