ELEMENTS OF CANINE PSHYCOLOGY
In the context of the triangle of responsibilities involving shepherds, authorities, the Via Transilvanica team, and hikers, with the dog at the center, canine psychology provides tools through which behaviors become predictable and manageable, avoiding reactive responses. Canine psychology provides the scientific foundation for reducing incidents, diminishing conflicts, and protecting dogs from unjustified punitive reactions.
Without this framework, regulations remain purely formal.
The shepherd dog is a guard and a resource-protection animal, genetically selected for protecting the flock, defending territory, discouraging predators, and reacting autonomously in the absence of human intervention.
On Via Transilvanica, these mechanisms come into direct contact with the constant presence of hikers. Coexistence procedures must take these behavioral realities into account.
UNDERSTANDING THE DOG
The rights of the dog
The dog, whether as a working animal, companion, or traditional element of pastoral life, is a being entitled to protection and welfare. From these principles derive its rights, which generate obligations for owners and authorities.
The fundamental rights of the dog are:
The right to life and integrity: prohibition of killing, injuring, mistreatment, cruelty, abandonment, and abuse;
The right to physical welfare: adequate food and permanent access to water, proper shelter, medical care, and treatment in case of illness or suffering;
The right to protection against unnecessary suffering: prohibition of use in fights or violent training, prohibition of unjustified surgical interventions, euthanasia being permitted only under strictly regulated and humane conditions;
The right to natural behavior: the possibility of adequate movement, interaction, and socialization, prohibition of keeping the dog chained in improper conditions or for excessive periods;
The right to legal protection: authorities must intervene in cases of abuse or neglect, confiscate animals in cases of mistreatment, and apply administrative or criminal sanctions for violations of these rights.
Resource protection
For the dog, the flock and the surrounding perimeter represent the vital resource it guards and defends.
The approach of unknown persons triggers warning behaviors, expressed through:
repetitive barking;
rapid approach while maintaining distance from the unknown person;
tense, upright body posture and seeking higher ground.
This behavior is normal for any dog, and even more so for a shepherd dog.
Gradual escalation
Most dogs use a progressive scale of reactivity:
observation
seeking higher ground
vocal warning
intercepting approach
blocking the path
physical contact, rarely
Procedures should aim to stop escalation within the first three stages.
Reaction to human body language
Dogs interpret human nonverbal behavior as follows:
fixed eye contact = challenge;
running away = chase stimulus;
sudden movements = threat;
relaxed posture = non-aggression.
Pack effect
In a group, the dogs’ level of courage and reactivity increases
A single dog may be cautious, while three or more may become much more persistent.
Procedures must account for this factor.
Differentiating behavioral types is useful in the field
Balanced dog
(low risk level)
A balanced dog is a shepherd dog that fulfills its guarding and protection role without showing disproportionate, uncontrolled, or persistent reactions in the absence of a real threat.
Manifestations and behavior:
approaches for assessment;
barks as a warning, deep barking, not hysterical;
maintains distance;
firm posture, but not excessively rigid;
communicates: “Stop and respect the distance”;
does not attack without warning;
does not bite at the first interaction;
reduces the intensity of its behavior if the hiker stops and remains calm;
does not continue pursuit over long distances;
responds to the shepherd’s commands;
withdraws when signaled;
returns to the flock after assessment.
Aggressive dog
(moderate risk level)
An aggressive dog is one that communicates the intention to drive away, intimidate, or control a stimulus perceived as threatening.
Manifestations and behavior:
rapid approach followed by stopping;
cuts off your path;
intense and repetitive barking;
growling;
showing teeth;
snapping in the air, with tooth-on-tooth sound;
rigid posture, body under tension;
raised hair on the neck and back;
simulates an attack, feinting without contact;
does not necessarily imply physical contact;
biting appears as a reaction to the stimulus;
continues pursuit over short distances;
stops if the stimulus withdraws;
responds to the shepherd’s commands with delay;
returns to the flock after a short pursuit.
An aggressive dog can be rehabilitated if the cause is identified and proper intervention is made.
Dangerous dog
(high risk level and possible legal relevance)
A dog that displays intense, uncontrolled, or disproportionate aggression, which causes or is likely to cause physical injury. In this case, it is no longer about intimidation, but about real risk to humans.
Manifestations and behavior:
continuous alert state;
rigid body, weight shifted forward, tail held fixed upward, accelerated breathing;
explosive barking while moving forward;
rapid approach followed by attack;
attack with the intention to neutralize, involving a bite;
repeated re-engagement in the attack;
does not respond to correction or command;
once the attack has begun, no longer responds to the shepherd’s commands;
possible redirection of the attack even toward the owner, if the owner tries to intervene directly;
absence of social signals indicating the end of the attack.
In the case of a dangerous dog, immediate intervention is required. Extreme aggression is a symptom, not a syndrome:
isolation in a secure shelter;
“dangerous dog” signage;
notifying the authorities;
mandatory behavioral assessment by a canine specialist;
restricting the dog’s access to the trail, with police notifying the owner;
periodic police checks;
legal euthanasia, as a last resort in cases of repeated risk and impossibility of control.
The dog as a victim of human actions
Lack of supervision
Shepherd dogs or unsupervised dogs that end up attacking do not necessarily do so because of “innate aggression,” but because they do not have a human leader to manage their behavior. Dogs react according to the instruction received and the context perceived: defending the flock and defending the territory.
An unsupervised or improperly guided dog may be forced to react aggressively, while at the same time suffering physical and psychological consequences.
The absence of the shepherd or owner creates stress and confusion: the dog interprets any approach as a threat to the flock or territory.
Insufficient training, education, and familiarization
Dogs that have not been minimally familiarized with interaction with people may react aggressively automatically, even without the intention to injure. In practice, they apply the “program” learned from humans, defending the flock and guarding the territory, but without clear guidance they become confused. From the perspective of animal welfare, the dog has the right to control, guidance, and protection.
Excessive stress
Large flocks that must be guarded, frequent lack of food, lack of shelter, or constantly perceived threats increase the dogs’ stress.
Most of the time, their reactions do not represent “gratuitous aggression,” but rather natural defense mechanisms in response to situations perceived as dangerous for the dog and for the resources under its protection.
Intrusion into personal space or territory
People who suddenly enter the property or territory of the sheepfold immediately alert the dog, which adopts a rigid posture and may attack defensively if the intrusion continues.
Unconscious provocation or harassment
Hysterical shouting, sudden running, insistent close-up photography, throwing objects, attempting to scare or attack the dog can lead to aggression, rapid bites, and panic reactions.
Ignoring warning signals
If the dog’s warning signals, assessment approach, barking, growling, tension, are ignored and the person continues the interaction, approaching in an attempt not to leave the trail or trying to touch the dog, this may lead to a defensive bite and rapid escalation of aggression.
Internationally, there are robust studies, one including over 13,700 evaluated dogs, that can provide indicative estimates, depending greatly on environment, regarding the prevalence of problematic behaviors in dogs:
~80%
balanced behavior
~15%
aggressive behavior
~5%
dangerous behavior
Unfortunately, from a legal perspective, classification as “dangerous” refers to breed, not individual behavior. Thus, a dog may be legally “dangerous” yet have balanced behavior, just as a legally “non-dangerous” dog may display extremely dangerous individual behavior.
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