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Deritualization Anxiety Disorder (DAD)
Many dogs growl at strangers, but this does not mean they are necessarily "aggressive" toward people. The degree of the display may range from a little growling that disappears when the stranger gets closer and slowly introduces himself to the dog, to fear-induced reactions that will not resolve themselves immediately, but may diminish and disappear once the dog is familiar with that person.
So when you say your dog is aggressive toward strangers, you need to decide whether the dog is mildly or moderately aggressive at the start, but then will become friendly once a person has become more familiar, OR whether the dog is moderately to severely aggressive to strangers and can only be made to tolerate them after long and hard desensitization. If the former is the case, the dog could be said to be potentially or basically people friendly, but neophobic. In the latter case, the dog IS NOT people friendly.
Here are the specific indicators of Deritualization Anxiety Disorder.
(Note that although the indicators are divided into Obligatory and Secondary signs, in my own opinion, a dog who lacks one of the Obligatory signs but has most of the Secondary signs should still be considered to have DAD--but that is in MHO.)
Obligatory Signs:
--Disorder begins after a change of social group.
--Disappearance of the initative to accept social contact.
--Permanent social withdrawal.
Secondary Signs:
--Self-defense aggression in cases of bodily contact.
--Stereotypic behavior based on communitive signals.
--Licking dermatitis.
--Freezing upon bodily contact.
--Ambivalent communication signals.
A few of the above many need some explaination:
| 1. |
The 3rd Obligatory sign--Permanent social withdrawal--refers to a kind of Jeckyl and Hyde nature.
Although the dog can become inapproapriately aggressive and menace or attack other dogs, at other times it is as though it knows this will happen and it tries to avoid it! Therefore, these dogs will often become solitary for periods of time, will walk away when all the dogs in the family congragate together, or when the afflicted dog feels cornered or crowded, etc. Does Schultz like to go off by himself regularly? |
| 2. |
"Stereotypic behavior based on communitive signals" means the dog will repeat either communicative gestures (body language) or vocalized communications (barks, growls, etc) in an inappropriately frequent or compulsive manner.
For example, the dog broadcasts a warning signal when none is needed, or it may bark repeatedly for much longer than is necessary. The thing about Schultz that might be considered to fit here is the way you mention him food guarding: he barks, snarls, growls in an excessive and totally unnecessary manner at another dog that is not only far away, but behind a gate!
If you find Schultz's guarding vocalizations to be the same every time (for example, bark, bark, bark--snarl), then this may suggest that this behavior is stereotypic--and by stereotypic, we mean what in humans would be called obsessive-compulsive behavior. Also, look at Schultz's body language at each meal. Is it the same? Identical? Timed in the same way? Is it excessive for the situation? Is there a "skipping record" quality of repetition to his communication? |
| 3. |
"Ambivalent communication signals" again refers to gestures or vocalizations that are used to communicate. Once again, these are not used normally. Here, the communicative signals either show uncertainty (the dog seems to want to play with another dog, but it growls at it), or the signals themselves are not clear or are used inappropriately (the dog gives a calming signal, and then attacks.) This is in essensce the reverse of the second Obligatory Sign above in which the dog misreads the signals given out by other dogs, or ignores them. |
| 4. |
The "Licking dermatitis" refers to common stereotypic behaviors such as compulsive paw licking (acral lick dermatitis), licking other areas of the body until hair falls out or the skin becomes irritated, etc. Note that this condition is often diagnosed as "allergies," and allegies may in fact be present. Any dog who fits many of the other signs and has "allergies" may be presumed to fit this sign. In my opinion, other steretypies may be substitutes for licking, such as tail chasing or chasing lights or shadows, but that is my opinion, not what the formal criteria says.
So, basically, I like to summarize DAD as a disorder in which a dog acts as if it has forgotten or never learned Dog Language. It acts out of fear of social contact with other dogs. A DAD dog is a very insecure dog who never learned how to successfully coexist and clearly communicate with other dogs. He does not follow dog etiquette! Although aggression is a major RESULT of this disorder, it is primarily an anxiety disorder, not an aggresive disorder. The anxiety manifests itself in aggression, in solitary behavior, in the obsessive-compulsive repetition of certain behaviors, and in a general discomfort in being around others of its own kind. |
I would add to your advice above a few important points:
| 1. |
The success rate for treating stereotypies with behavioral modification is indeed not very impressive, although for some dogs with simple stereotypies, something as simple as counterconditioning --conditioning an incompatable behavior that can be requested when the dog indulges in its compulsive and repetitive behavior, has been found to be effective in minimalizing stereotypic behavior.
