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Is there a “secret sauce” to successful outcomes in aggression cases? What are the best strategies to truly help dogs with aggression issues? Which “lens” should we be looking through to effectively address aggressive behavior? With the many protocols available to change behavior, how do we decide which is best for a particular case?
To answer these questions, Mike will kick off the conference with personal stories of lessons learned from his work in aggression cases over the past 20 years. He will also draw on his insights from the conversations he has been fortunate to have with thousands of talented animal behavior professionals from around the world!
What if the temperament package of dogs with low resource guarding thresholds (those who are quick to resort to aggression) includes more than just food or toy guarding? Might a low threshold for resource guarding be at play in other behavioral challenges, as well? For example:
· What does being a resource guarder towards humans have to do with a dog’s propensity for separation anxiety?
· Is dog-dog aggression due to low thresholds for resource guarding? What about redirected aggression?
· Could leash pulling and on-leash reactivity toward other dogs have anything to do with resource guarding thresholds?
Sue has spent decades measuring aggression thresholds, observing dogs, working in shelters, analyzing an absurd amount of video footage, and having deep, deep thoughts at 2AM. She is excited to share some of those deep thoughts, her observations, and experiences to help you answer these questions in your own work. Using detailed body language video footage of some of the less obvious signs of resource guarding, Sue will walk participants through how to recognize a low threshold for resource guarding.
And, not to worry, Sue will define exactly what she means when she says, “low thresholds for resource guarding”.
Competition for resources is a fundamental reality, and a primary force in evolution. At its most basic, aggression is the mechanism essentially all animals use to win in that competition. Dogs carry the whole array of mammalian tools to organize, drive, and manage aggression. As a community, and in our homes, we need aggression control if we are going to successfully live with the wolves we ostensibly domesticated. Evolutionarily, aggression is quite useful in passing on genes to the next generation. Mammals have lots of “hard-wired” systems to promote aggression, and some interesting and underutilized means of impulse management. In this session, we will look at the biological systems from neurotransmitters and hormones to the master control center, the brain(s), to see the sources of aggression and to explore some ways to reduce adverse impacts of these sources.
Dr. Tim Lewis and Not-So-Doctor Sue Sternberg will discuss how the environment influences and in fact trains our dogs and why we should care. Tim, a biologist, will review and explain some of the latest research in this area and explain how these environmental factors can predispose our dogs towards aggression. Sue, with her decades of field work observing, recording, and assessing dogs, will explain these influences from a behavioral perspective using videos of relevant dog behaviors. Journey with Sue and Tim while they share science, observations, and experiences covering the biology and the behavior of dogs related to these environmental cues and influencers.
Aggressive behavior is always concerning, but dogs who are aggressive towards humans — that can be really scary. Some dog professionals won’t even take dog-human aggression cases due to the risks involved. But in many ways, aggression towards humans is easier to deal with than aggression towards dogs! Join Irith Bloom to talk about real-life cases of dog-human aggression. She’ll show you what went well, what didn’t, and what she’s learned. Whether you are new to dog-human aggression or have been taking these cases for years, you’ll walk away with more knowledge and useful tools.
All dogs come with unique histories and challenges and often require training programs as unique as they are. For example, there can be many reasons why a dog engages in aggressive or fearful behavior – it could be for attention, distance, food, or any number of other consequences. Depending on why the aggression or fear is occurring, it can lead to different training programs being more or less effective. Through case studies, this presentation will discuss how to ask our dogs questions to reveal why they are engaging in certain aggressive or fearful behaviors and how to use that information to create individualized training programs. Topics related to creating individualized training programs that will be discussed include body language, choice, welfare, and emotions.
Animal shelters across the United States are facing a historic crisis that is fueling ongoing behavioral obstacles.
Overwhelming intake volumes of dogs with unknown behavioral histories present significant challenges for the animals and staff in these already highly stressful environments. The problems are only exacerbated when handling dogs that exhibit high levels of fear and aggression. The answer is often euthanasia.
How do we change the prognosis for a growing number of canine aggression cases in an industry faced with insurmountable pressures and limitations? This discussion focuses on the practical approaches animal shelters can employ to increase live outcomes for dogs historically deemed unadoptable:
– Building strong pre-surrender / post-adoption behavioral support programs
– Revisiting current methods for behavior evaluations of shelter dogs, and acknowledging the nuance in behavioral responses that go beyond “dog aggressive” or “resource guarder” labels
– Utilizing a robust system to track behavior changes throughout their stay
– Providing proper safety equipment with training to reduce injury
– Broad, holistic approach to behavior change plans that include: decompression, enrichment, exercise, handling and behavior modification techniques that are mindful of the universal constraints faced by shelter staff
Many dogs and cats are not comfortable with handling and restraint whether it is for veterinary examinations, grooming or just pulling off a tick. The utilization of human handling and restraint techniques can help to increase predictability and reduce anxiety in these situations. In this talk, we will discuss different human handling techniques and the importance of choice and consent when handling and restraining animals.
Research tells us that not all aggression is the same. Distinguishing between different types of aggression and understanding the underlying neuroscience can help guide assessment and behavior modification. This talk will focus on impulsive aggression. What is it? How does it present? What is going on in the brain? What is the best way to address it? Dr. Spaulding will review the current research on impulsivity and aggression to answer these questions as well as identify what areas of our understanding are still incomplete.
This presentation will take a look at the distribution of the different types of aggression referred to Dr. Sung’s behavior practice. She will examine the factors that contribute to the complexity of the aggression case and discuss how these factors affect prognosis and the treatment plan.
When a case involves two (or more) dogs fighting in the home the stakes are high and the outcomes are often less than desirable. Through serving her unique clientele and living with this particular challenge herself, Sarah has developed a program for regaining and keeping the peace that is multi-faceted with outside-the-box exercises and lifestyle changes. By exploring the program through an applied lens you’ll see how this nuanced approach can be added to your toolbox. When “crate and rotate” just isn’t good (or safe) enough, leaning on solid prerequisite skills and deep understanding of the unique needs of the dogs in question are the ticket to resolution.
Free living dogs have complex social lives. Much of that complexity is lost in the lives of companion dogs. In this session we will examine the lives of “streeties,” or free living dogs of India, to gain a better understanding of this complexity. We will then reflect on how the loss of this complexity can impact the social relationships of companion dogs. We will examine if this stunts social skills, leading to that which is perceived as aggression. Get ready to immerse yourselves in the social entanglements of free living dogs through animal biographies.
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