Dog Attacks

The recent, very unfortunate event in Didsbury, Alberta, where two Akitas attacked and seriously injured two young people who were know to them as well as their dog, highlights the problem of dog attacks and what brings it about, once more.
There is no doubt that there are a number of facts leading to this particular attack:
1. The fact that there were new born (4 days old) puppies and that therefore the mother dog would have been increasingly protective
2. That the owner, who would have had the most control over the Akitas, was away.  Also she would instill a sense of trust and calm into her dogs, which was not there due to her absence.
3. The couples beagle dog coming into the environment of the bitch with the new born puppies would almost surely have aggravated the protective instincts of the mother Akita
4. Dog aggression will be compounded by the flight and panic of the object of their attack.  If the beagle and its owners were yelling in flight, then the aggression would have be aggravated.

What has made this incident even more sinister is that the couple and there beagle were well known to the Akita’s and that despite their attempts to escape they were persued by the Akitas until they could fight their way out of the garage.

The reality remains however, that despite the fact that we are talking about peoples pets, our “best friends”, and constant companions, animals that they love dearly, pets that are regarded as part of the family, that we experience aggression, biting, nipping and dominant behavior continuously from our dogs.  As a veterinarian it is of great concern to me that so many of our dogs can not be controlled by their owners.  That so many dogs are out of control and undisciplined, regardless of their size or breed.  One need only tune into an episode of “Caesar Milan’s Dog Whisperer” on TV to see how dogs are ruling the behavior of their people, rather than the other way around.

The statistics of dog attacks show without exception that dogs that have been trained and are obedient have a statistically hugely lower incidence of attacks on people.  This includes all breeds both large and small.  In the UK Labradors have been one of the top listed breeds of dogs involved in attacks.  Here in the US and Canada, German Shepherds were for a long time on top of the list but have now been replaced by the power breeds of Pit Bulls, Cane Corso’s and here we have a case of Akitas.  The big difference with the power breeds of course is that they do more harm than the smaller breeds.

As a society we can do well to remember that the happiest dogs are those to which we assign jobs and work and from which we demand respect of our rules.  No matter what the breed, all of our dogs have been bred to work and we need to not only allow them, but to teach them how to do this.  All dogs should know how to sit on command.  Also how to heel, lie down, stay, come and walk on a leash without pulling.  No dogs should jump up on us without being invited to do so, or jump onto the furniture without invitation.  Food should not be available all day, but should be given twice daily with the requirement that the dog sits obediently and only take the food on command.  Praise and reward should be earned, and not unconditional.  And the best “love” that you can give your dog is to give it adequate exercise and attention.  If you need help in how to do this just tune in to an episode of “The Dog Whisperer” and if necessary enroll in training classes, which are available all over, and conveniently for us with the Calgary Humane Society.  If you want to see a happy dog just attend a show of “Super Dogs” or go to any dog agility trial.  All of this is available in Calgary.  Empower your pet to attain it’s true potential with your help.  That is what loving your pet is really about!


PS:  After jotting down the above I requested feedback from three dog trainers with whom I work closely.
The following are their replies.


Janine:

I think there is a problem with the power breeds and biting it is quite inflammatory (and yes, they certainly happen but get spectacular press).  This gives people the impression that their biting Dachshund or Cocker Spaniel isn't an issue as hospitalizations don't happen as often.  A far bigger problem I feel is dogs in the home biting - usually the small breeds and although these don't make the headlines, yet they create an environment of owner terror and helplessness where the dogs rule the household.  



Dave:

Well done Mark!  I agree with your position and feel you have expressed it well.  The Akita is breed that was bred to guard and this is an important fact that may help people understand why the dog might react in a certain way, even without the presence of new puppies, which as you mentioned would certainly escalate the situation.  Often people tend to misread, or not pay attention, to what a dog is telling us through its body language.

It seems you are putting the responsibility on the owner and not the dogs, with which I agree with as well.   It seems as though the dogs and those unfortunate people were placed in a horrible position by the owner.  The situation was not the same as it was before the pups had arrived and they should have all thought about that before having the dogs with their puppies in the “passage way” to get into their home.  Especially as you mentioned with another dog being present.  So why should these dogs even be considered for being put down when they reacted with a normal animal behavior to protect their pack?  The owner should be the one to suffer the cost to ensure the humans safely heal mentally and physically and the cost to rehabilitate the Akita's and place them in a proper environment with a human who knows how to handle a “power breed”.

I worked with an Akita who was on guard all the time and it only took 3 minutes for me to remove that with her.  It took the owners a few months but they are now with a dog that has not attacked in over 8 months and has dog friends.  Before the dog had attacked 3 dogs in 4 months.  The dogs can be trained most of the time to be under control, but the owners have to want that for their pet, and to put in the required effort in.



Gail:

Great points Mark.  I think that you've covered most of the basic issues with this horrible and tragic attack, especially in regards to why the Akitas were motivated to attack.

I'm a big believer in leadership as you know, and to me that is the foundation of proper and healthy dog ownership. I think that pet owners are often conflicted by this need to provide leadership and direction and for the usual reasons of needing the dog to meet their needs, be that as substitute children, security or friendship. I have often told my clients that they don't respect their dogs if they are unable or unwilling to treat their dogs as dogs and not as people.

I support your views of training and jobs one hundred percent. I would like to stress over and over, that dogs are dogs, and that they communicate with body language and voice tone. They have strong instinct, and that is what motivates their behavior. Therefore, in order to be good and responsible dog owners, we must learn to view life from the perspective of the dog and not dump our human thoughts and emotions on them. We've put them in a situation where for the most part, they are dependent on us to survive. Therefore, we need to provide them with their needs, not ours.