Fights in Pack - Dominance vs Submissive Gesture and My Big Mistake

Nature's Rule for Pack Hierarchy and My BIG Mistake

Do not make the same mistake as I did by getting into their fights to stop the war. To many dog lovers across the globe this post may sound a bit too off-beat as I have always spoken against cruelty to animals and saving lives...

Well, this post is published followed by a few months of critically studying behavioral components, dominance signals in dogs that live in pack - in houses or in the wild. I have also consulted documents of several canine psychologists and behaviorists, including Nick White and the genius Professor Stanley Coren and several others before coming up with this post.

I suggest dog owners - especially those who have more than one dog - not to tread into the conflicts between dogs. The situation may worsen up, not just because you may be hurt badly, but  because by interfering you will actually prevent them from framing a natural hierarchical structure. People who share lives with dogs should know that there are "set of natural rules" that act as determinants of "dominance", "ownership" and "territoriality".

Conflicts between two dogs in a pack usually starts, progresses and ends based on these natural rules. And there are very rare instances of big blood shed. Often times there's nothing more than small wounds, punctures and cuts, which are not usually fatal. These are situations when dogs should be better left alone to fight and things will be sorted out naturally, with one of them exhibiting submissive gestures. The moment one shows submission and backs off, the other dog usually stops his attacks. This submission of one dog automatically places the other dog higher in the natural pack hierarchy, which he was fighting for - the "Dominance" in this case.

What mistake I did?

Some of my readers may have this question now... what was my mistake with Reva and Rechie. The situation was little different. It wasn't a fight for position, but for ownership.

Mistake 1: I pushed them into competitive play (fetching a single ball and there were two dogs), which generated a fight for ownership of the property (ball).

Mistake 2: I got into their conflict to stop them and ended up with some minor wounds that required stitches.


However, in continuation with my Mistake 2, the wounds on my palm, hands and face, and some cuts in their bodies here and there were not the points of concern. By interfering I could set them apart, locked them in separation for a couple of hours, but they could not determine who among them were dominant. The fight did not end naturally with one being submissive. Which means they could not instinctually use the "natural rules" for determining the dominant member of the pack. Therefore, there was always high chance for re-occurrence of similar fights again in their life time.

Here a better understanding of Why Clashes Occur in a Pack could be found.


Dominance vs Submission - Does that work for all dogs?

As long as the dogs are properly bred by educated and sensible breeder things should work fine. Incorrectly bred specimens will fail to understand their limit and will not be submissive. This indicates a tendency to disregard the signals to stop and natural rules. Correctly combined genes should strike a proper behavioral balance. Aggression and Submission are two most significant component of temperament that are governed by genes. Hyper-submissive nature and hyper-aggressiveness are as undesirable as hypo-submissive nature and hypo-aggressiveness. Conflicts among dogs with imbalanced behavioral configuration can be fatally dangerous without human intervention. Dog breeding is an art and a science both... rather a "scientific art" or an "artistic science". Science of Dog Breeding needs to be considered seriously. It is not everybody's cup of tea. Dog breeding for making money has always ended up with wrong types of progenitors, with major and suppressed or visible problems either related to physical or physiological or psychological. A related study on Role of Gene in The Character of a Dog.

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My Dog Shows Hyper Aggression Towards Other Animals - What Might Be The Reason?

Most common complain by dog owners about their dogs is over aggression. Although I have already talked a bulk about dog aggression in this blog viz... Why Dogs Become Aggressive, Understanding Dog Attacks and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Dogs, yet here's another post on similar topic - "Dog Aggression" - a little different though - "Is Your Dog Showing Aggression Towards Animals?".

Dogs within a pack or external to a specific pack may show a wide range of behavior when they come across other dogs. A very recent study on dogs' aggression towards other dogs shows that such behavior is triggered by several underlying  stimulants, including the following:

• Territoriality
• Competition for ranking
• Fear or traumatic experience
• Acquired behavior

Territorial Aggression in Dogs

There are many instances of dogs showing aggression towards other animals that treads into their territory. Apart of pedigreed dogs, mongrels in the wild exhibits territoriality.  Territorial or Possessive  aggression in dogs is normal and commonly seen in moderate to little above moderate degree in breeds like German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Dobermans, Bull Mastiff, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Giant Schnauzer and Weimaraners. Overtly territorial dogs can be potentially dangerous.  Over territoriality is, however, a type of behavioral problem. Territorial aggression may root from sexual maturation, especially in males and lack of early socialization or conditioning to situations and presence of other animals.


