My dog attacks people and other pets. How can I stop this aggression?

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 serious and potentially dangerous issue - I strongly recomend you consult a professional behaviorist for help in dealing with this before she injures somenone. In the meantime, purchase a muzzle and ensure whe is wearing it during walks or any other flashpoints to prevent her from bting and try to change your route or routine in order to avoid flashpoints

Hi there! I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem with Hanna. Most aggression towards strangers in the situations you describe are a result of fear and anxiety - Hanna may not be comfortable around people she doesn't know, and barks and growls to try and get them to go away. Treatment for this problem is based on teaching her to associate good things (usually treats) with seeing new people, along with making sure that she always has plenty of space and is never forced to interact if she doesn't want to. A basket muzzle can certainly be used to help keep everyone safe, if needed, but it shouldn't be used to put her in uncomfortable situations. Aggression issues in dogs are complex and can be difficult to work on safely without help, so I would strongly recommend getting in touch with a veterinary behaviorist who can work with you in person. He/she can evaluate Hanna to help determine what is causing her aggressive behavior, and will help you 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

Hi there. Possessive aggression (also called resource guarding) is often very treatable with a good behavior modification plan, but I'm afraid it's a bit beyond the scope of what we can help you with in an online forum like this. I would strongly recommend getting in touch with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate Ruby in person and help you put together a detailed plan to work on the problem. In the meantime, do your best to avoid any situations that may provoke the aggressive behavior. This may also mean keeping her separated from the other pets in the household to keep everyone safe until you're able to meet with a professional who can help. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

I'm sorry to hear that your dog is having this problem! Behavior issues like this are quite complex, and often very difficult to handle successfully on your own if you don't have any training experience. And particularly with an aggression problem, it may not be safe to attempt to work on this without professional assistance. If at all possible, I would strongly recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate your dog in person and help you put together a detailed plan to work on the problem. Although the initial visit may be somewhat expensive, in many cases owners are able to stay in contact with the behaviorist via phone or email about how things are going without the need for repeated in-person sessions - which cuts down tremendously on the long-term cost vs. working with a trainer every week. The behaviorist may also recommend medication or other adjunct treatment options that could be helpful in addition to the training plan. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist here: www.dacvb.org If your dog is mainly aggressive to other dogs when she sees them on-leash (the most common form of this problem, in my experience), I would also suggest the short book "Feisty Fido" by PhD behaviorist Patricia McConnell - it has very sound, useful advice for dealing with this issue that may help to get you started.

It sounds like Suzy is dog aggressive, and I would speak to your vet about a referral to a professional behavior expert. I never recommend owners try to train aggressive behaviors on their own because it can be dangerous and the owner can get hurt. This is something that is best left to the professionals. It is definitely something that needs to be worked on immediately with a trainer, as she could hurt another dog or get very hurt herself if she goes after a big dog. Give your vet a call today or first thing in the morning to discuss professional behavioral experts in your area. Good luck, I hope this helps!

I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem with Champ! Unfortunately, aggression towards humans and other dogs is a complex behavior issue that can be caused by many different things. In most cases, it's related to stress or anxiety - treatment is usually based on trying to identify what situations trigger the aggression, then either avoiding them or teaching the dog to be more comfortable in these situations through reward-based training. It would be best for you to find someone who can work with you in person on this problem, so I would recommend asking your veterinarian if they can refer you to a good behaviorist or trainer in your area. Ideally, try to make sure that the trainer does not use any type of punishment - aggressive dogs should be handled with reward-based techniques only, as corrections tend to make this behavior worse over time.