Aggressive behaviour is normal

I'd be interested to know everyone's views on this, thought it might make a good discussion.

Basically my local park (which I avoid at all costs) will scowl at and demonise any dog who is not your typical happy lab. Dogs are expected to love every single dog they meet, never show anything other than perfect friendly behaviour and to never ever retaliate to anything. A raised lip, raised hackle or slight growl is consider "aggressive" and they will march their dogs away in disgust, never come near you again and tell everyone how nasty your dog is!

I had this when a dog tried to hump Moon. Moon tried to ignore the dog, out run the dog and eventually turned around and gave a sharp bark and a single warning air snap. After this, I found people avoiding us in the park as people had spread around that he was "aggressive". Cain of course is seen as the devil incarnate with his issues, hence why we never ever walk in that park any more.

I admit,I used to think that all aggression was bad. But since attending dog socialisation classes and learning a lot more about dog behaviour, I've come to understand it more. Aggression is a normal behaviour, part of life and an effective part of communication. Expecting dogs to never ever assert itself is like expecting a human to go through life and never EVER get short tempered or shout at someone.

While I do not think that dogs should be left to "just sort it out", I believe that a lot of situations are broken up at the slightest hint of displeasure when the dogs are simply communicating. A reasonable level of aggression (a raised hackle, lifted lip, a warning growl, perhaps even a well timed air snap) to me is acceptable. That dog is just telling the other dog "enough, back off". Aggression which is over the top, ends in excessive physical contact or wounds is of course not acceptable. But I sometimes think that one reason there are so many poorly socialised dogs is because they are never allowed to display aggression in an effective, reasonable manner and therefore can't communicate effectively and that's where the problems start.

Dog class has helped me learn that not all "aggression" is bad. Previously (when I had a lack of understanding) I would be horrified with Cain's behaviour but now I can usually see what is appropriate and what is not. But even this week, I thought he was getting involved in a ruckas but apparently his barking and body language was aimed toward diffusing the tension....and it worked! But too a less knowledgable owner, it would simply look like aggression which = bad.

So basically, I wanted to discuss - do you think that we put unfair pressure on our dogs to always be friendly and never ever display any sort of aggression at all. Do you think that the majority of the public do not understand aggression for communication? Do you think aggression is just another behaviour.....or unacceptable?

Discuss

I think people can have unrealistic expectations of dogs. Someone at the dog training club I used to go to said my dogs were strange because Cherry didn't like large dogs and Parker doesn't like bull-breeds.

I replied "do you like everyone you meet?"

Cherry did have issues with other dogs but I kept her leashed so she wouldn't get the opportunity to rehearse reactive behaviour. I also worked very hard to socialise her with other dogs when appropriate.

Parker does not like Staffies because of past experience with aggressive or manic ones. When I see people with Staffies on walks I recall him and ask them to leash their dogs or keep them away from him.

Izzy will be sociable with other dogs appropriately but she will growl if they sniff her for too long or take too much interest in her. I think this is perfectly normal behaviour and she is just saying enough is enough.

The problem you get is other dog owners who are blind to their dogs appalling behaviour and just expect your dog to tolerate it. Like the JRT puppy that was mounting Parker and wouldn't leave Izzy's bottom alone and the owner could not recall it and she said she would report me for having aggressive dogs because Parker was barking at it and Izzy was growling!

On today's walk there was a 6 month old Staffy pup that was chasing dogs all over the park and miles away from his owner and no recall whatosever. It annoyed Parker and he growled at it and the owner said "it's only a puppy" in a narky tone of voice!

I had Parker and Izzy leashed in the end and when it came towards them again Jamie grabbed it and the owner came and leashed it.

Sadly I don't like Staffies and lots of people on our tree identification walk today were saying they didn't as they are mainly not controlled properly or trained (where I live). When you have had lots of bad experiences with a breed you can end up nervous and wary and owners like this don't help!

I think many people expect from their dogs a standard of behaviour to which they could never hope to aspire!

If you stick your finger up at a rude motorist, does this make you an "aggressive" person?

If you have a row with your partner does this make you guilty of domestic abuse?

If you tell your child off should Social Services be contacted?

If you shout down the phone at a cold caller does that make you a pariah?

Aggression is just a behaviour, like sexual behaviour, eating behaviour etc.

It is generally a PART of all living animals make up, it does not (hopefully) define your dog.

The only time aggressive behaviour is totally unacceptable is towards humans.

Quite often this is mis labelled when it is really lack of tolerance or frustration.

