A lot of dogs have challenges with other dogs.
In the upcoming 4-part mini-guide, Veterinarian Pernille Blok-Riisom from værksdyrlægen.dk focuses on what can be done and why the problems typically arise.
The first part is a bit about the causes and how big a problem it actually is for many dog owners.
According to Statistics Denmark (1), in the year 2000 there were 546,000 dogs distributed among 449,000 families.
This corresponds to one in five families having one or more dogs in their household. One of the most common problems that dog owners who contact me have is that their dogs have difficulty getting along with other dogs. This is confirmed by a study conducted in the years 2000-2001, where the prevalence of aggression directed towards another dog was recorded at 23.5% (2).
Why is almost every fourth dog aggressive towards other dogs?
There can be many reasons why dogs exhibit aggressive behavior towards other dogs:
- Frustration
- Social incompetence
- Fear
- Effect of owner's handling of dog encounters
- Physical ailments
Frustration is often the cause in young dogs who really want contact with their peers. They often become very eager and quickly rush towards another dog if they are not led on a leash. When these young dogs are led on a leash, they will often jump forward on the leash and bark loudly. This behavior can cause the owner to keep them away from other dogs to avoid them getting into fights with other dogs due to the violent behavior they display. If this happens regularly, the young dogs will become very frustrated and socially isolated when they are led on a leash and do not get the opportunity to greet the dogs they meet on the walk.
Social incompetence occurs when dogs do not have contact with other dogs during the socialization period from 3-12 weeks and generally throughout their upbringing. It is crucial to develop a healthy and well-functioning body language and thus appropriate communication with other dogs that dogs have had positive encounters with other dogs of all ages, genders and breeds. Problems often arise in encounters between dogs because we as owners are not aware of the normal behavior of dogs and because dogs have been changed so much in their appearance through selective breeding that they no longer have the opportunity to use their body language appropriately.
This often causes problems in brachycephalic breeds such as Pugs and French Bulldogs, where the muzzle is reduced and the tail almost disappears. These breeds appear more aggressive as they are unable to show the small signs that they want distance before they start snarling, barking or snapping.
The pictures below show how two puppies play and thus help develop their language, as well as how two adult dogs quietly approach each other with conflict-reducing signals in the form of the dog on the left turning its head and the dog on the right looking down and lying down on the ground.
Fear of other dogs is the most common reason why dogs react aggressively towards other dogs. This is primarily due to a lack of socialization or bad experiences where they have been attacked by other dogs.
This fear can be reinforced by the owner's handling of future encounters with other dogs. If there has been a previous unpleasant episode of attack, it is difficult to remain calm when meeting strange dogs. Often the leash is tightened and the owner's body language becomes tense and stressed.
Physical conditions that can cause a dog to react with aggressive behavior towards other dogs include impaired vision or hearing, and pain. In cases where the senses are heightened, the dog will often be startled, which can cause it to react aggressively. The same applies to pain, where the threshold for handling a situation is lower, which can cause the dog to react more quickly than usual with aggressive signals to other dogs.
If you have a dog that has problems meeting other dogs, you may benefit from putting a yellow bow on its leash, as this indicates that your dog wants distance. Read more about the project "The Yellow Dog" on the website: www.gulahund.se
The upcoming mini-guides will focus on what "here and now" measures can be taken in situations where the meeting between two dogs is about to go wrong and what training strategies can be used to teach dogs not to react aggressively in the future.
Furthermore, the final part will discuss the preventive work that can be implemented to prevent dogs from developing aggressive behavior when meeting other dogs.
Sources:
- News from Statistics Denmark No. 499, Date: 13.12.00 (no statistical reports on pets have been made since)
- Danish Veterinary Journal 2006, May 1, No. 9, Volume 89
Behind the scenes at Adfærdsdyrlægen.dk / Pernille Blok-Riisom
Pernille Blok-Riisom is a trained veterinarian and has worked for 14 years as a general practitioner veterinarian in a small animal practice.
She has always been interested in behavior in both animals and humans and wrote a thesis on dogs' anxiety in connection with sounds with a focus on fireworks. Since 2017, Pernille has been self-employed with the company Adfærdsdyrlægen.dk and now works with behavior consultations, lectures and teaching.
