How to Train Your Dog to Stop Growling

Hello Tony, In the United States there is no legal certification that qualifies a dog as a Service Dog. You might be located elsewhere though. There are tests to see if the dog is ready to become a Service Dog, but these tests are simply informational and not legal. According to the American's with Disabilities Act law what qualifies a dog as a Service Dog is: 1. The handler has a medical disability that qualifies them for a Service Dog. 2. The dog is well trained enough not to be a nuisance in public (Sugar disqualifies here by growling) 3. The dog has been taught at least one task that specifically assists the handler with the disability. An owner of a public location can request that a Service Dog leaves the property if the dog is disruptive. It is within their legal rights. I don't mean to scare you, but I wanted to make sure you are prepared for what is going on. With that said, is Sugar aggressive if approached by someone? What is her response to people coming up to her all the way? If the growling is a sign of nervousness or uncertainty but she is completely fine once the person is in front of her, I suggest joining a Canine Good Citizen class to work on her being approached by new people and handed off to others. I also suggest working on pairing the presence of people with treats given by the people - try to get as many friends, coworkers or family members that she does not know pretend to be strangers in public and reward her for laying down when she is being quiet. They should not pet her or reward her for doing anything that is not completely calm though, since you want her to stay close to you and not get excited by people either - calmness is the goal here. The Canine Good Citizen class will work on her being able to ignore people also through the help of the other classmates and the instructor - to practice around. Teach her a "Quiet" command by follow the "Quiet" method from the article linked below. Work on rewarding her quietness and re-focus on you in public. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bark If her response has ever been aggressive when actually approached by a person, I suggest hiring a trainer who is very experienced in dealing with aggression and works at a facility with multiple trainers, so that all of the trainers can practice working with her to increase the amount of socialization that she gets. You need someone who understands that she needs to learn how to be calm around people and not simply make people really exciting in place of the aggression. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Lauren, First, work on getting puppy used to touch and handling. Use puppies daily meal kibble to do this. Gently touch an area of puppy's body while feeding a piece of food. Touch an ear and give a treat. Touch a paw and give a treat. Hold her collar and give a treat. Touch her tail gently and give a treat. Touch her belly, her other paws, her chest, shoulder, muzzle and every other area very gently and give a treat each time. Keep these times calm and fun for pup. Start with areas she tolerates more easily and progress to the areas she is more sensitive about as she gets used to other touches. When she can handle most areas alright, also practice gently lifting her a couple of inches while feeding treats - be sure to support her weight well when doing this. Second, if anyone is carrying her who may not be supporting her properly I would also discourage that on the human end, work on other ways to bring her places like a recall and teaching following. While practicing getting pup used to touch and handling pay attention to whether pup could have an area that feels painful when touched. If you suspect one, a trip to your vet may be in order. I am not a vet. Check out the free pdf e-book AFTER You Get Your Puppy that can be downloaded at the link below as well. www.lifedogtraining.com/freedownloads Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Dottie, I never recommend choke collars that are made of one loop that can continuously tighten, opposed to martingale collars which only tighten enough to keep the collar from slipping off. Choke collars, because there is not a stopping point and because of the way they correct at the front of the throat, can potentially cause damage to the trachea, windpipe. It is also difficult to correct properly with a choke collar. The only time I would recommend one would be for a very large, strong dog, who does not pull, because these collars do tend to be strong, BUT if the dog does not pull, you would not need one then anyways. Pinch/prong collars I do recommend for some but not all dogs. They are often fitted and used wrongly though, and are ineffective and can be harmful if not put on and used incorrectly. Pinch collars are supposed to be worn high on the neck, right below the ears. They are supposed to be tight enough for all of the prongs to gently touch the dog's skin all the way around without poking into the dog at all between corrections. Fitting the collar this way creates an even correction, that distributes the pressure throughout the entire neck, not just the windpipe in the front. This even correction and the feeling of a pinch is typically far more effective at getting a dog's attention, using very little force. A good prong collar should have prongs that are at an angle and not straight down, so that the collar feels like a squeeze and does not actually poke the individual prongs into the dog's neck straight down. I always encourage people to put it on the fatest part of their own arm and feel it for themselves before they use it on their dog. You should never use a tool that you do not feel good about or understand. Also, when you are