By Fran Jewell
Our Valley has a unique atmosphere that appears to be dog friendly. Recently, many people have moved into the Valley with their dogs or have acquired a dog because of this factor. This is an awesome thing—to see shelter dogs getting homes, and people enriching their lives by having the company of the incredible canine.
As with everything, there is a wonderful upside to this. However, there is a downside that is equally intense. I would say that almost every client of mine has complained to me that their dogs have been what I call “mugged” by other dogs with rude, invasive, and many times aggressive behaviors. Often, the owners of the muggers are oblivious to this behavior as inappropriate and will respond with, “He’s friendly!” when indeed this is not friendly behavior. It is equal to us humans being mugged for our valuables on a city sidewalk or parking lot. We feel defensive, invaded upon and violated!
Frankly, when a dog runs up to another dog full speed, it is absolutely equal to someone running up to you full speed, which can be incredibly intimidating. Think about how you would feel. Dogs feel the same way. How would you respond? Would you stand there, silently, or would you scream, kick and defend yourself?
It used to be that I would encourage owners to teach their dogs to be neutral when another dog would approach in this manner. In a fantasy world, that would be lovely. Now, I feel that dogs have a right to tell the other dog they don’t like being rushed, or mugged, and to stop it.
How does a dog do that? He may display hackles, a curled lip, or even a growl. Most dogs will escalate their displeasure at being mugged by a fresh dog if those signals don’t stop the mugger. That escalation can turn into a snap or even lunging, or a full-on bite to defend themselves. Once this happens, that poor mugged dog may become forever afraid of oncoming dogs, especially if this happens during the first year of life. At that point, the return aggression may become very serious and now need training intervention. The mugger? He goes on mugging other dogs while the owner shouts, “He just wants to play!” or “He’s friendly!” Many owners of off-leash dogs don’t even see it happening because they are on their cellphones.
A dog needs to be able to defend himself benevolently, but being defensive all the time is now a behavior problem that has to be addressed. The responsibility of all dog owners is to praise neutral behavior, redirect defensive behavior that has no basis (another neutral dog), and to teach your off-leash dog that mugging is not acceptable. PERIOD. It is not friendly. It is not playful. It is irresponsible dog ownership.
The point I am making here is that, as a dog owner, new or experienced, if you allow your dog to mug other dogs, “friendly” or not is NOT acceptable. It is not fair to another dog or puppy, nor to the other owner. If you own a dog, you MUST be responsible and teach your dog manners. YOU must teach your dog a 100% recall no matter what. If someone asks you to call your dog, your dog MUST come when he is called. Neither you nor your dog are privileged and have rights beyond anyone else.
Fran Jewell is an IAABC Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, NADOI Certified Instructor and the owner of Positive Puppy Dog Training, LLC in Sun Valley. For more information, visit positivepuppy.com or call 208-578-1565.