My dog bit a family member. Is he aggressive and what should I do?

Oh no, that's not good that Ziggy bit your friend's dog. I would immediately get him into a professional behavioral expert, which can be recommended by your vet. I never recommend that owners work with their dog's on their aggressive behavior due to safely issues. It's best left to the professionals. The behavioral expert can help identify what triggered your dog to be aggressive, and work with him on preventing it from occurring again. I would keep Ziggy separated from your friend's dog for now to be safe.

I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem with Zeus! Owner-directed aggression is a complex behavioral issue that we really can't evaluate properly in a forum like this, so I would recommend getting in touch with a canine behaviorist in your area who can evaluate Zeus in person. He/she can give you a realistic assessment of your options (keeping Zeus and working with him vs. euthanasia), and will help you put together a detailed plan to work on his aggressive behavior if you decide to keep him. More information on finding a qualified expert in your area can be found here: https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/general/findabehaviourist

Oh dear! I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem with Onyx. Human-directed aggression in dogs is a complex behavior issue that can have many different causes, so I'm afraid it's difficult to say what might be causing this without a full behavior history and an in-person evaluation. This sounds like a very dangerous situation for you, so if you want to keep Onyx, I would strongly recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate him in person and help you determine what is causing this behavior. Aggression issues like this can be treatable in many cases with careful management and a good training plan to work on the problem, but this should only be attempted with assistance from a trained professional. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

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.

Oh dear! That is a worry for sure! It's really important that you don't get hurt, because dog bites can be pretty serious. I would suggest making an appointment with your vet to talk about possibilities. They might be able to link you up with a behaviorist, or dog trainer that could help a lot. There also could be medications that might help. Or, like you said, there could be a medical problem that is upsetting him.

Oh dear, Zed is really quite aggressive! Aggression is very dangerous behavior to work with it, and it's best left to a professional. I would speak to your vet about a referral to a professional behavioral expert, who can work with him on his aggression. I never recommend having an owner train an aggressive dog themselves due to the danger. If Zed isn't neutered, I would have him neutered as soon as possible, as that may help decrease any aggressive behaviors that are hormonally related.

I'm so sorry that you're in this position! Behavior problems like this can be heartbreaking for everyone involved, and you're correct that the unpredictable nature of the aggression makes Jack much more dangerous to manage. I do believe that euthanasia can be a reasonable option in cases like these, even though this decision may be very difficult. If you want a professional opinion to help you make a decision, I would recommend consulting with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate Jack in person. He/she can give you a much better idea of the risks involved in working with him and trying to manage him safely, as well as an opinion on the prognosis for significant improvement. Your vet should be able to help you find the nearest veterinary specialist in this field, generally at a referral center or teaching hospital, if this is something that you decide you want to do.