Hello,

Within the last year our 3 year old mixed dog (beagle/lab/? mix) has acted aggressively in two separate situations (e.g. biting/attacking) that were probably related to unintentionally fearful situations for the dog. The aggression has been redirected toward the owners (mainly my Step-Dad, who is the pack leader---who the dog adores, and our other dogs).

The first agressive situation was where a large number of friends (esp. children) were over for a bonfire. There was a lot of yelling and running about, and we believe the dog got scared. A person went to open the backdoor and he tried to run out, but since we had the backyard gate open my Step-Dad attempted to stop him from running out the door. The dog then proceeded to attack my Step-Dad (he suffered only minor injuries). We brushed this instance off, because it seemed fair that the dog could get scared in such a type of situation---over-stimuli. We have since then kept him separate from guests when we have friends/children over.

But the second aggressive instance seems very bizarre, and has made us question his aggressive behavior. Recently, my Mother and Step-Dad were out in the backyard drinking coffee in the morning and had a small bonfire going. My Step-Dad went to put another log on the fire and out of nowhere the dog again proceeded to attack my Step-Dad. The dog wasn't really that close to the fire or anything. One of our other dogs who was also out in the backyard, stepped in and the two dogs got in a vicious dog fight. No one was injured, and the dogs are OK.

We are concerned that since this aggression has been related to random acts of fear, that it is also uncontrollable, because it is difficult to assess the root of the problem. He is a very friendly, loving, sweet dog normally so it is difficult to comprehend how he can act out so violently toward his owners, who treat him very well.

The dog was a rescue dog that was found abandoned in a corn-field at age 4 weeks. He has been socialized very well at a young age and attended an obedience class at 1 1/2- 2 years of age; the obedience teachers commented on how timid the dog was, but he did well in the class. He is a dog that loves attention, and wants to be with his owners, and people in general, all the time. He does not get in fights with other dogs, and doesn't act aggressively in other situations.

We are considering placing him up for adoption since my family has children at the house a lot. We are concerned that it is just a matter of time before someone gets really hurt. My mother has also commented on putting him down, but I'd absolutely hate for that to happen. He really is such a sweet-heart normally; a really good dog. If you or anyone else has any advice for this situation, on how to control a randomly fearful dog, I'd greatly appreciate it!

My German Sheppard is constantly chasing and has or almost has bitten someone. We constantly lock him up but he allways acts the same no matter what we do. We need help or we will have to put him down.

Adam is a german shep/lab/maybe chow mix, a former stray who was found wandering in S Phila this past New Year's eve. He was extremely malnourished, weighing only 37 lbs (he now weighs 53), and he was not neutered. He is a dog I am fostering for the rescue I am involved in. Our vet estimated him to be around 9-10 years old and said he also has lens sclerosis which would explain his deficiency in his vision. He clearly lacks socialization and having all that testosterone in his system for so long probably didn't help either as far as his social issues go.

He is very good in behavior towards other animals, especially my cats and has even been around my kittens-very gentle with them. I detect no hint at all of any prey drive in him. Adam's become very attached to me and is great with me as far as listening to me, accepting commands, etc. His issues are with other people. He's very reactive when people come to the door, or emerge from a dimly lit hallway-his reactions typically are loud barking and showing of teeth-which can be a little scary. Up until the last month, I would always ask the visitor to not make a fuss over him upon coming in, but ask him to sit and give him a treat or two with an open hand-which he would take, and then he would calm down. He's had limited contact with other people as a result.

He is very smart and very teachable I think. I had him evaluated by a trainer I've used-he's very good with the Gentle Leader-easy to walk and manageable. The trainer suggested I enroll him in a basics class so I could work with him on basic commands-there are three of us in the class total. He's been doing well in class, aside from a few distractions.

The bite incident occurred about a month ago as we were visiting a friend with whom Adam was familiar. To make a long story short, he was in an unfamiliar surrounding, and a third party was present which may have contributed to his uneasiness. As my friend walked past him, Adam leaped up and grabbed her arm. At first we both thought he had just grabbed her shirt but then we realized it was a bite with several puncture wounds. I think the combination of an unfamiliar environment, the presence of a third person that he was totally unfamiliar with and his poor vision all contributed to this-however, jumping up and biting people is not an acceptable reaction to being startled.