Establishing Hierarchy


Dogs showing aggression towards other dogs in the same house may be an indication of hierarchy problem. Canine dominance instinct demands them naturally forming a social hierarchical structure within their pack, with the most dominant specimen as the alpha canine member of the pack. The presence of two or more dominant dogs can lead to a fight for ranking.

Note: In the context of ranking it is strongly suggested not breaking the dominance hierarchy when there is a pack of more than one dog. The correct way is to reinforce the dominance instinct of the more dominant dog. The best way to reinforce the dominance instinct of a actual dominant dog  involves a series of systematic exercises, without breaking the natural hierarchical format. Once that is done correctly all members in the pack will understand the hierarchy and identify the most dominant dog as the actual alpha member. This will help to maintain pack peace.

  A related read in this context: Why does a clash occur in a pack 


Traumatic Experience in The Past

Past traumatic experience due to attack(s) by other dogs or cats is another very common reason for many dogs turning aggressive towards other animals. Such aggression begins with fear, and eventually turn out to be potentially dangerous aggressive behavior towards the specific species, making it difficult for the dog to live together in a pack or to go out to meet other animals. Such social aggression are, at times, difficult to be corrected, because such behavior persists even after the handlers strategic intervention. Such aggression may be exhibited towards a specific species - the species with which the particular dog had a traumatic encounter in the past.


Acquired behavior: Commonly found in dogs living in a pack. If the alpha member of the pack shows any habitual behavior (desirable or undesirable), the puppies or other omega specimens living together with the dog adopts the behavior. An incorrectly socialized alpha dog can have an innate ability to influence the behavioral change in his or her pack members. Hence, it is important that you, as the dog owner need to positively control the environment for the entire pack in which you want the omega dogs or a puppy to be in.  In case your alpha dog's bad behaviors are influencing the habit of your puppy or omega dog then it is important to keep the dog with undesirable behavior separate from the rest of the pack members.

  Good read on socialization: Checklist For Socializing Your Puppy


Suggestions 

• Positively reinforcing the dominance instinct of the most dominant dog does not mean ignoring or neglecting the omega member. Do not give the omega less than alpha, just last.
• Never Reward or stimulate aggressive behavior in your dog
• Best way is to resist this behavior immediately after your dog shows aggression  with a "sharp No" and "firm Jerk"
• Next time it is best to ignore such an undesirable behavior
• Hold the leash short and firmly when passing by other dogs, keeping calm and ignoring with no prior command with an intention to check such situations beforehand
• Regular contact with other animals will help the dog to strengthen social confidence

Special Tips: Inadvertent Reinforcement includes rewarding the dog for stopping a behavior (i.e. Barking at a other dogs in the park) that is not desirable by his human pack mates. In this process the dog learns to use that particular behavior (Barking) to get the reward; not at the other dogs. This way the trainer can inadvertently reward the undesirable behavior to redirect the behavior towards a different thing from the thing that is not wanted.

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Law suit against Winston - the Shar Pei : Wrinkle Dog

Tid bits on Chinese Shar Pei - The Wrinkle Dog, and Law suit against Winston the Shar Pei

The Chinese Shar Pei also called just "Shar Pei" is a medium large dog with growing popularity all over the world. The name "Shar-Pei" means "sandy coat". The Wrinkles almost all though its body, square profile with a heavily wrinkled broad and flat head, wide muzzle, dark almond eyes and blue tongue (like Chow chow) have given it a typically unique look and set the dog apart from other dog breeds. Their very small high set triangular ears with moderately rounded tip is also typical of the breed. Interestingly another special thing about Shar pei is his finely pointed and extremely high set thick tail with a tapered base. Another interesting fact about Shar Pei is its uncertain origin. The ancestry of the Shar-Pei is not know clearly. Evidences in the pictures on pottery suggest that the breed had existed even as far back as 206 BC, which make us conclude that Shar pei is one of the oldest known dog breeds in the world. Owing to the similarity in the color of tongue (blue or purple) in shar Pei and Chow Chow, it may be concluded that Shar Pei is a descendant of the Chow Chow.

Again most important as well as interesting fact about shar Pei is his heavily wrinkled skin. What once most dog breeders, owners and newbie knew about Shar pei has been proved to be wrong. Yes,the wrinkles in Shar Pei is a genetic or hereditary disorder, which most of the learned and responsible Shar Pei breeders are keeping in
forefront of their minds while breeding their dogs. Selective breeding is hereby necessary and we have noticed that wrinkles in shar pei are gradually decreasing... this is undoubtedly a developmental process in the breed.

