FEATURE | FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH AGGRESSION
likelihood of aggression , but it ’ s also possible having multiple dogs is not actually causing the observed decreased likelihood of aggression . Perhaps people are less likely to get a second dog if they already have an aggressive dog ( which makes perfect sense ). If that ’ s the case , people with multiple dogs would be less likely to have an aggressive dog , but that doesn ’ t mean that having multiple dogs is actually causing the decreased aggression .
This research was also done on a canine population in a country that most APDT members do not live in . Finland also happens to be among the most sparsely populated countries in the world , which is very different from the demographics where most APDT members live . Despite that , the sample size was quite large , so we shouldn ’ t disregard the data just because of that .
All in all , the most important takeaway for dog professionals is probably the factor that had the largest effect size : fearfulness . While the data do not indicate that fearfulness causes aggression ( since we can ’ t infer causality , given the type of research ), the association between fearfulness and aggression is so strong that we certainly cannot ignore it . This is also an association where we can have an influence since we can address fearfulness with behavior interventions . So what , you ask ? Well , if nothing else , we can tell our clients that there is a research-backed association between fearfulness and aggression . That means that fearfulness may be an early warning sign of aggression down the road . If that helps encourage clients to follow through with the interventions we suggest , it could be the difference that keeps a dog in its home .
In the future , we hope to see experimental studies focusing on the effectiveness of various prevention and treatment programs for aggressive behavior . This type of research has the power to greatly improve our ability to help dogs and their families . In the meantime , we can continue to draw on the research that has been done to improve outcomes .
Kristina Spaulding , Ph . D ., has been in the dog training and behavior profession since 1999 . She has a doctorate degree in biopsychology — the study of the biological basis of behavior — and is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist . She is particularly interested in stress , neurobiology , cognition , emotion , and wellbeing and how to apply these concepts to the prevention and early intervention of behavior problems in dogs . In addition to working with behavior clients , Dr . Spaulding teaches a variety of online courses and webinars on the science of behavior through her website , www . smartdogtrainingandbehavior . com . She also regularly presents on canine behavior science at conferences and other events . In 2019 , Dr . Spaulding received the Association of Professional Dog Trainer ’ s ( APDT ’ s ) Member of the Year Award . She currently serves on the IAABC Foundation Board and the Fear Free Advisory Group .
Irith Bloom , CPDT-KSA , CDBC , KPA CTP , VSPDT , CBATI , is a member of the faculty at Victoria Stilwell Dog Training Academy and DogBiz ' s Dog Walking Academy and speaks at conferences and seminars regularly . She has been published both online and in print . She volunteers with NESR , Annenberg PetSpace , and the LA County 2020 HPHF Coalition . Irith is the owner of The Sophisticated Dog , LLC ( https :// thesophisticateddog . com ), a pet training company based in Los Angeles .
Resources cited : Mikkola , S ., Salonen , M ., Puurunen , J . et al . Aggressive behaviour is affected by demographic , environmental and behavioural factors in purebred dogs . Sci Rep 11 , 9433 ( 2021 ). https :// doi . org / 10.1038 / s41598-021-88793-5
38 Building Better Trainers Through Education