Territorial or Barrier Aggression/Frustration

[gsdraven]

Let's have a discussion about the differences between territorial aggression and barrier aggression. I also think the difference between aggression and frustration would be important for this as well.

What are your thoughts?

For example, your dog barks and growls when people/animals walk by your house and the dog is inside looking out a window or door but would not have that same reaction if they were outside on the driveway. Is that being territorial or is it because of the barrier? Would you consider that aggression or frustration?

[Lilie]

I'm a little torn here. I think there is something to be said about a dog who barks either inside our outside and recieves the same outcome each time it barks. I think at that point the dog learns that his action (barking) will result in the same reaction (person / dog leaving). And then it becomes a learned behavior.

For example, the mail man - every time he comes to the home, Fido barks and the mail man is driven off. Or lady walking her dog down the side walk, Fido barks and the lady and dog are driven off. Fido could have started barking due to fear aggression, boredom or even just puppy playfulness.

Is that territorial aggression or barrier aggression? Can a learned behavior be considered aggression?

[sit,stay]

I have always considered a dog that barks in the house in response to someone walking by on a sidewalk as being territorial. This would be the dog that races from window to window, barking, as you walk by. They aren't trying to bite through the window, or claw their way out at you. They are simply barking while monitoring your progression past/through their territory.

A dog that fence fights in a serious way (not simply fence running while barking) is showing barrier frustration/aggression. This would be the dog that snarls and claws/bites at the fence (or the door/whatever).
Sheilah

[Kobe12]

My gsd also barks at everything that walk by from inside window. But their has been an incident where he has chased some one off until he reached a certain point in the yard. So I'm assuming he has territorial aggression

[JakodaCD OA]

well mine doesn't bark at say, a person walking by my house or someone coming onto my property when I am home. Whether she does it when I'm not I don't know She tends to be one of those silent watchers definately knows what's going on, but it's not a barking situation.

She WILL go off on a person(stranger) or dog, IF she is in her crate in my car, say at a dog show and I have the back up, IF they are to close to the crate.. In fact, some woman walked by my car and HER dog jumped in the back of my vehicle, needless to say, Masi went Cujo on them..

So I guess THAT type of thing, I'd call territorial aggression??? She's territorial of her 'car/in the crate'...Or maybe its "barrier aggression" since if she wasn't confined in the crate just in the car , she doesn't do anything..??

So I guess that's a question within my answer? LOL

[gsdraven]

Originally Posted by JakodaCD OA

She WILL go off on a person(stranger) or dog, IF she is in her crate in my car, say at a dog show and I have the back up, IF they are to close to the crate.. In fact, some woman walked by my car and HER dog jumped in the back of my vehicle, needless to say, Masi went Cujo on them..

So I guess THAT type of thing, I'd call territorial aggression??? She's territorial of her 'car/in the crate'...Or maybe its "barrier aggression" since if she wasn't confined in the crate just in the car , she doesn't do anything..??

So I guess that's a question within my answer? LOL

That's a perfect example. Since she doesn't bark when loose in the car(her territory) but does in the crate (barrier or territory?), is it barrier frustration because she is confined or is it territorial aggression because the crate and car are her space?

My point is posting is just to discuss the difference in the terms and find examples of each because I'm a nerd and looking to expand my understanding of the different terms.

Raven barks at people/dogs that walk by the house or that we drive by when we are in the car. She is getting better at controlling her reaction in both settings. If it were just at home, I'd claim territorial and it could be argued that the car is also her territory but I wonder if it isn't barrier frustration (aggression?) because she doesn't react to people when not behind glass.

[JakodaCD OA]

well I hope some of the more knowledgeables will hop in and give us their take as well, cause I don't have a definite answer

[CarrieJ]

I think with territorial aggression because there's no barrier or fence it's not quite so bad. Annoying but not as competitive.
Barrier aggression can be worse because the dog gets frustrated and can redirect on to other dogs nearby...yep...even housemates.
With Barrier aggression if the fence wasn't there the dog would most likely charge and attack the other dog on the other side.
Hence the frustration/redirection.

I think some of the breeders with multiple dogs could probably define the terms better than I can.


I consider the car (with my dog anyway) resource guarding and territorial.
Take her out of the car and she's fine.

I've also gotten to the point that there are so many different terms and definitions of behavior that I just say:
"I don't know what that is; but it's unacceptable."

Those are my new terms.
Acceptable and Unacceptable.

[BlackJack]

Our dog has territorial aggression, any time someone knocks on the door she will loose it, though, if I walk through the door with this person, she switches off and this person becomes her new playmate, whether they want to or not.