11/10/2021
RAGEFUL RONNIE OR ROSITA (coffee and diet bar – yes it’s that time of year, or cake or a G&T your preference)
I’ve been researching RAGE as an emotion recently, as out in the world with humans we see RAGE on a regular basis, ROAD RAGE, staff abuse at servers Cavan Vets (Willenhall), yes a VETS, have even had to hire a security guard recently due to this. SHOCKING!
Let’s first look at frustration, according to the Cambridge University Press (2021), this is the "feeling of being annoyed or less confident because you cannot achieve what you want, or something that makes you feel like this."
Oxford University Press (2021) agree that it is also of “feeling upset or annoyed as a result of being unable to change or achieve something, it can be the prevention of progress, success, or fulfilment of something”.
Merriam-Webster (2021), additionally, offers this: “a deep chronic sense or state of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unfulfilled needs.”
To put this together, when having unfulfilled needs, unresolved problems or not achieving ‘the object that you desire’ may lead to frustration and potentially RAGE.
Recognise any of these?
Not getting that parking space
Not being able to get that promotion
Not being first in line when you call the tax man to query something to finalise your end of year accounts
Not accessing medical care
Not being able to get that toy
For someone to not move away from that toy
Not being able to play with other dogs
Not being able to scent and bumble on a walk
Not being able to have freedom
Not being able to CARE for puppies
Not reciprocated by the object (person) of your desires
Missing last orders
Trying to order a Double Whopper at a Portuguese Burger King and they don’t understand (Paul)
Each of us and our dogs have individual experiences of exhibiting as well as seeing RAGE exhibited in those positioned around you/them.
It is further complicated in both human and dog by the experiences that we have in our baby/pup stage and in our youth. Emotion and AROUSAL are very close in location in the ‘grey matter’ as well as close to the master gland in the endocrine system, that can create that flood of ‘neurochemicals’ into the blood stream (Davis and Montag, 2019). It is literally like the ‘Fast and the Furious’ – in our systems it is like hitting the NOS!
ANGER increase blood pressure, and blood pressure influences chemical agents that further increase blood pressure increasing ANGER into RAGE. Receptors in our ARTERIES, influence RAGE circuits, in the old brain regions that are linked to their corresponding body organs.
It’s like a TSUNAMI OF NEUROCHEMICAL SOUP flooding the body – and if you have felt RAGE, whether that is at someone potentially hurting your child, or dog, or when you are thwarted from something you know this affects on the ‘THE BODY BEAUTIFUL’!
Let’s just go back a bit Averill (2010) indicates that "anger is an
emotional state that involves the attribution of blame for some perceived ‘wrong’ and an impulse to correct the wrong or prevent it from reoccurring."
Now for anyone that watched my motorcycle accident on the video you immediately hear Paul’s anger – quite right too – to the man driving around the island the wrong way that took me off.
Paul’s ANGER could be from a few different emotional circuitries - CARE (that he was unable to keep me safe), FEAR (that I was really badly hurt).
His RAGE was however activated once I was deemed OK. It was inflamed firstly by the ‘FEAR’ that I, as his ‘love bunny’, could have been taken away, by the decision of the driver to take the ‘road less travelled’. Exacerbated further by the lack of ‘contrition’ from the male….. Paul was thus, in the words of the illustrious 9 times MotoGP World Champion, Valentino Rossi, “he was no very ‘appy.”
RAGE also affects our logical heuristic potential – Goleman (2020) calls it ‘an emotional hijacking’ – we are ‘not thinking’ that process of thinking rationally, logically and calmly has ‘left the building’.
Now to be clear HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE does not cause ANGER or RAGE in human or animal.
A dog snapping due to pain (Ali) is not ANGRY, or RAGEFUL necessarily either. However, aggressive behaviour can be very reminiscent of ‘anger’ and if it gets the RESULT, there may be learning going on so anger can be a response to learned irritation (Panksepp and Biven, 2012 p 145).
You would think that due to a larger neocortex that humans would have control over the build-up to RAGE (Panksepp and Biven, 2012 p. 31), and as dogs have the same, you would surmise that they would be able to control their frustration and RAGE. Not necessarily, and if you are easily enraged, through prior learning you have to learn how to not be enraged.
Paul’s neocortex was working overtime, being practical at the scene gave his brain and his systems time to “calm the f*ck down’, which was of benefit it talking to the boys in blue (Police!).
So back to the definitions – when needs are not met – this swings me right back (theoretically) to the dog’s equivalent of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs the Hierarchy of Dogs Needs™ created by Linda Michaels (see picture), as well as Coppinger & Coppinger’s view on those innate breed-specific motor patterns in our dogs.
RAGE in animals, in this case dogs, is usually to QUICKLY bring others into line with competing resources (Panksepp and Biven, 2012 p.146).
LOCKDOWN LUNACY
We saw this recently with the Lockdown here in the UK and the ridiculous ‘toilet roll’ shortage (still baffles me!) and then the petrol/diesel fiasco (caused by the mention of a shortage of drivers stated by the media – again the mind boggles). Shortages or resource scarcity (even a predicted one) can bring about RAGE through a (Panksepp and Biven 2012, p. 147), and that could be seen when folks were arguing over the Charmaine double quilted loo roll!
