#canine behavior

Simple premise: A dog who is aggressive.

And it can usually stay that simple. We don't always know what wire is crossing at what time in a dog's head, so let's focus on the visuals first.

What does aggression look like?

An aggressive dog may not immediately attack. Sometimes they will wag their tail in very slow, stiff movements while standing quite still or slowly approaching. If they have short/medium fur, you'll see the beginnings of piloerection - when the fur on the back of an animal stands upright. These are the hackles, and they are a red flag for a dog who is very distressed.

A very long coated breed (Newfoundland) won't have the same visible 'hackles' as a short coated dog, but they'll usually look fluffier around the head and the neck fur may still be able to stand upright.

Their ears may be very erect initially, but will usually flatten or 'pin' themselves as they approach / are approached.

A human character might be able to interpret bad intentions through the dog's expression - an aggressive dog who isn't reacting out of fear usually has a very empty cast to their eyes, as cliche as it may sound. They don't look like a dog in that moment - they just look like a predator.

A dog of this nature may attack without any warning or hesitation, but it's very uncommon to see any old dog with that level of intensity. In these extreme cases, one tell will be in the eyes, which harden (the minute muscles tense on all sides to pull back those lips to expose chompers), as well as in the dog's body language, which will get tenser and tenser and tenser until everything happens all at once.

If you are approaching a door and there is a very angry bark behind it, you should have it in your head already that the dog inside may be legitimately aggressive. Doors are a huge trigger for a lot of domestic dogs, because that marks the threshold of the house. That's their fight vs flight line right there.

Without the correct tools and training, someone walking into that house would likely be bitten badly. Multiple dogs could also pile on as a pack (a huge risk when handling groups of dogs) if the stress gets high enough.

IMPORTANT WRITING THINGS ABOUT AGGRO DOGS

No, unless your character has a bonafide magical ability to tame beasts or is a professional canine handler, it is not possible or recommended to bring a legitimately aggressive dog back down to a 0 from 120 while an active situation is still unfolding. As long as the scene is not stable, a reactive dog is simply incapable of truly relaxing or focusing elsewhere.

Not every aggressive dog will bark. If we opened the theoretical door with the theoretical rage machine behind it, that dog likely wouldn't bother barking. It would just lunge and save the effort. These are the most dangerous dogs to deal with.

There is a very specific sort of rolling growl that a fractious dog will do. It's low, and deep, and it's about as mean-sounding as any animal can get, especially in a large-chested breed.

Aggressive dogs will sometimes lose interest and wander a short distance away, but return to continue the attack if they see or hear movement.

BEHAVIORS OF NOTE

Tail up, stiff, and wagging without ever loosening.

Hackles up! Gotta look big and mean!

Claws may dig into the dirt for leverage, especially when doing those big ol' woofs.

Ears pinned, eyes wide w/ the whites visible. May crouch slightly, or try to creep closer.

A trained dog will go for your upper arms if they're available. Your average aggressive dog is going to snap at the backs of your legs in particular.

I went and stayed at a friends house for about 4 days and I took Bubbles with me. Stoli apparently had a TimeTM.

He shredded his bed Wednesday when my spouse left him in the crate when he went to work. Thursday and Friday he left him loose, which is what Stoli is usually always doing when we're gone. Thursday he was fine. Friday, he wreaked havoc. I will include photos.

This is extremely out of character for him. I've left him with my spouse multiple times for long stretches, like 7+ days, and he did fine. And this was before we adopted Bubbles/after Layla died. I'm so upset because I have no idea why he would do this or what could have triggered it. My spouse was walking him every evening, his routine was the same. And it's not like he's never been left before. This level of destruction is what I'd expect from a dog with full blown separation anxiety. He never ever has done ANYTHING like this.

Does anyone know why this could be? My spouse said that when he left in the morning, Stoli was chilling on the couch, and when he got back home, he was also chilling on the couch. He greeted my spouse with the typical happiness, no frantic behavior. My spouse even waited a few minutes outside to listen for panicked noises and he heard nothing. He isn't noise sensitive and he isn't in a fear period.

