Why is my friendly Shih Tzu suddenly aggressive towards strangers?

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. Certainly male dogs who are not neutered are more prone to fighting and aggression. Neutering him may help but it will not likely solve all the problems. Best of luck.

I hate to hear this is happening and unfortunately, it's impossible to know the real cause of the behavior without being able to observe it. 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. I also recommend to have Cezar neutered. Intact males tend to be more aggressive but again, aggression is complex and it may not solve the problem. Best of luck.

I hate to hear that about Munnu. Aggression is a very complex problem and one that may be difficult to fix without a trainer. Aggression can be related to dominance, possessive behavior, fear or anxiety and each one needs to be addressed in a different fashion. The trainer will be able to determine the cause. The trainer will then work with you and your pet to modify both of your behaviors to meet a common goal. There are several different training methods so you will need to find the one that works best for you and your pup. You should also pick up a few books about dog behavior and dog training so that you can learn to recognize your pet’s body language. By knowing what he is saying, you be better able to react before he reacts. I hope this at least points you in the right direction. Please post again with any further questions.

Canine aggression is a complex behavior as it can stem from dominance, possessiveness, fear, anxiety, resource guarding or a combination. Most people are not capable of correctly interpreting dog body language. For that reason, your best option is 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.

Neutering can help with aggression, so I strongly recommend getting that done for Regan. But he also needs behavioral training as soon as possible. He needs an expert to work with him on his aggressive behaviors to prevent him from hurting another person. I never recommend owners work with aggressive dogs on their own, so speak to his vet about a recommendation to a professional behavioral expert. I would do this today. Best of luck.

Aggression can have many different causes, with fear being the most common. If it started at 5-6 weeks of age, I can almost guarantee something is deeply wrong with her brain because that's very abnormal. Sadly, after 4 years of practicing the aggression, it's going to be hard to change her behavior. I would recommend starting with a consultation with a veterinary behaviorist (not a trainer or non-veterinarian) who can diagnose the problem, prescribe medications, and start behavior modification with you. Good luck!

Unfortunately, it's impossible to know how to give you the best advice without being able to observe the dogs. 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. Also make sure ALL the animals are spayed and neutered. Animals who are intact are much more likely to fight than pets who are sterilized. Best of luck.