Rationalization of Dog Behavior

by The K9 Guy, 04-16-18

Over the past month I had two or three days where a concept I really hadn't thought too much about got driven home. In Australia, there were 3 dog mauling over 3 days - one caused a fatality. A new reporter was interviewing a trainer who made a profound statement. He said something along the lines of 'all dog attacks are the fault of owners'. Explaining himself, he gave the example of a dog that is anxious or protective and growls at a guest entering the house. Owners who fail to teach a dog that this behavior is inappropriate, are setting their dog up for future problems.

Another news story the following day, involved a mother who turned her teen son in to Police when he got drunk and stole their car. Two child behavioral experts were sharing opinions on whether this was appropriate. One felt it was too harsh, the 2nd disagreed. That 2nd professional also commented that a 17 year old with behavioral issues likely had problems at 17 months. Hmmmm.

On day 3 a caller was looking for help with a dog having aggression issues. Like many callers with aggressive dogs, I heard a lot about the dog's great traits - 99% of the time. I also heard a long story of the dog not living with good owners, and how its aggression was the fault of those bad owners.

Why am I sharing three seemingly incongruent stories. Well, having them happen over 3 days reinforced just how much we, as a society, tend to rationalize problem behaviors in our dogs. I agree with the Australian trainer that problem behaviors need to be addressed - 1st time every time. Dogs need information, and they won't learn or get better without it. It's not only OK to say "NO" when dogs cross lines that put the safety or owners or other pets at risk, it's the only responsible thing to do.

I also agree with the child behavioral specialist noting problem teens were likely problem children. Bad behaviors don't generally pop up over night - they worsen over time when they're not acknowledged and addressed. This is true in dogs too. I've spent a lot of time over the years writing educational articles that can help owners identify early signs of pending issues. Stopping problem behaviors early always leads to best results.

And finally, the owner I spoke to on the phone was really a carbon-copy of calls I take every month. An owner making excuses for a dog that's biting or fighting. Yes, some dogs have hard breaks that will pull at your heart strings, but in the end aggression is a choice. Most dogs, even those with bad or no homes, don't get mean or nasty.

I want to see dogs and owners live the best possible life together, and believe all dogs deserve a chance at a happy life. In the stories above, this means recognizing problems and patterns rather than explaining them away. For dogs with behavioral challenges, rationalization is a gremlin that can cost a dog its life.