Also I leave him in the crate 1-3x a week when I take Bubbles to the vet and we are gone at least 3-4 hours, sometimes up to 6. He also sees me take her out to potty 3x a day.

This no lie has brought back some major PTSD flashbacks from when I had Mort and he had severe separation anxiety. I don't think I can do that again.

Could my stress from Bubbles be affecting him? I'm so upset.

constant urge to chew on things I shouldn't (I literally looked up at a tree the other night and thought "damn I wanna chew those branches so bad" and I have actually chewed on sticks before)

that thing dogs do where they stick their head out the window of a moving car? I get that 100% I like to go out when it's windy and just feel the breeze rushing past my face (going out in a motorboat on the lake is fantastic and almost meditative for me I hear nothing but the wind and the water and the motor and I'm surrounded by the cool gentle force of the wind's embrace and I lowkey disassociate from the rest of the world and just vibe)

wary around strangers but dedicated to the point of self destruction to those I love

randomly get the zoomies or energy/mood spikes

laying on the floor

desire to receive pets and head scritches (being touch starved and fond of forms of physical affection that are mildly unconventional when shared between humans)

unexpectedly seeing who was then my favorite person had me so bright and excited the mental image of me standing there wagging a tail I don't have popped into my head

again the urge to bite and chew

the sort of low growl I tend to do when smthn makes me mad

the fact that I pretty regularly whine/whimper when upset if I'm alone, as well as that one time a whimper slipped out when my gf at the time was kissing me

being socially needy, wanting attention, wanting to be around people, feeling rejected when I can't be

having no goddamn sense of time lol

the need to be given direct, simple orders, to be bossed around in order to function, difficulty understanding complex instructions

showing care through aggression, desperate to fight for those I care about because love is complicated but violence is simple

being one of the least picky eaters in my family, willing to try just about anything

the innate desire for a "pack," a group of individuals that I share closeness with and can rely on for safety and support, intrinsically drawn together by instinct and bound by a loyalty and familial fondness more intense than I've actually had the pleasure of experiencing

multiple accounts of begging my friends to go to the park with me

sensitive ears, the pain of high sharp noises, hearing things others don't

fascination with scent

I apologize in advance for the ramble, but I had to live in the real world for a second.

For those following the Dog Breeds of Thedas series, I reiterate: I am using years of canine behavior study and hands on training to inspire these breed entries. Everything I write in them? I mean it. Unwanted behavior is the single deadliest threat to dogs. It is the number one reason that dogs are taken to shelters and are often not able to be adopted out to new families. Dog breeds exist precisely because we wanted what amounts to employees, each one for their own purpose. Do you know how many people I have met who got a dog “because it was cute/cool looking”? A gardener who loves her flowers and can’t stand that her terrier is digging in the garden bed, like it was bred to do. A frat boy who throws lots of parties and doesn’t want his guard dog growling at guests, like it was bred to do. A regular person who can’t figure out why their herding dog has hyperfixations, like it was bred to have. These are just a few examples.

So to all of my dog lovers out there, and anyone considering getting a dog, there is a Dog Breed Selector on https://www.selectadogbreed.com that will match you with your perfect breed. I promise you that you cannot research enough before you commit 7 to 17 years of your life caring for another living thing.

You may be asking yourself, why type all this now? Well, my next entry is based on the Caucasian Ovcharka and it makes me nervous to even admit that. They’re making their way into the United States and gaining popularity. They were literally made to guard livestock from wolves and bears. There is no tier of guard dog above this dog. It’s this and the Tibetan Mastiff. That’s it. Unless -bears- are a real and present threat in your life, -you don’t need one-. Plenty of other breeds will suffice if you want a companion who will protect you. In fact, whether or not you even own a dog, a simple ‘Beware of Dog’ sign will deter over 70% of home invasion crimes. I know they look badass, I know they’re huge and fluffy, and I know that there’s a chance American breeders aren’t even breeding for the same killer instincts that they are in Russia, but if you have no experience handling any type of guard dog this is not the dog for you. It will end with your dog being euthanized because it bit someone, and it will break your heart, and it will be your fault.

