What is the Prognosis for Your Aggressive Dog

Safety and management

Behavior modification

How to stay committed to treatment

How to prevent failure

When things go wrong

Prognosis

We all hope that aggression will just go away. Most of us hoped that the dog will outgrow it, or think maybe getting it away from the things that trigger it will help.

The Behavior Clinic at University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (VHUP) has a very high success rate with great improvement in more than 75% of all aggressive animals; 90% of aggressive patients improve to the extent that the owners are happy to keep them. However, there are trainers or behaviorists that will make a similar claim, but can not substantiate it.

Any trainer who insists he can make your dog's aggression go away, or uses word like cure without having met your dog, is trying to fool you into using their services. The causes of aggression and therefor the outcome of treatment is complicated. If we are realistic we will come to understand that what we should be aiming for is improvement. Management will most likely have to be a word we come to use. However, that is not to say we can't have a stress free enjoyable life with our dog!

Dr. Dodman writes. "The truth is that getting a handle on aggression once is has progressed to a biting stage is not always easy, but with patience and understanding, some inroads can be made with the consistent application of dominance-control strategies." [1]

There are five main factors that contribute to the success of treatment:

Owner compliance to the treatment program

The age of the dog at the onset of aggression

Predictability of the outbursts

Duration of the condition

The pattern of the behavioral changes in response to environmental, behavioral and pharmacological intervention.

Therefore the earlier the problem developed, the less predictable the outbursts (and this could change once the owner is taught how to recognize the signs), the longer the condition has existed, and the more frequent, intense the rate and extent of the outburst, the worst the prognosis. [2]

However,the most critical factor determining success is your compliance to the treatment program and the extent of your effort. Therefor it will help to think about factors regarding commitment and paying attention. There are ways you can help yourself to prevent failure, by recognizing the pit falls that can occur.

Temporary relapses are common in households that believe their dogs are cured after behavior modification. Relapses can occur if you do not continue to reinforce the dog's appropriate behaviors (what this means for each case will vary).

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Genetics

As soon as we hear that aggression may be genetic, we feel that little shiver of fear that tells us there is no hope for our dog. In fact much of the dog movement leans towards the claim that "there are no bad dogs, only bad owners", or the other extreme which is pushing for breed legislation. Either extreme is misguided, and does not help the solve the problem of dog aggression.

The truth of it is, much of aggressive behavior can be genetic, but it is usually augmented through learning. For example protective aggression is genetic in many terriers, German Shepherds, etc., but it is usually the intensity of the drive that is inherited. We can treat the learning side through behavior modification.

But to understand how genetics play a factor, we must consider what kind of traits may be inherited. For example, the science profession does not know what causes clinical depression in people. The theory is that clinical depression may have genetic (inherited) components. The common denominator of a shortage a brain chemical (serotonin) which helps control mood in mnay species including dogs and people may run in family lines. Therefore what may be inherited is the physical make-up that affects behavior, such as brain chemistry, some which might be helped with medication.

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Medical Intervention

Science is starting to learn that there are several ways to change brain chemistry. It appears as if a combination of interventions is most effective in humans.

Prolonged chronic stress can cause many nuerochemical changes such as a depletion in serotonin. Seritonin has been linked with mood control. While the brain continually produces this chemical, its production might be slow, or the brain might absorb too much. The SSRI family of medications can help the brain from reabsorbing the chemical, potentially for ever or until enough has been produced that the patient no longer needs the drugs depending on the individual.

SSRI drugs are not tranquilizers, and do not make people "happy", or reduce their cognitive skills, or make them "spaced out" and complacent. They are not addictive. They also will not have nearly as much value without therapy, or in a dog's case, behavior modification.

With therapy, the medication appears to allow the patient to have more control of his or her mood, where previously that lack of control over mood may have interfered with benefits of therapy.

In the last few years attention has turned to dogs and the common SSRI drugs (of which Prozac is one). Research has linked a lack of this chemical in the brain with aggression in dogs who are particularly impusive or violent in their aggressive behavior. Research has also indicated that the SSRI drugs improve the aggression problem in combination with behavior modification.

For dogs this may translate into a more normal behavior sequence during aggressive episodes, introducing an moment of evaluation that may not have been there before. Or it may reduce anxiety which may be interfering with learning. But make no mistake - a change in aggressive behavior cannot occur without behavior modification. Medication, if needed, will merely allow the dog to learn new behavior that its brain chemistry might have been interfering with previously. Dogs who might display other signs of anxiety might benefit from drug intervention.

