Why do dogs bite?

First in a series

Is this about the dog or is its person at fault?

Should a dog who bites people, or any creature for that matter, be considered dangerous? Maybe not. Are there no bad dogs, only bad dog owners? These are not simple problems. Stay with me on this. I’ll break it down into bite-sized pieces (no pun intended) so you can make the right decisions.

I’m not Pollyanna and neither is behavioral science. If your dog has repeatedly inflicted severe injuries, its place in your home may not be salvageable. On the other hand, if we’re talking growling, bruising, or minor wounds your pupster may respond to research-based treatment directed at the underlying cause(s). But can you ever really trust a dog who’s threatened people or other pets? With current learning theory and, in some cases, medication on our side we can often bring out the best. But there are no guarantees.

The challenge is what thrums between our dogs’ ears. The brain is considered the most complex organ in the body. The primary difference between ours and our dogs’ is a few layers of cells on the outer surface of the prefrontal cortex. That’s the thinking, learning, discerning department. Normal pets are actually pretty good at social decisions. Most humans stay on the right side of the law but, sadly, we too can sometimes struggle with self-control.

Tune-in to next week’s column. I’ll explain the different types of canine aggression like fear, competitive, offensive, defensive, protective, territorial, dominance (rare), play-related, learned, and even maternal and predatory. Redirected aggression is important because it could put you at risk. Beyond the reasons for these potentially dangerous reactions we’ll discuss treatment, different for each of these, especially when disorders elsewhere in the body – like pain – are part of the mix.

There is a veritable carload of research on canine aggression but it’s only the beginning. One thing we know for sure: this is scary and it can be infuriating. Resist the temptation to “fight fire with fire.” Reacting to a dog’s bad behavior with violence would damage your relationship. By injecting fear, you might suppress the aggression – until another trigger comes along that releases it. Punishment never works. Managing the cause and teaching a healthy alternative leads to better outcomes.

For help with behavior problems, you can sign-up for a Zoom Group Conference on my website, drjeffnichol.com.

Dr. Jeff Nichol is a residency-trained veterinary behaviorist in Albuquerque. He provides consultations by Zoom group and individually/in-person. Sign up for his weekly blog or post questions (drjeffnichol.com) or by US Post to 4000 Montgomery Blvd. NE, Albuq, NM 87109.