aggressive 3 year old dog, please help

[olliesalter1]

we have a 3 year old male dog, we rescued him a year ago, he is fully trained in the way of 'sit', 'lye down' 'walk', 'heal' etc but over the months has started showing alot of aggression, never towards the family only towards strangers, he is extremely well looked after and whilst in our care has never seen anything violent/aggressive which we thought could of triggered this.  Its getting very difficult on walks now and whenever somebody knocks the door, walks past the car when he's in it etc he growls and barks very aggressively. he seems to be very possessive over myself also.  can anybody suggest what we could do?  I am wanting to contact a trainer but even this worries me that they maybe met with a very unpleasant welcome from him (as our vistors always are). Please help!!

[Bottom]

Your dog may have been ill treated before and he knows he can trust you and your family, but not people he does not know. Maybe you should call the vets and ask for advice, I don't think you have any think major to worry about. Good Luck 

[Goofy]

yes go to a trainer - or animal behaviour specialist (Mugford - who helped HRH Princess Anne with her bull terriers being an example).

Or you could try having him neutered as a starte
or both

[rudi]

Don't worry yourself, it can easily be solved. Your dog's protecting you and the family home, as far as the dog is concerned he is the leader of the pack and believes that it is his job to take charge and protect you. This can be sorted out by you making the dog understand that you are the leader and that he is under you. This must be done under supervision, either by a trainer or with the help of some books (I really recommend the Dog Whisperer Books available in WH Smiths or Waterstones).

Dogs can become very stressed if they are left to take charge of the environment they are in, they thrive on structure and a strong heirachical system, just like they would in the wild. You may not like the first steps you take in disciplining and training your dog, but be strong and carry on,, in the long run you and your dog will be happier when you both know that you are in charge and you are now the daddy - so to speak. Good luck

[doghandler]

Your dog has settled in with you and your family and is now starting to protect you.

The answer is a dog behaviourist, dont worry about his health (That is what you are paying him for!)

One thing you could try is to get people you know to come to the door and greet the dog with a titbit, so the dog starts to realise that there is no threat.

Secondly, your reaction to the caller will cause the dog to be worse if you are tense (because you are worried about the dogs behaviour) the dog will sense your reaction and react to it, reading it as fear and therefore protecting you.

Thirdly, take your dog to training classes, this will socialise him with other dogs and people, but it will also give you a structured training regime which will help.

Please do not have the dog neutered as for an earlier suggestion, this is a stock answer, and it has been proven that it is not a be and all end cure for aggression. speak to your Vet on this, and if he agrees that neutoring might help, he can prescribe a course of medication which is like a chemical castration, this will give the same results on a short term (reversible) basis.

If this chemical castration works (and I would predict that it wont) then have him castrated.

Hope this helps, but i would strongly advise that you contact a good animal behaviourist, as advice can only really be given after seeing the animal.

good luck.

[olliesalter1]

Thank you so much everyone.  Ive found a contact for a behaviourist and found all of your comments and suggestions very helpful and comforting.