A Study of Redirected Aggression - What Is It?

Aggression comes in many levels low to severe. It also manifests itself in various behaviors. This study takes a look at redirected aggression, one of the most dangerous forms of aggression.

This post defines redirected aggression.
Redirected aggression is also called respondent aggression. My simple to understand definition is that it is a reflexive response caused by overstimulation to stimuli such as bunnies, squirrels, people, dogs, even noises or objects. The dog's fear or anxiety turns to anger or panic as it is unable to obtain the stimuli or flee from it. The display finishes itself with a redirected bite to whatever is in the dog's way, whether it is your leg, arm, a couch, a leash, a chair leg, another dog etc.

Definition from James O'Heare's, Aggression in Dogs puts it this way:

Respondent: An unconditioned response (reflex) or conditioned response that is elicited by a stimulus (unconditioned or conditioned).

Respondent Aggression: Occurs when a neutral stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus (that elicits an unconditioned response). After conditioning has occurred, the neutral stimulus itself elicits what we call a conditioned response, and the neutral stimulus has become a conditioned stimulus.

Respondent aggression occurs when an animal is STIMULATED to attack another nearby animal (human, objects) by being presented with an aversive stimulus (Ulrich, Hutchinson & Azrin 1965). In some medical-model classification systems, respondent aggression has been called pain-elicited aggression or redirected aggression.

Some facts:
Tendency is “species specific” – humans, hamsters, monkeys, rats, dogs will and can redirect aggression onto another animal, same species animal, or human. Imagine you or someone you know has a bad day at work. This frustration or anger is redirected on anyone you come into contact with, your wife, your child, even the checkout girl at the local supermarket.

Effect may be cumulative. The incidence of attack increases as the frequency or intensity of aversive stimuli presented increases. This means that the stimuli, in this example a squirrel, manifests itself to other situations, such as fast movements of any kind. The more the dog practices redirecting, the more frequent it will occur and the intensity will increase.

So this explanation leaves little to the imagination that it is a dangerous projection of anger. There is little direction on how to exactly modify this type of aggression. Through my case studies we'll take a look at how to do that. If you have a dog who redirects their aggression and don't know what to do, this is a place to talk about it and possibly get some sane advice to move you along to diminishing this behavior.

How To Train The Family Dog

Dog training and behavior modification often is not just about the dog. It is about the family. This article will address two things, what families do to cause behavior problems, and when families are in training, what they can do to solve behavioral problems in their dogs. All of this is under the assumption everyone in the family is working together and using the same methods. In fact, it is critical, if the dog’s behavior is to change, that all family members are on board and committed to the process.

The top ten things families do to cause behavior problems are:

1. Allowing the dog full access to the household without teaching the dog or puppy to earn this freedom. This can be a problem if the dog doesn’t know the boundaries and rules of said household. That being the case, they will make up their own rules. Families who allow full access to household from day one are families who are not supervising the puppy or dog and are just as responsible for the dog’s bad habits as the dog.
2. Thinking and/or hoping the dog will train itself. It will, but it won’t have the same social standards that you do.
3. Thinking a basic obedience course is all the training the dog will need in its lifetime. Training up a good canine citizen is in the very least a three year process and if you want a really reliable companion, you will be doing a lifetime of training.
4. Viewing a dog as a “thing” rather than a “feeling being”. The dog becomes a project for instance, or was gotten for the kids or because I never had a dog when I was young. When in reality, a dog is a commitment and communicates, feels pain, eats, goes to the bathroom, has sickness and gets into trouble, very similar to humans without of course, the same degree of human intelligence.
5. Not giving the dog a job to do. That being the case, your dog will choose its own job – barking too much because no one is paying attention; or getting into things they shouldn’t be such as your 200 dollar shoes or the garbage or even the refrigerator. An unsupervised dog is a recipe for disaster. Dogs are social animals and need guidance and routines.
6. Not keeping them safe. This means allowing dog to run without boundaries, giving freedom too soon, thinking a dog should like all people and all dogs; or not shielding them from things, people or other dogs that could cause harm.
7. Lack of prevention and management in raising canine. Prevention and management are the best cures for behavioral problems. They don’t solve the behavior or modify it, but they “manage” the problem through making it ineffective and inefficient. To make a behavior irrelevant more commitment to training will be needed from family members, because the dog has developed a “habit”.
8. Several different styles of dealing with the dog within the household. Dogs are smart enough to know who the soft touch is, the disciplinarian, the play thing etc.
9. Punishment, meaning a huge focus on punishing the dog for doing something wrong, rather than teaching the dog through rewarding the dog when they are doing something RIGHT.
10. Using quick fix solutions. Quick fixes equal long term problems. Learning for a dog is as much a process, as it would be for a child.
    

