Why is my trained reactive dog suddenly lunging again? Is he sick?

If this behavior is new or sudden in Olaf it may indicate an issue such as pain or illness and should be checked out by a vet. It may also be that you need to work on socialization a bit more, having strangers in the home that are visiting toss treats to Olaf so he begins to associate them with positives rather than something potentially scary. Having a place for Olaf to relax where people or other pets aren't bothering him can also help reduce stress and encourage calm socialization. A puppy training class can also help increase socialization skills with other pets and people in a safe and monitored environment.

There are many possible reasons for this, I'm afraid - aggression is a complex behavior issue, so it can be hard to provide a succinct answer in this format. Many dogs develop aggression issues related to fear or anxiety around the age of 2-3 when they reach social maturity, so it's possible that this may be the issue. Or, since I see that Chucky is a bit older than that, he may have a medical problem causing him to be painful or uncomfortable - this is a common reason for "new" aggression in a previously friendly dog. I would recommend having Chucky examined by a vet as a good first step - he/she can check for anything that may be causing him pain or making him not feel well, and get him started on treatment if needed. If everything is normal medically, then it would be best to make an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist to help you determine what is causing the aggression - he/she can observe your dogs in person and also give you a step-by-step treatment plan to work on the issue.

I would try to get a second opinion with another trainer just to be on the safe side - I feel like training couldn't hurt the situation. I would also consider putting him on an anti-anxiety medicine like fluoxetine to help. It sounds like he has developed anxiety over the years which sometimes happens. This could be due to a traumatic experience, a change in the household, a change in your schedules, or something else. I hope this helps!

Poor Ariel! A sudden change in behavior could be due to a medical illness; for example, if she is having accidents all over the house, that could be due to a UTI or bladder stones. I would take her into the vet in the morning. The vet can do a physical exam, routine blood tests, and a urinalysis to see if there is a medical cause behind her sudden change in behavior. If a cause is found, the vet can prescribe an appropriate treatment for it.

This is a very common problem, and one that is best solved with a trainer or veterinary behaviorist that can help you in person. Leash reactivity can be due to a number of things including fear, lack of socialization, bad experiences, etc, so a trainer that can observe the behavior and get you started on a training plan is best. If Phoebe is also blind in one eye it could be that other dogs are taking her by surprise, leading to the reactivity as well. Most trainers will utilize a technique called BAT (Behavioral Adjustment Training) that involves a combination of desensitization to the stimulus (other dogs on leash) as well as gradually getting your dog used to them from a safe distance at first, until they are gradually calmer and able to handle it. Until you can talk to a trainer, giving other dogs a wide berth and changing up your walks can help prevent any fights or upset from happening. If she does walk past a dog calmly, lots of praise and treats are good as well!

Hello, Marshall may be having some territorial aggression like a GSD does. He may be protective of his home, you, other pets, and even babies. Therefore, when the trainer takes him and introduces him, his guard is deactivated and therefore is fine. Initial steps are to determine what triggers the behavior. Second step is to avoid the trigger. And the third step is to re-establish leadership. Reestablish leadership with your dog Many people have misconceptions about truly dominant actions from dogs. A dog that walks ahead of its owner or disobeys commands is not expressing dominance but is showing effects of improper training. We are not part of the dog’s pack as many people believe and thus we should not look for a role as the “dominant” dog. Rather you should try to attain leadership by having the dog look to you for guidance in any situation, instead of being submissive or fearful of your commands. Reestablishing leadership can be done by using non-confrontational positive reinforcement techniques. Tools such as head collars can be used to help re-direct your dog’s behavior. Avoid punishing unwanted behaviors Punishment-based techniques, such as leash corrections, alpha-rolling, shoulder jabs, verbal disrupters (such as ‘baaaaa’ and ‘tssssh’), and training discs/chains tossed at dogs, do not address the underlying motivation, require constant direction and force, and typically do no result in positive long term benefits. These types of punishments have been shown to actually increase aggressive behavior. Positive reinforcement training and behavior modification methods focus on changing the underlying emotion of the dog’s aggression, while promoting and rewarding desired behaviors. Hope this helps.

One of your statements may point to the reason for Henry's behavioral changes. You say "He normally wasn't like this before." We need to know . . . before what? Think very hard about what changed at the time this behavior started. It could be as complicated as his being abused by someone to your simply rearranging the living room furniture. Dogs are creatures of habit. Did you move to a new home or area? Did anyone move in or out of your home (even kids going off to college and returning)? Do you have new neighbors, or area kids that are teasing or tormenting him? Did you get a new pet? Please give this a lot of thought, and send us your question again with any ideas you might have about what may have triggered this aggression. You can also click on the prompt to start a consult, where we can discuss this in depth.