Cranky Canine?
The stereotypical aggressive dog is tied to a stake in his yard to guard the
area from intruders, barking and growling at everyone walking by.
Of
course, your dog is nothing like him. She's sweet and loving. Sure, she growls
when you discipline her, but that doesn't really mean that she's aggressive,
does it? Take this important quiz to see if you can recognize aggression in
dogs.
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Aggressive behavior in
dogs includes:
-
growling while tail
wagging
-
mounting or humping
your leg
-
Chasing a squeaky
toy
-
Tail wagging.
Correct answers: A and BListen
to the growl; ignore the tail. Jumping on, mounting and humping people are
dominance behaviors that should not be tolerated.
-
Dogs who are friendly
toward women but are aggressive toward men:
-
were raised by women
-
know women give
tastier treats than men
-
were abused by men
at an early age
-
had limited social
interactions with men
Correct answers: A and D
Without evidence of past abuse, the majority of these dogs are afraid of men
because of minimal exposure to men during a critical phase of their social
development, or because they view men as more serious dominance rivals or
territorial intruders.
-
Games between dogs and
people that promote aggressiveness include:
-
wrestling
-
tug of war
-
chasing and teasing
-
flyball
Correct answers A, B and C
Rough play between dogs is
normal, however, games that teach dogs or puppies to nip, growl at or chasse
people could result in the same behavior in more serious contexts.
-
Your dog steals the
remote control, but growls when you try to remove it. You should:
-
ignore her
-
insist on removing
it
-
let her choose which
TV shows she'd like to watch
-
call her to "come"
and "sit"; give her a treat for dropping the object.
Correct answers: A and D
Possessive aggression sometimes starts as attention seeking mischief. Dogs
guarding an object may bite. Ignore the dog or defuse the situation by making a
trade for the object. Teach your dog to "leave it' or "drop it" with objects of
increasing value.
-
On your way home, you
meet an unchained neighborhood dog who stares at you and growls. You should:
-
run
-
stare back at the
dog
-
avoid walking at
night in your own neighborhood
-
back slowly away,
avoiding direct eye contact
Correct answer D
Dogs with territorial aggression are menaces. Staring or running could provoke
and attack. Report incidents to your local animal control officer.
-
When you move during the
night, your dog growls because:
-
you startled him
from sleep
-
he was dreaming of
that cute little Rat Terrier
-
you take up too much
room on the bed as it is
-
he was having a
nightmare about that bully Chihuahua
Correct answer A
Resting dogs can become irritable if disturbed. However, this scenario also
suggests that the dog is asserting preferential use of prime real estate. If
your dog has issues with dominance and or territorial behavior, he should sleep
in a comfy doggie bed nearby.
- When
your children argue, your dog jumps and barks because she:
-
has a headache
-
is breaking up their
fight
-
is tired of their
constant bickering with each other
-
is trying to respond
to the commotion and disciplining her sibling subordinates
Correct answer D
We can't be certain of a premeditated goal, but dogs normally respond to any
excitement and agitation.
-
You should get help if
your dog is:
-
growling when hugged
or reprimanded
-
making you feel
afraid or intimidated
-
needing to be
confined to avoid people or other dogs and growls or refuses when you
command, "sit " or "down".
Correct answers: All of the above.
Your dog doesn't have to be
perfect, but she should be perfect for you. Ask your vet for a referral to a
behaviorist or trainer who can correctly diagnose and treat your dog's problem
behaviors.
If
you answered all these questions correctly, congratulations! You know how to
recognize aggressive behavior in dogs.
Did you miss any questions? Then consult your vet about the behavior, if it's
occurring in your dog. He or she may be able to refer you to specialist or
trainer to help. |