My dog barks aggressively at neighbors. Is it fear aggression? How to train her?

Question

Hi! My question regards my dogs behaviour. She’s very aggressive towards our neighbours when they walk by. She would aggressively bark or snarl and she’s been doing that for years now. My father’s way of discipline is to hold her mouth very tightly and hit her and it really breaks heart when she cries. He’s been doing it since she was 1yrs old and now she is 5 and fear she has developed fear aggression. I just need to confirm if that’s the case and if there are alternative ways of discipline:(. Pet's info: Dog | Japanese Spitz | Female | 5 years and 9 months old

Dr. Strydom, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I agree with you, the discipline has not been handled correctly. There are other, better ways to discipline a dog but at this time it is going to be difficult to correct without a professional trainer. Does she have fear aggression? I don't know because I have not witnessed the behavior myself so I can't say for sure. You need a professional dog trainer to come to your house and see the dog's behavior and how the dog interacts with everyone in the house. Only then can they make recommendations on how to correct the problem. Sometimes you need to work concurrently with a veterinarian as behavior modification medications may be needed in the beginning of the re-training. I'm sorry I do not know where you are located so I can't really recommend a trainer. I suggest you call your vet for a recommendation. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

My dog barks aggressively at neighbors. Is it fear aggression? How to train her?

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