Why do people believe that dogs only become agressive if they are abused?

Question

I have seen this all over, and here at yahoo it seems a lot of people believe this. Don't get me wrong I belive and abused dog is more likely to become agressive. There are so many other reasons for a dog to become agressive like lack of training or socialization.
When we bought our first dog (GSD) we didn't know anything about socialization or training for that matter and we loved the dog gave him lots of attention and spoiled him at first he was friendly but then he became over protective and started barking at everyone that apporached us, he played nicely with other dogs until one scared him. Personally I believe that my dog was born with an unstable fearful tempremant and with our lack of knowledge on how to handle that we almost createded a monster but we called in professional help and learned how to control and deal with his behavior.

I just don't think that only abused dogs are agressive and I don't think that it is always because an owner is a bad owner

We took him on lots of walks and he met lots of people but we didn't know you were supposed to put him in situations like where children or tall people would esentially be jogging at him or running at him. The breeder didn't inform us of this no one tells you what to do with a fearful dog I am sure many breeders just want to get rid of that dog.
And what I am seeing is that people use the word hurt in conjunction with abuse and that is just not true in many cases

Just so you know I don't think my dog is a monster he has never bit anyone and I know that my lack of knowledge is a big reason he is the way he is, but I also think the breeder who gave me this dog as a first time owner bears some responsiblity to inform owners. Thankfully we consulted professional help and learned how to deal with his behavior, but even my trainers said that the breeder should not have given me such a fearful dog. I do wish that I would have known more about breeding too since this was like a part time hobby for the guy who worked a full time factory job

Okay I am soooo not bad mouthing the breed. Where do you get that from!
I have been reading and studying on puppies and training and have learned a lot and as far as I can see each individual dog has a different personality and there are ways to test this when you go to get your puppy and a good breeder will allow you ample time to find this out and may have even performed the tests already. I don't want to make ANY of the same mistakes I made last time, it will go to puppy classes and several sets of obedience classes and with a good trainier one of the best in my area each trainer has dogs that have are titled in obecience and protection. I may even get my pup from them. I do know I want another GSD I love my dog and even though he is weary strangers and dogs he is the best friend I could have. Sadly he is not well.

Answer 1

I guess it's because it is the easiest explanation for an aggressive dog, but there are numerous other reasons for aggression:

- lack of socialization in early puppy hood (before the pup goes to its new family)
- an aggressive/fearful female dog that teaches her pups this behaviour or where the pups inherit the behaviour from her (such a dog should clearly not have been used for breeding).
- lack of socialization during puppy hood (after the pup has gone to its new family)
- treating the dog as a baby and not giving it a clear alpha to orient itself toward. This can result in a dominant dog taking over the alpha role and keeping its pack in line with whatever means necessary, or a less dominant dog being put in a situation where it is constantly insecure and where it might take some rash decisions about when it will need to defend itself or the other "weak" pack members - and then there's everything in between.

Your dog needn't have been born with an unstable, fearful temperament. Lack of socialization during the first 2-6 months can easily result in an aggressive dog, add to this that you might not have been handling the dog correctly, nomatter how well-meaning you were (lots of attention and spoiling) and you could have a perfect recipe for an aggressive dog. In fact, I've seen plenty of dogs where just the latter were enough for them to become aggressive.

The first dog is always a challenge and even more so if you pick a breed such as a GSD, especially if it comes from working lines. I am not convinced that you can blame the breeder for giving you an psycologically inferior quality dog, but they should have checked your dog-experience and since you were first time dog owners, they should have informed you of the basics, such as socializing the dog and taking it to dog training - follow ups would also have been recommendable.

My first dog was a difficult breed and I was also learning as I went along, but the breeder questioned me at length, taught me as much about dogs as possible during the times where I visited the puppies and gave me a folder of general dog behaviour along with all the basics. Besides that they were only just a phone call away, they always had time to talk to me, and called me regularly for updates.

