I am confused about my female dogs aggression. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Female | spayed | 1 year and 11 months old | 65 lbs

Hi there. If you want to post again with more information on her behavior, such as who or what she is aggressive towards, what kinds of situations tend to trigger the aggression, etc. we would be happy to try and help :)

This is a very general question, so I'm afraid we would need quite a bit more information in order to help you - what she is doing, specifically, that you're concerned about (barking, growling, snapping, biting, etc.); who or what this behavior is directed at (family members, other pets, strangers, etc.) and what types of situations tend to trigger it would be the minimum information we need in order to have any idea of what the problem might be and how to treat it. Feel free to post again with more details about her problem, or request a one-on-one consultation with one of us if you would prefer to have a more in-depth conversation about her issues.

What do I do with my aggressive dog? Seek help for the specifics for your dog. Do not rely on this handout alone! Determine what triggers the aggression What is your dog’s motivation and triggers? Being aware of your dog’s body posture and language will help you identify triggers so that you can accurately determine the basis of the aggression and help your dog overcome its aggressive behavior. Be safe and avoid harmful situations Once you identify the triggers, try to avoid them as much as possible. If they are unavoidable, consider the use of safety tools such as basket muzzles or head collars to get better control of your dog. You will need to contact your veterinarian for help. Reestablish leadership with your dog Many people have misconceptions about truly dominant actions from dogs. A dog that walks ahead of its owner or disobeys commands is not expressing dominance but is showing effects of improper training. We are not part of the dog’s pack as many people believe and thus we should not look for a role as the “dominant” dog. Rather you should try to attain leadership by having the dog look to you for guidance in any situation, instead of being submissive or fearful of your commands. Reestablishing leadership can be done by using non-confrontational positive reinforcement techniques. Tools such as head collars can be used to help re-direct your dog’s behavior. Avoid punishing unwanted behaviors Punishment-based techniques, such as leash corrections, alpha-rolling, shoulder jabs, verbal disrupters (such as ‘baaaaa’ and ‘tssssh’), and training discs/chains tossed at dogs, do not address the underlying motivation, require constant direction and force, and typically do no result in positive long term benefits. These types of punishments have been shown to actually increase aggressive behavior. Positive reinforcement training and behavior modification methods focus on changing the underlying emotion of the dog’s aggression, while promoting and rewarding desired behaviors. Aggressive behavior is a common problem faced by dog owners. Proper interpretation and understanding your dog’s body posture and triggers is important to determine the cause of the aggression, and subsequently, the proper treatment plan. The above are some general guidelines for working with an aggressive dog, but don’t forget to talk to your veterinarian or ask about referral to a veterinary behaviorist for more specific information for your own dog.