Mini guide - part 1: Considerate meeting - between dog and dog
A lot of dogs have challenges with other dogs.
In the upcoming 4-part mini-guide, Veterinarian Pernille Blok-Riisom from værksdyrlægen.dk focuses on what can be done and why the problems typically arise.
The first part is a bit about the causes and how big a problem it actually is for many dog owners.
According to Statistics Denmark (1), in the year 2000 there were 546,000 dogs distributed among 449,000 families.
This corresponds to one in five families having one or more dogs in their household. One of the most common problems that dog owners who contact me have is that their dogs have difficulty getting along with other dogs. This is confirmed by a study conducted in the years 2000-2001, where the prevalence of aggression directed towards another dog was recorded at 23.5% (2).
Why is almost every fourth dog aggressive towards other dogs?
There can be many reasons why dogs exhibit aggressive behavior towards other dogs:
Frustration is often the cause in young dogs who really want contact with their peers. They often become very eager and quickly rush towards another dog if they are not led on a leash. When these young dogs are led on a leash, they will often jump forward on the leash and bark loudly. This behavior can cause the owner to keep them away from other dogs to avoid them getting into fights with other dogs due to the violent behavior they display. If this happens regularly, the young dogs will become very frustrated and socially isolated when they are led on a leash and do not get the opportunity to greet the dogs they meet on the walk.
Social incompetence occurs when dogs do not have contact with other dogs during the socialization period from 3-12 weeks and generally throughout their upbringing. It is crucial to develop a healthy and well-functioning body language and thus appropriate communication with other dogs that dogs have had positive encounters with other dogs of all ages, genders and breeds. Problems often arise in encounters between dogs because we as owners are not aware of the normal behavior of dogs and because dogs have been changed so much in their appearance through selective breeding that they no longer have the opportunity to use their body language appropriately.
This often causes problems in brachycephalic breeds such as Pugs and French Bulldogs, where the muzzle is reduced and the tail almost disappears. These breeds appear more aggressive as they are unable to show the small signs that they want distance before they start snarling, barking or snapping.
The pictures below show how two puppies play and thus help develop their language, as well as how two adult dogs quietly approach each other with conflict-reducing signals in the form of the dog on the left turning its head and the dog on the right looking down and lying down on the ground.
Fear of other dogs is the most common reason why dogs react aggressively towards other dogs. This is primarily due to a lack of socialization or bad experiences where they have been attacked by other dogs.
This fear can be reinforced by the owner's handling of future encounters with other dogs. If there has been a previous unpleasant episode of attack, it is difficult to remain calm when meeting strange dogs. Often the leash is tightened and the owner's body language becomes tense and stressed.
Physical conditions that can cause a dog to react with aggressive behavior towards other dogs include impaired vision or hearing, and pain. In cases where the senses are heightened, the dog will often be startled, which can cause it to react aggressively. The same applies to pain, where the threshold for handling a situation is lower, which can cause the dog to react more quickly than usual with aggressive signals to other dogs.
If you have a dog that has problems meeting other dogs, you may benefit from putting a yellow bow on its leash, as this indicates that your dog wants distance. Read more about the project "The Yellow Dog" on the website: www.gulahund.se
The upcoming mini-guides will focus on what "here and now" measures can be taken in situations where the meeting between two dogs is about to go wrong and what training strategies can be used to teach dogs not to react aggressively in the future.
Furthermore, the final part will discuss the preventive work that can be implemented to prevent dogs from developing aggressive behavior when meeting other dogs.
Sources:
Behind the scenes at Adfærdsdyrlægen.dk / Pernille Blok-Riisom
Pernille Blok-Riisom is a trained veterinarian and has worked for 14 years as a general practitioner veterinarian in a small animal practice.
She has always been interested in behavior in both animals and humans and wrote a thesis on dogs' anxiety in connection with sounds with a focus on fireworks. Since 2017, Pernille has been self-employed with the company Adfærdsdyrlægen.dk and now works with behavior consultations, lectures and teaching.