Researchers at "Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona" - UAB have come up with the mystery about heavy Wrinkles of Shar Pei dogs revealed! The scientists discovered the origin of dermal mucinosis (broad clinical and histologic category of diseases) that is present in the breed and haas been genetically passed no to the progenitors from dams and sires on breeding. This is a hereditary health disorder, which is responsible for the characteristic wrinkles in Shar Pei, according to the scientists

Lluís Ferrer, Maria José Docampo, Giordana Zanna, Anna Bassols and Dolors Fondevila from the UAB, Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. A report of this discovery on the mystery of Shar Pei wrinkles was published in the journals Veterinary Dermatology and Journal of Heredity.

So this was something that most people have been wondering about. Let us now delve deeper into Shar Pei temperament and character trait.

Very recently a lawsuit has been filed against a Shar Pei named "Winston" at Tenafly court, where the Municipal Court judge had to make decision on whether a Shar Pei — a dog whose Birchwood Place neighbors claim "terrorizes the neighborhood" — is vicious, potentially dangerous or neither, after an attack on a 10-pound toy poodle named Ricky on Oct. 30, 2010, sadly resulting to death of the victim. Frankel, the owner of the toy poodle (Ricky) said while he was cleaning up leaves on his yard, the Shar-Pei "came bolting out of nowhere and attacked my dog." Frankel said that he was able to separate the dogs and could pick up his dog Ricky to protect it, but the Shar Pei somehow squirmed out of his hands attacked again. He separated the two dogs the second time as well and secured the leash of the Shar-Pei while the poodle sought protection underneath a parked car.

Gina A. Calogero, the attorney representing Thomas Frankel said that if Winston - the Shar Pei is declared vicious by the courts, the dog could be humanely destroyed.
If the dog is considered as potentially dangerous, then his owner owner Domini Sheets would have to take necessary precautionary measures to protect the public including muzzling the dog and posting warning signs at her home. Now most of us have a question. What does these terms ("Viciousness" and "potentially dangerous") mean according to law and how according to the Law these characters are different? Why should a dog be killed ("humanely destroyed") if at all he is proved to be vicious? Is this a solution? The Municipal Court Judge Allen M. Bell adjourned the case until January 19, 2010. Hope the next hearing would determine the Shar Pei Winston to be potentially dangerous and NOT Vicious.

This issue has stigmatized the breed in general. It is an appeal not to consider Shar Pei as a dangerous breed, just because Winston has attacked Ricky to death. It is important to know what went wrong in Winston's mind at that point of time when he attacked Ricky. Winston has been impounded at the county’s animal shelter in Teterboro following the Oct. 30, 2010 attack on Ricky - the toy poodle. Impounding Winston is nothing but a mental torture on the dog, and he should be released immediately and returned to Sheet, his owner. It is to remember that winston is not human and cannot realize why he has been kept away from his owner. Hence impounding him is again an unwise act on part of the legal officers. Ricky's death is undoubtedly a shocking issue, but impounding Winston and "humanely destroyed" him cannot mitigate Frankel's pain. I think Winston is the SIN; Sheets is the SINNER. If anybody should be sued, its not the dog but his owner for being so irresponsible towards her pet. Sheets should be held responsible for not putting Winston to proper training session and for her incapability of handling a pet safely. Such attacks are dangerous for both, the one who attacks and for the one who is attacked.

Here's the character traits of Shar Pei

Temperament

Shar Pei is a very loyal breed. He is quite intelligent. In fact more intelligent than many other dog breeds. He is very active, playful, brave and dominant. His dominant nature sometimes drives his attack instincts, which should be kept controlled through proper training and good amount of exercise. The Shar-Pei, being dominant, requires confident handlers and owners. If you too mild and soft by nature, in the dog's eyes, your Shar Pei will try to take over as the alfa member, which will break the pack balance. They are not always unfriendly to the strangers. The Shar-Pei is easy-going, independent and a clam breed, and devoted towards his pack members. They are good watchdogs. Due to its dominant nature Shar Pei cannot be easily mixed with other breeds of milder characters. It is the owners' responsibility to socialize their Shar Pei to the proper degree.

Winston has turned out to be a victim of his own dominating nature. May be unplanned breeding program of Winston's breeder has resulted progenitors like Winston. It is not necessary that Winston's siblings will be of same nature, but chances are there that Winston's attacking tendency is a breeding fault. Impounding Winston and humanely destroying him will be an unwise act. Please think twice... and thrice.

