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My rescue dog bites men. What can I do before a behaviorist?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 11 months and 17 days old | 37 lbs

Hi we have recently got a rescue dog, a border collie possibly cross. There has been 3 occasions where he has growled and snapped at men and he recently tried to bite my uncle when he first met him. There are no obvious similarities in the men and I think it is fear based but we don't know much about his history. We are going to get a behaviorist in for some 1:1 sessions to really address the problem but I just wanted to know if there is anything we can do in the meantime to help him.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Anna M., DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 29th, 2017

Good question, and I commend you for seeking the input from a behaviorist to help Barney! The main thing for you to do in the meantime is to protect him from those situations that are fearful to him. From the brief description, it sounds like you should avoid having him meet new people for now, especially men, which might mean not taking him out in as many different environments, and if new people come to the house he should be put somewhere quiet and comfortable where he can relax (probably in a familiar bedroom). The more he is in those situations that he perceives as fearful and allowed to go through his fear response, the more of a habit it becomes for him - and it will make it more challenging for you to correct the problem once the behaviorist is on board. I know it's frustrating because it sounds like you are dedicated to working on this with him - but I think it's worth protecting him in this way until you have input from the expert to help guide you. Hope this helps - good luck!

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