My dog's aggression is worsening. Should I see a behaviorist?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | American Pit Bull Terrier | Female | spayed | 5 years and 1 month old | 60 lbs
My dog has anxiety and serious aggression issues toward strangers and sometimes other dogs. She is a sweet girl to the few people she lives with, very obedient in some situations, knows tricks and is eager to please in some cases. She has even completed a “Reactive” training course, and did great. But in the real world, her aggressive behavior seems to be getting worse. We are afraid she is a danger to others, but also that her stress keeps her from having an active happy life.
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on February 27th, 2018
Poor Mina! I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem. It sounds like you've been doing some good things to try and help her with her reactivity and aggression issues - but unfortunately, sometimes this behavior can be very hard to get a handle on without professional help. At this point, since things are getting worse in spite of your training class, I would recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist. He/she can evaluate Mina in person and put together a more detailed treatment plan to address her issues. The behaviorist should be able to help you trouble-shoot why your training is not always working as well as you would like, and may also recommend medication as part of her overall plan. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on February 15th, 2020
I'm sorry to hear Asha isn't responding well. If you've only worked with a trainer, i would suggest seeking out a veterinary behaviorist instead. They are veterinarians that specialize specifically in behavior, and work on both medication and training adjustment to help with behavioral issues such as aggression. It may be that a vet behaviorist can help adjust Asha's medication and provide better training options and desensitization that is better. As with any issue, it does take time, and complex issues such as aggression can sometimes take a very long time, or only see small improvement instead. It could be that Asha is never truly comfortable with other pets and people, but a complete evaluation from a professional is needed to determine this. You can learn more about veterinary behaviorists and how they're different from trainers, as well as find one near you here: https://www.dacvb.org/page/about
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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