Ten ways Families-In-Training can Stop Behavioral Problems

1. Assess the dog’s environment. Do they have a place they can call their own (a safe place away from children, adults for at least one hour per day)? Do they have quality time with you and the entire family (play sessions where YOU say when they start, and YOU say when they end)? Do they get enough exercise (tongue hanging out daily exercise)? Do they have the best food you can afford meeting their nutritional needs? Do they have a job in the household? Do they have mental stimulation through toys and creative games? Is the environment dog safe (garbage put away, nothing the dog can eat such as small toys or parts, nothing out that the dog can get hurt on)?
2. Making sure your dog has proper bathroom facilities outdoors. This means no laziness on your part. Proper housebreaking takes time and several outings a day until the dog understands where his potty area is and it takes commitment on your part to not leave the dog unsupervised in the house during this critical training period.
3. Allow the dog to “earn” access to rooms. Room number one is the starting room which is blocked off by an xpen, or a baby gate. The dog learns where to properly potty, learns what their chew toys are and to respect them, and they learn to respect the household rules and boundaries. Not to mention, dogs who are earning access (freedom) are never left unsupervised to invent their own rules. They easily acclimate to family life because they know the rules, and routines.
4. Socializing your dog to at least 100 different types of people in varying environments in their first four weeks with you. That equates to at least three people a day and is a technique used by Dr. Ian Dunbar in his books “Before and After You Get Your Puppy”. Reading these books is highly recommended, not only for when you bring home a puppy, but when you bring home a rescue dog or an adult dog. Moderate acclimation to the household and proper socialization and familiarization is very important.
5. Socializing your dog to a variety of dogs off and on leash during the first two months they are with you. This does not include other “family dogs”. Four and five mean you need to get your dog out in the world but if they come to you with problems, you must consult a behavioral consultant so you can introduce and socialize or re-socialize your dog properly and without incident.
6. Being consistent, persistent, patient and committed to showing your dog the household rules. This will make for a happier, healthier dog. Make sure you aren’t making a big deal about coming and going (this avoids separation anxiety problems which cause household destruction and too much bonding to your person). Make sure you are in charge of play time and all toys. Toys should be in a toy box and not left out for free access. Pick two different toys each day to leave out, after a 15 minute QUALITY play period. Your dog will learn that you will come back when you leave, and that his contact needs will be met through positive play interactions.
7. Walking properly from the beginning. This will lead to a dog that is a joy to walk on or off lead. Get the proper equipment for the task. A harness to take the pressure off the neck area – there are several types. Some like the Easy Walk Harness and Sensation Harness have a ring at the front of the chest. Also your dog may need a head harness, if so ideally two points of contact should be your walking style, a Tellington Touch technique which uses a lead with two clasps, one at either end of the lead. One, the heavier, is placed at the top ring of a harness on the shoulders, and the other either around the chest and to harness side ring, OR attached to the head harness or collar. This takes the pressure away, keeps you in control and teaches your dog to walk at your side or slightly behind. There is no water skiing as there would be with one point of contact lead that most people use. While the dog is learning to respect WHERE he walks with one point of contact, you are teaching him with two points, which I call “training wheels” to be balanced and work as a team. Well worth the effort. Once you gain voice control, you can enjoy off lead jaunts.
8. Get rid of all aversive training and discover the world or positive reward-based methods. By rewarding your dog for what they are doing right, you will eliminate the need to punish them for what they are doing wrong.
9. Understanding what your dog is communicating to you through proper understanding of canine body language, calming signals, distance increasing and decreasing signals and stress signals.
10. Training your dog for the life of your dog.

