Why is my young dog suddenly aggressive with dogs she knows on walks?

Unfortunately, this is a really common change in 2 year old dogs. Molly is reaching social maturity and things that used to bother her slightly but not cause a reaction are causing BIG reactions. She was probably always a bit nervous around other dogs, and now she's showing it. I recommend backing off her interaction with other dogs, so she's not practicing this aggressive behavior. No dog parks, etc. Then ask your veterinarian for a referral to a good trainer who can work with you on counter conditioning and desensitization to help Molly learn that other dogs aren't scary. This book is also very helpful if you don't have access to a trainer: https://www.amazon.com/Feisty-Fido-Help-Leash-Reactive-Dog/dp/1891767070

This can be a problem that is difficult to stop. I recommend taking Sparx to obedience training so she learns to listen and obey you with other people and dogs present. Then if she knows the command sit I have treats and ask her to sit and take treats when other small dogs are around. You can say no, ask her to sit and reward her when she focuses on you and not the other dog and person. This will take time and patience, continued training, and usually this type of behavior can improve as they get older. Also often having her spayed will mellow out her personality as there are less hormone swings and usually less protective behavior. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Sparx.

Hi there, sorry to hear of your situation. It sounds a lot like Dakota had become very anxious and most likely dead aggressive due to a bad experience that she had before. This is actually quite common, escpeically amongst several female animals. My best advice if you are a guest here is to completely separate your pet from the others for the duration of the stay-for the safety of all pets involved. Most issues like this require lengthy training and re-programming to decrease fear and anxiety in your pet. She is also older and will likely take longer. Depending on the length of your stay-it will probably not be possible to do the necessary re-training whilst you are there. There are medications to lessen anxiety for a short time-but would require a visit to your local vet for an exam and likely blood work to make sure they medications would be safe for Dakota to take. If this persists and you are interested in a behavior consult, please let me know and I'd be happy to help if and when you have the time.

I am sorry T is starting to become aggressive. I would highly recommend getting her spayed as a first step. This can help lower the hormone levels and help with aggression in younger dogs. I would taker her to the vet to make sure she is 100% healthy. Certain disease can cause aggression like pain/arthritis or even endocrine disease like hypothyroid. If she is spayed and healthy I would recommend involving a trainer. That way you can get one on one training for T that is in your home and can detect the exact cause of her aggression

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Mylah and her apparent aggression. Aggression problems can be very complicated and complex. One thing you should do initially is take her to your veterinarian and let them make sure that she is healthy and that nothing appears wrong medically. Pain, etc can bring about aggression and irritability problems. Once the medical check is cleared, then you can discuss with your vet exactly what is going on behaviorally. Your veterinarian may want to refer you to a certified trainer or animal behaviorist to try to sort out what is triggering the aggression. I see she is spayed so we can rule out irritability/aggression associated with her heat cycles. I wish you the best of luck with little cutie Mylah.

Unfortunately, it's relatively common for behavior issues like this to develop between 1 and 2 years of age - this is the period when dogs reach social maturity. Often, they may have been fearful or nervous about many things when they were puppies, but don't start to act out aggressively until they are a bit older. Aggressive behavior in a large dog like this can be a serious problem, and is best treated by a professional who can work with you and Molly in person. I would recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate her and put together a treatment plan to work on the problem. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist here: www.dacvb.org In the meantime, I would recommend keeping her away from people and dogs as much as possible for safety reasons, and to avoid making the problem worse. Treatment for this problem is generally based on teaching the dog to associate good things (such as treats) with seeing people or other dogs, starting at a distance where they are comfortable and gradually working close from there. The behaviorist can help you with this, since it can be hard to do on your own! Punishment of any kind for this behavior (including verbal scolding, leash corrections, shock collar corrections, etc.) is not recommended, as it tends to make the dog more fearful and has a high risk of worsening the aggression over time.

It's likely this behavior is related to puberty. Sometimes temperament can change. Spaying and neutering may help but training is still needed. I also recommend to work with a trainer. Someone at doggie daycare may be able to help or recommend someone. Here is a link with some other helpful information: https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-tips-to-stop-excessive-barking-in-dogs/ I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.