My 10-year-old dog is aggressive towards strangers. What should I do?

Hi Aaron, I hope I can help you with Taz! I would recommend first neutering him, and then having him seen by a professional behavioral expert. Aggression in dogs can be hormonally related, and having his testicles removed can help reduce that aggression. Having him seen by a professional behavioral experts is also important. Working with aggressive dogs can be dangerous, and I never recommend owners do it on their own. That is a situation that is best left to an expert. I would speak to your vet about a referral to a professional behavior to work with your family and Taz. Hope this helps :-)

First, neutering Freckles can help. I do recommend having that done. Then I would put him in with a professional behavioral expert for training. I never recommend owners work on aggressive issues by themselves due to safety issues. Your vet can make a referral to one for you. Best of luck.

I would speak to your vet about a referral to a professional behavioral expert for Dexter. Aggression is a very dangerous behavior to work with in dogs, and it's best left up to an expert due to safety reasons. I never recommend owners try to train this behavior on their own due to this, and good on you for wanting to correct this behavior! Getting Dexter into a professional behavior expert is the best option for fixing this behavior.

That is a tough situation! It is concerning that Harley bit your granddaughter, and for her safety, yes it may be best to find him another home where children do not live or visit. If you want to try to keep him, get him into a professional behavioral expert right away. I never recommend owners work with aggressive dogs on their own due to the safety risks. You can work with the expert to see if he is a dog that can be kept or if finding him another home is best. Until you make the decision, keep him completely locked up and away from your granddaughter whenever she visits. Best of luck.

You need to get him into a professional behavior expert for training. Aggression is very serious, and Bodie could hurt you. Do not deal with this on your own, it's not safe. Speak to his vet to get a referral to a behavioral expert as soon as possible. For your safety, keep him away from other people for now as much as you can. Best of luck.

Poor Rocky! I'm sorry to hear that he has this problem. To get a veterinary check-up, I would recommend calling your vet to discuss your concerns and make a plan for how to have him seen safely. This may involve having you train him to wear a muzzle at home, so that you can put this on before he arrives at the veterinary clinic. The veterinarian may prescribe some anti-anxiety medication for you to give prior to coming in, and he may also need injectable sedation once he arrives at the clinic so that he can be handled safely. For the future, I would strongly recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can help you put together a detailed training plan to work on his aggressive behavior. Most aggression towards strangers is fear-based, so this normally includes using positive reinforcement (food rewards, etc.) to help the dog learn to be more comfortable with the things that scare him. Punishment-based training (prong or choke collars, shock collars, etc.) are NEVER recommended for the treatment of aggression issues, as this does not address the underlying problem and has a high risk of making the aggression worse over time. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org or ask your regular veterinarian where the nearest one is located.

I would speak to your vet about a referral to a professional behavioral expert for Savannah. I never recommend owners work with aggressive dogs on their own due to safety reasons. Having her seen by a professional behavioral expert is the best way to find out if this aggression can be controlled. Best of luck, I hope this helps!