Or maybe they said their dog could be “funny”. Those are the things that people say when they have a dog that has previously exhibited aggression in one or more situations. It tells you that they are anxious and not sure of how their dog will respond. It also usually makes the person they are telling anxious….and rightly so. Nobody wants to get bitten a little or a lot no matter how big the dog is.
If you have trained with or followed me for any period of time, you know that I believe and teach that all dog behaviors can be traced to just five things that I call the Canine Commodities. They are FOOD, WATER, SPACE, TOYS, and ATTENTION. These things are the dog’s entire world. They use these things to establish pack order with both other dogs and people.
The only one of the commodities that is constant is SPACE. There are only two ways to share space with a dog. You are either static or moving. A dog that you can’t control while moving is a dog you will never be able to control while static. Dogs are constantly challenging for space, so if their pack leader does not make them respect his space they cannot be expected to respect anyone.
Because dogs are largely left alone while eating, about 99% of all nips/bites can be attributed to a perceived challenge for space. Dogs are very cognizant of their ability to hinder or stop completely the movements of other dogs and people, especially as it relates to doorways. These are natural bottlenecks that allow for the dog to immediately challenge new people to see their response.
All dogs to some extent will protect any space they occupy. That can range from their crate to the house, to a room in the house, to the whole back yard, especially those that are fenced in. Just as with humans, when it comes to physical security, a defined space and perimeter are easier to defend than an open space. This is why you hear people warn not to reach over fences or through gates to pet a dog. This can cause even the most easy going dog to nip. Here’s why.
To a dog any defined space quickly becomes a den. The idea behind the den is that if you’re in you’re good, if you’re out you’re bad. If you belong inside the den, you walk right in. Only those who don’t belong would stop at the entrance before entering or otherwise hesitate. To dogs that guard their spaces, any hesitation at the “gate” signals a threat. Because of sounds, noises, and smells, we are usually alerted to someone approaching the door long before someone is actually knocking and ringing the doorbell. Most of the time the dog is barking is to summon the rest of the pack and our dog gets to the door before we do. Like walking, when you let the dog go first, they think you put them first and this encourages them to deal with who comes and goes. When this happens, you have the dog between you and the person. Now, the dog is protecting not only their den but also their pack. They will not see or hear anything you say from behind them. You gave up your right to be recognized when you let them go first. Now, what happens-
The first question in anyone’s mind when they are confronted by a dog is “do they bite” to which my reply always is “they have teeth don’t they”. My take away of working with thousands of dogs is that you can never truly trust any dog 100% because at the end of the day they are just highly domesticated predators. For this reason, the pack leader must be aware of and in control of their dog at all times, especially when strangers are around. Just like many dogs, including my own, will bark at the smallest change that they see in the house or yard. They are always watching for changes in behavior. The slightest change in behavior that we would never recognize sticks out like a glowing bulb to a dog. They really do size people up.
Back to the door. So, now the door is open and the dog is between you and the new person. The dog is likely barking. This often stops people in their tracks. As soon as the dog sees that they can control their space by simply barking, they begin to get suspicious. By this time, the person is no doubt staring at the barking dog. The more they bark, the more they stare. Direct eye contact is a challenge to the dog. A person or a dog freezing in place if even for a split second tells the dog that an attack could be coming. At this point, we are probably telling the dog to knock it off or shoo them away and tell the person to ignore the dog. We may usher them in, and the dog is now fixated on them because of their hesitation and eye contact. The dog is ready for an attack. They are not focused on you. The person steps in and is immediately nipped or bit. It has taken me several minutes to write and you several minutes to read what happens time and time again. As I have stated before, I only see real aggression in about 3% of my clients. Here is another example of what we see much much more.
You walk into someone’s house and their dog jumps all over you. They invited you into the living room and you sit down. The dog is up on the couch, on you, and maybe behind your head. He might even go over to the owners and do the same to them. They have allowed him to take their space so if he does it to them, he will do it to anyone.
Dogs remember first impressions just like we do. The first time they meet you they take your measure. Once you lose a dog’s respect, it’s hard if not impossible to get it back. Moving forward with your dog, take the time to observe the differences. No matter how small they may be with the way they react to different people at the door, in the house, and outside.
The truth is that if you can control your dog at the front door with people coming in you are better off than about 95% of the dog owners in America. Because of this, you are going to run into a lot of dogs that don’t respect space. Whenever visiting someone who has a dog do the following and watch the behavior of the dog-
No talk, No touch, No eye contact.
Get to the door as fast as possible and walk right past the dog, even if you have to push them out of your way with your legs. Be sure not to use your hands because that only turns their prey drive on.
Sit down, continue to ignore the dog. If they continue to get in your space, push them off without saying a word. Keep your movements as direct as possible. The second the dog sits, lays down, or puts their back to you, immediately pet them. You have now effectively communicated to the dog that you belong in the space and are superior to them. Doing exactly this even to dogs that were reported to be aggressive, has allowed me to immediately get their respect and attention and start rehabilitating them. Remember, it’s all about SPACE.
Great read! Too many dog owners do not understand pack order and animal psychology. Thanks for your insight.