Why is my 10-week-old puppy suddenly aggressive towards my family?

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Bruno. When a puppy shows aggression, I immediately advise neutering him to remove the male hormone-driven behaviors. I would advise taking him to your veterinarian for their opinion also. He may have some medical reason for his sudden onset of aggression. Your vet can gather a history, perform an exam and then offer a diagnostic/treatment plan based on their findings. Possible tests include fecal/blood/urine tests and x-rays to look for underlying medical problems that could cause aggression. If a behavioral problem is suspected, then neutering, behavior modification, and drug therapy can be tried. I wish you good luck with Bruno

Diesel is adorable! I would highly recommend getting a trainer to come to the house. The trainer can work with Diesel and you and your kids to correct this behavior. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It's not normal for a 4 month old to be scared or aggressive. I would recommend getting an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist (this person is a vet, not just a layperson) if at all possible -- your vet may have recommendations for someone nearby. It sounds like he could have been scared by the tackling incident, but it's still atypical for such a young dog to be aggressive. It would be like your 2 year old threatening to beat you up --- it's just not how their brains work at that age. The behaviorist can assess him and likely give you a pile of exercises to do at home and some medications. In the mean time, or if you can't take him to a behaviorist, avoid anything that makes him scared and hand feed him all his food as "treats" throughout the day as rewards for interacting with the family.

Hi there! I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem with Chase. Without being able to observe him in person, it's hard to say if this is truly aggressive behavior (which would be extremely concerning in such as young pup) or just very intense play biting/mouthing - which can be normal for some dogs, especially high-drive working breeds, but is often difficult for pet owners to manage. Either way, it sounds like you could definitely use some professional help. I would recommend getting in touch with a good canine behaviorist who can evaluate Chase in person to help determine if this is aggression vs. play, and put together a detailed training plan to work on his behavior. You can find information on how to search for a qualified professional in your area here: https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/general/findabehaviourist

I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem! If this has been a fairly sudden behavior change for Elsa, the first thing I would suggest would be to have her examined by a vet to see if there may be a medial reason for the aggression - many illnesses including thyroid problems and neurologic issues can cause sudden mood swings and behavior changes like this, as well as anything that may be painful such as an injury of some kind, arthritis, etc. If your vet determines that Elsa is healthy, then I would strongly recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist as the next step. Aggression towards humans is a serious and complex behavior issue that needs to be handled by a professional who can work with your dog in person. The behaviorist will evaluate your dog and help you determine what is triggering the aggression, then put together a detailed training plan to work on the problem. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

I strongly recommend you consult with a professional, in-home dog trainer. You need a trainer to come to your house and see the behavior and the interaction of all the family members with the puppy. This is your best bet. Aggression problems need special care and it is not recommended that you try to correct this on your own. You may give him the wrong signals and make him worse. This needs to stop before he hurts someone.

Sorry to hear about your dog's aggressive behavior. This breed, among others, has a tendency to be protective and territorial aggressive towards people. The causes can be related to the blood line or as a result of environment. Best bet here is to consult with your local veterinarian on a plan to help alleviate the problem through behavioral modification and medical management through neutering. There are also specific medicines available to help deal with certain behavior problems. You might ask your veterinarian for a referral to a veterinary behavioralist in your area, who specializes in these kinds of problems. Together, I hope they can lend you some solid answers to this difficult but serious problem with your dog. Please feel free to reach out for a consult with me if you have further questions. All the best, Steve Popish, DVM.