Answer 2

If someone doesnt socialise their dog properly, especially a larger breed that can become agressive, and they dont learn about the breed to be able to handle it properly, thats neglectful ownership, making the owners, not necessarily bad owners, but not good ones, and not all abuse is intentional. I own 2 dobermans, a rotty cross lab, a bull arab and a springer spaniel. Before i got any of them (permanently anyway, 3 are rescued), i made sure i knew as much about the breed as possible, and found out as much as i could about dog care and ownership as i could, just to make sure i could bring my dogs up properly to be polite, well behaved dogs. Because i knew that they could be dangerous if not raised and treated properly, common sense, any dog can be nasty.

If your dog had a 'unstable fearful temperment', then a professional wouldnt have been able to help, so that lays all the blame for your GSD's problems at your door, not the dogs.

Most people on here use the word 'abuse', as a blanket term, ranging from, an owner being ignorant, or uncaring about how to raise and train their dog, right up to someone beating their dog. Its a term used to describe any way a person raises and trains a dog that isnt the correct and appropriate way that results in problems, either for the dog or owner. If you look at it objectively, and disjointed from the situation, you can see how its an appropriate term. The term 'child abuse', is also a blanket term, there are many forms of child abuse, neglect, sexual, mental and physical. So why should it be a specific term when referring to animals.

By the way, learn what to look for next time you are getting a puppy. You can usually tell what sort of personality it will have just by looking at its immediate behaviour, if it shys away from you, scaredy dog dont get it, if it comes right up to you and demands your attention and gets real excited, give it a miss, possible dominance issues, too confident and may be too friendly, If it isnt too interested in you but isnt scared when you handle it, perfect.

Answer 3

Okay, I can't help but respond to this one... even though I know you will believe whatever you want.

This problem came about because of multiple issues:

1. A poor breeder. If you want a good animal, go to a good breeder. Most "breeder" in the US aren't really breeders they are in it for the money, not for the improvement of the type of dog. IF you go to a quality breeder, they are looking to breed for specific things, and they select the dog for you. One that they believe will fit your family/needs... otherwise, they won't give/sell you a dog.

2. If you had gone to a quality breeder, they would have told you the things necessary to "socialize" your pet. They would have explained the needs of the breed... a need for someone in the house to take the role of alpha or the dog would.

3. Anyone who gets a dog should research the breed thoroughly before investing their time, money and love. Anyone who doesn't isn't really interested in getting the most from their pet.

4. If you had worked with a quality breeder, had gotten the proper training for your animal (from somewhere other than a Petsmart!- geeze who gave them the ability to claim great training! Especially for breeds that require lots of socialization/specialized training), and then the animal had shown poor character/temperment... you would have been able to give the dog back to the breeder and expect something in return (good breeders have contracts! these explain what will occur, but they also negate the contract if the people do not follow their instructions, etc.)...

OKay, now I think I've gone on long enough. I don't think you created a monster per se, I think you have no knowledge of dogs...

I think you need to do more research and become more acquainted with the breed before you castigate it as being aggressive/unstable/fearful, etc. You need to know what you are talking about before you try to talk about it.

Good luck with your dog, and if you love it... find a good trainer of German Shepherds where you live.

visit this website and learn more about the wonderful breed you are bad mouthing.

www.leerburg.com

Answer 4

neglect and abuse are the main contributing factors. However, there have been cases of dogs turning on their owners for no reason. Recently on the news a woman was attacked by her dog that she raised from a pup. It had been obedience trained, never abused, had plenty of socialization, and yet it ripped her upper lip off. The whole family was stunned. This is rare though. I still assert that aggressive dogs are created by their owners in one way or another.

Some breeds do have aggressive natures and that is why training is very important. Some people can stop at obedience, but others need to continue the training. Also, a lot of people think that training ends when the classes are over, but you really need to continue working with your dog on a daily basis. I have a Dobie and two Boxers. I have to work with them everyday and that is especially true for my young female boxer. She is fearful of strange men and I'm not sure why. I think that something happened when she escaped the yard one day. Anyhow, I doubt you made your dog aggressive, but I do know that you need to keep working with him to fix it before it gets worse.

As for blaming the breeder, you really should have researched the breed before you purchased him. I never take on an animal until I know everthing there is to know about it. I researched Boxers and Dobies, not to mention, ferrets, bunnies and cats before decideing on a pet.
A good breeder should have made sure you are aware of the breed, but they rarely ask.

