Aggression VS Protection

[emsoskar]

Good Morning All!

It's been a bit since I have posted, but rest assured I've been lurking around....lol. I've come to call on some of the experts here, since we all know there are so many GSD savvy owners around here!

This may have been asked and posted at some point already, but I didn't find anything. WHAT ARE THE OBVIOUS SIGNS OF A DOG BEING AGGRESSIVE VS BEING PROTECTIVE? Please list in detail any and all comparative information you have. <span style="color: #FF0000">AND PLEASE ONLY ANSWER THIS IF YOU KNOW IT TO BE FACT!!!!!</span> If you don't know for sure then kindly don't bother replying. Too many people offer false answers and advice, which is why so many of us get confused and aren't sure wat is right!

I have a few reasons for asking this....one of which is my Oskar. I have met with many different trainers and all seem to have differing opinions. Another reason is a friend of mine who owns a GSD (2.5 yrs) who swears that her dog is just being protective of her, while I see it as being fear and aggression.

I know nobody can say anything specific to the dogs mentioned without knowing all the detals. I'm just asking for obvious indicators.

Thanks guys!!!

[JKlatsky]

I don't think there is much FACT involved in this sort of thing because what you are looking at is completely subject to interpretation.

A lot of it depends on the posture of the dog. This can be very difficult to determine because there are SO many body cues and individually they have general meanings, but you have to put them together to get a more clear picture of what the dog is saying...so without actually being able to see or hear the dog in question it is difficult to really say one way or another. For example- people like to cite raised hackles as an indicator of aggressive behavior, but many dogs raise their hackles when they are excited as well.

I know someone on here has put together a picture of different canine postures...

In the meantime this might help...keeping in mind that they are general guidelines for interpreting behavior.
http://mendocinohumane.org/html/posture.html

[BlackPuppy]

Originally Posted By: JKlatskyI don't think there is much FACT involved in this sort of thing because what you are looking at is completely subject to interpretation.

I was going to say this myself. I don't think anybody can tell you exactly what to look for.

I think every dog owner should have this book or one like it.
http://www.amazon.com/Canine-Body-Langua...53798472&sr=8-1

[GSD07]

Well, protection is aggression too, the difference is in the triggers and control.

[Chris Wild]

Originally Posted By: GSD07Well, protection is aggression too, the difference is in the triggers and control.

Exactly. Aggression is aggression. What makes it good/bad is why the dog is doing it and his mental state, and that comes down to the triggers and circumstances under which it is seen.

[Liesje]

I think different people can handle different levels of aggression. For me it depends on the threshold (a person walking by, or a person actually charging us), what triggers it (kids in the distance, dogs by our fence, someone actually threatening me or my dog...) how quickly the dog "recovers", and how much control I have. Beyond that I think it's impossible to say as "fact" without knowing the dog and being there firsthand.

[Qyn]

Originally Posted By: BlackPuppy

I think every dog owner should have this book or one like it.
http://www.amazon.com/Canine-Body-Langua...53798472&sr=8-1

I have to add a for this book as well as it does help interpret canine body language which is a good aid to determining intention.

[Riley's Mom]

I've seen it posted many times here and also have heard Cesar mention on more than one occasion that an aggressive dog is aggressive about *everything.* A dog that's got some issues like with other dog dominance or fence territorialism will display what appears as aggression when these things come up but is not aggressive at other times and behaves appropriately.