between sizes, go down in prong width, rather than up. You can always add more prong links. A good prong/pinch collar should also have prongs that are rounded on the ends. With all of that said, a dog who is behaving aggressively might need corrections, and sometimes an effective tool when used correctly can help you communicate better with your dog without having to be as close to your dog, putting yourself in harms way, and with less physical force. When it comes to aggression that is rooted in fear and not dominance, rudeness, learned behavior, genetic, or some other form of non-fear related aggression, then I would be very cautious using punishment too much. I would suggest using food rewards to get your dog used to the things that he is afraid of. Focus on changing his view of things from scary to pleasant to deal with the root cause of his aggression. You may need some corrections to interrupt him when he gets to aroused, to give you an opportunity create a different mindset for him to be open to learning, but corrections alone with him will not solve the problem. They are simply a management tool, the focus needs to be on positive reinforcement training mostly. Your main goal should be to deal with the underlying cause of his aggression, which is potentially fear and involves pairing the source of his fear with things that he loves like food. With that said, it is not black and white. Sometimes you need to use a very intentional amount of correction to stop an unwanted behavior long enough to have the opportunity to show the dog something different in a positive way. Like telling him no to one thing and yes to another thing. You should never use punishment alone, without communicating with a dog when he does something correctly also. Punishment's role is to create opportunities to teach a dog a good behavior by interrupting a bad one long enough for the dog to have the opportunity to learn, and to enforce a command that your dog already knows and is able to do but simply choosing not to. The punishment should be fair, understood, and for the purpose of teaching a dog something. The punishment does not have to be harsh, simply effective enough through consistency and by being paired with rewards for good behavior for a dog to be motivated to perform the good behavior instead of the unwanted behavior. The short answer to my very long post is that I cannot tell you whether or not you should use a prong collar for your specific dog. That is why it is very important to find a trainer that you trust. Ask questions about what the trainer is doing and why, with a desire to understand his training. A good trainer should be able to explain it and their answer should put you at ease, even if the training is hard. If their answer makes you feel uneasy or doesn't make sense, then look for another trainer or ask to do things differently. A skilled trainer should be able to train a dog in different ways, even if his first choice is the way he believes will work the fastest. Most dogs can be trained to do something two or three different ways, some ways are just more effective or much quicker or have more lasting results. Either way I do not recommend using choke collars because they can cause physical damage. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Bella, First, look into hiring a local trainer to come to your home and help you. Since this dog does not know you, is large, and is an adult, you need to take precautions to avoid possibly being bitten when you work on these issues. Get professional help so that you guys get off to the right start and he learns to trust and respect you before he gives you attitude. He likely needs a lot of structure and boundaries right off the bat to build his respect for you without you having to be overly confrontational. Structured obedience training and making him work for the things that he wants are good ways to do that. Check out the article that I have linked below and follow the "Obedience" and the "Working" methods under the supervision of a trainer. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you The next part of addressing his growling is to get him used to being handled. You will need a trainer to help you do this safely. Get Willie used to wearing a soft silicone basket muzzle when he arrives. Once he is comfortable wearing the basket muzzle, then practice gently touching him and giving him a treat every time you touch him. Do this while he is wearing the muzzle. A basket muzzle will let him open his mouth up and receive treats through the muzzle's holes still. You need to have him wear a muzzle at first because you do not know how he will react to every location you touch or how predictable his reactions will be. If done correctly this exercise should be pleasant for him, especially if the muzzle is introduced properly, which I will go over. The way this should work is to touch an ear and give him a treat, touch his paw and give him a treat, touch his tail and give him a treat, touch his belly and give him a treat, touch his muzzle and give him a treat. You will repeat this with his entire body, spending the most time on the areas he seems worried about. Be extra gentle with those areas though. You can also do this at meal times and feed him his entire dinner one piece at a time this way for a couple of months whenever you get the chance. To get him used to wearing a muzzle show him the muzzle and give him a treat. Practice that until he likes it. Next, touch it to him and give him a treat. Repeat that until he is comfortable with it. Next, hold it on his face and give him a treat. Repeat until he is comfortable with that. Next, hold it on his face for longer, and while you are holding it feed him treats through the