Sometimes the best thing you can do for a dog is to not get one.

There might be some of you who don’t like hearing that. Save your hate, I’ve already heard your arguments and they do not change the horrors I’ve seen, they do not change my firsthand experience with guarding breeds. I spent three solid years rehabilitating an aggressive dog that I adopted. It was not easy. People were bitten. Other dogs were bitten. And one woodchuck lost its life. I was beyond lucky that none of those attacks ended with any serious injuries (except for that woodchuck, RIP little dude). I was beyond lucky no one ever called Animal Control for their minor wounds. I had to be hyper vigilant to keep him out of trouble and anyone but me could not handle him, because he didn’t trust anyone else’s leadership. I did this so that he could live. Dangerous dogs get put down. ‘Potentially dangerous dogs’, in the eyes of the law, have allllll sorts of restrictions placed upon them. Dogs are wonderful, amazing, loving, intelligent, adorable, best friends to have. They are also predators. Whoever owned my dog before I got him should not have had a dog. My dog was an untrustworthy monster and an emotional mess for a very long time because of bad ownership, and if I brought him back to the shelter he would have been euthanized. Instead, I spent every single day for eight years being my dog’s guardian and I was laying on the floor with him when he breathed his last breath on this earth, an old man who went peacefully in his sleep. In his later years, people would often say they had never met a better dog. I would assure them it was because we did the work.

And I firmly believe that anyone who is not willing to do the same, anyone who would give up their dog because it barks, or jumps, or pees on the carpet, or because they have to move, shouldn’t have a dog. As a dog trainer let me say: most of those behavioral issues can be fixed. A dog offers unparalleled loyalty but if you cannot offer that same kind of dedication back to them, you don’t deserve it. That dedication should start before you even bring the dog home, when you’re considering if your personalities will match.

I’m willing to admit, I was eighteen and I only thought I was prepared for what I was getting myself into.

My dog was homeless with me. My dog moved across state lines with me. My dog was more fucked up than any other dog I’ve ever met in person. But I stuck by him and five years later when a weird dude was following us through the woods on our daily walk, he saved my life.

The man, the myth, the legend:

My point here is: not every dog is for everyone. A dog is not a fashion accessory. No dog is friendly and perfectly behaved 100% of the time and they should not be romanticized that way, but you can make it easier on yourself by trying your hardest to get the right dog for you. Be honest with yourself with what you’re really looking for, some dogs are just meant to be companions.

My asks are always open if anyone has dog related questions, whether for real life or for their writing.

Source: Wikimedia commons;  The Affinities of the Antarctic Wolf (Canis antarcticus)

Any creature with a mouth can bite. This includes domestic dogs, werewolves, and the humans who care for them.

This post came about due to overanalyzing the absolute shit out of a lovely piece of Once Upon a Time fanart by @konako, pictured here, featuring a bite from a quadripedal werewolf. Support artists: please reblog and fawn over the original work!

Disclaimers & qualifications: I am a practicing animal behavior professional, but this analysis doesn’t constitute a consultant-client relationship. If you’re having issues in real life, it’s important to contact a professional.

This analysis is meant to help you bring fidelity to your works of fiction, and you can embellish as the story needs. There are some things that I left out because they’re more relevant to real life than to fiction. Again: consult a pro.

Content warnings

Written descriptions of bite wounds. If you want images, google is your friend.

Discussion of canid bites, including towards children.

Discussion of animal aggression.

What’s under the cut:

How & Why Aggression Occurs

Animals vs. animals: differences between sentient & non-sentient characters

Elements of a Dog Bite

Identifying Characteristics

Putting it All Together

Further Reading