Not a permanent condition.
To help a dog with aggression, we need to first understand what the life of that dog is like, start there. See his thresholds, see what brings that dog joy- if anything.
What is his stress level, where does he sleep, where does he eat? Who takes care of him? Is he corrected on things and how, how often. We look at the dog as a whole, and remember the behavior is a survival mechanism. See what historically has been his life, medical history, based on his age look at brain developmental stages and see where the problem is. Understand the guardian's and their history, their relationship with that dog, other dogs, visitors, family dynamics, look at what type of experiences they share, if any. Look at nutrition, certain foods trigger faster emotional responses. Just to name a few. We need to look DEEP. Way beyond 4 quadrants of behavior and corrections.
An emotional state cannot be 'corrected' with a shock collar or a prong. If a dog is corrected with these tools, then the dog will suppress behaviors instead. This will not solve the problem long term. This is why we continuously hear of guardians complaining that the 'dog turned' on them after using these devices. This is why we see more and more reactivity after the initial submission, and why the aggression gets exacerbated. And no, we cannot train aggression with cookies either.
Once we find the issue, we figure out a detailed behavioral plan to correct the situation, not the dog.
That's right: CORRECT THE SITUATION, the dog is just reacting to the circumstance. Change the environment, change the behavior. If you are the guardian and you are struggling with a dog who is displaying aggression, you need a plan. You need a fresh look at the situation and effective modifications to help that dog and your
family immediately. This is when we behavior consultants come in.
Laura Becker, CBCC, KA.
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