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As someone who has dedicated years of behavior modification training a rescue dog with genetic fear aggression (actual clinical diagnosis), I wish we'd get away
by durandal1 8y ago
As someone who has dedicated years of behavior modification training a rescue dog with genetic fear aggression (actual clinical diagnosis), I wish we'd get away from the "there's no bad dog, only bad dog owners" dogma. I'd agree with you that the majority of behavioral problems with dogs can be removed or mitigated with training. However, dogs as with all other species have their temperament spread a long a distribution - and the outliers rarely survive their first 2 years, and those how find the right owners who can provide the right training and management still will never live a normal household dog life.
- jrace 8y agoThe spirit behind the phrase "no bad dogs, just bad dog owners" fits very well with your example. Your dog is not bad, and its owner (you) are also not bad. Now, if you took your dog, who you know to have behavior issues to a home and locked him in with some kids...then you are now the bad owner. You are smart and caring enough (thank you!!) to recognize and properly handle your dog. Your dog is not bad, he is just a dog.
- cm2012 8y agoOkay, replace bad with inherently badly behaved then. The worst thing is that many people are fucking awful to other people who return a dog to a shelter when it doesn't work out.
- ianai 8y agoAre they? I’ve not heard of that stigma, but I can believe it. Might just be where I’ve talked most about dogs though.
- bayesian_horse 8y agoPeople working at shelters can be rather obnoxious. They are willing to sacrifice a lot for improving an animals welfare, and can't understand if someone isn't willing to upend their lives for a totally miserable relationship to a new pet. Rescueing animals should not be about making people miserable.
- bayesian_horse 8y agoI call BS on that "diagnosis" (and I'm a Veterinarian btw). That being said, there is such a thing as a dog whose behavioral problems are insurmountable. I just don't want to ascribe it to genetics or anything else specific in any individual dog. If training doesn't seem to work, the only option is medication. Especially if fear is supposed to be a factor. I don't know what you tried and I don't want to judge because I believe every owner loves their animals, no matter what.
- sandworm101 8y ago>> I believe every owner loves their animals, no matter what. I have run into a couple situations where this was not the case. We had an incident in Vancouver with a dogsled company (Whistler, post-olympics). Dogs owned for commercial purposes are often not "loved". Similarly, fighting dogs. There are many people in this world for whom dogs are not pets but a source of revenue, status, or fashion.
- bayesian_horse 8y agoEven those people tend to love their animals more often than not. I've seen farmers being affectionate to their cows or their pigs. I knew a poultry professor who kills chicken all the time but seems to cuddle them when people aren't looking. My presumption has proven relatively useful in dealing with owners. Even loving an animal doesn't preclude abuse, though.
- durandal1 8y agoI agree that knowing the accuracy of the diagnosis is hard - it was established by the Behavior Service at the Veterinary Hospital of UC Davis by small animal behavior specialists. Our dog is on medication now (SSRI), and I would say the primary help is not a direct effect on behavior, but improved results of the behavior modification (presumably due to lower stress levels). In the end, we're fighting behavior that does not seem rooted in any specific experience or medical condition, so genetics does not seem far fetched. Please feel free to chime in if you have ideas.