Since that time, I have further limited his exposure to people-and only with a muzzle on. I did ask my trainer if she still wanted him to come to the class and she told me absolutely bring him-I have not used the muzzle during training but have it in my pocket in case. We are spread so far apart that it's probably okay-and the trainer is in the middle with an eye on all of us. However, the vet insists I have the muzzle on when I take him.

I personally don't know that he's ever going to be adoption material but I believe he is smart enough that we may be able to at least teach him (and me) some acceptable ways of coping and getting along in this world. It is just very frustrating for me because it is very hard for me to have any people in my house-everyone is now afraid to be around him-and I do need to have people at least come over and help me as we work with the "Sit/Stay" commands.....

My roommate's dog is aggressive towards me when I walk in the door. It's gotten to the point he bites my pant leg with more pressure each time. There are 5 other dogs, all barking at once, all in the foyer when I walk in. My instinct is to ignore them all and walk past them, which is difficult to do with a dog attached to my leg. I end up saying 'NO' louder than they are barking, and imagine that is not what a pack leader would do...I was doing really well as pack leader to my roommates dogs until this new male came in and I left for a dog sitting job for a week...when I returned, all the work I'd done had to be started all over again and the dogs are picking up on my frustration...help!!!

Dear Ceasar and Readers,

I adopted a young adult, neutered male mixed Australian Cattle Dog/Australian Shepherd from a rescue three weeks ago. I use a wheelchair and, due to a tracheotomy I got last year, I am unable to vocalize or make noise. I believed my dog was calm/submissive in temprament and of medium energy. He was responding well to my leadership and exercise. But two nights ago, he was resting/sleeping on the floor at the foot of my bed while my caregiver was helping me get ready for bed. My caregiver walked toward and reached around the dog for an item on a shelf, and my dog suddenly bit her on the upper thigh, but not hard enough to draw blood. My caregiver is not sure if she stepped on him or not, and my dog did not bear his teeth, bark, growl, yelp, or adopt an aggressive posture before or after he bit. He had never challenged any of my caregivers beofore, including the one he bit. He ran away before I could correct him, and my timing was bad because I was not close enough to reach him at the time because I was getting ready for bed. I correct him with touch since I cannot talk, but couldn't do so this time.
Is this an attack or is this fear aggression or something else? Short of putting him in a confined place when I work with my caregivers, how can I prevent biting in the future? I am happy to hear from any fans of the Dog Whisperer.

i have 2 pits male n female both r fixed the male shows aggression 2 my wife when she comes by me n the other day we were n bed n he lunged at her didnt bite her i may all so add that when both were pups she did things 2 scare (chase them with a broom spreay air freshener @ them) them witch i told her not 2 do but she did anyways n now she wants 2 get rid of him witch i dont think is right cus of what she has done so im try n not 2 get him sent off i realy dont take him 4 walks like i should n i think that is part of the problem will just about do anything to not get rid of him ty 4 any help

I have a female dalmation. my neighbors dog jumps up onto the brick wall dividing our yards and gets its front paws and head above the wall. it has nothing to stand on so its simply jumping up there. i had my daughters dogs over and my neighbors dog got upset that they were over and had all fours on to the wall. i have a grand daughter thats two and im afraid for her benifit. what shold i do to ensure that that dog doesnt jump over the wall completely and attack my animals or relatives?

When my english mastiff was about 6 months old, I was walking him to the park. As we went to cross the street some hillbilly driving a truck almost hit me but hit duke in the shoulder. Now he was on a lesh that I had ahold of and she still didnt stop. Duke ran all the way home without me 3 miles back. The driver was yelling and screaming at me everything in the book to get my dog out of the road and I shouldnt have been there. Last i checked when a car isnt coming and you cross the street and then they fly done a 25 doing 40 you stop if you see someone in the street. I didnt get the plate number because i was more worried about duke and it was dark. I called the police they said they cant do anything because hes a dog. Duke is a year old now and now any stranger or dog he hasnt known for a long time gets close to him hes ready to attack. Weve paid for training from petsmart with the best guy they had who also owns big dogs and mastiffs but it hasnt helped a whole lot. I need HELP!