People do have unrealistic expectations. One lady was absolutely horrified that her elderly GSD launched a noisy "attack" on Rupert for charging at her and knocking her over when they were playing. I said I didn't blame her dog at all and that I'd have reacted the same way if some rowdy teenager knocked me off my feet. It wasn't aggression, Rupert wasn't harmed but he certainly didn't do it again! A growl, a curled lip, a snap, they're all communication imo.

Rupert displays a totally unacceptable level of aggression towards other dogs however. He does not growl or snap. Nor does he put on big, noisy, toothy displays. He goes straight for the bite, he bites hard enough to cause injury and he refuses to let go.

I think this is true and people label a lot of dog body language as aggression without really seeing the whole picture.

A growl, raised lip, hackles up etc is not always out right aggression - it is communication. It is a dog telling another being that what is going on is making them uncomfortable or that their behavior is unsuitable.

I have been reading the culture clash, and Donaldson quite rightly points out that many people punish a dog for growling - this is the dogs warning system. A dog that is punished for growling will often then just go straight for a bite, as the warning was punished.
You need to get to the root of it, and deal with the small things before 1) it gets out of hand, and 2) its labelled as outright aggression.

When another dog mounts Kestral and she lifts her lip at them and turns her head - she is warning them that their behavior is rude and making her uncomfortable. It may look aggressive, but if there was no warning think how much worse it could be!

Dogs seem to have a lot of bluster and things to us look worse than they are.. I think the problems arise when people do not understand what the dog is communicating. Yes Kestrals barking at people is not acceptable, but much better she tells me she is unhappy and I can deal with the situation than her not warning and biting the person.

People seem to think dogs should be saints, they should be allowed to use their natural communication to tell other dogs how they are feeling. I am not excusing real aggression, but I do think people often mis-read a dogs intentions....

Yes I think people are so worked up about agression that they dont even really know what it is

I have to say a few weeks ago I was really HAPPY that Mia showed her teeth at a dog

She was sniffing a patch of ground, he barged over to her, she showed her teeth, he said doggy sorry and backed off

I was happy because she showed restraint and just used the level needed to get him out of his face


barks, growls, teeth, tails, ears, eyes, legs, hackles
all things a dog uses in comunication
not agression - just communication

I totally agree... thankfully the majority of people in my local park are reasonable, but some of them overreact about things.

I don't see things like growling, air snapping, raised hackles, raised lip etc, as being aggression. It is just communication.

Jake is not aggressive, but if a dog over steps the mark, he will tell them off. He is extremely tolerant of most things, but humping is one thing he will not tolerate in the slightest. I actually met a guy yesterday who I thought was great, he had a wee EBT pup (6 months old) and he tried to hump Jake, who was fast to tell him off (air snap). The owner was great about it, and just laughed! I thought it was great, coz when Jake has done that in the past, people have looked at him in disgust or made comments about him 'biting' I won't stop him doing that though, coz he is well within his right to tell a dog to back off in an appropriate way. Same with dogs who jump all over him, and when he tries to get away, the dog continues...

It's the same when some of the dogs have little grumbles in the park, and these can be dogs who see each other almost every day. Most of the owners just leave them too it, coz it isn't escalating into anything, but some people think they all need to get on with each other all the time...

I do think a lot of people can be unrealistic in what they expect of their dogs. And, I think others just refuse to see why their dog could be at fault by doing something that gets them told off by another dog.

We have, over time (possibly 33,000 years, as the carbon dating of the dog skull found in Siberia suggests) selected dogs to be well behaved with other dogs. We've appreciated them being social and getting on with one another - but without really understanding why or how.

I know mine can be little gits at times - but are they little gits, or are they responding as their social genes instruct them?

I think we have a lot to learn ourselves and if our dogs behave out of character with other dogs, we should ask ourselves: What did we miss there? What could we have done to avoid that?

Mine do not behave out of character, if a dog is rude to them, they get taught some manners!

Some breeds are more social than others, they have been SELECTED for this eg Beagles, Foxhounds etc as they live in large groups.

You would not find a kennel of terriers living together like this!

Great thread.

I totally agree with you. Dogs have their own, well developed communication system and often we totally mis-read it.

Dexter is one of those typical 'happy' Labs who loves meeting other dogs. However, just to give an example, today a younger dog, a huge GSD started following him around the park and then kept putting his head and neck over Dex's neck. Dex, who is a total softy, quickly told the GSD off. Both the other owner and I were fine as we knew this was 'normal' and was simply a 2 yr old dog warning an 11 month old dog not to take liberties

Just as we sometimes snap or shout, so dogs too express anger or fear or frustration. It's only a problem if it's excessive or inappropriate.