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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
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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.
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