There are a number of incidents in this article that led to a trusted family pet re-directing aggression to his owner, and killing her in the process.
The behaviourist giving evidence has delivered a comprehensive view of the situation despite the horror of the outcome of the dogs aggression.
It's also a good reminder that if we, as pet owners, are going through traumatic experiences, then the impact of those experiences on our pets and additional training or behavioural management should be considered. The owner in this story had suffered enough that she didn't feel mentally or emotionally capable of doing her work, yet the dog was expected to maintain it's previous status as a trusted family pet despite having successfully defended the owner in a home invasion.
The behaviourist also raises another important point - frustration increases drive - unfortunately in this instance, the drive that was being increased was defence drive, known as a very unstable drive to work with because it's fear based. This also highlights the importance of good training and leadership practices with dogs prior to issues like this coming up.
Not all dogs will become aggressive under such circumstances, some will just develop more fears or lowered fear thresholds and become nervous wrecks or shut down. Or for those with firmer temperaments these experiences may just wash off like water off a ducks back. So getting a good handle on the dogs genetic temperament should be foundational to any training program.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/na...eZ1HAQL-Lf9hwzug0w9TIqUvwCzX0GKYi9BeuCBpSMP5o
The behaviourist giving evidence has delivered a comprehensive view of the situation despite the horror of the outcome of the dogs aggression.
It's also a good reminder that if we, as pet owners, are going through traumatic experiences, then the impact of those experiences on our pets and additional training or behavioural management should be considered. The owner in this story had suffered enough that she didn't feel mentally or emotionally capable of doing her work, yet the dog was expected to maintain it's previous status as a trusted family pet despite having successfully defended the owner in a home invasion.
The behaviourist also raises another important point - frustration increases drive - unfortunately in this instance, the drive that was being increased was defence drive, known as a very unstable drive to work with because it's fear based. This also highlights the importance of good training and leadership practices with dogs prior to issues like this coming up.
Not all dogs will become aggressive under such circumstances, some will just develop more fears or lowered fear thresholds and become nervous wrecks or shut down. Or for those with firmer temperaments these experiences may just wash off like water off a ducks back. So getting a good handle on the dogs genetic temperament should be foundational to any training program.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/na...eZ1HAQL-Lf9hwzug0w9TIqUvwCzX0GKYi9BeuCBpSMP5o
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