Dog suddenly aggressive after petting, then hides. Is it behavioral?

Oh dear, Zed is really quite aggressive! Aggression is very dangerous behavior to work with it, and it's best left to a professional. I would speak to your vet about a referral to a professional behavioral expert, who can work with him on his aggression. I never recommend having an owner train an aggressive dog themselves due to the danger. If Zed isn't neutered, I would have him neutered as soon as possible, as that may help decrease any aggressive behaviors that are hormonally related.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Bruno. When a puppy shows aggression, I immediately advise neutering him to remove the male hormone-driven behaviors. I would advise taking him to your veterinarian for their opinion also. He may have some medical reason for his sudden onset of aggression. Your vet can gather a history, perform an exam and then offer a diagnostic/treatment plan based on their findings. Possible tests include fecal/blood/urine tests and x-rays to look for underlying medical problems that could cause aggression. If a behavioral problem is suspected, then neutering, behavior modification, and drug therapy can be tried. I wish you good luck with Bruno

I am very sorry to hear about Bandit. This is a scary situation if Bandit is truly giving no warning prior to his aggressive outbursts. There may be subtle changes in his behavior that are difficult to pick up on without having observed aggressive dogs in the past. Neutering may help decrease his aggression toward other dogs but truly with unpredictable aggression like this a consultation with a veterinary behaviorist is recommended. They can discuss Bandit with you in depth, examine him and observe him in different situations and come up with a training plan to help you manage him (or they may advise he not be around other dogs if they feel his behavior is too unpredictable). I would talk to Bandit's veterinarian to find out about veterinary behaviorists in your area.

I certainly sympathize with your situation. Since Digby is 7 years old and this is a new behavior, I would start by having your veterinarian examine Digby to make sure there isn't a medical condition that is contributing to the change in his behavior. Your veterinarian may recommend trying medication depending on Digby's situation and behavior. If everything is normal on examination, ask your veterinarian for a recommendation for a behaviorist or trainer. You will need to commit to a training regimen to change Digby's behavior when he sees another dog. This can be a long process, but will be worth it. Good luck! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If this is a sudden or new behavior that happened out of the blue, and Toby is now biting and snapping when picked up or handled, I would be concerned that there is something going on such as pain or illness. Often times, a sudden behavioral change can indicate pain or another underlying condition. A good first step is to schedule an appointment with your vet to rule out any health issues that could be causing this. If Toby checks out healthy and he is still acting aggressive and trying to bite you or other animals, I would seek out the help of a trainer or veterinary behaviorist in person. Aggression is a very serious and complex issue and having someone there in person that can observe, assist and provide a tailored plan to help change Toby's behavior is best. Veterinary behaviorists are great as they are able to prescribe any needed medication in addition to a training routine to help create a safer, stress-free environment. You can visit this site to learn more about veterinary behaviorists and find one in your area: http://www.dacvb.org/about/member-directory/

Since this sounds like a sudden change I would recommend making an appointment with your veterinarian to rule out a medical problem first. It is possible that he is painful somewhere and is reacting this way due to pain. I would try not to pick him up until you can see a vet, or wrap him in a thick towel before picking him up. If he seems healthy, you can then discuss what could be causing this behavior with your vet or your vet could refer you to a local animal behaviorist.

Without being able to observe the behavior, it's impossible to know if this is true aggression or if this is play behavior. True canine aggression is a complex behavior as it can stem from dominance, possessiveness, fear, anxiety, resource guarding or a combination. Unless you are very familiar with reading canine body language and training, I recommend to work with a professional trainer. Researching on your own will also be helpful. Familiarizing yourself with canine body language and dog training can help you to recognize what your pet is trying to say. You can find many books written on the topic and there is a trainer named Victoria Stilwell who I think is particularly helpful. Rough play is a completely different behavior and will not generally be affected by neutering. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.