Why is my dog suddenly growling when I feed or kiss her?

I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem! If this has been a fairly sudden behavior change for Elsa, the first thing I would suggest would be to have her examined by a vet to see if there may be a medial reason for the aggression - many illnesses including thyroid problems and neurologic issues can cause sudden mood swings and behavior changes like this, as well as anything that may be painful such as an injury of some kind, arthritis, etc. If your vet determines that Elsa is healthy, then I would strongly recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist as the next step. Aggression towards humans is a serious and complex behavior issue that needs to be handled by a professional who can work with your dog in person. The behaviorist will evaluate your dog and help you determine what is triggering the aggression, then put together a detailed training plan to work on the problem. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

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.

This could be hormonal, and it's very serious Kira bit you in the face. I'd be very concerned about an aggressive dog around a baby. You should have her spayed, and get her into professional behavioral training.

I hate to hear this is happening. 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. Best of luck.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Mylah and her apparent aggression. Aggression problems can be very complicated and complex. One thing you should do initially is take her to your veterinarian and let them make sure that she is healthy and that nothing appears wrong medically. Pain, etc can bring about aggression and irritability problems. Once the medical check is cleared, then you can discuss with your vet exactly what is going on behaviorally. Your veterinarian may want to refer you to a certified trainer or animal behaviorist to try to sort out what is triggering the aggression. I see she is spayed so we can rule out irritability/aggression associated with her heat cycles. I wish you the best of luck with little cutie Mylah.

Congratulations on your pregnancy, and I would like to help offer some suggestions to help you with your dogs new behaviour concerns. Dogs and humans share a very close bond, especially when you have had them in your life for as long as 6 years. Though your dogs may not understand the exact details of what is changing with you, they are aware of a change. This is causing Kaygee to feel unsettled. This is not abnormal at all, and I can suggest a few tactics to try; Dog appeasing pheromone (DAP) adaptors in the house DAP collars for the dogs Increased excercise Increased interaction and positive connection with you, including extra cuddles, walks, or even indoor games like hide and seek Thunder coat Positive reinforcement of positive interactions I would suggest trying a few of these tactics over the next few weeks. Please report back with your progress and we can help you further if needed. Best of luck.

This aggression may be hormone related now that she is at the age of becoming sexually mature. If you are not planning on breeding her I would suggest you have her spayed as soon as possible. The other option is that she is in pain somewhere in/on her body. A vet exam to rule out any pain would be a good idea. Pain can make them "grouchy". The final thing it could be, is just her personality, in which case, you should not breed her and you should work with a professional, in-home dog trainer to correct this behavior before it gets worse.