My Golden is aggressive to animals. Is it hip pain? Can training help?

If this was a sudden behavior change for Luk, I would recommend having him examined by a vet before doing anything else - he may be sick or in pain, which can often cause aggressive behavior in dogs since they are less tolerant of many things when they don't feel well. Blood work to check his thyroid and other organ functions may also be recommended. If his exam and blood work are normal, then it's likely that you will need a veterinary behaviorist or a good reward-based trainer to help you with this in person - aggression towards humans is a complex behavior issue that is a bit beyond the scope of what we can tackle in this forum. Generally speaking, treatment for aggression problems involves identifying things that trigger the aggressive behavior, then using positive reinforcement to change how the dog feels about these situations. It can be difficult to do this safely on your own, which is why working in-person with a professional is always recommended.

I think you need to get Pablo into some training. Call your veterinarian and ask for a recommendation for good training in your area. In the mean time make sure he is not allowed on the bed, or tha furniture where he would be elevated to “equal”’status. Make him obey a command before you feed him, pet him, etc. good luck. He is young enough you should be able to get a handle on his behavior if you jump on it.

It does sound like from your descriptions that Graham is starting to act a little aggressive, and I would take him into a professional behavioral expert as soon as possible for training. I never recommend owners try to train aggressive dogs themselves because it can be dangerous, so it's best left to a professional. Aggressive behavior can escalate, and it can continue to be a problem. Without seeing his behaviors in person, I can't say for sure if your kids are safe around him, but I would not leave him unsupervised with them just to be cautious. I would speak to your vet first thing in the morning about a referral to a behavioral expert.

Please have him assessed fully by a vet, snapping and biting is not normal or acceptable behaviour. Physical injury and pain should be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible both for his comfort and to prevent a dangerous cycle of aggression

There are a variety of treatments for hip dysplasia depending on clinical signs. I would first perform radiographs to assess for comformation. There are surgical procedures that are performed in puppies prior to the development of osteoarthritis for severe cases, but they typically need to be performed before 9 months of age. I think the most important thing is to interpret physical exam and radiographs in the context of clinical signs. I have some puppies with a radiographic diagnosis of hip dysplasia who are asymptomic for years and other puppies with negative ortolani sign, minimal dysplasia on radiographs and severe clinical signs. So, don't jump into surgery if Gary is not showing clinical signs. For my puppies with radiographically confirmed hip dysplasia and clinical signs, I typically manage them medically as needed and start physical rehabilitation. I hope that helps! Good luck!

Hi there. Aggression between dogs in the same household is always a complex issue, so it's difficult to provide much specific advice without being able to evaluate the dogs in person and get a detailed behavioral history. In general, small areas like doorways or staircases where the dogs get very excited and are jostling each other to get through can be common triggers for aggression - it's possible that this could be consistent with what you're describing. In that case, we usually recommend teaching the dogs to go down in a more ordered way - such as having them both stay at the top of the stairs, then calling each one down separately for a reward. In some cases, having the "problem dog" carry a toy can be helpful as it keeps them busy with something else and gives them a different outlet for their excitement. If possible, I would recommend getting in touch with a veterinary behaviorist or a good reward-based trainer who can evaluate the dogs in person and help you put together a more specific plan to work on the problem. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist here: www.dacvb.org or a qualified trainer here: www.ccpdt.org

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. So sorry that Baxter has this issue. The right hip has severe dysplasia (the x-ray is not marked so I am assuming it is the right one). The other hip looks OK. The only way to fix this is with surgery - either a FHO procedure or a total hip replacement. You need to speak to your vet about options. There is no medication to reverse, cure or stop the progression of this disease. Surgery will definitely be needed.