Hello,

I need help with my sometimes aggressive dog. For the first four years of her life, we lived with my parents and as of March 2009 it was just her and I. I know that part of the problem is that my boyfriend, his dog, and his daughter just moved in. I know that she feels threatened by the change, but I need to know what can be done to make this less stressful on her. She is growling and snapping at the new people in the house.

Also, she is very aggressive regarding bones. Last night we had an episode that she was acting like she was trying to hatch the milk bone and guarding it. She even jumped at me, her owner, through her crate.

The only way I can describe it is…it’s like a light switch going on and off…and I cannot tell what will set her off. I go out of my way to be a calm, self assured leader. I need help!

What can be done to help stop this behavior? How can I get her past this? She only acts like this at home; in public she is a perfect dog.

Thank you.

Cesar- I have had my Yorkie since he was 7 weeks old (I am aware that this is too soon, but his one sibling was gone when I picked him up and his mom no longer wanted anything to do with him a few days before I picked him up) and every since he was about 5 months old, he has been EXTREMELY aggressive towards other dogs and people he does not know. We can't allow anyone into our house unless he is on a leash. When someone comes into our house he goes insane and looks and sounds as though he is possessed. It's very hard for me to have calm assertive energy when he wants to rip apart the 'stranger' that came into 'his' territory. I keep him on the leash and I bring him into the area where the person is and because he'll be parking, I will turn him around and bring him into another room until he is quiet and calm and then try again. After a few times he calms down completely and will just go sniff the person, but at any point in time his aggression could strike again and he'll want to bite. Sometimes I think he is just going to sniff because he's being quiet, but he'll then bite. When I take him for walks and he sees another dog or person, he again, goes all out nuts! If I were to let go of the leash, he would with out a doubt attack the dog and or person. He has bitten me a couple times and drew a little blood and he also bit my brother, my aunt, and a couple other people, but did not draw blood. I have cried on numerous occasions because I don't know how to fix it and as much as I love him to death, I sometimes think that I may not be the right owner- I am only 22, still in school and have never had a dog before. If he knows you- he LOVES you! He adores me, my mom, my dad and my best friend. When my brothers are home for the holidays he'll want to attack at first, but shortly after he is their best friend and loves them as well. He goes to my friends house once a week and loves their three dogs, and their owners, but hates if anyone else comes into their home as well and will attack them. He also hates when people leave and will try to attack when someone walks out the door. I would give anything in world to fix him because I don't know what I would do if I ever had to give him away. Are there times where there is nothing you can do for an aggressive dog and it's just part of them? I honestly think I have one of the most aggressive yorkshire terriers in the world. If he wasn't my dog and I came into this house or walked by him on the street, I would be petrified. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE help me!!!!! A dog is supposed to reduce your stress, not make it worse!

Hi Cesar,

I am writing as this has actually been a problem for a while. I adopted my dog from the SPCA when he was 5 months old. He did show some signs of aggression (growling and showing teeth) when the SPCA employee picked him up for us to see and play with him. I waved it off as he didn't turn back to try and bite the employee and thought the employee might have hurt him when she picked him up. Shortly afterwards, we enrolled him into obedience class and he was fine with the all the dogs, except for one who tried to hump him. My dog started growling and turned around and tried bite him.

As my dog got older, I think he is getting more aggressive and is not able to accept new dogs or even people coming into our home. Moreover, he started growling/biting my brother who has been living with him ever since we adopted him (my dog). Every time he bites my brother, he never draws blood but it leaves a bruise. I find it very strange as this behaviour developed just recently, maybe around 6 months ago. We try to avoid this by calling him into our rooms whenever my brother comes home but I would actually like to be able to fix this problem instead of trying to prevent this from happening.He is also very protective of my mom and I. If he is with me, no one else can come near me or else he will growl and try to bite whomever is coming near me. It is also the same with my mom but he would not growl or bite if that person who is going into the room is me.