muzzle's holes. Do that until he is comfortable with that. Finally, put it on him for a few minutes and give him treats while he is wearing it, then take it off again. Gradually increase how long he wears it for and space your treats further and further apart until you do not need treats anymore. Do not rush this process. You want him to become comfortable wearing it. Expect this to take a couple of weeks or longer if he is shy. Also, work on teaching him the "Drop It" and "Leave It" commands in a positive way. Once he understands those commands practice trading him one toy that he has for a more loved toy, or a bone for a treat that he likes better than the bone. You want to build his trust and teach him that giving you something of his will be pleasant for him. You essentially trade him his lesser item for your better item. That is going to be half of the picture. The other half will be building his respect for you. To effectively deal with possessive behavior, which is what the growling over the bone was, you need to build both trust and respect. Willie needs to know that you are in charge and everything belongs to you, but he needs to learn that you are a trustworthy leader also. Get a trainer to help you. Working on these issues with a trainer should also form a good foundation for your relationship together early on, since trust and respect are vital to other areas of your relationship too. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Tim, I would highly suggest hiring a local trainer with experience dealing with aggression and fear since this could potentially become a larger issue. It sounds like fear aggression and a need for more tolerance. Get Jack used to wearing a soft silicone basket muzzle. To do so show him the muzzle and give him a treat. Repeat this until he is comfortable with seeing it. Next, touch the muzzle to him and give him a treat when you do. Repeat this until he is relaxed and happy also. Next, hold the muzzle against his face and give him a treat. Repeat this as well. Next, hold the muzzle for longer and feed him treats through the muzzle's holes while it is against him. Finally, put the muzzle on him for a couple minutes and feed treats through the holes, then take it off again. Gradually increase how long he wear the muzzle for as he becomes more comfortable with it, also gradually space your treats further apart until he does not need them for as long. Expect all of this to take a couple of weeks practicing once per day. While you are getting him used to the muzzle also get him used to being touched and handled by yourself more. Do this by touching an area of his body and feeding him a treat everytime you touch. Touch his ear and feed a treat. Touch his tail and feed a treat. Touch a paw and feed a treat. Repeat this with his muzzle, his belly, his chest, his head, and everywhere else do this until he enjoys being touched in those places. Practice this with all of the older members of the household. When he can do it with all the older people, then put the muzzle on him and practice this with your son touching him. Guide his hands so that he will be gentle and either the one to feed the treats through the muzzle or help your son to. The idea is to help Jack associate your son's touch with pleasant things. Also, work on rewarding Jack whenever your son is around for being calm, in his presence, and tolerant. You can have your son toss treat if he can or help him feed it out of his hand, or toss it yourself until he is old enough to do it. As soon as your son leaves stop the treats so that it is associated just with him. Finally, do not let your son get in Jack's space, touch him when he does not want to be, or pester him. Teach Jack to leave the area or go some place where your son cannot get to him when your son won't leave him alone. They should both learn to leave each other alone with your supervision and help. Anytime you catch your son in his space, which you want to avoid but real life happens, if Jack is being tolerant then give him several treats and remove your son so that Jack does not feel like he has to do something about the situation. Discipline Jack with a stern but calm attitude when he act inappropriately toward your son. Jack needs to feel like you are handling the situation and make the rules so that he does not have to with your son. They both need boundaries and structured ways to play together as your son gets okder, like treat training and fetch, not chase or wrestking. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Blake, You need to hire a professional trainer to help you. You are at risk of being bitten but there are things you can do. He needs to be desensitized to touch (and no more smacking on the butt or you might get bitten). He probably does have a bad association with being touched that needs to be improved through positive reinforcement and counter conditioning - where you pair what he doesn't like (touch) with some he does like (food) to change his feelings about it. He needs structure and boundaries around the house to build respect. It sounds like respect AND trust are the issue. Having him do a command before giving him the things he wants all day like a toy, meal, walk can help build respect without confrontation. You need to work on your relationship by spending time teaching him obedience commands using lures to get him to move into the correct position while he is learning and not moving him into the position by touching him - since he is not ready for touch right now. He needs to have a firm "Off" command to get off furniture when he is told, and a trainer needs to help you implement boundaries to keep him off of furniture right now while he is being possessive of it. