[nagdu] Aggression versus suspicion

[Jenine Stanley]

OK, this one is probably better addressed by those among us who have studied
animal behavior and can really explain it, but there is a difference between
growling out of suspicion versus aggression. 

I can't define it exactly so would love some help. 

The aggressive growling is often accompanied by moving toward the other dog,
snapping, etc., as far as I've seen. 

The suspicious dog may always just stay suspicious or leery of other dogs
coming too close. Those occasional growls in harness may be just one dog's
way of telling others she or he has a very big personal space.
Unfortunately, for reasons I elaborated on in another post, that may not be
the most appropriate behavior depending on your job or volunteer work,
justified as it may also be. 

There's a term, "shy sharp" and maybe someone else can define it, but I
think it means those dogs who become aggressive out of fear, also called
"fear biters" who decide to attack anything before it attacks them. Other
dogs are just really dominant and haven't been taught not to be so, even
guide dogs. 

My own dog's suspicion began with space issues. She didn't want other dogs
in her space and that space grew progressively larger the more I worked her
and the more stress she was under. Then the mere suspicious growl turned
into a lunge at another dog or leaning forward to growl at it while sniffing
it. Then we went to snapping. Snapping is my line in the sand. 

The dog before Molly was retired due to health reasons but before we could
properly diagnose his spinal problems, he began snapping at other dogs if
they came near his back end or looked as if they'd bump him. The first time
it happened, the dog in question was someone's guide in harness.  The
handler was less than aware and as he walked beside us, his dog just decided
to mount mine. Well, that was not a good thing. I was mortified for the most
part, though there was that tiny bit that said, "Hey, you deserved it, Bud.
My dog was just sticking up for himself." 

That sticking up for himself though turned into him becoming overly aware of
other dogs and subsequently snapping at my husband's dog during a home
training exercise in which they were both trying to lie down under a
restaurant booth. . This snapping just wasn't normal for him and we finally
did figure out that it was related to him not wanting any pressure on his
lower spine due to calcified disks. Poor guy. 

He went to live with his puppy raiser and is quite happy there. He sets
limits for the puppies they still raise, very early on. He now has figured
out how to play with the puppies by lying down and batting at them. If they
get up and come over him, he growls and they lie down and play that way
again. 

What's my point in all this? Gee, I ask myself that. I guess it's to say
that not all growling is aggression but all growling, or most growling, in
harness anyway, can turn into aggression, even with the most stringent
training. If it's not job or volunteer work crucial, then maybe you can live
with it. Maybe I too have an overdeveloped sense of responsibility to guide
dogs and service dogs as a whole. <grin> 

 Jenine Stanley
jeninems at wowway.com