[nagdu] Aggression versus suspicion

[Danie and Eden]

Jenine, hat was most helpful. I wouldn't have thought about all those 
possibilities


God's Blessings,
Danie

I AM:
http://momof3bbp.livejournal.com
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jenine Stanley" <jeninems at wowway.com>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2008 7:06 PM
Subject: [nagdu] Aggression versus suspicion


> 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
>
>
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