There are three instincts that are hardwired in dogs: the prey drive, the chase instinct and territorialism. If your dog acts on these, he's not a bad dog. He's just a dog. Education is required — for you and your pooch — in order to mitigate those instincts and get your dog to behave in such a way that he's an asset to your home and neighborhood rather than a menace.
Lack of education is at the root of 99 percent of canine behavioral problems. The No. 1 obstacle to education? Denial. "But she only does it a little." "But he didn't mean it." "But my little Fifi only bites strangers."
Well, a little urine goes a long way. He did mean it. And there are approximately 301,139,947 people living in the United States, according to July 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimates. That means, for the average four-person household, there are 301,139,943 strangers for little Fifi to gnaw on. Denial is no way to make friends out of strangers.
I received the following letter this week — a classic manifesto on denial.
I'm hoping you can help me to craft an appropriate reaction to some aggressive behavior from my neighbors' dog.
This dog, according to his owners, is usually kept carefully restrained but happened to be loosed by a teenage family member just as my 9-year-old son was walking past their house on the other side of the street. The dog gave chase, my son ran, and when he tripped and fell, the dog jumped on his back and bit his backpack. The cuts, bruises and torn clothing my son suffered were only from contact with the pavement, not the dog's teeth, but he was understandably rattled from the experience.
After this, I spoke to the lady of the house, who assured me her dog was not being aggressive, but only chased my son because he thought he was a rabbit. She also promised to keep him in the house from then on.
I was not reassured after our conversation; she seemed to wish to minimize the incident and showed, I felt, not much concern. I decided, after talking with friends and family who are dog owners, which I am not, to call Animal Control and file a report so that if any new incident came up it would be clear there was at least some history of inappropriate behavior toward children.
These events were followed up, about a week later, by another attack involving a different 9-year-old boy. This boy was playing outside with the owner's son and entered the house alone to get a drink. As he crossed the dining room, the dog knocked him down and bit him on the chest. I heard of this from the victim and from his mother — who, incredibly, was not inclined to report the incident, but thought it sufficient to end any further playdates at my neighbors' house.
My questions are these: How concerned should I be, and what should I do? Is this behavior likely to escalate?
The dog is kept mostly on the porch on a leash, and he barks ferociously at passers-by.
Yes. Left unchecked, this behavior is likely to escalate. These are the warning signs of an aggressive dog. Based on the information in the letter, this dog has a strong chase instinct and prey drive — a dog's prey drive, by the way, is brought on and encouraged by roughhousing and seemingly innocent games like tug-of-war.
This particular dog is also highly territorial — his territorialism most likely made worse by his being leashed to the front porch! Tethering, chaining or leashing a dog to a fixed point creates aggression. When tied down, the dog is defenseless and can't get away, so they learn to stay on the offensive. Had they educated themselves, this dog's owners would have known they were exacerbating, if not creating, an aggression problem in their dog.
Yes. These incidents should be reported to Animal Control. No one likes to rat on their friends or neighbors; most of us want to be liked. But this dog is aggressive. He means it. He's warning you. And it's your responsibility to protect your children.
That's not to say this dog can't be helped. With the right professional training, 95 percent of canine behavioral problems can be managed, if not eliminated. This dog's owner has a responsibility to her dog, to her family and to her neighbors to deal with this problem immediately. And professionally. Remember: Don't get rid of the dog, get rid of the problem!
Woof!
Dog trainer Matthew "Uncle Matty" Margolis is co-author of 18 books about dogs, a behaviorist, a popular radio and television guest, and host of the PBS series "WOOF! It's a Dog's Life!" Send your questions to dearuncle.gazette@unclematty.com or by mail to Uncle Matty at P.O. Box 3300, Diamond Springs, CA 95619. © Creators Syndicate Inc.