REDUCING RAGE
Reducing RAGE can be effective by appeasement gestures – with humans it may be an apology or contrition (think Paul and that driver), with dogs it’s the often the appeasement behaviour of the other dog. For me it may be a cuddle from Paul, for my sister it may be ‘just leaving her be’ – as don’t go in for a cuddle with her (cuddles are like hens’ teeth when it comes to sis).
LEAD FRUSTRATION
Dogs that are on leads, can show ‘LEAD FRUSTRATION’ and depending on the severity of that FRUSTRATION, can exacerbate into RAGE.
A young Shepherd I worked with named Junior, was definitely RAGEFUL when he was thwarted from getting to a dog, but also he was RAGEFUL when he wanted to gain distance to objects that he had no experience with.
He would SHEPHERD, and then redirect that RAGE onto his Aunty Catherine on those first appointments with bites. We called them Junior’s kisses.
Was he aggressive? No.
Did he have aggressive behaviours? Yes
Did I understand why? ABSOBLOOMINGLUTELY.
This lad, as with my GSD BEAR before him, took me quite thoroughly through counter-conditioning and desensitising practices, and impulse control on his part and mine to affect change and keep that ‘thinking brain’ to be present more and more when out and about.
Junior was amazeballs, I still got to see how far he worked with me when Paul and I took him back to Portugal. Anyway, I digress!
THWARTED
Junior’s RAGE was due to his SEEKING (getting to the other dog) being THWARTED by a very ‘planted’ Aunty Catherine and some strong leads. This usually happened with the ‘oh it’s ok my dog is friendly’ team of dog owners that don’t realise how stressful it is for a dog dealing and working through this stimulus of other dogs in their vicinity. NB: I’m on the edge of Tettenhall rock walking round, changing direction, crossing over to AVOID other dogs getting too close! So Junior and I were doing our bit!
LADDER OF RAGE REDUCTION
Training and behaviour modification helped to reduce this RAGE over time, and it is like a reverse ladder of aggression (Horwitz, 2009) but the emotional side – going from HOT RAGE TO COOL RAGE (anyone that works with dogs knows this implies a slight difference in intensity) to ANGER to FRUSTRATION to ANXIETY.
Dogs, when they are not able to access those ‘reinforcers’ – treats – can become RAGEFUL too as they are being thwarted (SEEKING), and the anticipated rewards have gone the way of the Dodo.
A good idea is to put in place a clear ‘start’ to a training session, clear middle, then a clear ending to prevent this - unless it’s organic training on the go! It’s not just about the food. It can be when a change happens, another dog, a new baby, and the dog is not allowed (thwarted) from accessing their regular place, people or things. The dog is thwarted in their SEEKING of their basic needs of security and safety in their special places for instance.
Looking at ‘lead frustration’ there a few potential causes to RAGE – restriction (the lead) thwarts SEEKING –
a. to get to a person for fuss, or
b. to get to a person/dog to ‘attack’,
c. to get away from both.
Simple, right?
Behaviour modification helps to change this by offering other ‘choices’ in specific scenarios.
HANGRY – is a lovely term and goes back to our primal needs (Maslow and Michael). Due to our needs not being met (physical and mental – you need calories for mental work – hence cake tyre round my middle from my MSc 😊 ) we begin to get frustrated, this may lead to ANGER and then RAGE. Our SEEKING for food is thwarted! driven by a HOMEOSTATIC imbalance that sensitises us to RAGE!
Hopefully, this not only gives you some ‘food’ for thought, about your own personal RAGE and what the underlying cause/triggers may be, but also gives you some understanding of why your dog can potentially be RAGEFUL.
I will explore RAGE further as an emotion in further writings
© Catherine Phoenix Hallam 10.11.2021
Reference
Averill, J.R. (2010) Ten questions about anger that you may never have thought to as. In: Pahlavan, F. ed. (2010) Multiple facets of anger: Getting mad or restoring justice? New York, USA: Nova Science pp. 1 - 15
Cambridge University Press (2021) Define frustration. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dic.../english/frustration/ [Accessed 02 September 2021]
Coppinger, R. and Coppinger, L. (2001) Dogs: A New Understanding of Canine Origina, Behavior, and Evolution.Chicago, University of Chicago Press pp. 189-217
Davis, K.L. and Montag, C. (2019) ‘Selected Principles of Pankseppian Affective Neuroscience.’ Frontiers in Neuroscience. 12: 1025 doi:102289//fnins.2018.01025
Golman, D (2020) Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ. USA: Bloomsbury Publishing
Merriam-Webster (2021) Define frustration. https://merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frustration [Accessed 02 September 2021]
Michaels, L. (2015) Do No Harm ™ Force-Free Dog Training and Behavior Manual. USA. Linda Michaels. Available at: https://dogpsychologistoncall.com/do-no-harm-dog.../ [Accessed 29 March 2018]
Oxford University Press (2021) Define frustration. https://oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/.../frustration
Panksepp, J. and Biven, L. (2012) The Archaeology of Mind: Neuroevolutionary Origins of Human Emotions. New York, USA. W.W.Norton and Company Ltd.
