Dog Aggression: A Holistic Approach To Behaviour Modification & Rehabilitation

By Norma Jeanne Laurette & Greg Ceci

Over the past few decades, human health and wellness have taken a holistic turn  and so has our treatment of canine aggression. Scientific advances in  understanding the human/canine bond have changed the way we interact with, train our dogs and view aggression. What was once believed to be aggressive  behaviour is now understood to be communication, most of which is natural, necessary and acceptable. Almost all dog aggression is fear based and has  nothing to do with dominance. It’s about fear of punishment, other dogs, people, the environment or losing valued resources.  

Some of the outdated methods used to address unwanted behaviour involve  archaic punishments. In recent years, this has been exacerbated by pop culture  dog training TV shows. These alpha dog/pack leadership beliefs are a misinterpretation of a dog’s motivation and have no scientific footing.  Punishment can cause a dog to shut down and appears to work because it causes avoidance. Not only does punishment not teach the dog what you want it  to do, it results in a dog that walks a behavioural tightrope – afraid to make the wrong choice or any choice – living in a shroud of stress and anxiety creating a ticking time bomb. 

Behavioural scientists have proven that punishment causes frustration, stress, anxiety and fear, which are at the very root of aggression and many other unwanted behaviours. These emotions impede one’s ability to think, learn, remember, problem solve and make rational choices. Science has also proven that when aggression is treated with compulsion, it will come back and often is even more severe. 

Dogs learn through classical conditioning meaning they make associations with  their cause and effect brains. As handlers, we have the choice to make that  association pleasant or unpleasant. Unpleasant associations jeopardize a dog’s  trust, temperament and emotional wellbeing, while eroding the human/canine bond. Positive reinforcement strengthens that bond.  

However, positive doesn’t mean permissive, in fact, leadership is important to  teaching our dogs and keeping them safe. Leading by example and controlling resources is benevolent leadership. Dominance based training is not leadership because it involves reacting to unwanted behaviour whereas a genuine leader is  proactive not reactive. The proactive approach teaches the dog what we want it to do, motivates the dog and rewards correct choices. Would you rather follow a leader you trust or one who frightens and intimidates you?
Aggression is an emotional response clouded by stress, fear and anxiety. So it stands to reason that the only way to effectively change aggressive behaviour, is  to help the dog feel better about what’s upsetting it – punishment and reprimands,  by nature, make it feel worse. 
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The positive approach to canine aggression focuses on nurturing a dog’s  physical, psychological and emotional wellbeing while teaching desired  behaviours. Instead of punishing a dog for communicating its discomfort, holistic methodology stresses prevention and environmental management – while treating the root causes of the problem utilizing techniques such as socialization, systematic desensitization and counter conditioning. 
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Simply put, if you’re learning something new, would you prefer your experience to be frustrating, stressful, frightening or painful, or would you prefer it to be motivational and fun, satisfying and rewarding?  Those who love dogs do not want to frighten or hurt them and it is our job to  make things better, not worse. ​