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Bree, First, I recommend teaching her the "Drop It" command using the "Drop It" method from the article that I have linked below. https://wagwalking.com/training/not-guard-toys-1 Second, once Violet knows "Drop It", then instead of chasing her down with the item tell her to "Drop It". If she does, then reward her with one of her own toys or a treat or genuine affection and praise. If she disobeys at this point, now that she knows "Drop It", then correct her. When you correct her you want to avoid a potential bite so you need to be able to correct remotely. I highly suggest hiring a very experienced trainer who can train with electric collar stimulation or vibration if she will respond to just vibration. You can buy a high quality dogtra, garmin, e-collar technologies, or sportdog collar with a lot of stimulation levels and often vibration to choose from. Get a good quality collar that has at least fifty levels so that you can use the lowest level of fair correction that she will respond to. A qualified trainer should be able to help you with choosing a collar and stimulation level too. E-collar technologies mini educator or EZ-900 are a good general choices. The correction should be for clear disobedience though for something she has been taught and knows how to do, e.i. "Drop It". You do not want to simply start correcting her without teaching "Drop It" and rewarding obedience first or you can actually make the resource guarding worse. You should also continue to heavily praise and reward obedience in this area in the future, even if that reward is just one of her own toys. Be very careful addressing this on your own. I strongly advise hiring someone who can help you using electric collars. Check out this video on using corrections properly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpTeJRHqHVw Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Courtney, I would absolutely recommend hiring a professional trainer who will come to your home and work with you, and incorporate the kids into the practice sessions. You want someone to show you how to desensitize Daisy to being touched, by practicing pairing treats with food. You can get Daisy used to wearing a soft silicone basket muzzle for this when you get ready to incorporate the kids. Done right, the muzzle shouldn't be a big deal for her to wear. A basket muzzle will let her open her mouth still and will have holes for you to pass treats through to her while the kids gently touch her one at a time. You want to find a trainer who will desensitize her with treats to being approached while she is laying down, so that she expects those interactions to be positive. You also want someone who will use fair corrections when needed, when she does try to control a situation through her aggression. Daisy needs structure and some new boundaries and respect training. Essentially you want someone who has successfully dealt with your type of issue and who will use a lot of positive reinforcement but also work on discipline and boundaries where needed. You want Daisy to learn that it is never acceptable to use aggression toward people, but also that if she is tolerant, then she can trust people and the experience will be pleasant when she cooperates. Both respect and trust need to be build. You need a professional there to teach you because of the delicate nature of the situation with the kids, and because someone needs to do this with you in real time where you can read Daisy's body language and learn how to physically get her used to being handled and approached, which requires demonstration. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Courtney, I suggest you hire a professional trainer who is experienced with evaluating aggression and have the trainer evaulate the dogs. The growling could be a harmless and controlled warning in response to the puppies being rude and not following canine etiquette for how to interact, it could be a play growl, or it could be something dangerous. I suspect part of the issue is the puppies' behavior too. In order to know for sure what needs to happen between the dogs someone experienced needs to watch them together. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Tyler, First, it sounds like it could be an attitude issue - he lacks trust and respect for you so the biting may be related to him simply not feeling like being touched and thinking it's okay to use aggression to get you to stop. When he feels like being petted, he is okay with being touched so it doesn't show up - opposed to a different dog that's afraid of being touched all the time. He's biting because he is protesting something essentially. The aggression toward your other dog may have been a similar issue - the other dog did something subtle that your dog didn't approve of so he acted aggressively toward him (like got too close to something he wanted, was in his space, ect...) It could also be related to a medical issue, in which case I would recommend a trip to your vet to see if there is any pain, injury, hormone issue, mental issue, allergies, ect... leading to these outburst. In a lot of behavior cases (opposed to a medical cause that's recent) there will be subtle signs of attitude issues that are missed until they become bigger - like being pushy, a small growl here and there, shoving you, trying to control things, ect... I suggest working with a trainer who specializes in aggression for your case. It would be helpful having someone who can read subtle body language. Check out Jeff Gellman from solidK9Traiing and Sean O Shea from the Good Dog Training and Thomas from the Canine Educator online on places like Youtube to get an idea of what to look for in a trainer and how these types of cases