There have been two specific things I have been avoiding, even though I've wanted to go Ba'alet Teshuvah for a long while now.

A) Speaking with a Rav (not sure why, but I've been afraid).
B) Going to a Synagogue (also a bit scared to do this).

Out of an ironic set of circumstances: I will likely have to do BOTH now whether I want to or not. Let me explain:

I'm currently taking ASL (American Sign Language) at college, for my language requirement. I feel like this would be a good skill to have and it's a requirement for my degree.

In any case:
We are supposed to attend three events in order to write our research project and I just got the email about *where* we are supposed to go.

The first place is quoted as follows:

The info for a deaf event that we need to attend is:

Heritage Baptist Church (Worship service)
55 east 25th st
NYC, NY 10010-2903

Sunday School Worship Service at 11am
Heritage Ministries Office
519 8th ave room #807
Sunday 6pm and Wed 7pm

Yes, you heard right: We are *required* to attend a Baptist Church.
This leaves me with the following issues:

-- It's against Halachah to participate in any sort of worship service
-- It's against Halachah to go into a house of avodah zarah
-- I will probably need a note from a Rabbi to absolve me of this part of the class
-- I am really really uncomfortable about walking into a church of any kind (no offense)
-- A possible issue with maaris ayin?

So now my options are:

-- Speak with my professor, but this would be best with options (eg. going to a deaf shul)
-- Speak with a Rabbi to absolve me from going to Church
-- I can go to these Church services and feel extremely uncomfortable

The ironicy here is KILLING me and I can't help but laugh. The two SPECIFIC things I've been putting off/afraid to do have officially nipped me in the butt and said: "HAH!" You're not getting away from this that quickly.

Canine Behavioral Problems & Aggression

In order to understand how dogs 'work' a good understanding of the behavioral problems the species exhibits should be looked at and taken into account.

By nature, dogs are social animals and develop different social and instrumental learning patterns throughout their lives. This is why an "old dog CAN learn new tricks", and why you may have a behavioral issue pop out of the blue in even the most trained dog.

However, forms of neglect and bad associations with humans can and will cause problems later on in a dog's life. If problems with behavioral issues aren't corrected quickly, they can become almost impossible to fully eradicate.

This is true for new problems that surface:
The best rule of thumb is to fix the problem as soon as it surfaces. This will ensure that the behavior won't continue, and further problems won't ensue.

What types of problems do dogs typically exhibit?

Canine Seperation Anxiety:

The exact reasoning for Canine Seperation Anxiety is unknown, but it happens when the bond between a dog and owner becomes so strong that the dog begins to feel anxiety when the owner is separated from the dog.

This is a problem typically seen in younger dogs (perhaps a new puppy), although it can surface itself in older dogs as well at times. There are researchers who believe seperation anxiety is more apparent in shelter dogs (possibly for fear of abandonment and the stress involved with the shelter process).

What signs to look for:

- Excessive vocalization (ie barking)
- Destructive behavior (eg destroying household items)
- Inappropriate elimination (soiling when left alone)
- Anorexia
- Hyperactivity
- Inactivity
- Some animals may start vomiting/expelling diarrhea from the stress caused

It's important to note that Seperation Anxiety ONLY occurs when the owner is away, so if a dog is exhibiting these problems while you're at home: It's a different problem.

Aggression in dogs:

Aggression is seen as a serious issue in today's society, and while these were previously traits that owners wanted their dogs to possess in the past, there really isn't much need to see such things these days.

Types of Aggression:

Dogs typically present one of eight different forms of aggression generally speaking, and the behavior can be brought on from a number of things.

Dominance Aggression:

Dominance aggression may surface itself in behaviors such as: Growling, biting, humping, snapping at an owner, or snapping at other humans. These problems can surface when an owner tries to exert dominance over the dog.

Since dogs are pack animals, they follow a heirarchy system in where one dog is dominant and the others are submissive. When dogs aren't in a "pack" the human owner/family serves as it's pack for substitution.

Dominant dog --> Submissive dogs

Fear-Induced Aggression:

This is the most common type of aggression exhibited in animal hospitals/clinics (yey me!).

It's typically seen whenever the animal is in a position from where it can't escape, when loud noises occur, and around children or specific people.

When owners withdraw from fear-induced aggression, they act as a positive reinforcer!

Meaning the dog realizes that it can act or behave this way whenever the situation occurs. This in turn makes it harder to treat, because really > who's going to NOT pull their hand back if they get snapped at eh?

Predatory Aggression:

This is a natural aggression behavior seen because it's a dog's instinct to hunt. It becomes an issue if it gets out of hand, because a small child or another pet can be mistaken for prey. Cats have really stronger predatory instincts, so you see more issues there in this regard.

Interesting facts about predatory aggression:

- The dog will not give a warning before the attack
- The animal will stalk prey until it finds an opening and pounces

Pain-Induced Aggression:

This occurs a lot in animal hospitals too actually.

When an animal is in pain, it's natural instinct is to protect itself from further harm or injury, thus snapping at you in return. Stressed animals can and will snap pretty much at any time: Your best bet in a situation like this is to understand that this is an instinctual response: NOT something you've done. Staying calm, emotionally and mentally can really help.

You're more likely to see a dog with a lesion or some kind of bite.

Inter-Male Aggression:

Sometimes male dogs can be naturally aggressive towards each other. Neutering actually REALLY helps to solve this problem or medication if it's extreme.

Territorial Aggression:

This is categorized when dogs tend to be aggressive to humans that aren't members of the household. It's harder to characterize this one, because sometimes territorial aggression can be mixed up with dominance aggression.

Maternal Aggression:

Some dogs will exhibit aggressive behaviors after birth. While Maternal aggression is rare, it can occur. This is a natural instinct for a mother to protect her young.

Ok, that's all I'm writing on this for today. So now you know some ways to pick out specific behavioral patterns!

As always, when a behavioral problem exhibits itself, talk with your local specialist or Veterinarian!