Our dog was very unfriendly towards other dogs and would growl as she passed them and one day actually chased one and nipped it on the rear end. I was shocked and horrified, but knew that this could not continue.
My vet advised me that Saffy was protecting me and that I had to teach her that I was the boss and she did not need to protect me.
I did this by making Saffy walk behind me at all times. She could not pass through a gate or doorway before me and must stay behind me even if we were walking with other dogs and could never lead "the pack." We both found this hard going at first, but now I have a very happy, friendly dog, who wags her tail on meeting all dogs and never gives the slightest sign of aggression.
She was 10 years old when I started this training and although I am no longer quite so strict, I still let her know that I am in charge. You can teach an old dog new tricks!
Source: Advice from my vet and other dog owners
By Margaret from Fleet, England
I have a 10 month old poodle/cavilier spaniel cross. He is the greatest dog, but has a very annoying habit of humping peoples legs when they come to visit. I scold him and get visitors to talk crossly to him, but he continues to do it as soon as someone comes in. Any suggestions?
An easy way of training your dog _not_ to do something is to do something to them that they hate (like bathing them, picking them up and holding them like a baby) right after they do the offending behavior. For example, my dog used to claw my leg when she jumped up. So every time she did it, I picked her up and held her like a baby, which she hates. She no longer claws. In another example, I read something where they bathed the dog every time he ate from the coffee table. For a while there, they had the cleanest dog in the world, but now when they put food on the coffee table he leaves it alone.
The key is not to be abusive to the dog, but just be consistent. In your case, I would invite over a couple of willing friends at different times and have him do the behavior and then follow that by something that will get him the message that this is not acceptable.
I have two dogs, a Pit-bull-Chow-Rottweiler mix, Penny, who is 4 and her son Doobie, a Pit-bull-Chow-Rottweiler-German Shepard-Dingo mix. They have been separated due to Penny's mean temperament while there is food within 50 miles of her. She is gentle with children and people, but if Doobie comes within feet of her food bowl, she turns evil.
Doobie is very mild mannered, and seems completely confused by the change in Penny. What can I do to bring them together? At the moment Doobie is forced to live outside, and though he doesn't seem to mind being out there, we want him to be a part of the family.
I have a 3yr old American Bulldog. Since my husband past away he's become worse then ever. He's very aggressive when on walks and chasing my neighbors. He barks and cries all the time inside, he even play bites. He went to Petsmart 3 different times when younger, it didn't really help. He is also fixed. It didn't calm him down. He listened to my husband but never me. Now I'm not sure what to do. Any advice would be helpful.
I was just wondering, can Pomeranians be sometimes aggressive, if they were abused at onetime by their previous owners ?
By elayna from Norman, OK
I am the owner of a 2 year old pit bull. She is the sweetest and most loving dog I have ever owned, until recently. She has never bitten a person, and is very loving toward people. Then we moved to a new home and since then she has bitten four different dogs. I really do not want to give away my dog. I don't have children and she is like a daughter to me. Why did her aggression start all of a sudden, and how could I work to fix it?
By meghan from New Orleans, LA
I have 2 dogs. The first is an Australian Shepherd mix (female: 2 1/2 years) and the other is a Pit Bull (male: 4 months). They get along for the most part, but the older dog gets somewhat aggressive when it comes to sharing toys. They will play good together for about 5-10 minutes, and then she wants to play by herself. We have actually had to pull her off of the puppy twice. How can I stop this behavior? She is normally a very well behaved dog. Please help me!
By Kimiko
My dog is people and dog aggressive. What do I do to calm him down?
By Saida from Binghamton, NY
I have a Basenji and she is mixed with something else. She does bark and she is light brown, but she is now getting some white on her head and feet.
We would like to know how stop the fighting between our dogs. We have a Jack Russel and our Basenji always wants to fight with her and she is always growling at everything. We are also afraid she is going to bite us. She has tried so we are kind of her.
By Cindy
My Shih Tzu cross had pups almost a year ago and she is driving me nuts. She is still very aggressive. She hates other dogs, barks all the time, and goes after other dogs. She doesn't like people coming near the house. She does not listen at all anymore, and has been doing her business in my house, even minutes after being let outside. How do I stop this?
By Jennifer
How can I get my 8 year old Pomeranian to stop being so aggressive with other dogs?
By Denise H. from Tacoma, WA
I have a 3 year old Ridgeback who has always been a fun friendly dog. He has lived with our family and an older German Shepherd. We had to have our Shepherd put to sleep. Since then the Ridgeback just shakes all the time and growls if any of us go near him. It's bad enough grieving over the loss of my dog, let alone the upset of the one we have left turning nasty. I have two kids that love the dog to bits. They have always been really close so it is upsetting them, too.
By a glt
I have a male Boxer/Golden Retriever mix who is one year old. He is very loveable to our pets and children and to other people. However, he will attack and try to kill small dogs. I am unable to walk him anymore, because if he sees a small dog he will break free of his collar and start attacking. I know he needs exercise, but I can't have him killing other pets. He has also killed two of our cats. I would appreciate any help you can give us. Thank you.
By Tina S. from San Antonio, TX
My boyfriend has a 3 year old Pit Bull that barely listens, has no discipline, and jumps on everyone when entering a room. He bum rushes our cats and then attacks them when they defend themselves and on top of it he shows aggressive behavior when animals approach his food bowl. He eats out of everybody's food bowls, but if they go and eat out of his he shows aggressive behaviors.
I'm at my last straw especially when coming home one night to see he got out of his room and we found our cat near death. The cat actually died in my arms. I have not been able to look at his Pit Bull the same since the incident. I have now had to shuffle animals around to accommodate this dog and I feel at 3 years old and only having one owner since a puppy his training should be top notch. Please I need help any ideas?
You are correct. Having had only one owner, the dog should be very well behaved by now.
Training for large breed dogs such as pit bulls, mastiffs and rottweilers should start in puppy hood and continue on through adulthood. The dog should be trained not to jump up on people and not to take things that aren't his. He should sit before receiving his food dish. He should walk on a leash next to the owner and not pull, lunge, or crisscross in front. the needs to be socialized to people, other dogs and smaller pets.
Unfortunately, the dog is now an adult and has not been trained. It is certainly past your boyfriend's capabilities to rehabilitate a pit bull that needs all training and has already killed. It is also completely unfair to this energetic animal to have to keep it fenced in or behind closed doors, but you are having to do this because not only are your own cats in danger, but others' pets are as well. I guarantee your boyfriend can't control this animal on a walk and it will eventually get out of his control and kill somebody's little dog.
The only real hope for the dog is rehabilitation at a pit bull rescue with knowledgeable and dedicated staff.
This is a page about dog has become aggressive with owner. Determining the cause of sudden dog on owner aggression is the first step in reestablishing a good pet and owner relationship.
