By Suzan Vaughn

A beautiful black, white and silver gray Akita, Masada was a 105 pound dog who led the good life. Adopted when she was just a young pup, her new owners wanted to change their bad luck after having a couple of cats that died prematurely. Would a dog somehow break the bad luck? 

Masada’s owner, Patou, loved her gentle dog, but there were times when she was afraid of him. The athletic young woman took her happy dog out for a daily run. But she was always wary, keeping an eye out for any other dogs that might cross their path. Because while Masada was very friendly toward humans, she was not so friendly towards other dogs.

Not Just Any Dog

The sizable Akita mostly disliked small aggressive dogs, and Patou jogged through the neighborhood on alert. At any moment, a small dog down the street would inspire Masada to take her on a leash ride, dragging her unwillingly down the street.

I asked Masada why she disliked small dogs and was so aggressive toward them.

Masada Responds

“It’s not all dogs that make me aggressive,” she told me. “Small, snappy dogs with big attitude problems make me want to put them in their place.”

She graphically showed me one case of a small dog that leapt out of its owner’s moving SUV, and ran toward her while barking aggressively. Patou had sprayed the small dog with pepper spray to stop it, basically saving its life (although the dog’s owner didn’t see it that way).

Instinctive Protector

Masada had once killed a small, aggressive neighboring dog too. The little dog barked at her continuously through a wrought iron fence. Patou warned her neighbors. The small dog had been seen outside the fencing and she knew her Akita would not tolerate its presence in her own backyard should the dog get through. But her warnings went unheeded, the dog eventually did squeeze through the bars, and Masada casually snapped its neck. (Subsequently, Patou installed chicken wire around the perimeter of her yard.)

The Did It First, she said

Masada considered herself an alpha dog who needed to establish the hierarchy by taking other dogs down.  But she didn’t think protecting her person from aggressive dog, no matter their size, was unreasonable. Her intense curiosity and lack of experience with other dogs caused problems too since her owners couldn’t risk many encounters.  

Taking A Risk

Patou did take the risk of introducing her to a friend’s dog once, who became very special to Masada. With concerned humans standing by, Masada established the hierarchy by pinning the other dog down, after which the two canines became fast friends.

What We Can’t Do

Although I expressed her owner’s concerns to Masada, her innate instincts were not averted.  An animal communicator cannot talk an animal out of instinctual behavior, and although we can offer practical solutions to problems of aggression, these generally include some training and follow through by the dog’s owner.