How to find a lost aggressive dog and ensure his safety?

Ideally, you should have hom first examined by your veterinarian to diagnose and treat any illness or injury. Either can lead to aggression or aberrant behavior. Next, consider a consultation with a veterinary behaviorist to determine exactly what triggers Trevor's aggressive tendencies. A plan for behavioral modification, which may include medication, can then be formulated to gradual desensitize Trevor to his triggers. It will take patience and consistent training, but it is possible to assure him that no harm will come to him again. A pheromone product, such as the Adaptil collar or DAP plug in diffuser, may decrease any anxiety or aggression and could be a step down the road of recovery. Good luck!

I am sorry to hear about your niece and your current situation. I am not sure what shelter with which you spoke, but seeing as you live in the Scranton PA area, there should definitely be a city or county shelter that takes in stray and abandoned animals. Unfortunately, many if not all of these types of facilities are kill shelters. Depending on how time sensitive this issue is for you, you can certain begin to look for a new home for Reggie, obviously trying to find a home without children. Another option would be to take to a veterinarian for euthanasia. Unfortunately, we are sometimes placed in positions where we are forced to put down young, healthy dogs due to aggression. Lastly, you can try to seek out some breed-specific rescues based on the type of mix Reggie is. These rescues are usually more willing to take on challenging cases like the one you have on your hands. Hope this helps.

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.

I can certainly understand being worried about your daughter's safety around an aggressive dog. She is not safe around him, as he could hurt her greatly, and I would speak to your parents's about your concerns over his aggression. Make a list of incidences where he has shown aggression (documented behavior) as proof of his aggression. If they still won't listen to reason, then I would consider finding alternative childcare while you are at work. If they do listen to your and your concerns, then I would take to them about having their dog start in training with a professional behavior expert ASAP. I never recommend owners try to train an aggressive dog due to safety issues, it should only be left to a professional. Their vet can give them a recommendation to one. Another thing to consider is if he isn't neutered. That can contribute to aggression, and he should be neutered as well.

I am sorry to hear you are having such a hard time with him! Some rescue dogs can be challenging and a certified behaviorist may be able to provide some options but with behavior this extreme I would be concerned about a possible brain lesion which would require CT/MRI to diagnose. You must at all times keep you and your families safety your priority and if such investigations are not feasible, euthanasia would not be a wrong decision either given the risk to others and the poor quality of life he is experiencing given he is so reactive and unpredictable

Hi Shreeyut! I am so sorry to hear that your dog does not seem to recognize you. I would start by always moving very slowly around him. Offer him treats and praise him for any small positive interaction with you. Do not yell or punish him for being scared. It may take time, but hopefully he will come around. Above all else though, keep your personal safety mind. I would never want you to be bitten or harmed. I hope this information helps. Good luck!

Hi there! I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem with Buffy. It's not unusual for behavioral issues to take a few weeks to show up in a newly adopted dog - there is often a "honeymoon period" while they're still getting comfortable and adjusting to their new home, before these issues start to emerge. Aggression towards other dogs and humans is a complex behavioral issue that's difficult to address properly in a forum like this, but I can try to give you some general information that may be helpful. Treatment for aggression issues is generally based on identifying what situations tend to trigger the aggressive behavior - then either finding ways to avoid them, or working with the dog to teach her to respond differently using reward-based training techniques. If this is something you want to work on, I would recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate Buffy in person and help you put together a detailed treatment plan to address her aggressive behavior. For now, if the aggression only happens with dogs and people she doesn't know, I would recommend keeping her separated from visitors for now until you are able to get a more detailed plan in place to work on the problem. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org