My young Pitbull is aggressive and barks a lot. What should I do?

Most puppies go through a stage where they become very mouthy and try and bite everything. This is a very different situation to an aggressive dog that is not being playful but is trying to inflict damage. I assume your dog is just being mouthy but if it is aggressive then you should contact a professional behaviourist asap. Mouthy puppies are best handled with consistency. When the pup bites firmly say no and put it on the floor and ignore it for a minute or 2. Resume play and repeat when the pup bites. Give the puppy plenty of toys which it can bite but never encourage it to see your hand as a toy.

Thanks for using PetCoach! A couple ideas: try something like FreshPatch which essentially sends you a patch of real grass in a cardboard container. Or, try crate training since most pups will not pee in their “house”. Here is a good link for crate training. http://www.aahneenah.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/crate-training-your-puppy.pdf As far as the aggression, you’ll need to get that under control as soon as possible. Any form of aggression toward humans should be met with a firm “no” and stopping all play/walking. Practice just walking by and touching his back end frequently so that it’s normal and no big deal. Neutering often helps with aggression so keep that in mind. Finally, some dog require more intensive care so talk with your vet about anti anxiety medication or professional training.

Some of this may be curiosity and not knowing manners on how to act around new dogs. Some dogs have a different personality and manners on a leash vs. off a leash. She is young enough that seeking a trainer to help socialize her both on and off leash, in new settings, and around new and familiar animals will help her behavior. The more interactions at a young age, the better as long as they are controlled and the proper behavior rewarded

Dog aggression is relatively common and while there are training techniques to reduce dog aggression it can be difficult. If you can identify certain triggers: i.e. if she is only aggressive when she is at home, or when she is on a leash, it can be easier to work on training her to 'ignore' other dogs or desensitization. I would recommend seeing a behaviorist - your veterinarian would likely be able to recommend someone in your area. Until you are able to work on some training I would recommend avoiding contact with other dogs so that there are no injuries.

I'm sorry that you're having this problem with Cssh! Aggression issues between dogs can be very complex, so without being able to actually meet him in person and observe his interactions with the other dogs, it's very difficult to say what might be causing this. Some dogs simply don't get along well with "new" dogs once they have grown out of their puppy stage - this could well be the case with your dog, since he's about 6-7 months old now. This isn't necessarily abnormal, but it may mean that your dog is not a good candidate for casual socializing with strange dogs. If you want to try and get a better idea of what may be causing Cssh's aggressive behavior and see if anything can be done to improve it, I would recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist - he/she can evaluate your dog in person and help you understand exactly what is happening. If needed, they can also help you put together a detailed plan to work on the problem. Your veterinarian should be able to find out where your nearest veterinary behaviorist is located, and set up a referral for you if you wish. In the meantime, I would recommend not allowing Cssh to interact with any dogs that he doesn't already know and like since there is a significant risk that he will continue to behave aggressively, which could cause injury to him or other dog.

This may require professional assistance. Have her examined by your veterinarian to rule out medical causes for her behavior. Your veterinarian may dispense medication to help. A certified trainer or veterinary behaviorist should be consulted afterwards to help desensitize or acclimate Misty to other dogs. In severe cases, a combination of medication and behavioral modification is needed to overcome problems.

This is a hard question to answer without really knowing what is going on. If Max is becoming aggressive, growling, snarling, attempting to bite, etc, then this is a very complex and worrisome issue that should be worked with by a professional in your area. A trainer coming by in person can help observe what is going on, and provide more tailored training plans to address the issue. If Max seems nervous when you approach, you can work on getting him more comfortable with you by tossing a favorite treat to him every time you approach. Over time, he'll start to associate you with with something positive (the treat) instead of something negative. If he does growl or become agitated, moving away and giving him some time to relax before trying again is best to avoid escalation of any behaviors. If he is acting aggressively toward other dogs, separating him if things get too rough or a fight breaks out, and then reintroducing both dogs again slowly can help. Removing items of contention such as toys, bedding, bones, etc can also help reduce the possibility of a fight over these items.