Re: ''I have to fight the fear,' bitten letter carrier says,' News, Aug. 6
To the editor: As a professional dog-obedience trainer, I have found dog aggression to be the most problematic because of the potential danger to humans.There are at least 13 commonly recognized classifications of aggression including: dominance related, submission related, fear, maternal, play displaced aggression, pain aggression, predatory aggression, dog-to-dog aggression; dog-to-human aggression, spatial aggression, psychotic aggression and barrier/frustration aggression.Most dogs who display aggressive behaviour fall into one or more of these categories.Territorial aggression and protective aggression are the two most common aggressive behavioural problems in dogs.A dog who acts threatening when someone approaches their home turf is territorial. This is encouraged by a passive or placid owner. The owner is perceived by the dog as weak and in need of protection.Protective aggression is when the dog thinks that it is his job to protect his owner from other people and other dogs. The problem for the owner and the community is the dog's inability to understand the difference between friend and foe. The danger is mostly for the unfortunate stranger approaching such a house on lawful business.Hostility in some dogs is their way of dominating those they live with or encounter.When a dog bites, it is usually due to the failure of the owner to recognize signs of stress in their dog and properly manage that behaviour.Every dog has a bite threshold. Children are most likely to be the victims of dog bites and there are various reasons for this problem.It may be due to inherited behaviour, abusive or inconsistent behaviour by children, a dog's unfamiliarity with children, visiting children, sudden movements and even medical reasons.When you encounter an aggressive dog, the worst thing to do is to turn around and run away as this triggers the dog's pursuit response. Instead, cast your gaze slightly down and to the side, and blink once or twice. These are submissive pacifying responses. Next, open your mouth a little which indicates a counterthreat.Take a few steps backwards, never making direct eye contact with the dog. Force yourself to yawn or say something in a high-pitched tone.Once you are a good distance away, turn so your side is towards the dog. The most important thing to remember is to avoid direct eye contact with the dog and move away from as smoothly as you can. Roman Bijan