Behavior Expert Takes a Chance on 'Aggressive' Shelter Dog, and It Pays Off

A dog behavioral expert based in New York has captivated audiences with her approach to helping shelter dogs who show signs of aggression.

Each year, 6.3 million pets enter U.S. shelters, which is an average of 17,260 a day, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The number of dogs and cats taken in by pet shelters hit 46,807 during January 2023, an increase of 1,744 compared with January 2022, the 24Pet "Shelter Watch Report" found.

In an October 22 TikTok video, posted to the account @thinkingcanine, Gia Savocchi shared how she worked with a 1-year-old dog named Godiva at the Town of Oyster Bay Animal Shelter. She noticed this Belgian Malinois was exhibiting aggression with barking, jumping, and nipping.

Knowing the breed, she thought the aggression was due to frustration, which is why Savocchi took Godiva out of the shelter to pinpoint the problem.

"When she came to us, she was immediately very fearful," Savocchi told Newsweek. "She probably wasn't well socialized."

Mix in the fact Godiva is cooped up in a kennel all day long with the loud environment, Savocchi had a feeling it was more of stress than aggression, especially since Belgian Malinois are known to be very active, working dogs. This breed is happiest with plenty of exercise, the American Kennel Club states.

By carefully leading her out of the kennel with a slip leash, Savocchi took Godiva outside to work through that stress, anxiety, and frustration. She would hold Godiva away from her whenever the dog started showing those bad behaviors. Then slowly, Savocchi worked on positive reinforcement training with simple obedience skills, which eventually led to Godiva being calm enough to go on a walk.

The training worked as Godiva is now ready for adoption. The shelter only adopts out dogs that are safe, Savocchi explained. Godiva no longer barks when Savocchi is at the door and her behavioral problems are way less than what it used to be.

"You can have a dog that looks like they have aggressive behavior, but the dog might be acting out of fear or frustration," said Savocchi. "Not all dogs can be fixed, but many can be helped with behavioral training."

Shelter Dog Behaviors

Adopting an animal from a shelter is a rewarding experience that oftentimes comes with a set of challenges. Many shelter dogs might show behavioral issues. These issues might come in the form of anxiety, leash reactivity, resource guarding, destructive behaviors, poor social skills, and aggression toward people and other animals.

Savocchi believes that when a dog has a behavioral struggle in an animal shelter, it is the shelter's responsibility to further evaluate and work with them to ensure both the dog and potential adopters are safe.

Around 920,000 surrendered animals are euthanized every year. Shelters are striving to minimize euthanasia rates by promoting adoption campaigns, spaying and neutering programs, and behavior rehabilitation.

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