| Braveheart Dog Training "Dog Training from the Heart" |
2123 Marina Blvd. San Leandro, Ca 94577 (510) 483-2631 braveheartdogs@sbcglobal.net |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
directed towards humans, other dogs, other animals or a combination of the three. Whatever type of aggression is being displayed, it is crucial that the issue be addressed. Making sure that aggression is handled properly is of utmost importance. Most, if not all aggression in dogs is fear based. People sometimes have a hard time understanding this as a dog may look quite confident and assertive when aggressing. Understand that this does not mean that fear is not involved. People who have aggressive dogs must train themselves not to be angry or blame the dog for his aggression, reactivity or fears. I understand that this can be difficult to do and that aggression can be scary and frustrating for dog owners, but keep in mind that the dog is not necessarily choosing to behave in this way. He most likely is reacting because he is uncomfortable. We must work with these dogs slowly, patiently and with compassion to the animal. Some aggression or fear is caused by past experiences such as the dog getting attacked by another dog, or frightened by a person earlier in life. Some aggression or fear is caused by lack of proper socialization as a young puppy. In some cases pain or a medical condition can cause an animal to become aggressive or fearful. Sometimes the cause is unknown or unclear. The cause is not as important as you may think (unless it is a medical condition that needs to be treated). The most important thing is what the dog is doing, not what he is thinking or why he is doing it. The bottom line is that you will never know WHY a dog does something or how he feels because he can't tell us. We are much safer looking at the behavior and then crafting a solid training and treatment plan to help the dog learn a new way to feel and behave. Some traditional trainers mistakenly believe that punishing a dog who is acting aggressively is necessary, but it isn't. You see, if you physically punish the dog, you may make the behavior stop at that moment, but you haven't changed how the dog feels about the trigger he is reacting to (such as another dog). Not only that, but you have now given the dog something else to worry about (you punishing him for his reactions).
reactive, aggressive or fearful dog "getting away with"? This isn't a battle he is looking to win over you, he just wants to protect himself and stay alive.
thinking or how he is feeling, just look at what he is DOING. We need to look at the behavior, then change it. It is absolutely crucial that punishment, intimidation, force and physical corrections NOT be a part of the training plan. Physically correcting a dog for aggression or fear is very dangerous and will almost always backfire. Dogs who are reacting out of fear are afraid of serious danger, even death. There is no reasoning with them. Hurting them will not convince them that they shouldn't be afraid. Think of it this way. Let's say you are afraid of rats. Imagine that the thought of rats actually throws you into a full blown panic attack. Let's say that you are unable to contain yourself, you scream, wave your hands and move away frantically every time you see a rat (or several of them). You react the way you do because you are uncomfortable not because you are mean, spiteful, willful or dominant. You just don't like being around rats and you cannot help but react how you do in their presence. Now, let's say that I have been hired to help you overcome your fear of rats. Because you are a human and we speak the same language, I have the luxury of telling you my plans and asking you which you would prefer (something that we don't get to do with our dogs). Take a look my two training plans below. Plan A I take you someplace you feel incredibly comfortable such as your home, my office or a park. I begin to talk to you about rats. I tell you cute stories about pet rats that I had. As I do this, I am handing you dollar bills. You begin to relax. Next, I pull out a picture of a silly cartoon rat and continue to hand you dollar bills. If you are uncomfortable with it, we go back to talking about them, if you are ok with the cartoon rat, I show you a picture of a real rat but he is dressed in a hat and very comical, I continue to hand you cash. If you are uncomfortable at any time, I take a step back and go back to where you were ok with the process. As you feel comfortable (partly because I am exposing you to your fear in a very non threatening way and partly because I am sweetening the pot with cash) we move to the next step. It may take time for us to move through these stages because I am always respecting you and your comfort level because my end goal is for you to feel ok not just be quiet about your rat phobia. Depending on you and your level of fear towards the object, my skill as a trainer, the value of my reinforcement (the money) it may take one session for us to move forward or ten. No one knows yet, we just protect your comfort level and commit to our end goal of you being comfortable with rats. As you become comfortable I progress from showing you the pictures to presenting a very cute, stuffed rat toy at a very great distance while my assistant hands you $10s. We work at this pace until you have become very comfortable with the rat that far away. Then, we do the same thing with me 5 feet closer, until you are totally comfortable and relaxed with me there. Then, 5 feet closer and so on until I have conditioned you to feel good about the rat. Then I repeat the process with a very cute live baby rat only instead you are being handed $50s. I would take many things into consideration such as the color of the rat (white ones with red eyes might scare you more), the age (a baby rat might be less intimidating), the temperament of the rat (a friendly laid back rat might make you more comfortable). This process is called desensitization and counterconditioning. What it means is that I expose you to the trigger that frightens you at very low intensity levels while giving you something very rewarding. I have desensitized you to the thing that scared you and counterconditioned how you feel about rats. So, you are not only dealing with it, you actually think rats are pretty cool now (because you have learned that they are actually pretty sweet creatures, kinda cute and you get money from me when they are around). This is how smart trainers deal with aggressive or fearful dogs. Plan B I take you to a location of my choice, hold a gun to your head and force you to sit down and stay there while 100s of live rats are poured over your body (think Fear Factor) and tell you to deal with it. If you attempt to get up or move you are hit or yelled at and forced to stay. You might deal with it. You might stay there for several reasons. You are too afraid of my gun to move. You are frozen in fear of the rats and are unable to move. Perhaps I have simply intimidated you into thinking that this way the best way. For whatever reason, you might deal with it, BUT after my "training" you would probably still not feel great about rats or me for that matter. You would probably deal with it because at the time, you felt you had no choice, but you would still feel uncomfortable (probably worse than before) around rats. In addition, I, as the trainer might be saying that you are now "fine" with it because you didn't move. I had taught you to "deal with it". Now, let me ask you, which way would you prefer to be "trained"? Plan A allows you to make choices, take your time, feel comfortable and make honest progress. Plan B suggests I do to you what some trainers to do dogs every day to "cure" their aggression. They immerse the dog in something it finds scary, then punishes the dog for making a choice the trainer feels is wrong rather than teaching the dog to actually like or feel comfortable with what scares him.
We allow the dog to set the pace and make the choices. Choice is incredibly powerful to fearful individuals. They need to know that they have a right to feel safe and protected. This method allows them to do that. Please do not allow anyone to choke, jerk, shock, hit or otherwise abuse your dog in the name of treating aggression. It is not effective, it is not humane and it is the quickest way to teach your dog that you are untrustworthy and unreliable. Feel free to contact us if your dog is having issues with fear or aggression. We will help you find the best behavior specialist to help with your problems even if it means referring you to another qualified behavior consultant. |
| Copyright © 2007 Braveheart Dog Training The information on this page may not be reproduced, republished or mirrored on another webpage or website. |
| Aggression and Fear |