I really want to be able to fix aggression that my dog is showing. I read from your forums and articles that most dogs are usually like this whenever they don't get enough exercise but he takes walks everyday and is so excited and happy whenever we prep him and he practically drags us out the door with him. There seems to be a problem though when he is on his way out for walk and someone in my household happens to be heading out at the same time. He will get upset and try to bite your feet, he has actually tried to bite my toes but I only feel his teeth and he didn't sink them in my feet/toes. I can't say the same for my family members though. Nevertheless, I dragged him back in the house and gave him a timeout.

I know that at 9 years old, it might be too late to try and change my dog's ways but I really want to be able to try and make him less aggressive and be able to let him out whenever we have company over so he can socialize with people or even other dogs. Is there any advice you can give me? .

Thank you.

My Jack Russell, Piper, is very aggresive, not just to other dogs, but to people as well. We cannot take her anywhere, because if she sees another dog or person she starts growling and goes into instant attack mode.

Further, if someone she does not know comes to our home we have to put her up because she will bite. She is the same way with other dogs, if she doesn't know them...it is on! Even children.

I would love to be able to take Piper to the park or hiking with us, but unfortunately at this time, we cannot!

What can we do to teach her not to behave in this manner?

Thank you for your show. I love it.

I have a 9 year old Dalmatian. I adopted him from a shelter 8 years ago. With our family, he is a doll baby. He took to us immediately and has always been so sweet and loving with us. However, no one else can come around him whether it's our home, car, yard or elsewhere. When they do, he starts to bark and lunge - but the entire time, his tail is wagging. So many trainers have said, he's not showing aggression since his tail is wagging but I don't know what else it could be. No one has been able to help. I have had a few brave souls let me test him by letting go of his lead. He runs straight to them, jumps on them and he has broken the skin. I've always been there to get him so I am not sure what he would do afterward if I weren't there. I hope I never find out.

The only place he has not acted this way around strangers is at the vets office. Although he does seem to be more shy and reserved when he is in unfamiliar surroundings. But, I really want people to be able to come to the house. I would like to leave the door open between him and guests and not feel so constantly scared that someon's going to accidentally open a door on him or that I will forget to shut a door when someone comes around. I'm living in fear - trying to keep him, and anyone who may come to my house, safe.

I would love more than anything to do foster care but with his behavior, I would be foolish to entertain the thought. It's difficult to go on vacations or anything because no one can get around him to care for him. I love him like my own child, but he is controlling my life. I have to find a way to get a handle on this.

Please help. I am willing to try anything. He'd be so much happier and so would I.

Thank you in advance.

Hi Cesar,

First of all, congrats for your show. I'm a big fan and learn a lot thanks to you.

We have a 5 year old German Shepard. Yesterday he attacked my husband during his daily walk. My husband corrected him when the dog started pulling. The dog turned back and literally attacked my husband. As my husband is a big guy he could keep the dog under control, physically.

We need help asap. I don't trust my dog anymore. I mean he never did anything to me as I think he sees me as the pack leader but not my husband, the thing is I never thought he could attack trying to bite my husband's neck.

Thanks for your help.

Silvia from Uruguay.

Un abrazo grande.

Hi Cesar. I watch your show all the time and have a quick question. I have two dogs that my husband and I saved. They are brothers and so different in many ways. The one thing they have in common is their aggression with other dogs. I have noticed that if a dog that they have known since we brought them home is near, they are fine. But with any new dog, they get very aggressive...they bark, growl and show teeth. They have never bitten another dog, but I do get worried that they might. They usually don't listen to me when they get into this state and usually one dog triggers the other. They are very well trained dogs, but I just can't seem to break them of this. Can you give me tips to help this problem?
Thanks,
Martina

hi cesar I am Mexican so I dont know how to speak English very well....so my dog is a "pastor aleman" his name is Kiara he is 6 moths, and she attack other dogs she makes so much exercise and I have good relationship with her so what can i do?