PUBLISHED: CCBS' Investigates Treatments of Canine Aggression
- CCBS
- Mar 12, 2021
- 2 min read
Updated: May 13, 2021
March 5, 2020 – The Center for Canine Behavior Studies, Inc. is proud to announce that the Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research (Elsevier) has published their research paper titled, “An investigation into the effectiveness of various professionals and behavior modification programs, with or without medication, for the treatment of canine aggression”. The paper was written by the CCBS team of Ian R. Dinwoodie, Vivian Zottola, and under the leadership of President/CEO Nicholas H. Dodman. The paper follows CCBS’ award-winning paper "Demographics and Comorbidity of Behavior Problems in Dogs" published in the Journal’s Volume 32, July–August 2019, Pages 62-71.
The study was constructed to address the most efficacious behavior modification programs, training equipment or technique to determine what approaches stand the best chance of success based on empirical evidence. The study investigated 963 dogs whose owners (n = 800) described as having at least one form of aggressive behavior. Owners were asked which types of professionals, if any, were sought, and the resolutions employed, including training methods and equipment, behavior modification programs and training techniques, medications, and forms of alternative medicine.
“We were surprised to find that a significant number of aggressive dogs had medical problems underpinning their aggressive behavior. Lesson 1: Always check in with your veterinarian first,” says President/CEO of CCBS, Dr. Nicholas H. Dodman, DACVB. Of the owners that sought help from a DACVB, a majority (81%) found the advice to be helpful for treating their dog's aggression.
Behavior modifications were found to be the most consistently beneficial approach to treating all forms of aggression. Anti-bark collars, muzzles and response blocking decreased the probability improvement for successful treatment of varying forms of aggression.
“If veterinarians, behaviorists, and trainers avail themselves of the information gleaned from our study, we believe the awful problem of aggression - in all its forms - will be more successfully addressed,” advises Dodman. “This in turn will help keep dogs out of trouble and in their homes for life. That was and always will be our goal.”
The paper is accessible for free until June 28, 2021. View the study results here.
After June 28th, the paper is accessible for free to those associated with an institution, or for a nominal fee: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1558787821000174
Center for Canine Behavior Studies, Inc. (CCBS) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the well-being of dogs through research, education and support of canine behavior and the human-animal bond. The CCBS team, led by world-renowned Veterinary Behaviorist Dr. Nicholas Dodman, discovers what behaviors lead to relinquishment and identifies ways to educate owners so that dogs and those who love them can live harmoniously. CCBS is a public nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization | EIN: 83-0908914
This article makes a strong point about the prevalence of aggression in dogs, and it's fantastic that CCBS is working to keep 'dogs out of trouble and in their homes for life.' While the focus is rightly on our canine friends, sometimes a quick mental break with a different kind of puzzle is needed. For a fun way to sharpen your mind (and maybe think about cats for a change!), check out MeowdoKu.
It's so true that understanding canine behavior is complex, and it's great to see studies like this investigating what truly works. The dedication to empirical evidence reminds me that making informed decisions, whether it's about dog training or even something like financial strategy, is key. If you enjoy applying strategic thinking, you might find StonkRider interesting.
What a vital goal, 'to help keep dogs out of trouble and in their homes for life.' Understanding canine behavior is so complex, and studies like this really help. Sometimes I find it useful to visualize different training scenarios or even happy outcomes with my dog, and I've been experimenting with a Free AI text to Image Generator to bring some of those ideas to life.
It so crucial that the study highlighted the medical problems underpinning aggression, emphasizing Always check in with your veterinarian first. My older dog recently started showing some grumpiness, and it turned out to be early arthritis. Finding something to help with his discomfort, like the Mrjoint patch, has made a noticeable difference in his mood and overall well-being.
This is such an important study, especially the finding that 81% of owners found a DACVB's advice helpful. It really underscores the value of professional help for canine aggression. When I'm sharing information or photos of my dog with my vet, I often need to convert my phone's HEIC images. Luckily, there are tools like heic to jpg that make it simple.