Aggressive Behavior When Walking

By Gina Micciulla

Below is an email question sent to Micciulla.

Our neighbor/friend Jodi Olson walks our dog Cooper. By and large, Cooper is an amazing dog, but he has a few issues that we are interested in working on. It’s impossible to walk him if there is a skateboard around — he simply goes ballistic. Also he has intermittent problems with other dogs — he can go from 0 to 60 in nothing flat and gets aggressive and growly, with little to no provocation. It’s hit or miss — with many dogs he’s totally fine.
— Stephanie, Portland, OR

Since aggressive behavior is a fairly common issue with dogs, it has been widely discussed. However, much of the discussion revolves around human psychology that gets in the way of seeing dogs as they really are. I am going to give you a different way to look at what’s happening with a dog that has aggressive behaviors, and offer some ideas about how to foster a more peaceful emotional state.

When a dog acts aggressively it is because the dog is stressed and is trying to protect itself. A stressed dog has two options, to fight or to flee. A stressed dog that has no exit strategy may resort to using its natural defenses that consist of cowering, growling, snapping, lunging, or biting. This is why I am of the belief that many dogs behave differently when walking on a leash as opposed to when walking off leash. A dog on a leash has no exit strategy and is more likely to respond by trying to defend itself. Humans tend to think that when this stuff happens, the dog is aggressive.

Dogs are sensitive creatures. Our goal as owners and guides is to help our dogs be as relaxed as possible so that they can experience the energy of the human world and stay relaxed in the midst of the mayhem.

So the important thing for you to do if you’re dealing with an “aggressive behavior” is to stop thinking about it as “aggression” and to start thinking about it as “inability to relax in moments of high stimulation.” This shift in perception will help you lose judgments you have about aggression that impair your ability to see what is going on and deal with the situations effectively. The more aware you are about what is really going on with your dog, the easier it will be to address the situation or prevent it from happening entirely.

Try thinking of your dog not as a dog but as a small child. If you think of a toddler, picture this: you have a child who is very nervous around other children. The child is placed in an overcrowded playroom and is unable to function. Initially, you see all the telltale signs of nervousness in your child, but you decide to wait and hope he or she will figure it out. Your child manages to find a little toy to play with, and all is well until — you guessed it — some other child comes over to play with the same toy. The other child makes a grab for the toy, and your child does what any nervous kid might do in that situation — clubs the other child over the head with the toy. Tears, mayhem — ah, the moment you had been dreading!

Back to the dog. As you walk around in the world with a formerly-known-as-aggressive dog, think of yourself instead as the protector of this unable-to-relax being. Pay attention to what’s happening as your dog experiences the world. Look for signs of physical or emotional tension and address them immediately. If an altercation occurs, offer your apologies, but don’t worry about scolding your dog. Instead, make a promise to yourself to be more aware, to accept the pace at which your dog is transforming, and to become even more proficient at helping your dog relax in these stressful moments. This will, of course, involve staying relaxed yourself. Take the opportunity to practice breathing and remaining neutral. Things will get better.

Gina Micciulla MTWT, IDT is a human-dog coach and owner of Unleash Yourself located in Portland, OR. Micciulla teaches the evolving dog model based on mentor, Chris Bach’s philosophy of THE THIRD WAY. For more information call 503-349-3088 or email Micciulla at jackpotgina@unleashyourself.biz or visit www.unleashyourself.biz.