Answer 5

There is a form of seizure which is rare called temporal lobe epilepsy. When a seizure is triggered, it is aggression instead of the flopping over on his side and kicking his legs kind. Many people call this "Intermittent Rage Syndrome". You never mentioned if he also attacks objects. Be careful as rage is often over diagnosed by many people. It can be difficult to truely diagnose and treat. You need to talk to your veterinarian and get a consult with a good even university level behavorist. There are some medication and redirection therapy which may help. Hate to be the bearer of bad news but many of these dogs are untreatable and most are eutuhanized. This can be a very dangerous situation because of its unpredicatable nature.

Answer 6

Temperament is inherited, just like any other genetic trait. That is why most standards carry a description of temperament. It's the CORRECT temperament for that breed of dog, necessary to it's function. A responsible breeder breeds to conform to the standard, and in doing so, breeds for correct temperament.
That's one reason I'm not in favor of Breed Specific Legislation. If the breeds currently used as fighting dogs are banned, what's to stop these unscrupulous people from taking a dog of any other breed with an aggressive temperament and breeding it with another similarly afflicted dog, and starting a whole line of aggressive dogs which could be used for fighting?
That said, it's also possible to take a dog with an otherwise mild temperament and turn it mean through abusive treatment. But, I have seen abused dogs in rescue whose temperaments were naturally so sweet & submissive, that they actually still wagged their tails and licked their abusers.
So, you see, there is much to be said on either side of the argument. Temperament is inherited, but can also be spoiled by mistreatment or corrected through training.

Answer 7

First of all, that is why you learn as much as possibly BEFORE considering / purchasing any breed. Just as dogs are not born aggressive, they are not born fearful. Something happened to make that dog fearful after it was born. Your failure to educate yourself on the behavior and necessary training before obtaining a GSD is not the dog's fault. The breeder obviously did not screen potential families adequately and did not follow up with the families they placed pups with.

Someone said you used a very poor example. For your arguement, yes, you did. However, your example of lack of knowledge is a prime example of why some breeds have the reputation they do.

And it's not just physical abuse most people are referring to. Neglect, tossed out into the yard because they can't control the dog in the house. Neglect: lack of training and socialization. Neglect: left on a chain day in and day out.

EDIT:
As far as you blaming the breeder for not informing you, obviously you didn't check out the breeder any more than they checked you out. You wanted a dog, they wanted your money. That's not a breeder, that my friend is a 'greeder".

Answer 8

I agree with Anne- While most dogs become aggressive due to some sort of wrongdoing of their owners, I think that some dogs (like people) are just born with a "bad attitude" and are predisposed to be aggressive no matter what. This could be due to some sort of chemical imbalance or mental disorder (again, just like people). It takes a very special person, with lots of time and money (not the typical person) to deal with one of these dogs.
Dogs are social pack animals and need a strong leader. A dog that is not properly socialized and lives with a human that does not show leadership and lets it become totally spoiled will sometimes turn aggressive during puberty. They are trying to establish an Alpha role since they do not feel that there is a noticeable leader within the household.
The best way to prevent your dog from becoming aggressive is to properly socialize it (with people and other dogs) in all situations, from the beginning play examine its feet, eyes, teeth, etc.., establish rules and stick to them, have a regular feeding and exercise schedule, and have fun.

Answer 9

If a breeder doesn't pay attention to the temperments of their breeding stock, they will eventually begine to produce puppy's with bad temperments.
Sure, a person can take any puppy and make it grow up to be a bad dog, we all recognize that. But to think that there are no bad dogs naturally is just plain foolish. Bad breeding leads to bad dogs, and it is just that simple.

Answer 10

Ok lack of knowledge is key to a agressive behavior. Also as a puppy they arent going to show aggressiveness. when they muture is usually when they show the aggressiveness.Abuse is the number one reason to aggressive dogs. they fear people.. Also is he just barking at the people? maybe he doesnt relize who they are,maybe he cant deside if they are friends or foes. I can understand the dog situation. theres many things that can lead to aggressiveness. It seems that that the dog is overly protective,as you were when he was a puppy hes showing you what he was taught.