My new rescue dog bit me. Is this normal for an anxious dog?

This is quite strange behavior. It sounds like it is mostly anxiety and stress related due to the change in environment and care givers. I would have your girlfriend try to give him some treats and feed him to help "win him over" again as long as he isn't being too aggressive. I do not want her to get bit again. If this behavior continues on and off, I would consider putting a calming collar on her like adaptil and giving him a calming chew like vetriscience composure. Finally, if that doesn't help, I would talk to your vet about starting him on an anti-anxiety medicine like fluoxetine. I hope this helps and he starts to get back to normal soon!

The best thing you can do is not to force him. Just be nice to him, talk calmly and give him small treats of something he likes a lot. In time he will come around. Forcing him will just make it worse. Most dogs do better if you ignore them at first so they don't feel threatened. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Oh no, I'm so sorry this happened! When dogs who are fearful, this can be a common reaction, as having a human lean over them can be scary and they react by biting. In the future, when giving Toby affection, get down onto his level first. I would recommend having him seen by a professional behavioral expert. This type of fear aggression may be improved with training, and because aggression is a dangerous behavior to work with, it's best left to the professionals. Your vet can give you a recommendation to one. I hope your friend's nose is ok!

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

Aggression and fear are complicated. Some dogs can make some progress with appropriate guidance and consistency. For such guidance you will need to work with a trainer or a behaviorist. They must show you how to read his body language and how to respond in a fashion to modify their behavior. Certainly you can read many books about training and canine behavior as it is all helpful but likely you will still need professional assistance. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It could be a combination of being fearful/anxious and a bit possessive/protective. Try not to overwhelm her with too many people at once. Gradually acclimate her to one person at a time by exposing her for ever increasing periods of time. Correct any negative response immediately and praise good behavior consistently. Add in a new person as she accepts the previous one. Be patient. This will take time. A pheromone product, such as the Adaptil collar or DAP plug in diffuser, may decrease any anxiety she may have.

I would make sure the dog that has become aggressive isn't having any other issues like pain or discomfort. Also, has anything change in your schedule or house that could have made her feel more insecure or anxious? You could talk to your vet about starting her on an anti-anxiety medicine like fluoxetine as this may help. I would also make sure they aren't becoming aggressive over any treats, bones, toys, etc. I hope this helps and she starts to act like herself soon.