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My dog is aggressive when I stop humping or scold him. How to fix?

Updated on September 23, 2025

My golden retriever is 3 years old i didnt trained him anything from childhood but he is vey playful and friendly my only biggest problem is his agressive behaviour and attacking habit mainlybin 2 situation when i try to stop him from humping on my family members and if i scold him and hold my dog stick

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on March 4, 2018

Hi there! I'm sorry that you're having this problem with your pup. Human-directed aggression in dogs is a complex behavioral issue that's difficult to address in a forum like this, but I can try to give you some general advice that may help.

Normally, we treat aggression issues in dogs by identifying what types of situations or interactions tend to trigger the aggression - then either finding ways to avoid them, or working with the dog to teach him a different response through reward-based training. Scolding and other forms of punishment are not recommended, as this often makes the aggression worse.

If he humps your family members, I would recommend trying to avoid this problem by keeping him on-leash when they're around, or giving him something else to do - for example, give him a bully stick to chew on, or a puzzle toy such as a Kong stuffed with peanut butter. I would not recommend scolding him or using a "dog stick" (not sure what this is?), as it's not surprising that this would trigger aggression. Instead, teach him what you want him to do using treats or other rewards, and praise him when he does what you ask.
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