A dog is a valuable member of the family, whether they are a working dog or a companion dog. They should be treated with the respect they deserve from each and every family member. If they are, there will be many years of enjoyment and memories. If not, you will simply erode trust, and cause unnecessary behavioral problems. Your dog will have a less than exemplary quality of life. Get your family-in-training today if you are thinking about getting a dog OR if you already have a dog with behavioral issues. It is never too late to lay out the boundaries and make sure everyone is on the same page. A good trainer will make the process fun for the kids as well as the adults, and make training for the dog an easy integration and lifestyle.

Article: Three Bark Rule

Barking - 3 bark rule

Barking has many reasons. Barking IS communication. So for humans we need to ask ourselves, how much barking is too much, AND why is my dog barking? For me, I have a 3 bark rule, so my dogs learn to alert bark only. 

Below is my process. Determine why your dog is barking. 

Is it "attention seeking, meaning are they trying to get you to notice them?" 

Or is it "communication", are they trying to communicate with you or others - the dog down the street, for instance. 

Are they barking because they are afraid, stressed, or anxious, OR are they overly concerned about sights and sounds, termed distractions or sudden environmental changes (SEC).

Each has a different solution. 

First, here is my 3 Bark Rule article/blog. 

I created the three-bark rule to showcase how easy it is to diminish and even eliminate non-alert barking without using aversive methods. It establishes it is ok to alert bark. 

It shows the dog you respect his communication and it ends barking with a simple, pleasant cue. To train the three-bark rule, you start at the end, meaning you back chain the sequence of cues. This is familiar terminology for clicker trainers. If you are not familiar with clicker training head to http://www.clickertraining.com/ and join the Clicker Solutions Yahoo Groups list to start a lifetime of learning for you and your canine companion. 

The entire sequence is “Thank you, 2, 3, Done Cue”. You can count out the 2, 3 in your head or simply, say it verbally. Your done cue can be anything – “done”, “quiet”, “shhhhh”, “cookies” etc. I use “done” because I can use it in other training sequences with success. 

The thank you portion of the chain signifies you’ve seen what they are barking “at”, confirm it, and indicates you’ll take care of it from here. It shows a respect for the bark as a communication tool; not an annoying habit humans hate. 

Soon your neighbors won’t even know you have dogs. Many times my neighbors have said to me “I didn’t know you had dogs” or “I didn’t know you had two dogs” or “I didn’t know you had big dogs, they are so quiet.” 

Start training your “Done” cue first. 

Every time your dog is simply being quiet, say your done cue and click and treat. If you see your dog siting quietly at the window looking out, this is an ideal time to practice the done cue. The key to the done cue, however, is that it also means, “turn away from what you are barking at and return to me”. So you also run backwards when you say your word or make it so your dog has to turn away and return to (come to) you for a reward. You can click and treat, meaning you click for the ACTION of turning away from and treat for the POSITION of returning to you to receive their reward. WAIT 3 to 10 seconds before delivering the reward so it is very clear that the done cue does NOT mean you are rewarding “barking”. YOU are rewarding QUIET. Your voice must always be happy and always rewarding. 

When you are confident you have a great quiet cue established – a pattern of hearing the cue and turning away from whatever the dog is doing, then and only then start the sequence with the barking. “Thank you 2, 3” is one cue. Here’s how it will go: 

• You hear your dog bark. 
• You get up and go over to where your dog is – and put your hand on their shoulder as you say “thank you”. (Later you can eliminate getting up and going, but in the learning stages this part is critical to the communication sequence.) 
• Continue with 2, 3 (in your head or aloud) and get ready to cheerfully say – your “done” cue. As you do, run backwards or walk to the kitchen or other room where the reward is easily accessible. 

If you have trained this cue well, your dog will stop barking and turn away to return to you for their reward – make sure you lavish the reward on (after 3 to 10 seconds of silence) and keep it very upbeat and happy. You can click and treat if you time it properly – Click for ACTION which equals turning away from and Treat for POSITION which equals returning to you for reward and reinforcement of quiet behavior. 

