03/02/2023
Fatal dog attacks:
Following the recent multiple dog attacks in the UK, I have tried to ignore all the tabloid speculation and media “expert” opinion-spouting about the causes etc. There is no point in getting annoyed about something which a) you can’t do anything about and b) nobody who matters is going to listen to reason about. However, seeing all the usual “personalities” and “experts” making sure to get their photo and opinion out there my patience has run out. So here goes.
Before I start, the most important thing in deciding which behaviour problems a dog is likely to produce is its BREED. Centuries of selective breeding for certain traits and behaviours have given certain breeds triggers, weaknesses and sensitive reactions that other breeds don’t have. Think about it: What do you think an adult GSD is likely to do if it sees someone climbing over the fence into its yard at night ? (Bark / challenge). Alternatively, what do you think a Labrador would do if it saw this (Probably not a lot) ? What do you think a terrier is going to do if it hears squeaking and rustling in a corner of the farmyard ? (Rush over and attack). Breed matters!
The other thing you need to remember is that with dogs, everything works in probabilities; there are no certainties. You can never say things like “..all pit-bulls will always..” or “..no terrier will ever..”. The chances of a dog doing something vary depending upon breed, life experience and individual temperament. All you can say is things like “..most GSD’s will exhibit defence behaviours, but a few won’t..” and “..most terriers will chase small animals but a few won’t..”. The same thing applies to aggression and attack modes.
So, why would a pet dog launch a sustained attack on a human being (as opposed to a quick snap – which is moderately common and non-lethal) ?
As you can imagine, there is more than one reason so let’s go through the common ones.
Multi-dog mob attack:
This is when a dog sees another dog already attacking something / someone and feels driven to join in. This is a deep, strong, instinctive (Ie. built-in) behaviour in the ancestral wolf which has survived the transition to domestication in dogs to some extent. There are two main reasons why a wolf would attack something to kill it – a) prey-attack on a prey-animal and b) territorial-attack on an intruding wolf from another territory. In both cases, if other wolves from the attacker’s pack see this kicking off, they will all pump adrenaline and join in automatically, stimulated to do so by the mere sight and sound of it. They do not choose, they are driven to do it, it is involuntary. Evolution has smiled upon this habit because the outcome in both cases is good for the pack and the behaviour has been cast deep into the canine genes.
In dogs, the drive to do this is much weaker and most would have to be heavily stimulated to do it at all. Any dog could do it but the most likely breeds to do it are the ones which have been selectively bred for defence behaviours and fighting or baiting – in other words, breeds which are easily aroused.
All you need to trigger this kind of attack is for one dog in a group to attack someone with more than just a single snap and at least one other to have the necessary drive to join in. The attack will escalate in the blink of an eye. Remember, these are ancestral, built-in behaviours and once invoked, they do not seem to be under conscious control but run automatically, as they do in the ancestral wolf. It does not matter whether the dogs know the person or not.
Exactly what caused the first dog to attack is not important, the result will be the same.
Looking at the recent mob attack incident, it is fair to guess that the sequence probably started with something like, say, a Spaniel that was a bit snappy about its ball or a food treat and scowled and snapped at the handler; another dog that happened to be easily aroused joined in and in a split second, the avalanche effect had the whole lot attacking. Variations on the sequence are possible at the start – for example, it might have been that the second dog attacked the first dog, not the handler but the third got the cue wrong and attacked the handler instead etc. etc. etc.
This behaviour is why it is so important that professional dog-walkers should be properly trained and knowledgeable rather than running on luck, hope and online courses in an unregulated profession. They are in a high risk situation where luck will protect them only until it runs out. It’s a very similar situation to not wearing a seat belt – you can get away with it for months or years … until the day your luck runs out.
I am appalled at the cavalier and irresponsible approach some people take to multi-dog and group-walking and now we’ve had a high-profile incident proving my point. Will those people I’m thinking of research and learn from this or shrug it off and carry on ?
Predatory attack:
In this kind of attack, something has triggered the dog’s prey-chase-and-kill drive. The things that act as triggers are anything that a prey-animal would do - squeaking, flapping, running away, twitching, crying in pain, falling down, acting-wounded / limping etc. Typically, it would be children – especially babies - that would most likely do something so similar to these that the dog’s prey drive would be triggered. It only needs one dog on the scene for this kind of attack to start. Again, any dog could do it but most are very unlikely to. The breeds most likely to do it are the ones bred to chase and kill game or vermin.
It seems to be very rare for a dog attack to involve actual intentional consumption of human flesh.
Fear-based aggressive attack:
I recently read a published article written by someone who said that all dog attacks are the result of fear. I think that if that person had any genuine qualification at all then it was probably a PhD in stupidity and ignorance. (Doubtless they are now the government’s official adviser on dog behaviour !! Cynical me!)
In my own experience, fear issues are only behind a tiny number of dog aggression incidents (and I have always found them to be easy to fix with the exception of what we call “fear-biting”, which is mostly unfixable). This kind of attack will usually only cause injury with a deep, hard bite or two, leading to an A & E visit and stitches. Only in the most extreme cases would the dog remain in sustained, lethal mode. This attack mode is normally a result of serious abuse and cruelty or attack – especially during puppyhood.
The trigger for this kind of attack can be anything that reminds the dog of the original incident.
Idiopathic attack:
This is extreme aggression where there is no obvious causal history. It is well-known in Spaniels as “Spaniel rage”. I have also seen a very similar thing (several times) in Collies. My own humble opinion is that strong selective breeding for certain desirable behaviours in these breeds has basically bent the average temperament towards “unstable”. There does not need to be any particular trigger for one of these attacks although strong startles and loud noises etc. seem to be able to do it.
Baiting and fighting attack:
The baiting and fighting breeds have been deliberately, selectively bred for centuries to have short fuses; to be easily aroused, to confront and threaten instead of appease; to bite and hold instead of just snap; to feint AT a threat instead of AWAY from it; to have reduced pain sensitivity. Do you think it would be easier or harder, on average, to get one of these dogs to attack you and cause damage than, say, a Labrador ? It is a fact that these breeds and their crosses have been responsible for the majority of the 29 fatal attacks in Britain between May 2013 and March 2022. (I have a list). One has to wonder why the RSPCA is trying to legalise these breeds and force all of us to run the risk of meeting them in the hands of an idiot.
The rescue centres’ roll:
I have worked with several dogs which came from rescue centres and had major aggression problems and were utterly unsuitable for rehoming, let-alone with the families they were sent to. Many small rescue centres are obviously being run by people who are not experienced trainers and are under the delusion that all dogs will respond to love and cuddles. I wish it was that easy ! We need legislation to ensure that anyone making decisions in a dog-rescue centre has a long, practical track record of successfully dealing with serious aggression problems.
I haven’t covered everything here and everyone who works with dogs has their own experience of what is common or average. All I have done is point out some un-arguable facts.
Also, the authorities don’t reveal all the facts of these attacks to the public so it would be wrong for me to categorically state that attack x was caused by some particular thing on the list above.