are handled. If you do any of the work yourself, focus on structure, having him work for things, being calm and business-like instead of anxious or angry, boundaries and fair corrections paired with calm praise and positive reinforcement (both corrections and rewards used in training). If you are doing the training yourself I would have him wear a basket muzzle while working on an attitude adjustment because thus far he has learned he can use his mouth to control you and get what he wants - he needs that option taken away, at least at first. A basket muzzle will let him open his mouth and you slip treats through to reward still - unlike tight muzzles. Use his daily meal kibble to gradually introduce the muzzle and make it into a fun game of putting his face into it to reach treats inside it. Gradually working up to touching it more, wearing it for longer, and finally buckling it. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Ben, Crate train both dogs, feed them in separate locked crates. If they haven't touched the food in thirty minutes, let them out of the crate and remove the food when he is away from it again, then wait until dinner to give him another chance to eat again. When you feed him dinner, feed his dinner plus what wasn't eaten at breakfast. When first teaching this you can feed a lunch too to give more an additional time to eat if you wish. Feeding in crates prevents anxiety associated with food being stollen, it keeps the dog focused, prevents stealing of food, and is a calm location where the dog can feel more relaxed about eating. Feeding at designated times gives less to guard, allows you to use the crates for feeding, and is generally healthier. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Andrew, This may be worth hiring someone in person to help with this... I would first determine if he is truly afraid and reacting instinctively out of fear, or if he is mad about being woken up and protesting the intrusion - these are very different issues that need to be dealt with a bit differently. Is he quickly "repentant" afterwards or seem nervous, or does he stay angry and sensitive for a while once awake? A surprised dog is more likely to act submissive or avoid after, and an angry dog more likely to be touchy and mad for a bit - but that's only a guideline and there can be exceptions. How is his behavior in general? Does he listen well, allow touch, is generally tolerant? Is he pushy, demanding, or has other behavior issues? If he normally doesn't have any issues with pushiness, aggression, listening, guarding things, or tolerance, then it's more likely instinctual. If he is controlling, pushy, has other aggression issues, doesn't listen well, ect...then he may be doing it intentionally and is just extra sensitive while tired so more likely to get mad then - that's a respect and tolerance issues, instead of a startle issue. Assuming in your case this is a startle issue and he's just doing it in surprise, make yourself a fake arm using something like a long stick with a thick glove on the end, grab some treats, and wait until he falls asleep. Every once in a while (don't wake him up over and over though) call his name from a few feet away, and if he wakes up without a growl or lunge, toss a few treats at his paws and praise calmly, then walk away. Keep enough distance that the wake up is easy and gentle for him at first. When he starts to seem more relaxed and expectant of food when he wakes up, then gradually decrease the distance between him and you and call his name from closer. When he can handle you waking him up by calling his name next to him, then use your fake arm to touch the ground near his area so the movement carefully wakes him up - if he wakes up without aggression, toss treats as soon as he wakes up. Gradually work up to the hand being closer to him and making it create a little noise on it's own to wake him up without you calling his name, while tossing treats as soon as he wakes without aggression. When he does completely well with the hand being in his area and waking up that way, then gently touch him with it, like a tiny bump and toss treats if he does well then - he needs to be completely comfortable with it being in his space when he wakes up before moving to this stage though. Your end goal should be to be able to gentle stroke his back with the hand to wake him up, then give lots of treats. You want his sub-conscience to expect a wake up to be pleasant and not scary - which is why treat sprinkles when he wakes up is important. Doing this without treats could make things worse - the goal isn't just to wake him up a bunch. Use the fake hand so you don't accidentally get bitten. Teach kiddo not to bother pup unless your dog goes to him/her first from a young age too to help pup feel relaxed around them. Whenever you catch pup being tolerant in some way of baby later, give pup a couple of treats to help him associate the baby's crawling, crying, walking, moving close, ect...with good things, to help him relax more around them later. