Question…
I have a 10-month-old male terrier who, up until approximately four months ago, was a calm, placid boy. He’s an only dog in my home. When I visit family, he’s unable to cope with our two elderly male dogs and they’ve become aggressive towards each other.
He has now become aggressive to strangers too and will act out (barking/growling and biting) as soon as he sees them or any other dogs.
We’ve recently started puppy classes, and his behaviour has improved somewhat. He’s learned some commands and is able to cope to an extent with the other dogs but, at times, still becomes unruly.
I just want him to have the best possible life and know he’s a lovable boy at heart! Is there anything you could think of to help us?
Angelique Carrpira – Gauteng
Noleen Fourie, Level 1 Canine Advisor (FOTD), answers…
The moment any dog shows reactive behaviour, the first step to take is to go straight to the vet to rule out physical causes. Think about it: as humans we tend to get grumpy when we’re not feeling well, and it’s very much the same with our pets.
Your dog might look fine, but he can’t tell you if something hurts, and sometimes animals hide pain very well. Therefore, we must eliminate pain as a possible cause of the behaviour before we can do anything else.
Before I continue, I’d like to address two common mistakes people tend to make in this kind of situation.
Firstly, don’t ever punish the dog for his behaviour. Sometimes it feels like a bit of a reflex: we want to scold! But this is pointless. A dog that’s behaving in this manner is, like you said, probably not coping. There’s stress involved. Now “my human shouts at me or hits me” – of course those stress levels are going to elevate. Even more behaviour problems might develop as the dog tries to find ways to deal with his stress.
Secondly, enrolling your dog for a training class is never the solution for this type of problem. In fact, this puts him right in the middle of the thing he’s not coping with: other dogs! If you have a fear of snakes, would trapping you inside a cage full of snakes cure your fear? Nope. In class, dogs learn to respond to cues. That isn’t what a dog that’s not coping needs. This dog’s specific fears have to be addressed, which brings us to the point.
In order to help your boy, I would strongly recommend getting professional help. This is because there are no one-size-fits-all solutions. Every dog is an individual with his or her own reasons for behaving in a certain way. There’s no point in trying to resolve a behaviour if you don’t know why it’s occurring. A reputable behaviourist will work like a detective, asking tons of questions to figure out why the behaviour is occurring. These will be extensive and perhaps even a bit exhausting, but it’s a must!
Only once the source of the problem has been identified can the behaviourist work on a plan that addresses both you and your dog’s needs. As we’re dealing with the dog’s emotions, it’s important to understand that there are no quick fixes. It takes time, dedication, and patience.
And that’s okay, because they’re family.
Check out Noleen’s article on small dogs: https://www.happytailsmagazine.co.za/articles/health-matters/behaviour-related/small-dogs-big-responsibility/
