# The dog aggression workbook James o'heare



## bernadettelevis (Feb 2, 2011)

i just finishes this book and i really liked it. However i am a bit suprised about the chapter about dog food and aggressions.

He does promote feeding a high quality food (he mentions innova), but he also promotes that dog food high in protein and low in carbs "fuels" aggressions.

He suggest that one part of an aggressive dog's nutrition should only be carbs like potatoes for example. 

Has anyone read the book? how do you feel about that? I'm not really sure how to feel about that. He didn't mention raw food at all.
I liked the book but i don't know how to feel about the nutrition advice.


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## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

Personally, I think that's kind of silly because Dude has been the exact same as he was on kibble as far as snippiness towards rude canine youngsters. He is not food aggressive when it comes to us and he has always guarded his food from other dogs but never to the point of aggression... However, I am always open to listening.

Could you type up some of the content? I don't know how much there was about this topic but even just some bullet points would be interesting.


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## bernadettelevis (Feb 2, 2011)

Dude and Bucks Mamma said:


> Personally, I think that's kind of silly because Dude has been the exact same as he was on kibble as far as snippiness towards rude canine youngsters. He is not food aggressive when it comes to us and he has always guarded his food from other dogs but never to the point of aggression... However, I am always open to listening.
> 
> Could you type up some of the content? I don't know how much there was about this topic but even just some bullet points would be interesting.


I read it in German but i will try to type some if it tonight


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## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

I appreciate it! Haha. I don't think I know a single word of German...


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

I would check and see if he has ANY proof of that - scientific trials with alot of dogs would be one way to do it but even then I'm not sure there's a good way. On what basis does he believe that? If it's just because he says so, then shame on him.

Sounds like he's blowing smoke, to me.


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## Caty M (Aug 13, 2010)

I think food aggression COULD be worse on raw than kibble, but only because raw may be tastier than kibble, therefore it's a higher value item.


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## JayJayisme (Aug 2, 2009)

Dr. Tom Lonsdale states the opposite. He basically says that (paraphrased), dogs that eat a natural diet are less prone to aggression, in part due to the fact that they have healthier teeth and gums than dogs fed commercial pet food. Somewhere around 80% of commercially fed adult dogs have some kind of oral disease, which causes all sorts of other health issues, a constant immune response, chronic pain, and can result in aggressive behavior. This is not to mention all the stress inappropriate food (carbohydrates) puts on the metabolic system of a dog.

I don't recall from reading his books if these figures are referenced to studies or if they are observational. The logic of it makes sense to me though.


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

I have noticed the opposite. my dominant girl who would fight with my male at the very sight of him has increased tolerance and will only go after him if he instigates some foolishness to irritate her. The pups raised on raw have been so easy. They seem more content and without frantic energy, they are calm and playful. I believe not having the sugars and starches clogging up their system and making them hyper. They also seem so much more focused, they are easy to train. Maybe with kibble being dehydrated the levels of protein very well may affect some dogs but am not sure.


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## bernadettelevis (Feb 2, 2011)

He didn't just say that, he used studies as background, i know not always a good source but it did sound logical something about chemicals in the brain or so . He also said to make sure to not give your dog corn
It is very scientifical and hard for me to translate, ishould have just bought it in english .

But it is about the intake of the amino acids Thyptophan and Tyrosin. Thyptophan is the pre-stage for Serotonin and Tyrosin is the pre-stage for Noradrenaline and dopamine. 
Noradrenalin is responsible for arousal which may lead to aggression. Dopamine regulates reaction time and attention.
Serotonin is resposible for mood, arousal and algesia (?).
Apparently a Serotonin deficiency in the brain is a key factor for aggressive behaviour, impulsivity, antisocial behavior, hyperactivity, anxiety state and problems with conditioning.
If Tyrosin is taken in through nutrition it functions as an anti-Thyptophan and so it also functions as an anti-Serotonin.
So this is about all the amino acids and it's raction in the brain. 
Now comes the contradiction..i don't really get that. Either it is very poorly translated to german, there is a mistake or i just don't get it.

He quotes the book (Lindsay, 2000, page 99) which says that a nutrition high in proteins, in comparison to a nutrition high in carbs, usually has more Tryptothan than Tyrosin.

Which would mean for me, considering what i wrote before, that acutally a nutrition high in proteins would be better because it would be less likely to get a Serotonin deficiency....maybe there is a mistake somewhere in this sentence or i really don't get it.

