Tufts'
Nick Dodman Says A Dog's Behavior Is Based On Several
Important Factors
New York [02.26.01] -- In the wake of
the recent death of the female lacrosse coach killed at the
door of her apartment by a 120-pound dog, Tufts Veterinary
School's Dr. Nicholas Dodman joined other animal behaviorists
who told the New York Times that dog behavior depends a
great deal on genes, upbringing, living environment, health
and training.
"People who own a good Rottweiler can have
a wonderful pet," Dodman told the Times. "But when it
goes into the street and something goes screaming by, the
Rottweiler locks on like a heat-seeking missile."
And he added that often two or more dogs in
such situations will fuel a collective predatory behavior,
thereby becoming even more dangerous.
The author of Dogs Behaving Badly
and director of the Veterinary School's animal behavior clinic
said that an animal can become a "walking time bomb" if it is
matched with an owner who deliberately attempts to make it
mean--often through abuse and neglect--or one who is unwilling
or unable to control it or keep it away from situations where
it is a threat.
The Times cited surveys noting that
about 40 percent of American dog owners acquired pets
primarily for protection-including German shepherds,
Rottweilers, mastiffs and Doberman pinschers.
"Not surprisingly," the Times
article noted, "those dogs, along with huskies and Malamutes,
consistently rank at the top of the lists for dog bites."
Dodman told the Times that although
the genetics of aggression are not well understood, people can
change the nature of a breed dramatically in a decade. As an
example, Dodman noted that Doberman pinschers were bred for
increased aggression during World War II and subsequently
became notorious for their attacks on people-as Rottweilers
are now.
"But since then Doberman breeders in
America have cleaned up their act through selectively breeding
against aggression," he said.
The challenge, animal behaviorists told the
Times, is to develop ordinances that can both consider
the needs of dog owners along with the health and welfare of
others.
