My dog is suddenly aggressive and biting only at night. What's happening?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | unspayed | 2 years and 2 months old | 65 lbs
My dog turns vicious after dark.Every night after dinner,she turns from sweet dog into Mrs. Hyde.She goes after us like we are strangers,snarling and even biting us.But only at night.We have had her since she was 3 months old,and is now 2 years.This just started in the last few months.I tried putting her in the laundry room at night,but she barks so much no one can sleep.So I let her out,she walks about 15 feet,then turns on me.What is wrong with her?Please help!!
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on March 6th, 2018
Abrupt changes in behavior like this in dogs is very concerning to me. I would be worried about some underlying neurologic disorder that could be going on. If nothing has changed at home, her routine, or the environment in general, then I would suspect an underlying medical issue. I would recommend taking her to be examined by your veterinarian and possibly having some lab work performed so they can try and determine what is going on. Your vet may recommend further work up by veterinary neurologist or may recommend a behavior modification drugs like Xanax or Prozac. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.
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Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on November 28th, 2017
I'm sorry to hear that your friend is having this problem! Serious aggression issues like this can be treatable in some cases, but these situations are very complicated and need to be handled by a professional in person. I would recommend having your friend get in touch with a veterinary behaviorist to set up a consultation if she wants to try and keep the dog - the behaviorist can evaluate the dog in person to help determine the best treatment plan for the aggression, which may include medication as well as management and training. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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