Question on agression

[mwiacek10]

Just a general question I've been thinking about. Can a dog, who has never shown any dog aggression, acquire this behavior over time? Reason for my question… I probably spend too much time on this site and the dog aggression stores are starting to get to me. Gunny and I haven't been in a "group" class or dog park setting in a few months. Can I trust that since he's always been very well behaved with other dogs, that he will always be that way?

[ayoitzrimz]

No, you can't trust that he won't develop it but generally if the dog is well socialized from puppyhood, has had some obedience training, has good genetics and solid nerves, it shouldn't just develop out of the blue. What could happen is that he may meet a dog one day, they dislike each other, he shows aggression, and the other dog backs away (maybe taken by his owner). In his mind, he just "won" and his actions were the cause of the removal of the discomfort (the other dog). Then the next time he meets a dog he dislikes, he may be quicker to perform the same behavior. Then he may generalize to "all x color dogs are bad news" or "or male dogs are bad news" and once that happens he may turn more and more DA.

There's a couple of things going on:
1. It doesn't just happen overnight. A dog that is generally good with other dogs (barring some health issues) is not going to turn DA overnight. If he tries aggressive behaviors and they are rewarded then he may try them more quickly next time he's confronted. Similarly, if you don't correct / redirect / etc when it happens it may get worse - that's why they say "nip it in the bud"
2. A bad experience can cause the dog to start generalizing which can lead to trouble. A dog is attacked by another dog (lets say he's a brown boxer unaltered). The dog may have this develop in his mind (and we humans do it too ) : that dog is trouble --> bully breeds are trouble --> all breeds are trouble. Or that dog is trouble + that dog reeked of testosterone --> all dogs that smell of testosterone are trouble --> all dogs are trouble...

Don't know if I explained myself clearly, but that's what I've been taught and I tried to put it here in the most clear way

But bottom line - if your dog is fine, just be ready to step in and let him know that aggressive behaviors are not acceptable (whether its a correction [which can backfire] or redirection [which may not work if he's too focused on the other dog already or in full on rage]) he shouldn't just turn DA overnight...

[Freestep]

Gunny is about 2 years old? It's unlikely he'll develop dog-aggression unless he is repeatedly put into situations where he is attacked or bullied by other dogs. As long as his interactions with other dogs continue to be friendly or benign, I wouldn't worry about it.

If Gunner is intact and he gets around a female in heat, he may be prone to fight other intact males. That is one scenario you probably won't run into, but it's good to keep in mind.

[martemchik]

I've noticed that certain situations will get to my dog. A female that is about to be in heat/just out of heat will get him in a more aggressive state of mind (he's intact). He has a few girlfriends that are spayed that he will get very defensive over and I have to watch him because other dogs might challenge him for them, which won't end well. I don't tollerate aggression and he gets put on his back whenever he decides to act out a little bit. It usually helps when the other dog sniffs or stands around him too, he needs to know that I'm in charge and make those decisions and he has no business reacting that way.