My dog is fearful and barks/nips at strangers on walks. Why?

Question

My dog is so sweet to our family, it's incredible what a lovely dog she is. But as soon as she meets anyone else she becomes fearful of them (hunching back, leaping backwards) until they turn their back on her and she goes full force at them, screaming yelps and nipping at ankles (don't believe she actually wants to bite by her demeanor) it also happens when we go on walks. She freezes until they pass and barks/growls/lunges at them and scares almost everything. Is she fearful or something else? Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Female | spayed | 1 year and 5 months old

Anna M., DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello, and thanks for your question. Most “aggression” issues in dogs are ultimately based on fear to some degree, so I would suspect this is at least partially fear based. Maggie knows that your family is her “pack”, and she’s nervous of outsiders. Every time she barks/growls at others and they end up walking away, she may be reinforcing to herself that “hey - this works! I should keep scaring strangers away!” If this is a behavior you want to work on (and I would recommend it, before it escalates to biting a visitor or stranger on the street) I highly recommend recruiting the expertise of a professional. Ideally a veterinary behaviorist, but your primary vet may be able to direct you to trainers they recommend. Behavior concerns require a lot of time, effort, patience, and consistency, and it’s important to give Maggie the right response at the right moment, before she’s too worked up to be receptive to you. A professional can help you learn how to read these subtle signs before Maggie is completely overstimulated. Here’s a link on aggression that may be helpful to you. https://www.petcoach.co/article/aggression-due-to-dominance/ Hope this helps!

My dog is fearful and barks/nips at strangers on walks. Why?

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