Clean Run - May 2018 - 36

Aggression, reActivity, And Agility?
Key Considerations for You and Your Dog
By Emma Parsons, BA, KPA CTP, APDT, CDBC, photos by Greg Parsons

We have all seen it at an agility trial:
the handler/dog team that hides
around a corner until that final moment when they run into the queue
and move quickly into the ring. Each
time I see that scenario play itself out,
I think to myself, "I wonder if that dog
has an aggression issue or a reactivity
issue. Should I beware of that dog? Is
that person irresponsible in wanting
to show that dog so much that they
would risk the safety of other agility
competitors?" I like to think not! But
none of us can truly know the answer
to those questions, and sometimes
neither does the handler.
What's the Reality Vs. the Label?
The words "aggression" and "reactivity"
are labels that essentially mean nothing. We have no idea what behaviors
hide behind these terms.
If you look up "aggression" in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, it is defined as,
"A forceful action or procedure (such as
an unprovoked attack) especially when
intended to dominate or master." In his
textbook, Animal Training, Ken Ramirez
says aggression is "Behavior aimed, consciously or unconsciously, at hurting
another individual or the impulse to do
so." I am not convinced that every time
a dog bites, it makes him an aggressive
individual. Yes, at that point in time, he
did make the choice to bite; however, it
does not mean that he will choose this
behavior each and every time in the
36

future. And that's the difficulty-the
unpredictability of it all!

on the data that you have collected
about what actually occurred.

If you look up the term "reactive," the
same dictionary states, "readily responsive to a stimulus," while Ken Ramirez's
book doesn't even have it listed in the
glossary. My definition? A dog that
is over-stimulated when exposed to
a person, object, or an event. Overstimulation is generally represented as
the dog that is barking, lunging, and/or
growling at the end of his leash. On the
flip side, I would never assume that this
reactive dog wouldn't bite. Over-stimulated dogs are also at risk of biting.

Consider Your Dog's Behavior History

As an agility exhibitor, my concern,
when differentiating between these
two words, is a misrepresentation of
what behavior is actually occurring.
For example, I have seen clients whose
dogs have severely bitten them, another person, or another dog brush off
this experience and excuse the behavior: "well he was afraid or he wouldn't
have done it had he not been in that
situation." Also, as often, some handlers
who own the "barking, lunging, leaping" dogs just assume that, although
their dogs are loud and obnoxious, they
will never bite. Years ago, Karen Pryor
taught me, "Never make a training decision based on what you think the dog
is thinking because you will always be
wrong." Throughout the years, I have
taken this advice to heart. Instead of
trying to understand why your dog
demonstrated a certain behavior, rely

If you have a dog that you are not sure
about, ask yourself the following questions: Has your dog ever attacked another person or dog with no, or slight,
provocation? If so, what was the extent
of the injuries? The circumstances?
Does your dog lunge and leap when he
sees another strange person or dog?
Does he bark non-stop when in a highly
stimulating setting? How about walking too close to another dog? Is that a
problem? If you have answered "yes"
to any of these questions, now think
about what the reinforcement history
has been. Did it only happen once or
twice? Or does it happen all the time?
It is my opinion that dogs who are
a danger to strangers or other dogs
should not be brought into any public venue. This not only means agility
shows but also places where the general public gathers. I cannot stress this
enough: no one has the right to endanger the well-being of those around
them. Whether you are a human, a dog,
or a giraffe, we all have the right to be
safe in the environments we occupy.
Agility shows are especially challenging since many times we are crammed
into tiny spaces with treats, tug toys,
and dogs that are very excited to run.
There is not much room here for error,
so safety first always!
Clean Run | May 18

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - May 2018