The potential success of such simple behavioral measures depends upon the individual dog, the severity of the steeotypy, and the length of time the dog has rehearsed the behavior. The incidence of particular stereotypies also runs higher in particluar breeds. |
| 2. |
It is true that in most cases of stereotypy in dogs medical interventon is needed. In the United States, the drug of choice right now seems to be Prozac. However, virtually all trainers, behaviorists, and researchers who deal with canine stereotypic disorders emphasize strongly that medication SHOULD be accompanied by continued behavioral work.
As in other medically treated disorders such as aggression, the behavioral modification work is often enhanced by the use of medication. By "taking the edge off," the medication allows many dogs to concentrate and respond well to counterconditioning. To borrow a phrase from the quote you included, drug therapy increases how "sensitive to environmental stimuli" the dog can become, and aids in learning. So medication should not be thought of as a replacement for behavioral work, but an important and necessary adjunct to it. |
| 3. |
Although I hate to use stereotypes (that's stereotypes, not stereotypies) to characterize any group, I have found in my experience that many vets have little knowledge of stereotypic behavior or the use of psychoactive medications such as SSRI's and TCA's. So by all means see a vet, but do some research first and see a vet who has experience in the field of stereotypic behavior and/or the use of the appropriate medications. |
This is a fast-developing field, and new drugs and treatments are surfacing every month, so I would suggest that before visiting a vet, any truly concerned pet owner should do their own research on the latest developments in medicating these disorders.
Just two brief examples to illustrate what I have seen.
CASE ONE: A very compulsive "Spinner" was taken to the owner's vet and the problem was described. This dog would spin in tight circles, indoors or outdoors, for as many as 8-10 hours a day! The dog always spun in the same direction. Although it seems obvious to me that such excessive behavior is going to eventually injure the legs and hips on one side of the dog and create an asymmetry, the vet told the owner not to worry about it, and to just let the dog spin--it was harmless! By the time the dog saw a specialist and the owner was given better advice and medication was prescribed, the dog indeed had suffered irreparable damage to it joints.
CASE TWO: When one of my own rescued dogs developed acral lick granuloma, a stereotypy which involves licking the paws until the skin is ulcerated and infected, I researched the disorder and the use of both Elavil and Prozac as medicinal interventions. I discovered that Elavil is not recommended for this stereotypy, and has only a moderate effect on the disorder in about 20% of the animals it is administered to. Prozac was clearly the drug of choice for this dog since she also has some resident aggression problems, and Prozac has shown excellent results for both problems, and typically shows results in as little as two weeks, where as Elavil, if it helps at all, usually takes 4-6 weeks before behavioral changes are noted.
I went to a fairly large clinic in my area which employs about ten different vets, many of whom specialize in particular fields. I purposely skipping my own vet because I knew from past discussions that he greeted questions about using SSRI's and similar drugs on dogs with sarcasm. (Sometimes you can't teach an old vet new tricks!)
I walked into the clinic with my dog and announced that the dog had acral lick granuloma and I wanted to put her on the normal target dose of Prozac, which happens to be 2 mg/kg of body weight. *I* told the vet that the step-up period was one month on half the target dose, and that the medication should be administered once per day, preferably with the morning meal. It became clear that the fairly young vet had no idea if what I was saying was so, and had no experience in prescribing SSRI's. Neither did ANY doctor in the clinic! I was told that the vet would have to check her drug manual and confer with so-and-so, and more than a week later, I received a call telling me that the dog should be put on the normal target dose of Prozac, which happens to be 2 mg/kg of body weight, with a step-up period of one month on half the target dose, and that the medication should be administered once per day, preferably with the morning meal. Boy, was that money well spent!
I know there are many competent vets out there, but in the US, I would recommend that, if practical, owners should consider visiting clinic at major animal teaching hospitals such as Tufts or Cornell. Finding a vet that is both knowledgeable about exotic disorders and the newer medications AND willing to precribe them may actually be harder than curing the dog!
So do your own research. A vet who is not up on the newest medications, in my experience, will be more likely to give them a try if you walk into his office spouting medical jargon and statistics, and requesting a particular medication that you have familiarized yourself with. And remember, once on medication, your dog is now as ready as it will ever be to accept behavioral conditioning. The best bet is always medication AND training! |
