Bichon Fear Aggression Lesson 1: Prevention

After posting about small dog syndrome last week I thought I'd add on to that idea by talking about fear aggression today.  If you have a bichon that barks or growls excessively, aggressively guards food/treats/toys, or is mean toward people or other dogs, then training for fear aggression may help.

Fear aggression is the result of two things: small dog syndrome and underdeveloped social skills.  Both of these come back to proper training, which means that fear aggression is both preventable and curable.  If you have recently bought a bichon puppy then you have the opportunity to train him in a way that will avoid  these nasty behaviors and save a lot of trouble in the future.

To begin with, proper socialization is necessary.  Bichons love interaction with both humans and other dogs.  Unfortunately, when they do not receive the attention they need and are not given the chance to socialize they can become nervous and afraid in social situations.  Good socialization training can be accomplished through some easy steps.  First, take your dog for regular walks (daily if at all possible) through neighborhoods where others may be out walking their dogs.  This will give them a chance to see and interact with others.  Another thing you can do is set up doggy "play dates" with friends or relatives with dogs.  Finally, many cities now have dog parks available and I highly recommend using them.  They are a great place for your puppy to meet new people and dogs.  The basic goal here is to get your bichon used to being in social settings so they are more comfortable in the future.

The other half of fear aggression is small dog syndrome.  If you read my most recent post before this you will find a lot of useful information about how to train to prevent this condition.  In general it comes down to the difference between what you would let a big dog do and what you would let a small dog do.  If you wouldn't allow your big dog to jump on guests or bark when people show up, then don't allow your small dog to do it.  These are ways your dog tries to say "This is my house, I am the leader here."  Many times people will allow small dogs to do these things because it is cute, but unfortunately it can lead to serious behavior problems.  Again, for more a more detailed description, please read my last post.

So we've looked at the best ways to prevent fear aggression through proper bichon training as a puppy.  I know that a lot of people rescue or adopt adult bichons as well, and in these circumstances the dogs may already have developed behavioral issues, so in my next post I will discuss how to break your adult dog of these habits.

Small Dog Syndrome

Many bichon owners (and owners of small dogs in general) have encountered the dreaded "small dog syndrome" with their pets.  Small dog syndrome usually presents itself as excessive barking, biting, and guarding of food/toys/treats.  Today I want to look at why small dogs develop this issue and how we can help prevent it!

Think about this: let's say you own an 80 pound lab.  If you have family/friends over and your big lab is trying to jump on them you would push the dog off and not let them repeat it.  You may even start training them to not do this at all.  Your thought is that since the dog is big, he/she might hurt someone by jumping on them and you hope to avoid it.

Now thing of your 8 pound bichon.  Again, your friends/family are over, but this time it is your bichon jumping on your guests.  They think it's cute and no one is going to get hurt by a little dog like this, so you let it go.

The problem is that jumping up like that isn't just a dog's way of saying "hello" and getting attention.  It is a way that they show dominance.  So even though your reason for preventing your big dog from doing is because it's annoying and could hurt someone, you're really showing him/her that you're the pack leader.  Conversely, by allowing your small dog to continue doing it you're letting them think that they run the show!

This is also the case when your small dog sits in your lap.  It's perfectly fine for him to sit on your lap if you have invited him or placed him there, but if your bichon has a habit of jumping up into your lap without invitation then it could be his way of "claiming" you.  Again, this is something most owners wouldn't let larger dogs do simply because they are too heavy but it is seen as cute and loving with small dogs.

The bottom line is that small dogs should not be given liberties that are not afforded to large dogs.  Not because it is the "fair" thing to do, but because many of these things are dominant displays.  Train your small dog to understand that you are the pack leader/leader of the house and do not let them claim dominance.  This will go a long way in preventing small dog syndrome and avoiding the biting, barking, and guarding that come along with it!

For more information about bichon behaviors check out my Bichon Temperament website!