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My 1-year-old dog attacks his mom. How to stop dog aggression now?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | American Pit Bull Terrier | Male | unneutered | 1 year old

Why is my dog attacking his mom for no reason? He just turned 1 a few weeks ago and everything was fine until he attacked her. So we keep them seperate and they accidentally got near each other and her started attacking her. Is this a dominance thing and how do I stop them from fighting. I really dont want to have to get rid of one of my pets.

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

Veterinarian

Published on January 13th, 2020

I hate to hear this is happening. I;m sure it's not only scary but stressful as well. Canine aggression is a complex behavior as it can stem from dominance, possessiveness, fear, anxiety, resource guarding or a combination. Most people are not familiar with reading canine body language and training. Because of this, I recommend to work with a professional trainer. Researching on your own will also be helpful. Familiarizing yourself with canine body language and dog training can help you to recognize what your pet is trying to say. You can find many books written on the topic and there is a trainer named Victoria Stilwell who I think is particularly helpful. Also, dogs who are spayed and neutered are less likely to fight though this is not always the case. I recommend to discuss having both dogs altered with their veterinarian. Best of luck.

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1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

    Veterinarian

    Published on October 10th, 2019

    Canine aggression is a complex behavior as it can stem from dominance, possessiveness, fear, anxiety, resource guarding or a combination. Unless you are very familiar with reading canine body language and training, I recommend to work with a professional trainer. Neutering Maki may help to decrease this aggression. This is not always true, but neutered males tend to have less aggressive behavior than non-neutered males. Researching on your own will also be helpful. Familiarizing yourself with canine body language and dog training can help you to recognize what your pet is trying to say. You can find many books written on the topic and there is a trainer named Victoria Stilwell who I think is particularly helpful. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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    2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

    Veterinarian

    Published on September 5th, 2019

    Certainly Max should be kept up to date on all his vaccines including Rabies and Distemper/Parvo. Neutering him may also help to decrease the aggression but behavioral modification is also needed. Canine aggression is a complex behavior as it can stem from dominance, possessiveness, fear, anxiety, resource guarding or a combination. Unless you are very familiar with reading canine body language and training, I recommend to work with a professional trainer. Researching on your own will also be helpful. Familiarizing yourself with canine body language and dog training can help you to recognize what your pet is trying to say. You can find many books written on the topic and there is a trainer named Victoria Stilwell who I think is particularly helpful. Best of luck.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 16th, 2019

    Canine aggression is a complex behavior as it can stem from dominance, possessiveness, fear, anxiety, resource guarding or a combination. Unless you are very familiar with reading canine body language and training, I recommend to work with a professional trainer. Researching on your own will also be helpful. Familiarizing yourself with canine body language and dog training can help you to recognize what your pet is trying to say. You can find many books written on the topic and there is a trainer named Victoria Stilwell who I think is particularly helpful. A basket muzzle is a good idea because it will help to prevent injury and should be worn by the aggressor. Best of luck.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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