How to stop my dog from being aggressive to visitors and strangers?

Question

Hanna is so loving to our family however, any person that tries to enter our home, walk by our house, or come close to us on walks she gets very aggressive. Barking, growling, her hair goes up and she tries to bite. Do you have any recommendations on how to cure this bad behavior? I don’t want to keep a muzzle on her forever:( I want her to be loving to everyone like she is with us:) She is definitely a protector! Pet's info: Dog | Pit Bull Terrier | Female | spayed | 1 year and 2 months old | 48 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

Hi there! I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem with Hanna. Most aggression towards strangers in the situations you describe are a result of fear and anxiety - Hanna may not be comfortable around people she doesn't know, and barks and growls to try and get them to go away. Treatment for this problem is based on teaching her to associate good things (usually treats) with seeing new people, along with making sure that she always has plenty of space and is never forced to interact if she doesn't want to. A basket muzzle can certainly be used to help keep everyone safe, if needed, but it shouldn't be used to put her in uncomfortable situations. Aggression issues in dogs are complex and can be difficult to work on safely without help, so I would strongly recommend getting in touch with a veterinary behaviorist who can work with you in person. He/she can evaluate Hanna to help determine what is causing her aggressive behavior, and will help you put together a detailed training plan to work on the problem. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

How to stop my dog from being aggressive to visitors and strangers?

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