Smack my bitch up

People who are aggressive with their dogs, end up with aggressive dogs, says the results of a year long study by the University of Pennsylvania. The University surveyed 140 dog owners who sought behavioural advice and asked which methods they had previously used to treat aggressive behaviour, and whether they had proved successful.

The aversive methods used on the dogs by their owners included;

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… “hit or kick dog for undesirable behavior” (43 percent), “growl at dog” (41 percent), “physically force the release of an item from a dog’s mouth” (39 percent), “alpha roll”physically — rolling the dog onto its back and holding it (31 percent), “stare at or stare down” (30 percent), “dominance down” —- physically forcing the dog down onto its side (29 percent) and “grab dog by jowls and shake” (26 percent)

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But it was found these techniques “elicited an aggressive response from at least 25 percent of the dogs on which they were attempted”, meaning there’s a hell of a lot of people putting themselves in harms way in the name of ‘dog training’.

In addition the study found that dogs who had been brought in for displaying aggression towards family members were more likely to respond aggressively to some confrontational techniques than dogs brought in for other behavioral reasons. Just going to show that aggression only escalates aggression.

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“This study highlights the risk of dominance-based training, which has been made popular by TV, books and punishment-based training advocates,”Herron said. “These techniques are fear-eliciting and may lead to owner-directed aggression.”

Prior to seeking the counsel of a veterinary behaviorist, many dog owners attempt behavior-modification techniques suggested by a variety of sources.

Recommendations often include the aversive-training techniques listed in the survey, all of which may provoke fearful or defensively aggressive behavior. Their common use may have grown from the idea that canine aggression is rooted in the need for social dominance or to a lack of dominance displayed by the owner. Advocates of this theory therefore suggest owners establish an “alpha” or pack-leader role.

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The lead author in the study Meghan E. Herron, reported “Nationwide, the number one reason why dog owners take their pet to a veterinary behaviorist is to manage aggressive behavior”, so it’s desperately important people are getting good information if they begin to have problems with their pet. Aversive techniques in the hands of novices can not only make behaviour problems worse, but can push dogs to cross boundaries that see them losing their homes and even their lives.

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“Our study demonstrated that many confrontational training methods, whether staring down dogs, striking them or intimidating them with physical manipulation does little to correct improper behavior and can elicit aggressive responses.”

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The study, published in the current issue of Applied Animal Behavior Science, also showed that using non-aversive or neutral training methods such as additional exercise or rewards elicited very few aggressive responses.