Dog Aggression in Packs

Although domesticated, man's best friend is still an animal, perhaps one that isn't all that far removed from his wild survival instincts. Even the most tame, gentle and loving dog can turn vicious under the right circumstances. Dogs running in groups, or packs, are more likely to exhibit aggression than lone dogs, according to Michael D. Breed, a professor who teaches animal behavior at the University of Colorado.

  1. Feral Dogs

    • Truly feral, or wild, dogs live their entire lives without human interference or socialization of any kind. They are the descendants of former pet dogs that had turned wild due to life as strays. Many form family groupings, or packs, like wolves and hunt and kill together to stay alive. Feral and domestic dog pack predation differs markedly in purpose, methodology and outcome. Feral dogs are skilled predators with a purpose, efficiently killing and consuming their prey. Domestic dog pack predation usually resembles vicious play. Numerous victims are injured or killed haphazardly and little, if anything, is consumed.

    Pack Mentality

    • The dog "still sees things through the eyes of his heritage," according to the website Basic Dog Training Online. Dogs' wolf ancestry, particularly pack mentality, is heightened in circumstances involving numerous dogs, and sometimes when only one other dog is present. The unified power, strength, excitement and confidence of the pack transform individual dogs. Bonnie Beaver, a professor at Texas A&M University and an expert in pack behavior, says that when pack mentality takes over "they do insane things that they would not do" under normal circumstances.

    Prey Drive

    • Individually, many dogs inhibit their prey drive, either due to inexperience, lack of confidence or human intervention, according to the 1983 study "Attacks by Packs of Dogs Involving Predation On Human Beings," by Borchelt et al., published in the journal "Public Health Reports." In packs, dogs not only experience heightened prey drive due to their wolf ancestry, they're also less likely to inhibit it. Of the three types of drives that fuel dog aggression--prey, pack and defense--prey drive is perhaps most dangerous, notes the Dummies.com website. As a unit, dogs are more inclined to stalk, chase, subdue and kill. Even packs of small dogs, with individual dogs weighing less than 27 pounds, have killed people, according to the Borchelt study.

    Catalyst

    • Although dog packs have the potential for aggression, actual aggressive behavior normally requires a catalyst, which often is something out of the ordinary. As detailed in the Borchelt study, when the circumstances were right, unattended groups of normally supervised pet dogs have attacked people who panicked and ran. In one case, dogs were out searching for or chasing prey when they spotted two boys, who ran away in fear. Bypassing the child who fell, the animals diverted their attack to the still-running child, whose flight and subsequent struggle escalated the dogs' hunting and attack behaviors. In two other cases reported in the study, children tried to pass by the homes of unsupervised dogs, but the territorial packs in each case attacked to protect what they viewed as their territory.

    History

    • The history of individual dogs, and the pack as a whole, can provide insight into aggressive attacks. Even so, accurately predicting such attacks before they occur is difficult. In the Borchelt study, researchers concluded, "The past history of the social interactions of dogs with people in a variety of circumstances is probably an adequate predictor of whether these dogs are inclined to bite someone. But whether an animal could engage in a repeated, unrelenting attack resulting in the death of the victim is more difficult to determine."

    Perpetuating Factors

    • Many factors fuel severe dog attacks. The size, number and nutritional status of the dogs; their previous aggressive encounters with people; the age, size, health and behavior of the victims; and the absence of other humans in the vicinity all play a part in motivating dog packs to attack. Packs, like human families, have fluctuating dynamics shaped by both genetics and the environment.