How to handle my dog's aggression and barking after being bitten?

It sounds like you have a dangerous situation going on. This is too big of a problem for a quick answer on the forum, but I will tell you that this is going to take a lot of work and time, and may never end up the way you want it to. I really feel that you need to ask your veterinarian for a referral for a good behaviorist in your area. If this is not someone you can devote some time and likely financial resources to, then you may need consider not keeping her. I am sorry you are experiencing this, I have been through something similar and it is very difficult. In the meantime I would order her a basket muzzle to keep on her when others are around to lessen the likelihood of her injuring someone. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Hi there! I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem with Buffy. It's not unusual for behavioral issues to take a few weeks to show up in a newly adopted dog - there is often a "honeymoon period" while they're still getting comfortable and adjusting to their new home, before these issues start to emerge. Aggression towards other dogs and humans is a complex behavioral issue that's difficult to address properly in a forum like this, but I can try to give you some general information that may be helpful. Treatment for aggression issues is generally based on identifying what situations tend to trigger the aggressive behavior - then either finding ways to avoid them, or working with the dog to teach her to respond differently using reward-based training techniques. If this is something you want to work on, I would recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate Buffy in person and help you put together a detailed treatment plan to address her aggressive behavior. For now, if the aggression only happens with dogs and people she doesn't know, I would recommend keeping her separated from visitors for now until you are able to get a more detailed plan in place to work on the problem. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

This is a very dangerous situation - be sure to keep her separated from other dogs and children until you can have her fully assessed by a behaviorist. Do not put yourself, family or other dogs at risk until a program can be pt in place to deal with her aggression - you may need to consider surrendering her if she is not able to cope with a busy environment around other dogs and children

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I agree with you, the discipline has not been handled correctly. There are other, better ways to discipline a dog but at this time it is going to be difficult to correct without a professional trainer. Does she have fear aggression? I don't know because I have not witnessed the behavior myself so I can't say for sure. You need a professional dog trainer to come to your house and see the dog's behavior and how the dog interacts with everyone in the house. Only then can they make recommendations on how to correct the problem. Sometimes you need to work concurrently with a veterinarian as behavior modification medications may be needed in the beginning of the re-training. I'm sorry I do not know where you are located so I can't really recommend a trainer. I suggest you call your vet for a recommendation. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Poor Panda! Unfortunately she had a very traumatizing event during a very crucial period of socialization in her life. I would not consider her a waste of money. She could be fearful reactive (I have one of these) that acts so aggressive to try to scare everyone away because she is scared to death. I don't like training at dog parks. The dogs are not controlled and it is likely to end up with her having another bad experience. Not everyone understands dog to dog behavior, so there can be fights at dog parks. I would NOT recommend a shock collar. Her response is most likely fear, and we should not punish fear. Imagine if you fell off a roller coaster (major injuries but survived) when you were a young child, would you want to ride a roller coaster again? I am sorry that you have not have luck with trainers. First, you might need to reconsider what you want Panda to do. Do you want her to go for walks where she might see another dog? Or are you wanting a dog to go to dog parks and play dates etc? I think that with a good positive reinforcement trainer coupled with a veterinarian who might prescribe a medication to ease her anxiety that you can successfully train Panda to go for walks etc. I think that we just need to help reduce her fear and create positive situations for her. It will take time and you will need to be patient with her. Thanks for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi there! When it comes to resource guarding of a specific location or area of the house, this is a fairly complex problem that can't really be addressed properly in this type of format. I would recommend getting in touch with a veterinary behaviorist or a good reward-based trainer who can evaluate her in person and help you put together a detailed plan to work on this behavior. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org or a qualified trainer here: www.ccpdt.org In the meantime, if she only shows this behavior with people she doesn't know, I would recommend separating her from visitors by putting her in a crate or another room with the door closed to avoid any further problems until you're able to get some in-person assistance.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry you are experiencing this with Bongo, but this is a serious matter. He is not even a year old and what you are describing is very worrisome. A veterinary Behaviorist is the best thing for you and Bongo as you will get the best outcome. Just having him on Prozac is not enough, you need to work and train him daily. Biting your owner, even TRYING to, is unacceptable behavior. I don't think it is territorial aggression that is causing him to not want to go in his sleep area. It could be fear or not wanting to do what you ask. I would suggest, for your safety that you lure him in the sleep area with a special toy, treat, or Kong stuffed with food. Or attach his leash and walk him in to the room after his final walk of the night. If these things do not work, place a basket muzzle on him before forcing him in the room and then remove it. Bongo is not an easy behavior case and there is no easy fix. A behaviorist is your best option so you can manage his behavior in a safe way. I wish you the best!