The next sentence states that in many cases, a change from a high protein to a high carb diet made a drastic bettering in behavior...

WHAT????

He also quotes a study done in 2000 "Effect of Dietary Protein Content and Tryptophan supplementation on dominance Aggression, Territorial Aggression and Hyperactivity" which also states that a reduction of protein in a dogs diet makes a drastic decline in canine aggression but not in hyperactivity...

Maybe someone knows more about this!!

I hope you can understand what i wrote and i'm sorry for the mistakes .


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## ciaBrysh (Dec 16, 2011)

> He does promote feeding a high quality food (he mentions innova), but he also promotes that dog food high in protein and low in carbs "fuels" aggressions.


I didn't read the other posts, so maybe somebody said this already, but here is my theory if it makes any sense...
*Maybe* the higher protein levels in certain foods give the dogs more energy, which does not turn into aggression exactly, but more of a pent up angst. 
I mean...how many of us have noticed such a change when we put our dogs on a higher protein diet? I know I did when I was even on kibble! I have also noticed with my own dogs that when they have a lot more energy, they tend to "scuffle" a bit more..no fights thank goodness but I can see Wilow's body language if I do not intervene she may snap at Raj or sometimes even the other way around.
Could that be just my dogs? Of course, but I notice it a hell of a lot more when they have more energy and when I have changed to higher protein diets. 

That is just me though =)


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## Mondo (Dec 20, 2011)

Dude and Bucks Mamma said:


> I appreciate it! Haha. I don't think I know a single word of German...


Gesundheit, maybe?


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Mondo said:


> Gesundheit, maybe?


Kindergarten


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## Mondo (Dec 20, 2011)

Auf wiedersehen.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

bernadettelevis said:


> He didn't just say that, he used studies as background, i know not always a good source but it did sound logical something about chemicals in the brain or so . He also said to make sure to not give your dog corn
> It is very scientifical and hard for me to translate, ishould have just bought it in english .
> 
> But it is about the intake of the amino acids Thyptophan and Tyrosin. Thyptophan is the pre-stage for Serotonin and Tyrosin is the pre-stage for Noradrenaline and dopamine.
> ...


dogs lacking in amino acids.....would be, to me, a topic for discussion...but a raw fed dog is guaranteed all of the essential amino acids, which would then supply all they need....

but grains and carbs and fillers and starches alter a dog's chemistry to such a degree that absorption is affected, so i'd be more concerned about kibble than raw food.

having said that, with all of the essential amino acids and their precursors found in food variety, specifically raw proteins from animals, fed to animals.....who are carnivores....means that absorption, pH, digestive enzymes, etc...are all in place for a nice calm dog.

the proof in the pudding is your dog. what differences in behaviour were noticed when your dog switched from kibble, grain or no grain, but fillers and alterations in the chemistry of the food.....to raw feeding...give a dog a piece of meat and what do you see?

i have a pug. they are hyper dogs. they are dogs prone to extreme mood swings. if they were human, i'd say they were bi polar. 

on raw, environment affects him, but food no longer does.

it's all in what we eat. 

even dogs on a cooked diet fare better than kibble dogs.


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## Chocx2 (Nov 16, 2009)

I have an Aussie that when I switched him to all raw seemed to calm down? He almost seems like a different dog? My labs were never aggressive and all four of my dogs eat together within feet of each other and have no aggression.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

bernadettelevis said:


> He didn't just say that, he used studies as background, i know not always a good source but it did sound logical something about chemicals in the brain or so . He also said to make sure to not give your dog corn
> It is very scientifical and hard for me to translate, ishould have just bought it in english .
> 
> But it is about the intake of the amino acids Thyptophan and Tyrosin. Thyptophan is the pre-stage for Serotonin and Tyrosin is the pre-stage for Noradrenaline and dopamine.
> ...


I want to say thanks for taking the time to translate that. As a language-challenged person, I am very impressed.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Call me a simpleton if you like, but I think this guy could make a fortune. I mean, dog mood swings, depression and agitation issues can't be that different compared to humans, so this chap, singlehandedly, has found the key for everyone with mood 'disorders'. If the untold millions of people who are on Xanas, Zoloft and the other dozens of mood altering drugs, simply change their diets, they'll be cured! 
In other words, I think it's a load of $hit.


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