Why is my rescue dog aggressive towards me when my partner is home?

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 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

Oh dear! This is potentially a very dangerous situation for your cat, so I would definitely recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist if you want to keep both pets - he/she can evaluate your dog in person to help determine the level of risk involved, and will put together a detailed training plan to work on the problem. Generally, treatment for this problem would involve rewarding the dog for calm behavior around the cat, while also managing the situation carefully to ensure that there are no injuries - this may mean that the dog needs to be on-leash at all times around the cat, or they should be separated using a baby gate or some other physical barrier during training sessions until things are calmer. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

Dog aggression is relatively common and while there are training techniques to reduce dog aggression it can be difficult. If you can identify certain triggers: i.e. if she is only aggressive when she is at home, or when she is on a leash, it can be easier to work on training her to 'ignore' other dogs or desensitization. I would recommend seeing a behaviorist - your veterinarian would likely be able to recommend someone in your area. Until you are able to work on some training I would recommend avoiding contact with other dogs so that there are no injuries.

Oh wow, that is tough. It sounds like Chester is being protective of his home. I never recommend owners work with aggressive dogs on their own due to safety reasons. I would speak to his vet for a referral to a professional behavior expert to deal with this behavior. I hope this helps.

If the two are a bonded pair, I would consider trying to introduce the more aggressive one toe the other animals alone without her buddy. See if this makes any difference - she may have been being protective. Unfortunately, this doesn't necessarily resolve your problem. While I hate to say it, you only just got these guys and they may not be best suited for your home. If I were you, I would contact the shelter or rescue from which you acquired them and let them know what is happening. Usually, if the place is reputable, they will understand and take the dogs back in order to place them somewhere else. Rescuing an animal should not become a big project for you if it was not meant to be one in the first place. If you decide that you are going to keep them anyway, they will need to be introduced to your other animals very slowly and carefully, and under strict supervision for an extended period of time. The use of positive reinforcement training will hopefully allow them to coexist at some point. There are no guarantees however. Hope this helps. Let me know if I can assist you in any further manner.

I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem with Alfie! Owner-directed aggression is a complex behavior issue that really needs in-person guidance. In general, I can tell you that treatment for this problem typically involves identifying situations that tend to trigger the aggression - then either finding ways to avoid them, or working with Alfie to teach him to be more comfortable with these situations so that he doesn't feel the need to bite. All training should be positive and reward-based, as punishment often makes things worse over time and greatly increases the risk of being bitten. I would recommend asking your vet for referral to a board-certified veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate Alfie in person, and help you put together a detailed plan to work on his aggression issues.