Why is my dog moody after waking, eating, or sensing territory?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry you are experiencing this with Bongo, but this is a serious matter. He is not even a year old and what you are describing is very worrisome. A veterinary Behaviorist is the best thing for you and Bongo as you will get the best outcome. Just having him on Prozac is not enough, you need to work and train him daily. Biting your owner, even TRYING to, is unacceptable behavior. I don't think it is territorial aggression that is causing him to not want to go in his sleep area. It could be fear or not wanting to do what you ask. I would suggest, for your safety that you lure him in the sleep area with a special toy, treat, or Kong stuffed with food. Or attach his leash and walk him in to the room after his final walk of the night. If these things do not work, place a basket muzzle on him before forcing him in the room and then remove it. Bongo is not an easy behavior case and there is no easy fix. A behaviorist is your best option so you can manage his behavior in a safe way. I wish you the best!

It sounds like Bongo has some generalized anxiety issues as well as some aggression issues. You have already done some good things to help get this behavior in control. Neutering will definitely help even though you may not see the effects of immediately. Trazodone is a great drug but works mainly for sedation and not as much to relieve overall anxiety. I would recommend speaking with your vet about starting Bongo on an anti-anxiety medication like Prozac. This may help him as well. I would also recommend working with Bongo on routine/common commands and exercising him frequently. Both of these things will help him feel more relaxed and secure. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

If you have a dog with severe aggression, you will not be able to resolve the problem with medications alone. Any severe problem requires medication while you are doing intensive behavioral training. Then, once you have the problem well controlled with the medication, you can slowly taper the medication. For aggression, I always recommend working with a veterinary behaviorist. I would recommend consulting with a veterinary behaviorist ASAP for this problem with Bongo. A veterinary behaviorist is a veterinarian who has additional years of training in behavior. They can also prescribe or change medications if needed. Hopefully you can find one near you here. http://www.dacvb.org/about/member-directory/ There is at least one in the UK even though this is a US organization. Sagi Deneberg Langford Vets Ltd. University of Bristol www.langfordvets.co.uk Email: behaviour@langfordvets.co.uk Langford house Langford United Kingdom Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Poor Bongo! I bet the amount of people being around was overwhelming to him. Heck- it overwhelms me. If he has a good food drive, I would recommend using that to train him. It is best to use one person st a time. Make sure they have a yummy treat- something he only gets during training. Have the person walk by & gently toss the food to him & keep walking. No telling or staring at him. He will start to associate yummy treat with people. Have the person move closer if Bongo isn’t responding. The person holding Bongo’s leash needs to remain calm and praise positive behavior & ignore unwanted behavior. When he has that down- have him sit & allow the person to hand him the treat (make sure you trust that person). I would not place him in situations with large numbers of strangers for a while. I would also recommend a good basic obedience class-it will help him learn in a group setting. Thanks for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I'm sorry you are having such problems with Smudge. The vet may not want to give him an appetite stimulant because it could interact with any other medications he is on currently, or it may not be appropriate for him. It sounds like you are having a really tough time, so I would take him into another vet for a second opinion. Best of luck.

I am sorry to hear about Bongo! A basket muzzle does allow for drinking but they cannot eat with it on. Try feeding him in a closed room to prevent anyone bothering him (and getting hurt). I would recommend a plastic basket muzzle instead of metal to prevent injury. Much more important, is to get Bongo on some anti-anxiety medication. This can be LIFE-CHANGING and I have so many great success stories. There are many great medications available with little side effects that are safe for daily use. My personal favorite is Trazadone but there are several great choices. Do yourself (and Bongo) a huge favor and talk to your vet about your options. Training is often needed with medication, but training alone will not work for these types of cases. Hope this helps and best of luck to you and Bongo!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. My advice is to get professional help sooner rather than later. This type of behavior is often due to anxiety. I would strongly recommend talking to your vet about anti-anxiety/ behavior modification medication which can make a huge difference! Once the medication is on board, the fear-threshold is lowered, and learning can occur. At that point, working with a reputable trainer in your area is a must. Best wishes to you and Cooper.