VETERINARIAN PERSPECTIVE
Rarely do dogs display aggression based purely in confidence . However , if a dog truly has this motivation , the outcome is graver for a more complete resolution of the problem . Additionally , there are breeds with a stronger genetic predisposition for some behaviors ( terriers bred to hunt rodents — kill the pet rabbit ; Border Collies bred to herd — nipping the kid ’ s heels ), which make it more difficult to manage . Predatory behavior is a normal , but often unacceptable , behavior , especially if it is directed toward another pet , and can be very difficult to manage . Animals can also have severe anxiety that must be managed with medications . If an owner is resistant to treating the animal with medications along with behavior modification , it will suffer from diminished welfare .
BITE INHIBITION AND RESPONSE TO TRIGGERS It is a worse outcome if the pet has bitten , and bitten hard , than if the pet simply growls over many things , but never escalated beyond a growl . It is not necessarily true that the bite severity increases over time , but it could if the owners continue to ignore the early warning signs . A pet ’ s response to triggers also affects the outcome . There is a big disconnect if a trigger is considered by a typical person to be mild , such as walking across a room or putting a bowl of food down onto the ground , and yet the dog reacts by biting that person . Yes , in that dog ’ s mind it was a trigger , but the response is out of context to the intrusion .
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS People and pets in the household Children , elderly , people with physical or cognitive challenges , and other pets MUST be kept safe , both physically and emotionally . We also should consider that children often have friends over , and there may be caregivers coming in and out of the house to care for a person with challenges . Other household pets need care and time with their owners , and behavior modification of the individual pet with the problem can interfere with that . And the people living in the house have to buy into the program of working with the pet and accepting risk .
Location of the home / type of home Do the owners live on two acres of fenced property in the country , or do they live in a studio apartment in the city ? Can the dog go into a backyard to eliminate , or does it have to be leashed multiple times per day to be taken outside to eliminate , encountering noises , people , and other dogs ? The neighbors and community also can affect the decision , especially if there are certain emotions around specific breeds like Pit Bull-type dogs .
Predictability of triggers Owners often claim that they cannot predict when an animal will display the unwanted behavior , but when asked specific questions , often can identify what happened before the animal displayed the behavior . It can be problematic if they truly cannot identify the trigger , or if the pet reacts only some of the time , leaving them to wonder “ when ” will it happen again .
Avoidability of triggers The avoidability of the triggers is important . Some things are avoidable , such as aggression just around a rawhide or only at the veterinarian ’ s office . It is very problematic if the triggers are unavoidable , such as petting , any type of food object dropped on the ground ( especially if there are children in the house ), looking at , walking by in the house , or whatever else is not avoidable for a specific owner .
OWNER FACTORS Prior experience and beliefs We can never truly understand how previous experiences affect a person ’ s view on things and have to accept that their perception is their reality . One owner may have been bitten severely as a child , thus , not able to take risks , while another grew up in a house with rescue dogs and NO pet should ever be euthanized for behavior problems . The onus is upon us to take this information into account when giving an owner recommendations . Owners are exposed to a lot of incorrect information , perhaps more so in behavior than almost any other area of veterinary medicine . Celebrity trainers and television personalities color what an owner thinks about pets , especially when television shows an animal ‘ magically ’ improved over the course of a 30-minute episode .
Ability to undertake risks This is an individual decision . No one can live in another person ’ s home and cannot force upon them recommendations that they do not feel safe doing . Some owners are unable to take ANY risk , such as ‘ my dog can never , ever growl at my son , ever .’ Some others take risks that no one else would , such as ‘ even though my dog killed my other dog , I will do everything to keep him alive .’ If an owner is taking an unwarranted risk , such as not supervising interactions between a dangerous dog and a child , we should remain obligated to protect those who cannot be protected . This can range from having a serious ( and documented ) conversation with a pet owner , to reporting the situation to authorities .
Time Owners have time constraints on what they are able to accomplish regarding implementing recommendations . We all have the gold standard recommendations with many steps and iterations ; however , this is overwhelming for many . With the perception of limited time , owners may seek out ‘ board and train ’, but should be counseled that there is no quick fix , and that the work must be carried out by the owners once the dog returns home .
Expertise Pet owners usually do not have the expertise that other animal care professionals have . Timing in the delivery of a reward is difficult to impart to owners . The ability to identify body language and vocal cues is also something that takes time to learn , even for the most seasoned of animal care workers . Videos , websites , and printed material can help owners identify the earliest warning sign that an animal is uncomfortable , which will allow them to avoid having the animal needing to go to more extreme measures .
36 Building Better Trainers Through Education