How to help my dog who is fearful of new people and tries to bite?

Aggression toward people is a very complex and serious issue so I highly recommend speaking with a veterinary behaviorists near you. A veterinary behaviorist is a vet that specializes in behavior and they are able to work with you on both a training plan, as well as prescribe medications to help with stress or anxiety during training. Most behaviorists can utilize a program such as BAT (Behavioral Adjustment Training) that helps to desensitize your dog to triggers (such as men or the mailman), accept touch or calm handling, and help reduce overall stress and anxiety. They also work with you in person which can help ensure all training is done in a safe manner for both you and your dog. You can learn more about them here: https://www.dacvb.org/page/about

I am very sorry to hear about Bandit. This is a scary situation if Bandit is truly giving no warning prior to his aggressive outbursts. There may be subtle changes in his behavior that are difficult to pick up on without having observed aggressive dogs in the past. Neutering may help decrease his aggression toward other dogs but truly with unpredictable aggression like this a consultation with a veterinary behaviorist is recommended. They can discuss Bandit with you in depth, examine him and observe him in different situations and come up with a training plan to help you manage him (or they may advise he not be around other dogs if they feel his behavior is too unpredictable). I would talk to Bandit's veterinarian to find out about veterinary behaviorists in your area.

I am sorry to hear about your dog. I would recommend asking your veterinarian if there is a veterinary behaviorist near you, or consulting https://www.dacvb.org/search/custom.asp?id=4709 to find a veterinary behaviorist who may be able to help you. These vets are specially trained in behavior issues of this type and may use a combination of specialized training/behavior modification as well as medications if deemed necessary.

Oh dear! If Yogy is becoming aggressive and trying to bite people when he meets them, he is telling you that he's not comfortable meeting strangers at this point. This is something that can often be improved over time, but it's important to go slowly - I would strongly recommend working with a veterinary behaviorist or a good reward-based trainer who can help you in person. The training plan will likely involve starting at a distance from strangers where Yogy is comfortable, and feeding him treats to help him associate good things with seeing new people. As long as he's doing well, you can gradually move closer over time until eventually, he may be comfortable saying hello to a stranger. It's very important not to put him in situations where he is afraid or uncomfortable, so I would stop trying to introduce him to strangers for now - this will only make things worse. It's also important not to punish him for showing aggression, since this will only make him more afraid and worsen the problem over time. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here (www.dacvb.org) or a qualified trainer here (www.ccpdt.org).

Hello, sorry to hear about Bandit. Fearful or territorial aggression may be the cause of his snapping and biting. The following is a hand out on how to manage these behaviors. Hope this helps. Fearful behavior is very common and may manifest as aggression or the appearance of aggression towards you, the dog owner. Although your dog may show aggression towards their owners or strangers including growling, biting, or lunging, the motivation behind this is often fear related. Look at the body language of your dog—does she look scared, cowering with its ears pulled back? If you are uncertain, your veterinarian can help you to determine if your dog is exhibiting fearful behavior. Dogs can become fearful for many reasons and in response to multiple situations. It is very important to identify the cause of the fearful behavior so that you can address the situation(s) appropriately or avoid them altogether. There may be only one trigger, or there may be multiple things that cause fearful behavior in your dog. Each should be addressed separately. Some signs of fearful behavior • Ears back • T ail tucked • Fearful urination • Rolling over and exposing belly • Crouching body posture • Avoidance of eye contact These signs may be more subtle, with your dog licking her lips, panting, or yawning. Basic guidelines for working with a fearful dog • One of the most important things is NOT to punish your dog when she is being fearful. This will just make the behavior worse, or incite aggressive behavior. Punishment techniques may include tugging on the collar, verbal reprimands, or shock collars in more severe methods. • Avoidance of the situation initially will likely benefit you more than trying to use “flooding” techniques. Flooding refers to repeated and prolonged exposure to the situation that is causing fear in your dog. This is a no-no, and avoiding the situation is preferred. • Some very basic obedience training and using a “watch-me” command to divert your dog’s attention away from the fearful stimulus can also be useful. The watch-me command is used to establish eye contact between you and your dog in the presence of the fearful stimulus so she is focused on you rather than whatever may be inducing fear. • The use of non-confrontational leadership training, in which your dog must perform tasks for food/attention/toys/treats, has shown to be helpful in fearful animals. These tasks can be as simple as following a sit command before the dinner bowl is placed on the ground.

Good question, and I commend you for seeking the input from a behaviorist to help Barney! The main thing for you to do in the meantime is to protect him from those situations that are fearful to him. From the brief description, it sounds like you should avoid having him meet new people for now, especially men, which might mean not taking him out in as many different environments, and if new people come to the house he should be put somewhere quiet and comfortable where he can relax (probably in a familiar bedroom). The more he is in those situations that he perceives as fearful and allowed to go through his fear response, the more of a habit it becomes for him - and it will make it more challenging for you to correct the problem once the behaviorist is on board. I know it's frustrating because it sounds like you are dedicated to working on this with him - but I think it's worth protecting him in this way until you have input from the expert to help guide you. Hope this helps - good luck!

Poor Bear! Excessive barking and howling when left alone is a very common sign of separation anxiety in dogs. Barking and growling at visitors and strangers on walks is also a very concerning behavior, especially in such a young dog. These are complicated problems that are difficult to address adequately in a forum like this, so I would strongly recommend making an appointment with someone who can help you in person. Ideally, it would be best to see a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate Bear and help you put together a detailed training plan to work on these problems. This may include prescription anti-anxiety medication, since it sounds like his issues are fairly severe. You can ask your veterinarian to refer you to your nearest board-certified behaviorist for an evaluation and treatment plan.