History
List three behaviors seen in canine aggression
Barking, growling, snarling, lunging, attempting to bite, snapping, biting
Is canine aggression a diagnosis?
No, you have to identify the underlying emotional response
List 3 differential diagnoses for canine aggression
Fear aggression, possessive aggression, social conflict related aggression, pain/irritable aggression, excitement related aggression, frustration related aggression, play related aggression, predatory behavior, territorial aggression
What are the 5 steps to treat any behavioral problem?
1. Avoidance
2. Relationship building
3. Tool implementation
4. Behavioral modification
5. Behavioral medication
You should let two dogs showing aggression to each other "fight it out"
Myth- it's likely the aggression will just progress and one or both pets will be harmed (especially without knowing the specific case and diagnosis)
What are three important questions to triage / help categorize aggression?
What are the behaviors? Who is the target? What is the trigger?
(To whom is most important)
What is important to medically rule out when looking for the cause of aggressive behaviors?
(Think broadly)
Pain
Which category of aggression to unknown people (strangers) is most common?
Territorial aggression
This always has a fear component although that can be harder to identify with increased confidence of the dog in the aggression behavior
List 3 medications used in canine aggression
Baseline: SSRIs, TCAs
Situational/Adjunct: Trazodone, Gabapentin, Clonidine, etc
Fact- Housemate related aggressive behaviors usually are limited to one aggressor and one victim
(Although secondary fear related aggression can be seen from the victim, it is still limited to 2 dogs)
What is a tool to gain insight into a dog's aggressive behaviors other than owner description? (if it is safe to do so)
Have the owners take videos
How do we determine if a dog is displaying territorial aggression or another type of stranger directed aggression?
Do a stranger walk in an unfamiliar location and watch the dog's body language
(If there's no aggressive body language away from home/car/owner, they do not have territorial aggression)
Note: an actual walk is not necessary if there is a similar example in the history
Which category of owner directed canine aggression is most common?
Conflict related aggression
List 2 toys that would be appropriate tools for relationship building with a dog showing aggressive behaviors
Wand toys, foraging toys, fetch toys, interactive puzzle toys
Territorial aggression is only directed towards strangers
Fact- Territorial aggression is defending space/residence from strangers. Possessive aggression is defending resources (toys, food, bed, etc) from household members.
Why is it especially important to ask about what training / behavioral modification techniques the owner has tried if you suspect an aspect of fear aggression?
Confrontational training methods can increase a dog's fear and therefore their fear aggression behaviors
Why should both dogs be present in the consult for a case of housemate related aggressive behaviors?
This allows you to evaluate the victim's behavior in presence of aggressor and to work up both of them, not just who the owners perceive to be the aggressor
What are the two most common differential diagnoses for aggression to unfamiliar dogs?
Fear aggression, territorial aggression
What is the 1 hand, 1 second rule?
Bonus: When is it typically used for a treatment tool? (diagnosis and step)
Pet the dog with only one hand for only one second, then stop and watch their body language
If they turn or move toward you, asking for more, you may continue petting in small increments, with one hand
If they turn or move away from you, respect their boundaries and stop petting them
Bonus: It is used in owner related aggression in relationship building
Spaying/neutering dogs decreases aggression within the household
Depends- Neutering may help with aggression between 2 intact males. Spaying an intact female may actually make her aggression worse
Why can it be more difficult to reach a diagnosis in cases of housemate directed aggressive behaviors?
Owner perception of which dog is the aggressor and which is the victim can be incorrect, and secondary issues like learned fear aggression in the victim can further confuse this
What are the 3 Ps to determine if an aggressive dog needs medication?
Provocation (threshold to react), Proportion (intensity, warning signs), Persistence (time to recovery)
What diagnoses are we trying to differentiate between by asking about the victim's body language in housemate related aggression? (List at least 4)
Possessive aggression, fear aggression, sexual or maternal aggression, social conflict related aggression, pain/irritable aggression, or redirected aggression
What are three key behavior modification techniques for treatment of owner and stranger directed aggression?
Counter conditioning (toss treats when entering or passing room
Response substitution (ask for alternate or foundation behaviors and reward)
Systematic desensitization (for anyone who needs to handle the dog)
Redirected aggression is a diagnosis
Myth- Redirected aggression is a descriptor of aggression but the diagnosis is based on the emotional motivation behind the aggression directed to the primary target