My dog is too protective. How can I address her aggressive behavior?

I would speak to your vet about a referral to a professional behavioral expert for Savannah. I never recommend owners work with aggressive dogs on their own due to safety reasons. Having her seen by a professional behavioral expert is the best way to find out if this aggression can be controlled. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! She is likely being very protective of you. Usually these behaviors can be corrected but this usually requires in person training by a qualified dog trainer. I recommend you consider contacting a qualified dog trainer to work with you in person. Good luck and have a good day!

It sounds like Suzy is dog aggressive, and I would speak to your vet about a referral to a professional behavior expert. I never recommend owners try to train aggressive behaviors on their own because it can be dangerous and the owner can get hurt. This is something that is best left to the professionals. It is definitely something that needs to be worked on immediately with a trainer, as she could hurt another dog or get very hurt herself if she goes after a big dog. Give your vet a call today or first thing in the morning to discuss professional behavioral experts in your area. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Definitely take Max into a veterinary behavioral expert for help! Aggressive dogs are not something to leave alone, and this behavior can and does get worse over time. In addition, if he did bite someone, he could seriously injure them and there could be very severe repercussions for that occurring including euthanasia. There are a number of cases where a dog has had to be put to sleep for biting people, and you do not want that to happen. Speak to your vet about a referral to a professional behavioral expert asap. I hope this helps!

Hi. This is definitely concerning and I'm sure it is hard to see and deal with. It's good that you know him well and protect others. With this severity, I recommend googling for a veterinary behaviorist in your area. This is a veterinarian that specializes in behavior. They would be the best to give you advice.

Hi there. Possessive aggression (also called resource guarding) is often very treatable with a good behavior modification plan, but I'm afraid it's a bit beyond the scope of what we can help you with in an online forum like this. I would strongly recommend getting in touch with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate Ruby in person and help you put together a detailed plan to work on the problem. In the meantime, do your best to avoid any situations that may provoke the aggressive behavior. This may also mean keeping her separated from the other pets in the household to keep everyone safe until you're able to meet with a professional who can help. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

Sorry to hear about your dog's aggressive behavior. This breed, among others, has a tendency to be protective and territorial aggressive towards people. The causes can be related to the blood line or as a result of environment. Best bet here is to consult with your local veterinarian on a plan to help alleviate the problem through behavioral modification and medical management through neutering. There are also specific medicines available to help deal with certain behavior problems. You might ask your veterinarian for a referral to a veterinary behavioralist in your area, who specializes in these kinds of problems. Together, I hope they can lend you some solid answers to this difficult but serious problem with your dog. Please feel free to reach out for a consult with me if you have further questions. All the best, Steve Popish, DVM.