My dog wants to cuddle but growls or bites when I try to pet him. Why?

Hello, and thank you for your question. If Fleck's biting is a recent behaviour, I would first want to rule out any pain or discomfort that is eliciting this reaction. For this purpose, a vet visit should be the first step. The vet can perform a full physical exam to check for any areas of pain, and may recommend further testing such as x-rays or blood work to pinpoint a diagnosis. Appropriate medication can be dispensed if a diagnosis is found. If the behaviour is not due to a medical issue, then I would focus on finding out the source of his anxiety, and subsequently work on training. I would suggest getting help from a certified behavioural trainer for this purpose. I hope this helps, and that Fleck gets better soon!

Any continued abnormal symptoms (longer than 24 hours) warrants a vet exam. I cannot tell you what is wrong with him just by your description. I can tell you that you need to be diligent about getting weird behavior changes checked out . Behavior changes could be due to an underlying medical issue (pain somewhere in his body, vision problem, etc) or a behavioral issue. It is always best to rule out an underlying medical issue first before just assuming it is behavioral. I suggest you get him to a vet for an exam.

I can't tell you exactly what happened, but I have noticed that often when we snuggle on the couch with our pets, especially in the winter, static electricity can build up and little movements trigger shocks. It is possible this is what happened, but I can't say for certain. If this behavior becomes a pattern for Cassidy, you may want to seek veterinary attention. Dogs with behavior changes may be experiencing pain from arthritis, dental disease, or another source. Hopefully, it was an isolated event, and you can go back to cuddling with your girl.

I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem! Aggression is a complex behavioral issue, so it's often hard to give a succinct answer in this format. It would help to have more information about what kinds of situations seem to trigger the aggression, as well as some details about how your dog acts in other contexts. In general, I can tell you that most cases of owner-directed aggression like this are related to insecurity and guarding behavior over resources - like resting places, and sometimes food bowls or chew toys. Many of these dogs will bite somewhat unpredictably when lying next to their owners on a couch or bed. If you want to try and address this behavior, I would recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate your dog in person and help you determine what is causing the aggression, and also give you a detailed treatment plan to work on the problem. You can search for a behaviorist in your area here: www.davcb.org In the meantime, I would recommend avoiding situations that tend to trigger the aggression as much as possible - this may mean blocking Sam's access to the couch, bed, or other areas where he has tried to bite you. Punishment of any kind for this behavior is not recommended, as it tends to make the dog more defensive and worsen the aggression over time. Instead, if he growls or tries to bite, calmly walk away or call him to you for a treat to help diffuse the situation.

Hello, sorry to hear about Chunk. He may be experiencing hip pain or knee pain. These are typically elicit pain intermittently and is more obvious in certain movements. Other sources of pain could include back pain. Just by touching him you will likely not elicit a response, typically you need to move the joints in questions to get a pain response. Chunk should be seen by his veterinarian within the next week if his pain continues or sooner is the pain is getting worse. Monitor for any limping, dragging of his limbs, low head carriage, or being unable/unwilling to get up and have him evaluated sooner if you note any of these. Hope this helps and best of luck

If this is a sudden or new behavior that happened out of the blue, and Toby is now biting and snapping when picked up or handled, I would be concerned that there is something going on such as pain or illness. Often times, a sudden behavioral change can indicate pain or another underlying condition. A good first step is to schedule an appointment with your vet to rule out any health issues that could be causing this. If Toby checks out healthy and he is still acting aggressive and trying to bite you or other animals, I would seek out the help of a trainer or veterinary behaviorist in person. Aggression is a very serious and complex issue and having someone there in person that can observe, assist and provide a tailored plan to help change Toby's behavior is best. Veterinary behaviorists are great as they are able to prescribe any needed medication in addition to a training routine to help create a safer, stress-free environment. You can visit this site to learn more about veterinary behaviorists and find one in your area: http://www.dacvb.org/about/member-directory/

There are many possible reasons for this, I'm afraid - aggression is a complex behavior issue, so it can be hard to provide a succinct answer in this format. Many dogs develop aggression issues related to fear or anxiety around the age of 2-3 when they reach social maturity, so it's possible that this may be the issue. Or, since I see that Chucky is a bit older than that, he may have a medical problem causing him to be painful or uncomfortable - this is a common reason for "new" aggression in a previously friendly dog. I would recommend having Chucky examined by a vet as a good first step - he/she can check for anything that may be causing him pain or making him not feel well, and get him started on treatment if needed. If everything is normal medically, then it would be best to make an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist to help you determine what is causing the aggression - he/she can observe your dogs in person and also give you a step-by-step treatment plan to work on the issue.