My dog lifts her lip when I pet her. How do I stop this behavior?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. It sounds as though Luna is showing some aggression when you try to assert dominance. I would recommend getting her leash on when she does this and make her perform some obedience commands for you such as sit, stay, down, etc. An obedience class would certainly help as well. She is trying to establish dominance over you. An obedience training class would certainly help. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lirril. Play biting is a normal part of puppy development. It is how littermates learn to play together. This sets the basis for how older adults will interact. However, puppies need to be trained what is acceptable to their owners and what is not. When she mouths you, tell her "no" and redirect her to something positive such as a toy. If her behavior persists, walk away. She needs to learn that this type of behavior will not be allowed and she will lose the opportunity to interact with you. She will also benefit from obedience classes. It will build her confidence and help her to understand basic commands. It will give you a basis on which to build upon for further training. If her biting appears more than just playful and is truly aggressive, this can be a serious situation. You will need to seek a behavioral consult with her veterinarian. I hope this information helps!

Dogs need corrections at the time of the misdeed, not punishments. [Positive reinforcement](https://www.petcoach.co/article/rewards-are-necessary-when-training-dogs-and-puppies) is more successful than disciplining a pet. When you catch her misbehaving, use distraction to pause the behavior then redirect her attention to something else. The type and intensity of correction needs to be just enough to distract her from the unwanted behavior, no more or no less. You can use a toy, treat, clapping your hands or using a shake can (tin can with pennies or marbles inside it). If you correct her and she shakes, cowers or shows signs of any type of fear then your distraction method was too harsh. Praise and reward her when she responds. If she persists, cease all interaction until she settles down or responds positively. Be patient and be consistent. Her aggression could be a response to your frustration or the punishment. Keep [training](https://www.petcoach.co/article/basic-dog-puppy-training-rules) sessions short to maintain her attention. [Work with her](https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-ways-to-polish-your-dogs-training-skills) when she is not misbehaving and teach her obedience, tricks, get her out to play, chase the ball, go for long walks, whatever it takes to get her plenty of exercise and TIRED. Get her a [puzzle treat ball](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/star-mark-bumper-body-puzzle-ball-dog-treat-dispenser) to keep her mind occupied when you can't directly supervise her. A dog that is physically and mentally occupied is less likely to get into trouble in the first place.

She seems to be an overly territorial and aggressive dog. Unfortunately, these dogs usually have something ingrained that makes them behave like this and it's not easy to overcome. The first thing you need to do is let her know that the behavior is not OK. The next time she does this, you need to say "no" and punish her in some way. An easy, non- cruel way to do this is to squirt her with water. You have to do this within 3 seconds of the behavior though, or she won't know why she's getting squirted. The other thing you can do is reward her with treats when she is being good. So, start petting and give a treat and let her know she's being good. Move closer and keep giving treats as long as she is not growling or snapping. As soon as she growls or snaps, you let her know she's being bad. This will take many training sessions over many days and weeks until she gets it, but you should be able to make good progress if you stick with it.

Try to avoid those play activities that get Lulu riled up to that point. When she goes for your face, stop play and stand up with a stern "No!". You can also turn your back on her until she stops. Be firm and be consistent. Offer praise and reward when she complies. Consider obedience training to teach basic commands and appropriate behavior. Search for classes at your local veterinary clinic or pet store.

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.

I would suggest teaching him to get down off of your granddaughter's lap on cue - this can easily be taught using treats, by practicing first on the couch or a chair that isn't so emotionally charged for him. Then, if he begins barking and showing his teeth on her lap, you can ask him to get down and then praise and reward as soon as he does. In most situations like the, the aggressive behavior only occurs when the dog is actually on the person's lap or right beside them - so as soon as they're somewhere else, they calm down easily. Punishment for this behavior, including verbal scolding, is not recommended since it tends to make the dog more agitated and often makes things worse. If Buster has ever bitten you in this situation, or if you have trouble getting this to work, I would recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate him in person and give you some hands-on guidance. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org