Recently I have had more calls about aggressive Goldens. I have my own ideas about aggressive Goldens and aggressive dogs in general. Years ago, I was assisting in a dog training class at the Marin Humane Society. I joined the class a couple of weeks into the session. My first night I was looking at the roster and noticed the name of a Golden Retriever. Next to the name was written "aggressive with other dogs". I thought Goldens loved all people and all other dogs. This dog was so uncomfortable with other dogs that he had to be at the end of the room and was eventually asked to wear a soft muzzle to prevent any incidents.
Was this dog truly aggressive? Was this dog genetically aggressive? I don’t believe so. I don’t remember this dog’s history, but a number of things could have contributed to his intolerance of other dogs. He may not have had enough exposure to his littermates and mom and never learned proper "dog manners". He may have come from a very large litter and didn’t get enough supervision from his mom. He may have been the smallest puppy and was always picked on by his littermates. He may have had a great experience with his litter but was bullied by an older dog when he was a young puppy. It’s also possible that he started being pushy with other dogs when he was an adolescent and found that other dogs deferred to him when he displayed this behavior—in other words, he was successful with this behavior so he continued it.
Many dogs seem aggressive around other dogs simply because of lack of experience. Maybe they had good exposure to their littermates but have been in the backyard ever since. This type of dog doesn’t know how to read another dog’s body language and isn’t sure how to respond to overtures made by another dog. Whatever the reason, most dogs who seem aggressive are actually unsocialized or fearful, or both. These dogs need to be socialized with other dogs in a very controlled setting so they learn to trust other dogs. A private trainer or a small class situation can help. The last thing you should do is to take a seemingly aggressive dog to a dog park where he will get too much stimulation.
I’ve also been hearing more about food aggression and possession aggression with Goldens. This behavior has more to do with access to resources than aggression. Dogs and wolves in the wild have to kill their own food. If there are just a few wolves in an area with unlimited access to prey, aggressive behavior will be non-existent; however, if there are a lot of wolves and prey is limited, the incidences of aggression will increase. If a dog is fed only once a day, that feeding becomes very important to the dog. If a dog is fed a food that he really likes, the food has a high value to the dog. If a family has two dogs and they each have a bone, one dog may feel like he wants the bone that belongs to the other dog. All of this has to do with access to resources. Here are a few ideas that can help with food and possession aggression issues:
• Feed the dog by hand. • Feed the dog several times a day. • Feed the dog in several bowls instead of one. • Do not feed two dogs together. This will increase competition for the resources. • Put an empty bowl down on the floor. Pick up the bowl and put just a few pieces of kibble in the bowl. Give the dog the bowl. Pick up the empty bowl and continue this until the dog has had his entire meal. • Feed a less palatable food to the dog to decrease the value. • If the dog has a favorite toy, don’t have just one—have many. • Teach a dog to "drop it" by offering the dog something more valuable.
Dominance aggression is also becoming more prevalent. I heard Dr. Patricia McConnell speak on the subject at a conference held at the Marin Humane Society. She believes that dominant dogs are nothing more than status seekers—they want to improve their status in the pack. There are a variety of ways to deal with status:
• Attend an obedience class to improve general control. • Establish a good routine. • Increase the dog’s aerobic exercise. • Limit the dog’s choices. Most of the choices should be made by the human, not the dog. • Make the dog earn everything—sit to be petted, down to get fed, wait before going out, etc. • Seek help from a private trainer.
Every dog is different, and I realize there are extremes of all the behaviors I have mentioned, but I wanted to give you some basic information on aggression so you begin to realize that most of these behaviors can be changed. Every once and a while I will encounter a truly aggressive dog, but it is rare. Most behaviors that look like aggression are actually something else. Keep a diary so you can record the details of the incidents, and call the Animal Behavior Helpline at the Peninsula Humane Society for additional help. I have confidence that so-called "aggressive" Goldens can be rehabilitated.