160 Bear Christiana Rd
Bear, De 19701
302-322-6488
Dr. Jim Berg
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Dog Questions
Dear Dr. Berg,
How can you tell if a dog is going to be aggressive or not? We are looking for a pet for my two girls, age 6 and
8, and really don't want to get one that will tend to snap or be a problem. They've both had guinea pigs before,
but this will be our first dog as a family.
B. B., Centerville
Dear B.B.,
First of all, I commend you on taking the time to think and investigate before you buy a puppy. So often I see
clients who come into the office who "really didn't mean to get a puppy", but just couldn't resist once
they held the cute little ball of fur. And when you think about it, puppies may be cute, but they only stay puppies
for a few short months while they become dogs for years to come. So it is VERY important not only to try to get
a good match with temperment, but also to anticipate what the normal characteristics are for a given breed AS AN
ADULT to be sure that you are able to care for this creature.
Some dogs need lots of exercise (Dalmation, Husky). Some dogs fit in a car very well (Poodle, Shih Tzu). Some dogs
take a large vehicle to join you on vacation (Newfoundland, Great Pyranees). And some dogs are just plain hard
to fit in most any vehicle (Great Dane, Mastiff). Some dogs tend to be protective (Akita, Chow). Some dogs tend
to bark (Sheltie, Pomeranian). Some dogs are extremely intelligent (Border Collie, Blue Heeler). Some are not know
for their mental prowess (better not mention any names here…..).
So do the research. Make sure the BREED matches the care, attention, and time that you are able to give. Think
about how big he will be when he grows up, and just where he will sleep and ride. Something else to think about
when you are planning for a puppyis that, in general, the larger the dog, the shorter their lifespan.
When you go to look at a litter of puppies, there are certain things that you can watch for that give you hints
about a puppies personality. The dogs that tend to be the most outgoing, the most assertive, and sometimes the
hardest to train within a given "pack" are called the "Alpha dogs". These dogs tend to be the
dominent members of the pack and become the leaders that the other members of the pack will follow; they are also
the males that will often do the most breeding within the pack. Because of their outgoing and confident manner,
these dogs also can be the hardest to train.
Believe it or not, your dog thinks of you as a dog. Your "pack" includes you, your kids, your cats, and
whatever other creatures in your household. When it come time to train the dog, in general a dog will listen and
respond to those within the pack that he feels are higher on this pecking order and will tend to challenge the
authority of those who he sees as lower than him within the pack. If your dog truly believes that he is the alpha
dog in your pack (and you are lower), he will usually not listen to your requests to "sit" or "stay".
After all, he's the dominant dog, and it's really YOU who should be sitting and staying when HE says so. Often
the first and most difficult step to training these dogs is establishing your dominence and higher position within
your pack, and the dog's temperment has a lot to do with how easy or difficult this becomes.
In the wild, this "battle for top dog" serves a purpose. It usually means the the biggest and smartest
dogs will breed the most, so that the general health of the pack's offspring will be maintained. The weak genes
within the pool don't tend to get passed down through the generations as much because the weaker members of the
pack do not get the opportunity to breed as much.
When you look over a little of puppies, there are certain characteristics that you can look for that will give
you a clue to what that puppy is likely to be like once he's grown. When you see the puppies together in their
pen, the alpha dog is likely to be the puppy that appears active and outgoing, and who may be chewing on the others.
Another test that you can perform on new puppies is to hold a puppy in your arms, then turn it over on its back
in your arms or lap, as if you were holding a baby. The ideal response is for that puppy to object and wiggle for
a few seconds when you first do it, then to stop and submit. If you pick up the alpha dog, he will usually struggle
to turn back over for a long time because he does not want to "submit" to you; he may also not want to
submit later in life when it comes time to train him.
With the paw-pinch test, you pinch one paw lightly and monitor the response. A good response is to cry and retract
the paw and nothing more. If you pinch the paw of an Alpha puppy, he will tend to take the offensive in this situation
(after all…HE'S the boss!) and try to growl and nip at you.
Try putting your puppy down on one side of a quiet room, then kneel down and call to him a few feet away. A puppy
that looks around the room a little, then sees you and wants to respond to your attention is likely to be responsive
when it comes time to train him as well. A puppy that wanders off and ignores you may do the same at training class,
and a puppy that stays in the corner scared is most likely to be "shy".
With the startle test, you place the puppy on the floor and drop something to make a loud noise near the puppy,
like your set of keys. The ideal response is for the puppy to jump from the noise, but to settle down within a
few seconds, and go about his business, and maybe even go over to investigate the keys that are now on the floor.
Puppies that get very frightened and run away are usually more shy and may not handle new situations and new people
as well as others.
These are but a few of the tests that people do to help evaluate a puppy's personality. I would recommend that
you get a good book on selection of a new puppy in which you may find other tests that may help you decide. Please
remember that a puppy's personality is determined not only by his "characteristics" but very much so
by the type of family life that he experiences in his first few months. You gentle and loving care given while
this puppy is young can go a long way towards having a happy family member that all of you will enjoy for years
in the future. And a little homework and family discussion BEFORE you get your new addition can help to prevent
heartache and frustration in the months and years ahead, for both you and your new puppy.
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