Aggression Prevention
Advice from Animal Expert Dr. Grey Stafford
 On a recent visit to 3TV's GMAZ Saturday, a viewer asked about a brewing aggression problem between two (both male) of the five dogs in her home. She mentioned it was becoming increasingly necessary to separate them due to more frequent fighting. This is a problem any animal owner may encounter, whether we have one pet or many.
Creating an atmosphere of lasting teamwork among our pets is no accident and it doesn't come from using punishment or dominance. That last part may come as a surprise, especially given the number of experts who seem to insist pet owners must become the pack leader or alpha in their own home.
Unfortunately for our caller, separating animals once they have begun to fight will probably escalate the problem even though it's often necessary to prevent serious injuries. Think of it this way. Fighting behaviors help to eliminate the competition. So by removing "the other guy," we actually contribute to the long-term problem. To turn things around, we have to find ways to train greater cooperation and prevent the fight from happening before it begins.
Everyone Wins
Every interaction trainers have with their pets should be group or team based. Anytime one animal gets a reward, even if it is just our attention, everyone in the group gets some of this reward. Plus, the order in which we provide this reward matters! Since we don't want the more dominant animals to feel threatened by the mere presence of others, we must associate these other subordinate animals with lots of reinforcement. For example, suppose you have a favorite food treat for your group. Rather than just hand it out for free, begin by asking all of them to display a simple, easy to perform behavior like sit, stay, or even just "stand still and don't pick on your neighbor". If everyone in the group complies, then offer your food treat. Start with the most timid animal and then the next and so on until you feed the most dominant animal last. Use tiny treats that are easily consumed and be certain to have enough ready to feed everyone quickly, but in the correct order. Some animals are so dominant they will not wait long for their turn!
Every Interaction Counts
For our caller, it's critical that she pay attention to every interaction and think about how she and her family reward her "team." Since two of her dogs have learned to fight, they may not be able to handle being as close to each other, which makes the task a bit more difficult. For the rest of us, the important lesson is to prevent animals from competing with each other for our attention and rewards by having plenty of fun available for everyone. And contrary to what you may have been told or read, reward each team member in the right order every time–least dominant first to most dominant last. This will teach timid animals to be more confident, and confident animals to be more cooperative.
Look for more on this complex topic of aggression prevention using positive reinforcement in the coming weeks.
Dr. Grey
Learn more about Dr. Grey Stafford
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