Why is my rescue dog lunging at my toddler and being destructive?

I'm so sorry you and Baby are going through this. It sounds like she has some behavioral and mental health issues that would benefit from medication, counter conditioning, and desensitization. I would recommend getting in touch with a veterinary behaviorist right away to schedule an appointment. Here is a resource for finding behaviorists: https://avsab.org/resources/behavior-consultant-near-you-2/ In the mean time, avoid her triggers. If she comes up to you to be pet, only pet her for about 15 seconds and then stop for a moment - if she reinitiates by rubbing up to you, pushing your hand, etc, keep petting (and checking every 15 seconds or so). If she just stands there or walks away, leave her be. That can help give her a chance to disengage before she's overwhelmed. Also, if she shows any aggression or fear towards your child whatsoever, it would be best to keep them separate until her consultation with a behaviorist. Good luck!! Let me know if this was helpful information.

Please have Lady seen by a vet to help rule out a possible medical cause for her behaviour. If nothing is found to be physically wrong, seek the advice of a dog trainer who uses positive reinforcement techniques, or a veterinary behaviorist, to help curb this behavior. If left untreated, Lady may injure our other dog, a person or another animal. I would advise keeping her on a leash and away from other animals and people until you have the chance to work with a trainer or behaviourist, and keep her in a separate room from your other dog. You may need to muzzle her to prevent injury. Visit the following link for more information on dog behaviour issues. http://www.dacvb.org/resources/for-the-public/ .

Maggie may be acting protective, she could be anxious or fearful, leading to her acting aggressive, or she may be displaying territorial behaviour. It is very important that you seek the advice of a veterinary behaviorist to help curb this behavior. If left untreated, Maggie may learn to think it is ok to act this way towards humans and animals in general, and could then potentially bite and injure someone. Please work with a veterinary behaviourist immediately. Hopefully she will improve with training and learn what is and is not acceptable behaviour. I would advise keeping her on a leash and away from other animals and people until you have the chance to work with a behaviourist. If you do not see signs of improvement, see a veterinarian to rule out medical causes, and to see if medical therapy is indicated for her behaviour. It is also essential to make sure she is up to date on her vaccinations, particularly her rabies vaccine. Visit https://www.dacvb.org/ and www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/behavioral-help-your-pet for information on how to find behaviour help near you.

I’m so sorry you and Luna are dealing with all of this. I would absolutely be concerned with having Luna in a house with other dogs and children at this time (and maybe ever). It is not only potentially dangerous for the children and other dogs, but it will be stressful on Luna as well. I know it is always hard, but it may be a good idea to re-home her to a more quiet home, perhaps with a male owner if she seems to respond best to them. In the meantime I would separate her from the other dogs and kids and keep her daily routine and training very consistent. Providing a lot of exercise, and positive reinforcement with training. When she masters basic obedience and gains confidence then working with her around other dogs etc. will be more successful. If re-homing her is not an option I would definitely enlist the help of a veterinary behaviorist to work through her aggression in the safest, most effective way possible. Sending you a lot of luck, these situations are always so hard.

Poor Mia! If she is too upset to take treats, this means that you need to be further away from the things that are scaring her. Some dogs need a lot of distance at first! When you are far enough away for her to be comfortable, you can praise and reward her for calm behavior, then gradually work on moving closer as long as she's doing well. It can be challenging to do this on your own at first, so I would recommend getting in touch with a veterinary behaviorist or a good reward-based trainer who can work with you in person. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here (www.dacvb.org) or a qualified trainer here (www.ccpdt.org).

It is important to first see a veterinarian to rule out medical causes, and to see if medical therapy is indicated for Charlie’s behaviour if she has bitten people before. It is also very important to seek the advice of a dog trainer who uses positive reinforcement techniques, or a veterinary behaviorist, to help curb this behavior. Without training Charlie may indeed cause seruious harm to your boyfriend’s niece or other children. Hopefully she will improve with training and learn what is and is not acceptable behaviour. I would advise keeping her away from children until you have the chance to work with a trainer or behaviourist, and as with any dog, do not leave her unattended around children even after training. See the following link for more tips http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47 Visit https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/behavioral-help-your-pet for information on how to find behaviour help near you. Ideally you should work directly with a board certified veterinary behaviourist, as they are the experts in the field, and have resources and training available that make them the most likely to be able to help Charlie. See the following link for more information http://www.dacvb.org/resources/for-the-public/ .

Bella is adorable. I would recommend taking Bella to the veterinarian to make sure there is nothing medical going on with her. If that comes back as just behavioral I would recommend getting a trainer to work with you and her. They will be able to see what is the trigger and work with her and you to stop the behavior. If the trainer evaluates her and determines medication is needed then your veterinarian can provide medication to help. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.