Why are some dogs aggressive towards other dogs

There are several reasons why dogs react aggressively to other dogs. The main and most common reason is fear, which is often caused by a complete lack of early socialisation or negative experience with other dogs at a young age. You may well think you have socialised your dog to other dogs by attending puppy socialisation classes but if this class resulted in you being paired with or next to a more boisterous pup, this can prove to be intimidating and too much for the more timid or sensitive of pups. It may also be that your reaction when they have come across other dogs has exacerbated the situation. I am loathed to use human scenarios as analogies, but I feel this one I learnt through my studies with the British College of Canine Studies, explains the situation well:

Imagine a child falls and scrapes a knee. There is a moment where the child looks up for the parents’ reaction. At that moment the child’s own reaction can go one of two ways and is entirely dependent on what the parents do. If they say ‘whoops! Up you get!’ while laughing, the child will more than likely get up and laugh. If the parents rush over to the child in a concerned manner and ask with a sympathetic voice ‘oh dear, are you alright? Poor baby.’ they will more than likely be met with tears and crying.

Well meaning owners lavishing their dogs with affection in an effort to make everything alright, are often responsible for a dog’s fear or phobia developing.

By all means protect your young puppy but reacting as if its no big deal when your dog comes across another dog is far better long term.

When these situations occur during the developmental period for your puppy (3-12 weeks), much of what is learned is lasting and provides a foundation for many adult behaviour patterns and problems. In a dog’s mind, to keep a perceived threat away the dog will either go into flight behaviour i.e. run away, or if restrained, most commonly by a lead, resort to fight behaviour. The latter often results in the lunging and bearing of teeth towards the other dog in a quest to get it to back off. They quickly learn that this will help keep the threat away and in doing so release the tension and anxiety that has built up, so it becomes a rewarding behaviour and like all rewarding behaviours, is repeated when other dogs appear.

Whilst I have outlined the importance of the critical developmental stage for a dog what is great is that the dog’s brain does not ‘shut down’ after this period has elapsed. The opportunity to absorb and retain has diminished slightly but it still gives us the chance, as owners, to reduce the anxiety associated with meeting other dogs. I am always loathed to offer generic advice to dog on dog aggression. Firstly, every case is different and the dynamics between dog and owner vary immensely and secondly, it can be misinterpreted and result in greater anxiety or in some cases unsavoury incidents between dogs. Most cases will however require a combination of desensitisation and counter- conditioning.

Desensitization provides a means of safely exposing the pet to the stimulus at a level at or below which fear is likely to be exhibited. Counter-conditioning is used to change the dog's attitude or emotional response to these situations. It is unlikely you will ever eradicate the fear entirely but you can give your dog all the tools to be able to cope in a less stressful manner.

Roy Young BCCSDip.AdvCanBhv