Why does my dog growl and snap when I pick her up or show affection?

Situations like this are complicated and it's hard to give the best advice without being able to observe the behavior and walk you through things. Sometimes this can be true aggression. Sometimes this is related to Emma not wanting to be moved/handled. The latter can sometimes be treated with counter conditioning to provide a more positive experience that Emma will want to happen and thus will respond to. True canine aggression is a complex behavior as it can stem from dominance, possessiveness, fear, anxiety, resource guarding or a combination. Most people are not familiar with reading canine body language and training. Because of this, I recommend to work with a professional trainer. Researching on your own will also be helpful. Familiarizing yourself with canine body language and dog training can help you to recognize what your pet is trying to say. You can find many books written on the topic and there is a trainer named Victoria Stilwell who I think is particularly helpful. Best of luck.

I'm sorry to hear that! Owner-directed aggression is a complex behavior issue that's difficult to address succinctly in this format. It would help to have more information about what kinds of situations cause her to snap or bite, as well as additional details about her personality overall, how she acts with family vs. visitors, etc. If you want to request a one-on-one consultation to discuss the situation in more depth, I would be glad to try and make more specific suggestions. If you prefer not to do that, I would strongly recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist for an in-person evaluation of Fern - he/she can help you understand why this behavior is happening and set up a step-by-step treatment plan to help you address it. In general, I can tell you that treatment for this type of aggression issue is based on identifying triggers for the snapping and biting, and using positive reinforcement to change how Fern feels about these situations over time. Outside of training sessions where you are specifically working on the problem, it's important to avoid these situations as much as possible to avoid continuing to provoke the aggression and make things worse. Punishment of any kind is not recommended for this behavior, since this also tends to make things worse over time by making the dog more anxious and defensive.

Hi there! Aggressive behavior (snarling, growling, etc.) when picked up or disturbed is not normal in a puppy this age, and is a very concerning red flag for future behavior issues. I would take this very seriously, and make an appointment to see a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate Zelda in person and help you put together a detailed plan to work on this issue while she's still young, rather than waiting for things to get worse as she gets older. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

Your puppy is still young and has a lot to learn. You need to work with her on potty training (consider crate training), socialization, and basic commands like sit/stay/come. Take her on walks frequently to help her energy level. All of these things will help foster and grow your relationship with her. Let her know that it is not appropriate to bite or growl by correcting her and then ignoring her after she does it. Some dogs have a more independent personality and she may be one of those dogs. But if you continue to work with her I'm sure you two will have a great relationship some day soon.

Oh dear! I'm sorry that you're having this problem with Billi. Owner-directed aggression is a complex behavior issue that can be quite serious, so I would recommend recommend asking your veterinarian to refer you to a veterinary behaviorist in your area - he/she can evaluate your dog in person and help you put together a detailed training plan to work on this problem. In general, I can tell you that the best way to deal with this problem is ny identifying what situations tend to trigger the aggression, then either avoiding them or working with her to teach her to be more comfortable with these triggers so that she doesn't feel the need to growl or snap. This would always involve reward-based training, never any kind of punishment as this is likely to make things worse. If your husband is petting her and she growls, she's asking him to stop - he should listen to her and leave her alone at that point, rather than continuing to antagonize her with more petting. This often leads to increased aggression (such as snapping or biting) from the dog, since her communications signals are being ignored. The behaviorist can help you understand why she gets upset in these situations so that you can learn to avoid them or help her be more comfortable.

This aggression may be hormone related now that she is at the age of becoming sexually mature. If you are not planning on breeding her I would suggest you have her spayed as soon as possible. The other option is that she is in pain somewhere in/on her body. A vet exam to rule out any pain would be a good idea. Pain can make them "grouchy". The final thing it could be, is just her personality, in which case, you should not breed her and you should work with a professional, in-home dog trainer to correct this behavior before it gets worse.

Food aggression or toy aggression is a common behavioral concern that can often be worked through. I would recommend hand feeding Sadie for each meal and teach her to “wait for it” before allowing her to eat. Once she is sitting and listening then allow her to eat. Start with a small amount in your hand, then put some in her bowl from your hand, then desensitize her to your hand in her bowl. I would also train her to “wait for it” for any toys she may love. If she is food motivated then she will associate this training with lots of reward and will learn not to “guard” her food or toys. If she is fully vaccinated then she is at a great age to begin puppy kindergarten. These classes are a great way to bond with her, establish boundries, and strengthen your relationship.