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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