Ready to bite – know the signs!

Thabazimbi – It’s always sad when a beloved pet turns on a family member, friend, or even a stranger.

Knowing the signs of an aggressive dog and how to counteract it, can spare you much heartache. On Thursday 8 December, EcoVet’s veterinarian Dr Jamiela van der Walt shared a few tips on how to determine if your dog is aggressive.

Dogs can communicate their discomfort using visual cues. The British Small Animal Veterinary Association’s (BSAVA) Manual of Canine and Feline Behavioural Medicine’s 2009 2nd edition written by Horwitz D. Mills DSA, refers to the ‘canine ladder of aggression’ which illustrates signs to look out for. 

According to the ladder, some of the most important tell-tale signs are when a dog starts to pull its ears back, crouches and tucks its tail, or more severely stiffens with a stare.

“If your dog starts to show any of these signs, it might be an indication that it’s feeling uncomfortable or threatened,” said Van Der Walt, “Also, when they show these signs, try to establish what’s making them feel uncomfortable so that you can either resolve or avoid the situation.” 

Just like dogs need to be trained on how to behave, children also need to be trained on how to behave around dogs. “Kids need to know that it’s not okay to climb on the dog’s back.

They must also learn not to come close to a dog when it’s eating, and if they play with a dog, rather use toys instead of their hands,” she added.

Van Der Walt explained that if kids use their hands to play with the dog and the dog bites the child, it might not necessarily be because of aggression, but rather because the dog got confused between the child and its toy. Kids should also be taught not to pull on a dog’s tail or ears—even humans get aggressive if they feel provoked. 

“A dog will also show its discomfort by looking away or walking away. This is referred to as ‘evasive behaviour’ for example, a canine could avoid its cause of aggression by pretending to drink water, or by walking away to sniff around the garden—this is an indication that the dog needs space.

Additionally, many people also think that it’s cute if a dog sits on your lap and growls at people who come close to you. This should be a big red flag and indicates that the dog is close to striking. The dog should be thought that such behaviour is unacceptable. 

“When a dog lightly bites you, there may still be hope for correcting its behaviour. There are different types of aggression, and depending on the cause of aggression, it may still be managed and corrected. This can be done by the means of professional training where the dog learns to work with its owner, and/or behavioural modification medication in cases where the dog suffers from anxiety or other disorders.  

“It is important to note that aggressive and instinctive behaviours are not the same. The key difference is that aggression is driven by emotions, whereas a dog’s ‘prey drive’ is driven by its instinctive inclination to find, pursue and capture prey, or to deter a threat. A good example of ‘prey drive’ is when an unrecognised entity enters a dog’s established boundary, and the dog reacts fiercely to reinforce its boundary. This is not aggression but rather a natural reaction.

Therefore, because ‘prey drive’ is a natural instinct, it can’t necessarily be corrected with the above-mentioned methods. The starting point is for every owner to be able to identify the reason for his/her dog’s behaviour which the dog communicates through body language. The faster a behavioural issue is identified, the sooner it can be corrected,” Van Der Walt concludes.  

For more info, contact EcoVet at 083 488 7896.

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