One more thing... Frankel said Wednesday he was relieved the dog remained impounded and was not in the neighborhood. Frankel, being a dog lover you cannot say that. Impounding Winston is a torture towards him. I can feel your pain of loosing your kid Ricky, but still you cannot be revealed for torturing Winston. He is not a human, he is the sin not the sinner.

Here are some Links to German Shepherd Dogs in news

• Loudest German Shepherd Dog
• German Shepherd Dog Skull
• Bondage With a Guide GSD
• GSD Breed Standard Amendment
• Seiger Show Results 2010
• Seiger Show Results, 2009
• Illegal Euthanizing of 7 GSD
• GSD Surrogate Mother

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Understanding Dog Attacks and Dog Bites

Very frequently I do come across people looking for large or medium dogs as family pets. Since most of my peeps know me as a German Shepherd Dog keeper, almost every weekend I receive loads of phone calls from people wanting to adopt German Shepherd Dogs, but they are worried about the nature of the breed. The first question I am usually hit with is "How can I make sure that my puppy will grow up to a safe member for my family?" People express their love for large dogs, but at the same seem to be too confused with the stories of dog attacks and dog bites. So today I planned to blog on understanding the dog attacks and how to prevent them.
Well, although in fact dog aggression depends on breeds and even on bloodlines , but it depends mainly on your way of up keeping your puppy. All you need is to understand why actually dogs attack and what causes them behave in the way they do at times. Its only after you get a sound understanding of these whys and whats, you can prevent dog attacks.

Selective Breeding: My first suggestion is to look for a responsible breeder, if you are planning to buy a dog. Dog breeding is a scientific art! A knowledgeable dog breeder puts special emphasize on temperament of the dam and sire while picking specimens for breeding program. Remember, structurally sound dogs do not necessarily make good pets. Steer clear of the breeders who deliberately combines over-tempered specimens.

Instincts: Most of the dog attacks are instinctive. Be it a stray dog or a pure breed, under a given circumstance a dog reacts according to what his instincts make him behave the way he does. Two most effective ways to override this basic problem are to start socializing him at the very early age - about 8 weeks or so, and then putting him into a consistent training session to teach him what are goods and what are bads. CHECK OUT WHY DOGS BECOME AGGRESSIVE!

Provocation: This is one major reason for dog bites and dog attacks, although a not a huge number of dog bites has been reported due to provocation. Provocation in this case is defined as instigating the dog to lose cool on you. Its pretty hard to understand how actually you provoke your dog to get aggravated. Let me try to make things easier for you to understand the dog bites and dog attacks due to provocation. If you are a dog lover or if your child loves dogs too, you both might want to approach him to give him a pat. The dog may not like to be patted or be approached. He will express his displeasure with a slight growl, which most children overlook. If don't hold your child back, s/he would be provoking the dog to bite. Certain expressions of displeasure are so subtle that they usually go unnoticed, making the dog behave in the way he should not. These expressions are some forms of warnings. When you approach a stranger dog with love, he may stiffen up himself, which is an indication that he doesn't want to mingle with a stranger like you. When you stretch out your hand towards a dog, and if he constantly notices at your hand with his body slightly stiffened, instead of at your face with his tail wagging, it's also a kind of warning. Overlooking this dog behavior means provoking the dog to bite you.

Growling is not the only one signal that a dog may warn you with. Growls are usually delivered when these subtle strokes of warning are not heeded carefully. But even if a dog delivers slight growls, a child may not understand what it was meant (lack of ability to recognize the warning) for and he keeps trying to grab the dog which makes the child a victim of fatal dog attacks. Sometimes dogs just walk away when you approach him. Remember, when a dog walks away without responding to your actions, it's a kind of warning that you must be aware of. If you make a second trial to approach him you will provoke him to behave in a way that's not expected.

Cynophobia: Cynophobia is the clinical name for an abnormal fear of dogs, which is again another reason that makes a dog attack. Wondering how? when a Cynophobic patient faces a dog s/he behaves irrationally and screams loud, which irritates most of the cool tempered dogs too. This makes the dog pounce on the person, which can end up with unexpectedly unpleasant incidence. Read HOW TO ELIMINATE CYNOPHOBIA.

So how can you prevent dog attacks? Simple! Don't provoke him; don't make a dog attack you. Understanding the dog attacks and dog bites finds its importance here. The owners' responsibilities can't be denied hereby. If you are a dog owner, train you dog by a professional dog trainer. Socialize your dog at the the early age. You can also consult a canine behaviorist about how to become an alpha member. Make your dog realize that you are the boss and he has to obey your command. If you are a dog owner, please read HOW TO DEAL WITH DIFFICULT DOGS.

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