Understanding Canine Behavior
It's very important to properly identify your dog's behavior patterns to train with the most effectively humane ways and prevent the stressful situation these issues can create.
CANINE DRIVES
The four drives outlined by Volhard include prey, pack, fight, and flight reactions. click here for more info
The prey drive includes those behaviors that highlight hunting and foraging behaviors. Dogs that hunt and kill their toys (or objects of clothing, pillows, etc.), chase anything that moves, steal food, stalk the cat, and pounce on toys or other animals are probably high in prey drive.
The pack drive involves a dog's affinity for humans or other dogs. A dog with a high pack drive cannot get enough of people; he barks or cries when left alone, solicits play and petting, likes to touch, enjoys grooming, and loves the sound of his master's voice.
The fight drive is defensive and indicates a dog's self-confidence in stressful situations. A dog with a strong fight-defense drive stands his ground, walks high on his toes, guards his territory and his family, may guard his toys and food, tolerates petting and grooming but does not really enjoy these activities, enjoys tug-of-war, and seems ready to fight.
The flight drive is also a defense drive and indicates a dog's lack of self-confidence. A dog with high flight drive is unsure in new situations and may hide behind his person, is stressed when separated from his person, crawls on his belly or urinates when reprimanded, and may bite when cornered.
AGGRESSION ( click here for tips on preventing aggression )
There are three general types of aggressive behavior in dogs: dominance aggression, fearful aggression, and protective (territorial) aggression as described by the Animal Health Channel:
Dominance aggression: The manifestation of inappropriate responses to specific situations related to control. It usually develops in dogs at social maturity, between 18 and 36 months of age. click here for more info
Fearful aggression: Fearfully aggressive dogs react inappropriately when they sense intrusion or feel cornered. click here for more info
Protective aggression: Dogs with protective or territorial aggression protect people or places regardless of whether or not there is an actual threat. Their response is inappropriate and potentially dangerous. Protective (directed at protecting people, other animals, and objects) and territorial (directed at protecting their house, yard, or room) behavior is appropriate in actual threats, such as attacks or break-ins, but is not appropriate when a threat does not exist. Protective or territorial aggression may be directed at strangers (e.g., delivery person) or someone not well known to the dog (e.g., owner's friend). The dog may also inappropriately protect one household member from another (e.g., when children are roughhousing). Dogs without protective aggression usually give a low-level threat (bark or growl) then determine if the perceived threat is real based on the response they receive.
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