My dog's aggression is worsening. Should I see a behaviorist?

Question

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. Pet's info: Dog | American Pit Bull Terrier | Female | spayed | 5 years and 1 month old | 60 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

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

My dog's aggression is worsening. Should I see a behaviorist?

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