BY FRAN JEWELL
This is an incredibly sensitive subject for so many. In general, I think the dog-owning public does not want to even talk about dog aggression. This summer I received more dog bites in my business than I have in the past 20 years altogether. Thankfully, none of the bites required medical attention.
Now I find myself asking the question, “What is going on?” Is it because I see more people and dogs than I ever have? Or is it for other reasons? Am I doing something differently? I have considered this long and hard. Here are some of my observations. In sharing these thoughts, there is no way I intend to pick out individuals or organizations to criticize. These are simply my observations. My observations are neutral. There are always two sides to every coin, meaning there are good things that come from each of these observations. But, I think the following things need to be said.
More people have more dogs. More people have multiple-dog households, putting pressure on dogs that many dogs are unable to cope with.
There is a trend to “save every dog.” I liken it to “No Child Left Behind” in school programs. Yes, there is an upside to this, but, dreadfully, it also harms those students, or dogs, in this case, that are gifted and loving dogs. So much energy, money and training are spent on all dogs when many are genetically aggressive and the aggression cannot be changed. Studies now prove that almost all temperament is genetic; environment can influence that, but cannot change it. Imagine for a moment the dog that has been severely beaten, yet comes out happy and loving toward new, friendly faces.
The establishment of no-kill shelters where even proven aggressive dogs are still adopted out multiple times.
It has become vogue to put a dog ahead of or above human safety.
The new wave of dog training that boasts “intimidation-free” and “force-free”––that literally never says “No” to the dog or never provides consequences for poor behavior. As a result, so many dogs have no respect for humans. As an example, when I was a kid, not one dog ever jumped on me or others. Now, it is one of the most difficult problems to stop. I don’t see jumping as attention seeking, but that is another story.
The rift between purposefully bred dogs versus rescues. More and more dogs with excellent temperaments, bred by sincere, knowledgeable breeders, are being frowned upon and even terrorized by activists. So, where will the dogs with good temperaments come from?
The plethora of inappropriate dog training found on the Internet. Dog owners are trying to self-teach themselves about problem solving without the expertise to apply what is best for their dog.
Many dog owners are not aware of what aggression is or even see the subtle signs of it when it begins.
The vogue idea that it is cool to have your dog loose in public places. Dogs making decisions on their own about how to behave will revert to natural, instinctive behavior, which can be defensive or dominance aggressive if they perceive harm to themselves.
And, one of my biggest observations is how we anthropomorphize dogs – or treat them like people – instead of the lovely animals that they are.
I hope that this article will help everyone to stop and think. Please ask yourself the hard question: “Is my dog aggressive?” Please, watch your own dog, learn more about dog behavior, and learn more about different training options. Knowledge is the key to resolving any problem. I’ll go crawl under my bridge now.
Fran Jewell is an Idaho Press Club award-winning columnist, IAABC-certified dog behavior consultant, NADOI-certified instructor #1096 and the owner of Positive Puppy Dog Training, LLC, in Sun Valley. For more information, visit www.positivepuppy.com or call (208) 578-1565.