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A Simple Approach To Resolve Dog Aggression

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More than 4.3 million people every year are bitten by dogs. That is about 2 percent of the population of the United States.

The most common reason (a) you have the reasoning that the dog is an animal and it is going to behave as such. It has natural instincts. It is always, no matter what behavior it is engaged in, good or bad, playing to those instincts.

Now the good thing about dogs, the reason that they are so loved as pets is because they have been bred to be domesticated animals. So that means that one of the dog’s instincts is to try to please. So along with this being a symptom of a dog being a dog there is also (b) which is that dogs have an instinct towards a pack society. Now what this means is that there is a hierarchy of respect that a dog will give other dogs and/or humans according to how the dog perceives you in the hierarchy.

So to make it more clear, if you are clearly an authority figure to that dog it is much less likely to engage in some of the behaviors that we do not appreciate such as dog aggression or the dog biting you. The reason for that is that if you are seen as the authority figure, the alpha of the pack, then your dog would not dare play in a certain manner.

I was recently in Virgina and was talking to a colleague and she mentioned an issue that one of her clients was facing that was driving them to drink something other than water- something that will cause more damage.

The scenario presented was – let’s say there are two members of the household; one has trained the dog from the beginning. There is a certain bond relationship with the dog. Many people now mistake this and say well, the dog loves me but hates my husband, that is why he bites him.

That is not really accurate.

It is somewhat of an oversimplification. It is not so much about love, it is how the dog perceives you versus your husband. Say you have trained the dog from the day you brought it home from the breeder, pet store, shelter, or pound, and you have been constant with this dog. You are the one giving it treats. You are the one responding to its behavior. And let’s say your husband or boyfriend or significant other, whoever it may be, even a friend, encounters the dog and the dog jumps up on the friend or the dog bites the friend. This is someone that the dog just does not perceive as being higher than it in the social standing of your little household pack. So in that case the dog feels more freedom to do certain things.

A perfect example would be let’s say at work you may say you act a certain way with your coworkers who are in the same job as you with the same title or even with someone of a lower job title in your company where you work than you would with your boss or the head of the company. You are going to be much more guarded with your boss, much more careful about everything you do than you would be with the buddy that is in the next office or next cubicle or the desk near the water cooler. The same is true with your dog.

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4 Common Aging Dog Problems You Should Know About

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While every dog is an individual, a few age-related maladies seem to strike many of them. You should of course discuss how they affect your dog – and the best approach to treating them – with your veterinarian, but knowing a little bit about what you’re dealing with before you go in is helpful.

Here are a few old-dog problems, along with some things you can do to help:

1. Stiffness: Your veterinarian can help you determine if the stiffness is because of temporary muscle soreness – say from overdoing it – or the onset of arthritis. Many dogs are worse in cold weather and first thing in the morning. Arthritis is common in older dogs, and while no cure exists, treatments are available that can make your pet’s life comfortable. Your veterinarian may prescribe buffered aspirin, food supplements, or anti-inflammatory medications, all of which your pet may need to take for the rest of her life. For your part, you need to be sure that your pet is not overweight and is kept consistently, but not strenuously, active.

2. Decline of the senses: Deaf and blind dogs do just fine, as long as you do your part to keep them out of any danger their disabilities may cause. Blindness, in particular, is a problem dogs adjust to with an ease that stuns their owners. But consider the following: Dogs don’t have to read the newspaper, they don’t care about TV, and they count on you to read the ingredients label on a bag of kibble. Sight isn’t their primary sense anyway; they put much greater stock in their sense of smell. After they learn the layout of the land, they rarely bump into things (as long as you don’t keep moving the furniture). Handicapped pets should never be allowed off-leash on walks, because they can’t see danger and cannot hear your warnings.

Even if your older dog is blind, there may be something that you can do. Ask your veterinarian for a referral to a specialist like a veterinary ophthalmologist. Problems such as cataracts may be treatable with medications and surgery.

3. Incontinence: There are many inquiries all of the time from frustrated owners wondering why their older dogs are no longer house-trained – and how they can get them back on track. The first rule of any sudden-onset behavior problem is to make sure that it’s not a health problem, and we can think of no case where this rule is more true than with an older dog who’s suddenly urinating in the house. Your pet could have an infection or, if she’s an older spayed female, she may be suffering from the loss of muscle tone related to a decrease in her hormone levels. Both are treatable; see your veterinarian. At a certain age, a little dribbling of urine is practically inevitable, especially while your older dog is sleeping.

4. Lumps and bumps: Benign fatty tumors are common in older dogs, and the vast majority are nothing to worry about. Benign tumors are round and soft, with well-defined edges. You can usually get your fingers nearly around them, and they don’t seem well-anchored. Showing them to your veterinarian for a more complete evaluation is important, and you should inform her of any changes in size or shape, especially if they happen rapidly. Your veterinarian may be concerned enough about the size, appearance, or location of a mass to suggest its removal and a biopsy; most bumps, however, are left alone. The best time to check for lumps and bumps? During regular grooming, weekly, at least. Run your hand over every inch of your dog, and don’t forget to talk sweetly – she’ll think it’s petting.