After that, prevention and management is in order, so block the dog’s view of whatever is stimulating the barking and get them busy with an activity – prevention and management. You do this so your done cue has value and meaning and that it significantly ends the barking behavior. 

Troubleshooting: 

What if my dog doesn’t stop barking when I say my done cue? 

First ask yourself if you “said it correctly” in a pleasant delivery – not with emotion or aversion – yelling DONE! Is not correct and you are only adding drama and actually barking along with your dog.

If you did everything correctly, then you possibly didn’t quite train the done cue long enough to mean silence. Go back to step one and start over. 

There has to be a consequence for barking past done and if all is in place, it simply means no reward, and a blocking of view coupled with a relax time for dog – crate, room etc. This will bring the dog down from the adrenaline rush of barking, which caused them to bark after the cue. This must be done without comment, talking or aversion and is simply a relaxing, positive, time out. 

Time out for you too, to figure out what piece you might have skipped over, why the barking didn’t end, what you were doing wrong. Then you can regroup and try again later, after you do some practice sessions. Don't be afraid to go backwards in your training steps. You'll move forward quicker, but your dog might need a refresher from time to time.

It will take positive reward-based repetitions and proper timing of the clicker to get it just right. 

Tips:

• The click comes ONLY when the dog hears the word, turns away and trots happily over to you to receive their reward. 
• YOU are NOT CLICKING the bark. 
• Click as the dog is trotting over to you, count 3 to 10 seconds out – depends on the dog – and deliver the reinforcement for good behavior. 
• The more you reward good behavior – NOT barking – the more the good behavior you want will continue. 

Soon your dog will be counting out his or her own barks. More importantly, they will know their communication is being taken seriously and you value what they are telling you, which increases and establishes a better team relationship. 

Other ways to diminish barking: 

Teach your dog to speak and then use a done cue. Reward the quiet after 3 to 10 seconds. Put your dog’s bark on cue, and then never cue it. This is a technique established by Karen Pryor and can be found at http://www.karenpryor.com/ or http://www.clickertraining.com/. 

Prevention and management techniques – such as, blocking distracting views, sounds and rewarding for quiet compliance. 

Not allowing fence running and not leaving your dog unsupervised or bored. 

Not yelling at at your dog. 

So in summary, let’s take a look at why dogs bark in the first place. 

To get you to notice them. 

To communicate to you and others. 

Fear, stress or anxiety. 

Frustration, which can lead to your dog barking at YOU. 

Responding to sights/sounds. (other dogs, people, mailman, garbage truck) 

Boredom – lack of supervision or human interaction, or when dog is home alone without proper activity preparation. 

Once you realize dogs don’t bark just to irritate the human species, then you can understand what to do to make barking communication manageable and even enjoyable. Then you can prevent what you don’t want by doing the following:

Keep a log so you can identify what triggers your dog to bark. Then you can be one step ahead in preventing and managing this pattern. 

Reduce exposure to sights/sounds that trigger barking. 

Create more exercise time for you and your dog. 

Make sure they are satiated – proper feeding, play, interactive time, training time, and mental stimulation. 

Keep your dog busy doing something else. If they are working on a delicious Kong, or bone or toy, it is counterproductive to barking. The dog must decide however, what that activity is and then their human must satisfy that need. 

Teach what you DO want. Reward the good behavior. 

Three-bark rule. Actively reinforce quiet or hesitation with your done cue. 

Work with a sound desensitization tape. You can get these with all sorts of everyday sounds, to include show background noises if you have a show dog. This gives you opportunities to practice at various levels of volume, starting with low volume.

Make sure you are following through with your dog’s learning consistently in “real life” situations. As these occur, are you doing what you are practicing? Be consistent, persistent, patient and most of all committed to showing your dog what behavior you DO want. 

I particularly like to use the three-bark rule and especially the cue “Done” said in a happy conversational tone, because this cue then becomes the end of other activities – done interacting with dogs or people, or done playing or a host of other activities – sniffing, etc. But it must always mean turn away from what you are doing, and return to me. 

What a great way for you and your dog to begin a lifetime of proper reward-based training techniques that builds your relationship and communication.

Article: Families Training Dogs