Why is my dog suddenly aggressive and biting when I touch him?

Oh no, that's not good that Ziggy bit your friend's dog. I would immediately get him into a professional behavioral expert, which can be recommended by your vet. I never recommend that owners work with their dog's on their aggressive behavior due to safely issues. It's best left to the professionals. The behavioral expert can help identify what triggered your dog to be aggressive, and work with him on preventing it from occurring again. I would keep Ziggy separated from your friend's dog for now to be safe.

I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem with Zeus! Owner-directed aggression is a complex behavioral issue that we really can't evaluate properly in a forum like this, so I would recommend getting in touch with a canine behaviorist in your area who can evaluate Zeus in person. He/she can give you a realistic assessment of your options (keeping Zeus and working with him vs. euthanasia), and will help you put together a detailed plan to work on his aggressive behavior if you decide to keep him. More information on finding a qualified expert in your area can be found here: https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/general/findabehaviourist

Oh dear! That is a worry for sure! It's really important that you don't get hurt, because dog bites can be pretty serious. I would suggest making an appointment with your vet to talk about possibilities. They might be able to link you up with a behaviorist, or dog trainer that could help a lot. There also could be medications that might help. Or, like you said, there could be a medical problem that is upsetting him.

If this is a sudden or new behavior that happened out of the blue, and Toby is now biting and snapping when picked up or handled, I would be concerned that there is something going on such as pain or illness. Often times, a sudden behavioral change can indicate pain or another underlying condition. A good first step is to schedule an appointment with your vet to rule out any health issues that could be causing this. If Toby checks out healthy and he is still acting aggressive and trying to bite you or other animals, I would seek out the help of a trainer or veterinary behaviorist in person. Aggression is a very serious and complex issue and having someone there in person that can observe, assist and provide a tailored plan to help change Toby's behavior is best. Veterinary behaviorists are great as they are able to prescribe any needed medication in addition to a training routine to help create a safer, stress-free environment. You can visit this site to learn more about veterinary behaviorists and find one in your area: http://www.dacvb.org/about/member-directory/

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

Hi Aaron, I hope I can help you with Taz! I would recommend first neutering him, and then having him seen by a professional behavioral expert. Aggression in dogs can be hormonally related, and having his testicles removed can help reduce that aggression. Having him seen by a professional behavioral experts is also important. Working with aggressive dogs can be dangerous, and I never recommend owners do it on their own. That is a situation that is best left to an expert. I would speak to your vet about a referral to a professional behavior to work with your family and Taz. Hope this helps :-)

Biting aggressively is a serious concern and a very complicated thing to deal with. Leash aggression can sometimes manifest and be redirected toward the person putting on the leash, however if this suddenly happened out of the blue I'd be concerned. A good first step with any behavioral issues that comes on suddenly is to schedule a vet visit to rule out any issues such as pain or illness. Something wrong such as a slipped disk causing pain in the neck or shoulders may make having Griffy's collar or neck handled painful, causing him to bite. If he checks out healthy, talking with a trainer or behaviorist in person is a good next step. They can work with you on a plan to gradually reintroduce the leash to Griffy through positive experiences (such as giving a treat when you bring out the leash, gradually getting him used to it again, etc) and can observe in person what exactly is going on to better tailor the plan. A veterinary behaviorist can also work on both medical treatment and behavioral treatment at the same time to make things less stressful for both you and Griffy. If he is attempting to break the skin while you put the leash on, refraining from doing so until you've talked to a trainer or behaviorist in person is best. You can find a list of local behaviorists in your area by checking out this link: http://www.dacvb.org/about/member-directory/