Dog Aggression: Understanding The Canine Communications Continuum

By Norma Jeanne Laurette & Greg Ceci

​Every year, many dogs are unjustly euthanized when normal canine  communication is mistaken for aggression. The communication responsible for this confusion is what we’ve coined “Deterrent Behaviour.” 

Deterrent behaviour refers to deliberate communication used by dogs during approaches, greetings and interactions, to warn another animal or person to respect its space or to warn one exhibiting intrusive behaviour or bad manners. Some deterrent behaviours includes: raised hackles, stiff body, staring, baring  teeth, barking, growling, lunging and snapping.  

Deterrent behaviour is normal, necessary and acceptable as long as the dog is not easily triggered and stops when the animal or person backs off. You’ll commonly see adult dogs use this behaviour when interacting with unruly pups, disrespectful dogs or dogs with poor social skills. Although deterrent behaviour is widely accepted in humans – dogs are seldom afforded the same right to communicate their discomfort. 

For dogs, aggression is simply communication – there’s no malice or ill intent. The burning question is where acceptable communication crosses the line into unacceptable aggression or bullying. For perspective let’s take a look at Canine Correspondence Studies’ Canine Communications Continuum model.

​Think of canine communication and aggression on the same continuum. In Zone A of our model you’ll see normal, healthy communication. Zone-B is where the intensity starts to escalate.  

Social and confident dogs exist in Zone-A, while under-socialized, conflicted and  fearful dogs live in Zone-B. On a best day scenario when stress and anxiety are low, Zone-B dogs live in the center of the continuum and start communicating their discomfort with deterrent behaviours. This is why they’re perceived as reactive or low threshold dogs. 

A dog can change its communication according to the situation by sliding up and down the continuum with the intent of preventing conflict. A dog may  communicate its discomfort with displacement behaviours and/or calming signals  in Zone-A, but if those signals aren’t respected, the dog’s behaviour will migrate  toward Zone-B into deterrent behaviour. The line between A and B is where the dog flips from displacement behaviours and/or calming signals to deterrent  behaviour, which can escalate to aggression.  

While Zone-A dogs communicate with the approaching stimuli using displacement behaviours and calming signals, Zone-B dogs use deterrent  behaviour. If Zone-B dogs are forced into closer proximity – stress, anxiety and fear rises and they quickly slide up the continuum into severe deterrent behaviour, which can ultimately boil over into aggression.

Although Zone-A dogs are slower to climb the continuum, they still have the  potential of escalating to self-defense driven aggression if they are cornered or feel threatened and the approaching animal or person escalates or doesn’t back  off. Zone-A dogs are much more likely to exhibit self-control and remove themselves from the situation whenever possible.   

Handler reprimands for deterrent behaviours increase stress, anxiety and fear, which inhibits a dog’s ability to think, learn, remember, problem solve or make  choices. In doing so it cripples communication causing the dog to jump quickly to  severe deterrent behaviour in order to fend off the approaching animal or person  before it can be punished. In other words, reprimands usually escalate the conflict.  

Allowing a dog to be pushed up the continuum can result in bullying with a “get  them before they get me” motivation, and rewarding unnecessary or excessive deterrent behaviour can create an aggressive bully that picks fights. When  communication is repeatedly punished it can also result in learned helplessness causing the dog to emotionally shut down and can also manifest in self-defense driven, aggressive behaviour.  

The following is essential to preventing or mitigating aggression and shaping a confident dog that’s a master communicator.

• Early guided, positive and thorough socialization 
• Learn to understand and identify canine communication and body  language 
• Teach a reliable “leave it” cue so your dog learns to avoid and remove  itself from conflict whenever possible 
• Remove your dog when possible or allow it to defend itself when  necessary for its safety 
• Never reprimand acceptable or necessary communications 
• Never put your dog in dangerous situations 
• Protect your dog from other dogs, animals or people who will push it up  the continuum 

The answer to solid communication is an early, careful, thorough and pleasant  socialization before four months of age. After that time, new stimuli and experiences are much more likely to cause stress, anxiety and fear, which is the  leading cause of aggression. Although socialization after four months of age requires more time, management, patience and consistency, it is possible. 

Each dog’s appetite for interaction with other dogs and people will vary as they  grow through the canine maturation process. Each dog will develop preferences  for which personalities and energy levels it’s comfortable with and the dog’s  choices should be respected. Most dogs with adequate socialization that haven’t been reprimanded for normal and acceptable communication will remain good  communicators for the rest of their lives as long as they are protected from those who will push them beyond their comfort level.
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Photo by Jennifer Sauder