The problem with many medications is that, even in humans, it is difficult to determine how beneficial they are for each patient. There are no tests that can be done to see if the popular SSRI medications are working, or whether they are appropriate even in humans. Also, it takes up to weeks for the medication to take effect. Each body is capable of absorbing a different amount of the medication, so there is no way of knowing what the correct dose is, or even knowing whether it is helpful for your dog, except by monitoring behavior. Humans can self-report. Dogs cannot.

There are side effects, too, which may make medication too risky. Depending on your circumstances, drugs may not be appropriate, ot may have unexpected results. Even for these dogs who will benefit from medication, there are still no quick-fix solutions. Behavior modification is still required, but it may make it possible for dogs who don't seem to be improving despite compliance to a behavior modification program.

Medical intervention has been used to help modify some other aggressive behaviors in combination with behavioral modification (such as female hormone progesterone) for dominant aggressive dogs. According to Bruce Fogel, D.V.M., M.R.C.V.S., [3] the bad news is, of course that the problem of dominance aggression can never be eliminated because the mind set is genetic in many animals.

However, Fogel goes on to say that with behavioral modification and hormonal alteration (such as female hormone progesterone), the mind set of the dominantly aggressive dog might be altered.

Castration, which can be recommended, is thought to be only effective for intrer-male aggression (a form of dominance aggression) because of the pheromones emitted that induce the aggression. The theory is that you do not actually treat the aggression this way, but change the general odor of the dog so he no longer provokes the response in other dogs. However, if your dog has other aggression issues, it may not make a difference. We must also keep in mind that aggressive behavior is often learned, so there is still a need to teach the dog an alternative incomaptible behavior.

There are also a whole host of different kinds of medications that may assist with behavior modification for a variety of behavior problems, from antihistamines to anticonvulsants, that are not discussed here. Given that most aggression in dogs does not warrant medication, it is still worth while keeping this in mind before you throw in the towel.

Only a vet educated in behavioral sciences who has a good history of your dog will be able to make recommendations. Its wise to seek a second opinion with a professional who specializes in behavior and drug therapy if you are unsure.

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Learned behavior

Aggressive behavior always includes a learned element. A dog who acts aggressively will learn about the reactions his actions cause. If people or animals retreat, and this is the desired response, the dog may continue with this behavior.

Dogs who are generally fearful may have inherited this trait. However, the behavior of a fear aggressive dog who is fearful of a specific target is often learned. Therefor it may be more treatable via desensitization and counter conditioning (see behavior modification). Its time consuming over a period of time but not how much time you need to spend in any one day (i.e. three times a day for five minutes a time could be adequate), but experience has demonstrated that desensitization and counter conditioning usually works when the dog is allowed to progres at his own pace and is not continually put in a position where he becomes aggressive.

Desensitization can work with other aggressions as well, such as food aggression (although it is easier and safe to avoid the aggression by feeding the dog in an area where he is guaranteed not to be disturbed).

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Untreatable aggression

Some aggression is not easily treated or is untreatable. If you dog's behavior is truly unpredictable, unprovoked, violent and uncontrolled then living with a dog like this will be difficult. Fortunately these dogs are rare. A consultation with an expert may indicate that you are not yet able to read the dog signals or circumstances that will predict the aggression, or you may have been encouraged to use methods that cause a greater problem such as punishment or deprivation techniques. But if you truly cannot predict the aggression, a detailed medical screen by an expert veterinarian understanding this phenomenon is required to rule out certain medical issues.

ALWAYS do your research and seek second opinions from a qualified veterinary behaviorist if a consultant is recommending euthansia. Studies and drug therapy treatments are ongoing. Some dogs respond to certain drugs where other don't. Some consultants may not have the necessary educations.

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References

[1] Dog Behaving Badly, An A-to-Z Guide to Understanding & Curing Behavioral Problems in Dogs, Dr. Nicolas Dodman, p. 9, Bantom Books,1999

[2]Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Small Animals, Karen L. Overall, M.A., V.M.D., Ph.D. Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Behavior, Department of Clinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Pennsylvania, Mosby, Inc. 1997

[3] The Dog's Mind, Bruce Fogel, D.V.M., M.R.C.V.S., Howell Book House, New York, 1990

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