My dog tries to bite other dogs on walks. How do I stop this behavior?

I would speak to your vet about a referral to a professional behavioral expert for Savannah. I never recommend owners work with aggressive dogs on their own due to safety reasons. Having her seen by a professional behavioral expert is the best way to find out if this aggression can be controlled. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

I hate to hear this is happening. If you do not want to rehome her, I recommend to work with a professional trainer because this will give you the best results the fastest. 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. A professional trainer is fully capable of reading the body language and then teaching you how to modify this behavior. 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 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 no, that's not good that Ziggy bit your friend's dog. I would immediately get him into a professional behavioral expert, which can be recommended by your vet. I never recommend that owners work with their dog's on their aggressive behavior due to safely issues. It's best left to the professionals. The behavioral expert can help identify what triggered your dog to be aggressive, and work with him on preventing it from occurring again. I would keep Ziggy separated from your friend's dog for now to be safe.

Hi there! With any dog that is biting, there is the potential for them to really harm someone, or even another dog. The advice I always give is to contact your local veterinarian for a referral to a veterinary behaviorist ( a veterinarian who specializes in behavior). If this is not an option in your area, then your vet should be able to give you some recommendations for reputable trainers in your area. Working with a professional is the safest and best recommendation I can give. It is never a good idea to let a behavioral issue like biting go on for too long. And your friend should definitely make sure this dog has a rabies vaccine. There are many legal issues that can arise if this dog bites another person and breaks the skin. I hope you find this answer helpful! Best of luck!

It is possible that Bubba may be acting protective of you, causing him to go after other dogs when you go on walks. He could also be anxious or fearful, leading to him acting “aggressive” towards other dogs, or be displaying territorial behaviour. I recommend that you see a veterinarian to help out medical causes, and to see if medical therapy is indicated for his behaviour. Also seek the advice of a dog trainer who uses positive reinforcement techniques, or a veterinary behaviorist, to help curb this behavior. If left untreated, Bubba will likely get into a fight with another animal, and he and/ or the other animal may be seriously injured, or worse. Hopefully he will improve with training and learn what is and is not acceptable behaviour. I would advise keeping him on a leash and away from other animals until you have the chance to work with a trainer or behaviourist. It is also essential to make sure he is up to date on his vaccinations, particularly his rabies vaccine, since he is regularly around other animals and could be at risk of contracting diseases. See the link below for some great information on how to redirect Bubba's attention away from other animals and toward you when you are walking: https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/reactive-dog-foundation-exercises-for-your-leash-reactive-dog/

This is a case for a professional trainer. I suggest you work with a professional trainer or join a dog club where you can do obedience training with your dog and work on the aggression issues. You can also have your dog evaluated by a veterinary behaviorist who can help you with behavioral modification tips as well as medication if necessary. Here is where you can find a veterinary behavioral specialist: https://www.dacvb.org/search/custom.asp?id=4709