Why did my dog suddenly bite and snarl when I put a blanket on her?

Hello, and thank you for your question. If Fleck's biting is a recent behaviour, I would first want to rule out any pain or discomfort that is eliciting this reaction. For this purpose, a vet visit should be the first step. The vet can perform a full physical exam to check for any areas of pain, and may recommend further testing such as x-rays or blood work to pinpoint a diagnosis. Appropriate medication can be dispensed if a diagnosis is found. If the behaviour is not due to a medical issue, then I would focus on finding out the source of his anxiety, and subsequently work on training. I would suggest getting help from a certified behavioural trainer for this purpose. I hope this helps, and that Fleck gets better soon!

It might be that Chunk is in pain, and that's why he growls and snaps at you when you pet him. I recommend booking an appointment with your veterinarian, so that he or she can make sure there is not an underlying medical cause for the aggression.

Binky may have just become overheated and/or uncomfortable when covered up and then, once uncovered, felt better. If these episodes continue, especially if there is no reason she would be overheated, then I would recommend taking her to the vet to be checked out so any underlying neurological issues can be ruled out. I hope this helps. Best of luck!

Oh dear! I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem with Onyx. Human-directed aggression in dogs is a complex behavior issue that can have many different causes, so I'm afraid it's difficult to say what might be causing this without a full behavior history and an in-person evaluation. This sounds like a very dangerous situation for you, so if you want to keep Onyx, I would strongly recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate him in person and help you determine what is causing this behavior. Aggression issues like this can be treatable in many cases with careful management and a good training plan to work on the problem, but this should only be attempted with assistance from a trained professional. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

It is possible that placing your hamster on your bed is a stressful experience for her which is why she is chewing. If you have other pets that get on the bed their scent could be on the blanket making her feel territorial or stressed out. Placing her on a freshly washed blanket and offering a few favorite treats may help her relax some. If the behavior continues or you see other signs of illness or behavioral changes then I suggest you have her examined by your vet to rule out health issues (like a dental issue). Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Before assuming this is a behavior issue, I would want to rule out a possible medical issue first. When I hear about sudden changes resulting in aggressiveness, the possibility of pain or discomfort in one of the dogs could be the root of the problem. When a dog is not feeling well, it is only natural for it to react in a negative way if one of its buddies is trying to get it to act normally. A thorough physical exam should be performed by a veterinarian in order to rule out any sort of orthopedic or neurologic pain. Thyroid conditions can also be responsible for behavior changes as well. If it turns out that no medical issue can be be identified, you will have to start considering what may have started this sudden change of heart by Mill. You will have to think back to when it started, when the problem occurs most, where it occurs most, who is around when it is occurring, who ISN'T around when it is occurring, so on and so forth. These types of issues can be long and complicated to resolve, but usually as soon as the issue is identified the road forward becomes much easier.

Abrupt changes in behavior like this in dogs is very concerning to me. I would be worried about some underlying neurologic disorder that could be going on. If nothing has changed at home, her routine, or the environment in general, then I would suspect an underlying medical issue. I would recommend taking her to be examined by your veterinarian and possibly having some lab work performed so they can try and determine what is going on. Your vet may recommend further work up by veterinary neurologist or may recommend a behavior modification drugs like Xanax or Prozac. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.