My 7-month Border Collie puppy bites when petted. What's wrong?

Question

II have a seven month old border collie who has occasional aggressive moments. My husband was talking and patting her tonight and she started growling, he told her to stop and he kept patting her and she bit him. Never had a dog do this before, do not want a dog that we can't trust. I gave been training her and she is doing well but she just seems to snap for no reason. What do you suggest. Pet's info: Dog | Border Collie | Female | spayed | 7 months and 12 days old | 26 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

Oh dear! I'm sorry that you're having this problem with Billi. Owner-directed aggression is a complex behavior issue that can be quite serious, so I would recommend recommend asking your veterinarian to refer you to a veterinary behaviorist in your area - he/she can evaluate your dog in person and help you put together a detailed training plan to work on this problem. In general, I can tell you that the best way to deal with this problem is ny identifying what situations tend to trigger the aggression, then either avoiding them or working with her to teach her to be more comfortable with these triggers so that she doesn't feel the need to growl or snap. This would always involve reward-based training, never any kind of punishment as this is likely to make things worse. If your husband is petting her and she growls, she's asking him to stop - he should listen to her and leave her alone at that point, rather than continuing to antagonize her with more petting. This often leads to increased aggression (such as snapping or biting) from the dog, since her communications signals are being ignored. The behaviorist can help you understand why she gets upset in these situations so that you can learn to avoid them or help her be more comfortable.

My 7-month Border Collie puppy bites when petted. What's wrong?

Most Helpful Answer

Related Questions

What fish dog food helps dry skin if my dog eats Science Diet?

Why is my new pet biting? Is she stressed or scared in her new home?

My robo hamster is limp, bleeding, and collapsed. Is it wet tail?

Is my pet's occasional sneezing and eye crust a URI symptom?

How to keep a pet mom and her newborn babies warm and calm?

My hamster is suddenly bloated, angry, and biting. What should I do?

Share