GOOD DOG: Some dogs are just born mean
My last article, regarding a Shar Pei that was getting dangerously aggressive with the family, prompted one reader to send me an angry e-mail.
This person was upset that, without having even seen the dog, I said its problems were genetic in nature, and recommended euthanasia. After several messages back and forth (which let me go into much greater detail about the case), I was finally able to convince this person that it was, indeed, the appropriate action to take.
However, it also made me realize that there might be others who felt the same way but didn’t contact me. In the hope of clearing up any misunderstandings, I would like to discuss the role of genetics in aggression.
“There are no bad dogs, only bad people/environments.” We have all heard this saying before. Sadly, it just isn’t true. There are mean dogs, just like there are mean people.
These dogs are genetically programmed to be highly aggressive and/or dominant. Sometimes the levels are low enough that behavior modification can control, or even extinguish, the inappropriate aggressive behaviors. Other times, these levels are too high to be corrected, regardless of any training technique or environment.
The hard part about being a trainer/behaviorist is having the ability and experience to recognize those dogs that are beyond rehabilitation, and those that can be fixed. I have worked with a disturbingly high number of clients who were told by “x” number of trainers that their dog couldn’t be trained/rehabilitated, only to have them grinning ear to ear after working with me for an hour or so. The number of dogs I have recommended for euthanasia, compared to the ones I have fixed, is statistically insignificant.
In the case of the Shar Pei, one of the deciding factors was that the dog was going after the owner. In most aggression cases, the dog is fine with the family, and sometimes even frequent visitors. There is a safe place for the dog. Here, the dog didn’t have a safe place to go, psychologically. This suggested that the behaviors were genetically, not environmentally, based. Combined with the rapid onset of the aggressive behaviors, as well as the intensity of those behaviors, I had no choice but to recommend euthanasia.
It should also be noted that most, if not all, rescues will turn away dogs with that level of aggression.
The person who e-mailed me also asked about my credentials and experience, and if they were enough to have made that decision. I answered her questions, and directed her to my Web site, www.coolk9s.com. Our exchange of e-mails ended amicably.
Genetics is a complicated, and unpredictable, subject. Breed two wonderful family dogs, and you might get a bunch of fear biters. Do the same with two great police dogs, and you may end up with a litter of couch potatoes.
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Jim Beinlich is the owner of Cool K9’s Dog Training in Colorado Springs and a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. Reach him at Jim@coolk9s.com.
