How do I stop my dog from biting people due to protective aggression?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Aggression like this is serious. Dogs reach their social/behavioral maturity around 2-3 years of age. This is when a dogs behavior can change. Since he wants to bite and attack I recommend a trainer or a veterinary behaviorist. They may want to start a behavioral modification drug while you start trainer. You will need to put in the effort and also make realistic expectations for how Pablo will be. He may never be a dog that strangers can walk up to and pet. You need to learn his triggers and learn to avoid situations where someone could be hurt or negative behaviors are initiated. I hope this helps and I wish you and Pablo the best!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry you are experiencing this with Bongo, but this is a serious matter. He is not even a year old and what you are describing is very worrisome. A veterinary Behaviorist is the best thing for you and Bongo as you will get the best outcome. Just having him on Prozac is not enough, you need to work and train him daily. Biting your owner, even TRYING to, is unacceptable behavior. I don't think it is territorial aggression that is causing him to not want to go in his sleep area. It could be fear or not wanting to do what you ask. I would suggest, for your safety that you lure him in the sleep area with a special toy, treat, or Kong stuffed with food. Or attach his leash and walk him in to the room after his final walk of the night. If these things do not work, place a basket muzzle on him before forcing him in the room and then remove it. Bongo is not an easy behavior case and there is no easy fix. A behaviorist is your best option so you can manage his behavior in a safe way. I wish you the best!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! She is likely being very protective of you. Usually these behaviors can be corrected but this usually requires in person training by a qualified dog trainer. I recommend you consider contacting a qualified dog trainer to work with you in person. Good luck and have a good day!

Aggression toward people is a very serious and complicated topic, and one that should be worked with by a local animal behaviorist or trainer in person. It is best to work together to address the root cause behind the biting (fear, uncomfortable in new home, undersocialized, etc) and then work on a training plan together than can ensure both Okami and any visitors remain safe. In the meantime, moving Okami to another room and not having visitors approach, or just tossing a treat if they walk past where he is is best to avoid direct contact and anyone getting hurt. In the US, this site is useful for finding a certified behaviorist near you that can get you started on resolving the issue: http://www.dacvb.org/about/member-directory/

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Mickey. Sounds like you have tried almost about everything. Unfortunately, some dogs never make good pets due to underlying problems that lead to bad behaviors. I would advise working one on one with a certified canine behaviorist or trainer and placing Mickey on a drug trial. There are many drugs to try to affect his abnormal behavior while working with a trainer to modify his behavior. I would advise taking him to your vet. Your vet can gather a history, perform an exam and then advise you on any diagnostics/treatments that they feel is appropriate. Some bad behaviors could be caused or made worse by medical problems so ruling them out is important. A minimum database would be fecal/blood/urine tests and possibly some imaging studies such as x-ray. Once a medical problem is ruled out, a sound treatment plan can be implemented with drugs and effective training. Good luck with Mickey.

It’s pretty common for dogs to start to show signs of fear towards strangers and at the vets office around 6-12 months of age, and I doubt the muzzle had anything to do with it. Biting without giving warning signs is scary behavior and it would be best to see a behaviorist to try to work on this. He absolutely should wear a muzzle at the vets and it may be a good idea to train him to wear a basket muzzle out in public to keep strangers safe. You can purchase a muzzle and put it on at home or in the car before arriving at the vets to reduce stress, and you may want to ask your vet about a sedative before the visit. Some dogs need heavy sedation for vaccines and exams to help prevent them from becoming even more fearful at the vets office. While a Petco vaccine clinic might be an option they would also need to use a muzzle and would not be able to prescribe sedation if necessary. https://bestfriends.org/resources/muzzles-tool-keep-everyone-safe

Aggression toward people is a very complex and serious issue so I highly recommend speaking with a veterinary behaviorists near you. A veterinary behaviorist is a vet that specializes in behavior and they are able to work with you on both a training plan, as well as prescribe medications to help with stress or anxiety during training. Most behaviorists can utilize a program such as BAT (Behavioral Adjustment Training) that helps to desensitize your dog to triggers (such as men or the mailman), accept touch or calm handling, and help reduce overall stress and anxiety. They also work with you in person which can help ensure all training is done in a safe manner for both you and your dog. You can learn more about them here: https://www.dacvb.org/page/about