BehavioRx Case of the Month
for August 2003

This month's case is from Behavior Problems in Dogs, 3rd ed., 1999, Chapter 8
"Aggressive Behavior." Chapter 8 deals with seven types of pet dog aggression.

"Self-Overprotectiveness"

This type of protection-of-self and/or of the dog’s “belongings” deserves special discussion because such dogs may progress to biting their owners. Narcissism, love of one's body, usually has its roots in puppyhood and often centers around owners who dote on their pets. If the dog tends to dominate and has matured in an environment in which its wishes have been fulfilled, at 6-12 months of age we often see aggressive tendencies when the owners attempt to physically manipulate, scold or otherwise impose their wishes on the pet. This tendency has been noted in pups the first day after leaving the litter, but such cases are rare and generally involve the litter “bully.” If taught by nonphysical methods, these pups usually respond well and eventually develop into worthwhile pets. Given excessive physical punishment, however, they can become dangerous adults.

A Case:
A 2-year-old male Doberman Pinscher growled menacingly at its owners, a middle-aged couple, when scolded. From puppyhood, the Doberman showed self-protective tendencies, growling, even under veterinary examination. At 3 months it had persistent diarrhea, but no physiologic cause was found. The owners were required to obtain rectal temperature readings twice daily for several months. During this time the Doberman received constant sympathy and doting attention from the couple.

The case was referred to me after the dog had viciously menaced the wife when she tried to approach and take away a stick it had brought into the house. The first
meeting at our facilities indicated an extremely self-oriented, leader-type animal tending toward overprotection of the wife.  When released, the dog urinated excessively on scent posts, circled my chair and raised its hackles in response to my speaking its name. Though the dog had been thoroughly obedience trained, commands (especially Come) were only grudgingly obeyed. The husband had punished the dog physically when housetraining him as a puppy.

A 6-week behavior program, involving nonphysical methods, was used to gain instant responses to commands. The Jolly Routine was recommended for situations involving strangers (to whom the Doberman showed consistent hostility), as well as when the dog tended to become menacing with the owners.

It is interesting that many of these types of dogs have owners who believe the dog ought to “accept” punishment in order to be a good pet. One milestone in this case was that the attitude of the owners changed from autocratic to leadership by a demonstration, which isn't generally very successful or well-advised. When owners understand that they have the type of pet that will respond aggressively to threats (probably due both to innate and acquired tendencies), they must decide on a different (nonphysical) method of teaching. When this method produces a behavioral change in the dog, owner-attitude normally change from autocratic to that of enlightened leaders. At this time the Jolly Routine takes on sincerity that has tremendous impact on the dog. The switch from hostility to lightheartedness usually
brings quick results.

A serious detriment to this procedure is the owner’s understandably cautious approach to the dog. One aspect of our Doberman case illustrates the problem: the dog was particularly sensitive about its rear quarters. If the owners attempted to touch or manipulate the dog’s rear quarters, it immediately froze, turned its eyes rearward and growled dangerously, apparently on the verge of biting. The first signal to the Doberman that it should feel concerned about the procedure was the owner’s hesitancy about handling it. “Once bitten, twice shy” translates to “once growled at, twice shy” in these cases.

In an effort to demonstrate the method that generally works well with this type of case, and after I had established a role as the group leader, I jollied the dog, and
he responded with tail wagging and generally giddy behavior. While the upbeat vocalizations continued, I rubbed its ear and moved my other hand along its back to
the rump. The Dobe appeared to be unaware of this invasion into formerly forbiddenterritory. The final test was to cease rubbing the ear, continue the vocal jollies
and see what happened when the dog became aware of the hand manipulating the rear quarters, legs, gonads and anal area. He remained cheerful.

After this demonstration, the client was invited to join in the merriment, much to the delight of the Doberman. He continued his good natured acceptance after the
behavioral “ice” was broken, and the problem resolved itself with daily "jolly" handling sessions. The six-week remedial program was a marked success. Even the
referring veterinarian was able to perform rectal exams without physical restraining the dog.

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