My Jack Russell is nipping strangers. Why is he acting aggressive?

I'm not entirely sure if you're referring to actual aggression (intent to bite), or just nipping behavior, which is very normal and common in puppies. If Cooper is doing the usual puppy nipping (very excited, wiggly body, chewing on everything, jumping up, etc), then there are a few things you can do. One is to just get up and walk away when he becomes too excited, and ignore him (you may need to leave the room). Once he is calm, you can start play again to help teach him that nipping behavior doesn't get attention. Yelping out Ouch! In a high pitched voice can also help, as it mimics playing too rough with a litter mate. Replacing the chewing/nipping with an appropriate toy so his mouth is occupied can also help. Be sure to praise and give him attention when he is focused on his toys, rather than your hand! Puppies do start to get adult teeth around 6-7 months of age, so you may see a surge in nipping and chewing then as well! If Cooper is showing actual aggression (growling, stiff body, whale eyes, pinned back ears, snarling, showing teeth, biting to try and break the skin) then this is a serious and complex situation that should be checked out by a veterinary behaviorist in person. You can look for one in your area by following this link: http://www.dacvb.org/about/member-directory/

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Aggression like this is serious. Dogs reach their social/behavioral maturity around 2-3 years of age. This is when a dogs behavior can change. Since he wants to bite and attack I recommend a trainer or a veterinary behaviorist. They may want to start a behavioral modification drug while you start trainer. You will need to put in the effort and also make realistic expectations for how Pablo will be. He may never be a dog that strangers can walk up to and pet. You need to learn his triggers and learn to avoid situations where someone could be hurt or negative behaviors are initiated. I hope this helps and I wish you and Pablo the best!

Hello, and thanks for your question. Most “aggression” issues in dogs are ultimately based on fear to some degree, so I would suspect this is at least partially fear based. Maggie knows that your family is her “pack”, and she’s nervous of outsiders. Every time she barks/growls at others and they end up walking away, she may be reinforcing to herself that “hey - this works! I should keep scaring strangers away!” If this is a behavior you want to work on (and I would recommend it, before it escalates to biting a visitor or stranger on the street) I highly recommend recruiting the expertise of a professional. Ideally a veterinary behaviorist, but your primary vet may be able to direct you to trainers they recommend. Behavior concerns require a lot of time, effort, patience, and consistency, and it’s important to give Maggie the right response at the right moment, before she’s too worked up to be receptive to you. A professional can help you learn how to read these subtle signs before Maggie is completely overstimulated. Here’s a link on aggression that may be helpful to you. https://www.petcoach.co/article/aggression-due-to-dominance/ Hope this helps!

It's possible that he reacted aggressively because you were around and he felt more threatened or protective - especially if he was on a leash. Some dogs do have certain dogs or breeds that they find more threatening so it's also possible that he was reacting to this one dog. I would watch him closely since this could also be the first sign of dog aggression. If possible I would recommend avoiding this particular dog in the future.

Hi, Jack Russell terriers need to have a lot of training and exercise. I would start by making sure he gets at least a half hour of exercise twice a day. Even though he's 7 years old, he can still learn new tricks! Jack Russells are very smart and can learn new things all the time. Agility training is also a good thing to try. You can look for some local groups who have agility courses and train him with this. I would also take him to the vet for a check up to make sure this new behavior isn't a sign something is wrong with him. If he has a clean bill of health, I would try the methods I suggested. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Maggie may be acting protective, she could be anxious or fearful, leading to her acting aggressive, or she may be displaying territorial behaviour. It is very important that you seek the advice of a veterinary behaviorist to help curb this behavior. If left untreated, Maggie may learn to think it is ok to act this way towards humans and animals in general, and could then potentially bite and injure someone. Please work with a veterinary behaviourist immediately. Hopefully she will improve with training and learn what is and is not acceptable behaviour. I would advise keeping her on a leash and away from other animals and people until you have the chance to work with a behaviourist. If you do not see signs of improvement, see a veterinarian to rule out medical causes, and to see if medical therapy is indicated for her behaviour. It is also essential to make sure she is up to date on her vaccinations, particularly her rabies vaccine. Visit https://www.dacvb.org/ and www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/behavioral-help-your-pet for information on how to find behaviour help near you.

What a beautiful thing to do to adopt Joey Jax and give him a forever home, despite his issue. You are his hero. I can offer you some tactics to attempt, however, my best advice is that because we don't know what poor Joey Jax has been through to make him become aggressive, it would be a great idea to have an appointment with an animal behaviourist. They can monitor his reactions and analyse his overall demeanour and give you advice tailored specifically to Joey Jax. I also recommend a once over form a veterinarian to ensure there aren't any underlying medical conditions causing pain for example. Try the following; Exercise twice daily Reward positive interactions Stop interacting if any unpleasant interactions occur No harsh tones or striking as contributes to the problem No negative punishment Interactive games like fetch and hide and go seek Thunder coat Keep away from other dogs and people while you are helping him adjust Remember kindness begets kindness. So over time if Joey Jax is treated well he will expect kindness and therefore return it with kindness not fear aggression. The key is making him feel secure and loved. Best of luck with Joey Jax