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Rose, He probably needs an attitude bootcamp. To help with overall attitude you can practice the following: Place for 1-2 hours at a time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Crate manners: https://thegooddog.net/training-videos/free-how-to-training-videos/learn-to-train-the-good-dog-way-the-crate/ Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Heel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWo Working method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you Resource guarding protocol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19RnH9dLip0&t=1120s Once the attitude improves when you deal with the resource guarding (which I would hire professional help with that), you can follow up the training by helping him associate people being near objects he used to guard as good, by practicing approaching him and tossing treats, approaching and tossing treats, holding one end of the object - giving a treat - then giving object back or give new object instead (don't be grabbing objects until the aggression has improved by doing other training though - this is follow up training to build trust after you have build respect). You want to make giving and taking things a fun game associated with rewards to build trust around things he wants as well - but the respect issues need to be dealt with before you can move onto the positive stuff that follows it up. The same goes for handling/touch. Once you have worked on him working for things, structure, boundaries and things to build respect, then you can build trust by pairing his daily kibble with touch. For example, gently touch an ear while you give a treat. Gently touch a paw - give a treat. Gently hold his collar - give a treat. Practice these types of touches with all areas of his body gently, using his entire meal, one piece of food at a time, as often at meal times as you can - put the food into a baggie you have and grab from there - don't stick your hand in his bowl of food to do this. Work on establishing respect first so he is less resistant though, and take precautions like a basket muzzle if you feel you may be bitten - a basket muzzle should let him open his mouth still and have holes to pass treats through if you get a good one. Look for a trainer who is very experienced with a variety of types of aggression - more than just fear-aggression, but also dominance/resource guarding/genetic/ect..., has good client reviews, is good at communicating, and uses both positive reinforcement and fair corrections balanced in training. Always take safety measure when dealing with aggression. I would also look into e-collar training via Jeff Gellman from SolidK9Training and hire someone who is very experienced to help you implement the training using a combination of positive reinforcement, structure, boundaries, calmness, and fair corrections, with safety measures in place to avoid bites. Check out Thomas from the Canine Educator on YouTube too.. Again take safety measure while training, like back tie leashes and muzzles just in case. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Frank, First, work on general respect by having him work for everything he gets and implementing the training from the videos linked below: Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Crate manners: https://thegooddog.net/training-videos/free-how-to-training-videos/learn-to-train-the-good-dog-way-the-crate/ Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Heel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWo Second, work on teaching the "Off" command - which means get off the furniture. Third, do NOT allow him on the bed right now. A dog is only allowed on the furniture if they get off when told and there are no possessiveness or aggression issues. Fourth, with the help of a trainer work on desensitizing him to touch, especially with your wife. You can do this by feeding him a piece of his meal kibble as you gently touch him with your other hand, one piece of food at a time until his food is finished. Measure his meal rations into a bag instead of putting your hand in his bowl. For example, touch his ear- give a treat, touch a leg - give a treat, touch his side - give a treat. Start with the areas he is most comfortable with and gradually work up to the areas he is more sensitive about as he improves. This can also be done while he is wearing a soft silicone basket muzzle - that type of muzzle allows him to open his mouth while wearing it so that you can pass a treat through the holes for him to eat without risking being bitten. If he needs a muzzle, you can get him used to wearing that by giving him a treat whenever he touches it, puts his face into it willingly to eat a treat, or holds his face inside the muzzle to eat several treats in a row that you pass through the holes. If he is really nervous about it at first, start by setting it on the ground and sprinkling his kibble around it. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Jonathan, You need to hire a trainer who is very experienced with aggression. It sounds like a dominance issue and an issue with touch. When he growls and you move away or stop petting him he is rewarded for his behavior because you did what he told you - this can be complicated because if you simply continued he may have bitten you though. You need a trainer to show you how to change the structure around your home and the way you interact with your dog to build both his respect and trust for you without having to have head to head confrontations with him. This includes making him work for everything he gets, like food, walks, pets, ect...by having him obey a command first. Teaching boundary commands like Out (which means leave the area), leave it, off, sit, and down, and using the right tools like a basket muzzle or back tie leads during training to to keep you safe, in combination with rewards for tolerance and calmness to build trust. He may have some anxiety in addition to dominance issues but anxiety can also be treated with boundaries, structure, and building trust and respect. He needs to learn crate manners and things like Place. His issues need to be directly address instead of avoided but this needs to be done very carefully and with the right tools and environment where you have control to keep everyone safe. Check out the crate manners video below but hire a trainer to help you with it. https://youtu.be/mn5HTiryZN8 Check out the Place command video below but hire a trainer to help you with it. https://youtu.be/omg5DVPWIWo Get him used to wearing a soft silicone basket muzzle. Those types of muzzles are more comfortable but let the dog open this mouth while wearing it so that you can pass treats to them through the holes during training. