Dominance Aggression, Canine - contd.
First, a complete medical history, physical examination and baseline laboratory work, including testing of the thyroid hormone levels, is recommended to rule out medical causes of aggression.
A specialist in veterinary behavior will ask owners for a history of the animal's behavior and will note the dog's age, sex and breed; this data is important because certain dogs, such as males that have not been neutered, are more prone towards dominance aggression than other canines. There is a breed predilection as well.
Next, a behavioral specialist will look first at the context in which the aggression occurs. Dogs that have dominance aggression may react aggressively to petting, hugging, being stared at, stood over, or disturbed while resting. Owners that command, scold, punish or force the dog to do something it does not want to do also may trigger aggressive behavior. In addition, aggression can occur when a family member attempts to interact with the dog when it is in the presence of food, prized objects, a favored person, or a preferred resting-place.
Because dominance aggression is directed predominantly toward the dog's owners and other familiar people who the dog perceives to be part of its family or "pack," it is important for the behavioral specialist to determine the target of the dog's aggression.
Another important step in diagnosis requires looking at the components of the animal's behavior while it is acting aggressively. Dogs exhibiting dominance aggression often, but not always, assume a dominant posture, such as an erect or stiff body position, with erect ears and tail, raised hackles, and a direct stare. Depending on the intensity of the aggressive display, there can be snarling, growling, lunging, snapping, and biting. However, a significant number of dogs with dominance aggression do not exhibit this classical dominance posture and instead, some may exhibit a fear posture or, more commonly, a posture that includes varying degrees of both dominance and fear.
Finally, the veterinarian will consider the dog's age, sex, and breed, as certain dogs will have a greater tendency to exhibit aggressive behavior.
