My dog is aggressive, anxious, barks, and has pica. What can I do?

Hi there! Alucard sure sounds like a handful! Let me see if I can help. It does sound like he may have some anxiety when you guys leave the house. You may want to try some natural supplements like Adaptil or Zylkene (which can be ordered online), to help get him to be more relaxed in general, and in turn when you leave the house. For the other things you are describing like his guarding of his toys and jealousy of your intimacy, he may have some possession issues. Since he does grow aggressive in some of these instances, it is best to find a veterinary behaviorist in your area that can help you work through these things, or they may not improve at all. There are some trainers as well that may be in your area who are qualified to deal with these types of issues, but it is always safest to seek help from a veterinary behaviorist if possible. In the meantime, warn others of his behavioral issues when they come to the house so he doesn't bite someone, and make sure his rabies vaccination is up to date! An accident involving him nipping someone can escalate very quickly, so be prepared. I hope you find this answer helpful! Best of luck!

The ASPCA website has some good information on the different types of aggression in dogs: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/common-dog-behavior-issues/aggression It sounds like you're already on the right track with some behavioral training. You may want to ask your veterinarian if there are any behaviorists they would recommend to work with you specifically on the fear of strangers issue. At his age, as long as he isn't showing aggression at home towards family members I would think you could have good success with a behavior modification program but it will take work. You will be most successful if you can work one on one with a behaviorist who has experience with fearful dogs. I wouldn't even completely rule out that Pepe could be a therapy dog some time in the future. Good luck to you and Pepe - he's lucky to have a dedicated owner!

I would recommend to take Caesar in for an exam to make sure there's no evidence of pain. If no medical reasons are found, then I would suspect this is a behavioral problem. Caesar is now nearing adulthood so he may be trying to figure out where he fits in the pack. I would recommend to work with a professional dog trainer. Aggressive behavior always has the potential to become very bad and you don't want anyone getting hurt. I would start training immediately before the behavior becomes ingrained. Bad habits can be changed but its harder. I hope this helps.

Poor Rascal! It sounds like he's very fearful of many things outside, which is why he barks at them. This problem is usually very treatable, but you really need to work with a professional who can give you some hands-on guidance in how to help him with his fear - it sounds like he may also be a good candidate for anti-anxiety medication, at least in the short-term. Your best option would be to make an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate Rascal in person and help you put together a detailed plan to help him. This plan would normally include recommendations on how to help manage him so that he isn't put in situations that are scary and overwhelming for him, training techniques to help with his fear by teaching him to associate good things with the things he's currently afraid of, and possibly medication as discussed above. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

Fear and aggression are both often due to underlying fear and/or anxiety. Working with a trainer will help you learn how to correct behaviors in a way that doesn't exacerbate anxiety or fear. It may be helpful to discuss anti-anxiety medication with your veterinarian as well. What you are describing is not normal, but working with behavior modification techniques and possibly with medication could be very helpful. Best of luck with him. https://www.petcoach.co/article/6-common-myths-about-dog-aggression/ https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/common-dog-behavior-issues/aggression

I am sorry you are struggling with Chico. I would highly recommend bringing a trainer into the house after making sure a physical exam by a veterinarian is normal. Behavioral issues/ training takes a lot of time and patience. I feel having someone come into the home and observe the situations where he is anxious and aggressive will help. Also recommend getting him neutered as soon as possible.

This is a very tough situation. If you're serious about Max getting better, I would recommend scheduling an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist to get to the bottom of the problem. This is a good place to look: https://avsab.org/directory/ While you're waiting for your appointment, make sure you aren't punishing him for this behavior (because punishments can make it worse), avoid all situations in which it occurs, when you are on walks take really great treats with you and use them to keep his attention on you if you have to walk pasted another dog (but avoiding all together would still be better). Your dog will likely need a combination of behavior modifications, training, and medication and he may never be a totally normal dog. Wishing you the best of luck. Thanks for using PetCoach