Why might a dog start biting when people approach or touch him? Everything was fine until a year ago. They had taken their two-year-old Cocker to the vet for boosters. Woody had growled. The vet had taken him out the back. Woody’s not been the same since. He has bitten Read more
When a dog begins growling around his bed, can forceful “show who’s boss” methods make the relationship worse rather than better? Trevor’s story is all about relationship, the relationship between the three-year-old Cocker Spaniel Beagle mix and the man. All was fine until Trevor began to growl when the man Read more
Worrying things include the twins walking around with food in their hands, Obi pinching a toy or a shoe and then take it away to guard in his crate. He’s a dog that doesn’t like being approached when he’s lying down or asleep.
Lupo may bite if a hand comes out to him to touch him. He may bite while being brushed. He bites if on a person’s lap and another reaches out to touch him. While being stroked he may bite, even if it seems he has initiated the stroking in the first place. He has bitten around food.
If they had predicted how dog bites were going to develop, they would have reacted differently from the very first time it happened, when at about a year old Toto stole a shoe – had they realised there was another way.
Like so many people would do, they chased and cornered her in order to retrieve the item. She will have felt both aroused and scared. She growled and then snapped. The behaviour then escalated quickly.
The guarding is much the same thing. To retrieve the item, her space is invaded. It scares her. It’s weird how dogs set themselves up to be scared like this, knowing what the consequence will be.
Why was Dijon snapping when the little girl cuddled her mum? Consideration of Personal space is a one-way street for Dijon! Cavapoo Dijon is a confident little dog in most respects. He knows what he wants – and usually gets it. The one respect in which he’s not so confident is when the Read more
A puppy needs some physical boundaries – not too much freedom, and calm humans who don’t give him mixed messages. Starting puppy off right can save a whole lot of trouble later on. Yesterday’s family have a wonderful 11-week-old Goldendoodle puppy called Dexter. They also have a very large open Read more
I suggested that she asked her vet to give Pete a thorough check including bloods and a physical examination to rule out pain and any other condition that could make him have a short fuse. Unfortunately the vet refused, saying he could see the dog was fine and then gave confusing and outdated behaviour advice.
I was called out because, as the people interpreted it, three-year-old Blue Roan Cocker Flo was ‘aggressive to puppy Wilson because he wouldn’t leave her alone and kept wanting to play with her’. The situation was different to what I expected. Dear little four-and-a half-month Wilson was frequently going to Read more