An Anthropomorphic Insight on Aggression
Just to be clear; I do not believe that dogs are humans in a little fur suit, and I do not contend that the way they think resembles human thought patterns. However, they share some important basic traits with humans, including fear and aggression. Therefore, I do believe certain paralells can be drawn between human and canine aggression which may aid in the understanding of aggressive dogs.
While we in most cases condemn any act of aggression from either humans or dogs, we rarely “put down” humans for aggressive behavior. A human has to commit murder to receive the death penalty, but often a mere snarl from a dog is enough to initiate its untimely end.
When humans wish to communicate displeasure with one another, we have a myriad of options available to us. We can use our voices to indicate a wide range of aggressive feelings, from saying in a quiet tone “What you just said really annoys me,” to screaming profanities and threats of violence.
We also convey aggression through body language in cases such as an overbearing boss “staring down” some hapless employee, or assuming a boxing stance when faced with a possible aggressor.
When incited to physical violence, we have an enormous range of options available with which to harm our opponent, from a light slap to an instantly fatal gunshot. Dogs have only one weapon, and it is a formidable one: their teeth.
Like humans, dogs have a wide range of vocal and physical threat displays. The problem is that we typically don’t perceive them. Some we can recognize instantly; bared teeth, a loud snarl, a threatening bark, or raised hackles. But many are much more subtle, and typically only recognized by their canine counterparts.
One common assumption is that all normal dogs accept and enjoy being petted by strangers. This is not the case. Many dogs do not enjoy having their personal space invaded and their bodies touched by strangers any more than we do! Put yourself in this position: your are walking down the street with a friend, and suddenly a man makes a beeline for you, speaking to you in a foreign language. He is much taller than you, and after sticking his hand in front of your nose for a moment, he starts scratching you on the head and ruffling your hair. Not content with these actions, he starts rubbing your back and chest. How would your react?
We have staggering double and even triple standards for our canine companions. Many dog owners value the protection a dog can provide, yet expect it to be utterly free from aggression in virtually all situations
I have a serious issue. I have a 11yr old female Labrador named Nafertidi. She is being aggressive with the 15 mo old male (Troy) Lab/border collie mix. They have lived together for a yr know. I also have a 7 yr old male Labrador (Cairo)who is the son of Nafertidi. They are all fixed. Tidi “short for Nafertidi” starting fighting with Troy 2 months ago. They have been together for a year now. Troy came here 3 months old and they let him take all the treats, bite on them etc. Know he is as big as them, Ciaro doesn’t do much about it. Tidi has gotten to the point where she cannot be around him without wanting to attack him. She has hurt him several times. Know we keep them seperated. It is so hard to handle and I will not give up any of my furbabies. Please help me out.
March 29th, 2008 at 2:36 am