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Roseanne, It sounds like he needs a lot of structure and boundaries in general to build respect. Have him work for everything he gets for a while by having him perform a command first. For example, have him sit before you feed him, lay down before you pet him, look at you before you take him outside, ect.. If he nudges you, climbs into your lap uninvited, begs, or does anything else pushy, make him leave the room. Teach him a Place command and work on him staying on place for up to an hour, even when you walk into the other room for a minute. Practice crate manners. Work on teaching a structured Heel. Forget about getting places during a walk for a while right now, instead go somewhere open, like your front yard, a park, or culdesac and practice a heel where his nose does not go past your leg. You need to hire a trainer to help you with the aggression and you need someone who uses a lot of boundaries, positive reinforcement and fair discipline tactfully. Look for someone who is very experienced with aggression and different types of aggression - many trainers are only experienced with fear based aggression and you likely have some dominance- based or possessive aggression going on too, and they are treated a bit differently than fear. Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Crate manners: https://thegooddog.net/training-videos/free-how-to-training-videos/learn-to-train-the-good-dog-way-the-crate/ Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Heel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWo Working and Consistency methods: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Chelsea, It sounds like you need to work on respect while still avoiding too much physical confrontation. Check out the article that I have linked below. Pay special attention to the "Working" method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you If you feel unsafe working with him on yout own I suggest hiring a professional trainer to come to your home to assist you. For the pottying he is likely marking to try to establish dominance with the puppy or because he smells the puppy's accidentally. Make sure you are cleaning up and poop or pee with a pet safe cleaner that contains enzymes. The bottle should enzyme or enzymatic somewhere on it. Not all cleaners contain it so be sure to read. Some of the Nature's Miracle cleaners contain enzymes. I also suggest crate training him and crating him when he cannot be supervised. This is also good for adding some structure to his routine also. When the puppy enters a room and he is tolerant, reward him with a treat (don't reward while he and the puppy are beside each other - to avoid food fights). Make sure the puppy has a lot of structure too and is not allowed to go over to him when you are not facilitating the interaction. I suggest crate training the puppy and purchasing an exercise pen for the puppy to play in when you cannot supervise the dogs together. You want your older dog to feel like you are in charge and will handle interacts so that he doesn't feel like he needs to make and enforce the rules for everyone. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Betsy, Odie needs some strict house rules. By acting the way he is he is communicating that You belong to Him. This is not alright. First, every time that you give him anything that he wants: petting, affection, meals, treats, toys, walks, or anything else that he wants, make him do a command first, like Sit. Second, he is no longer allowed to touch you unless you initiate the interaction for now. If he tries to climb into your lap without being invited, stand up! When you are ready to invited him, then pat your lap or the spot next to you and give him a command, such as "Here". Work on teaching him the "Off" command using treats. During training sessions, encourage him onto the couch and tell him "Up". When he jumps up, give him the treat. Next, tell him "Off" and encourage him to jump onto the floor. When he does so, then praise him and give him a treat. After practicing this five times, only give him a treat during the "Off" command, not the "Up" command. Do this while he is wearing a four or six-foot leash and if he refuses to get off, use the leash to quickly and smoothly move him off the couch. He is likely claiming the furniture too, so be patient but very firm about him getting off. Have your husband practice the "Off" command with him and any other commands that he knows, to gently build respect for your husband too. Finally, teach him the "Out" command. To teach this, call him over to you with a large treat in your hand. Tell him "Out" and toss the treat a few feet away, in the direction where you would like him to go. Point your index finger with your throwing hand when you do this. Make the toss exaggerated and slow enough for him to see where the treat goes. If he misses it, then toss another. Practice this until he begins to anticipate you throwing a treat and goes to where the treat will be before you throw it. When he does this, praise him and toss several treats to him over there. After each repetition, tell him "Okay" to communicate that he can come back to you. This will be important later. Once he is anticipating the treats being thrown, then give him the command and make the same hand gesture, but wait until he moves at least part of the way there before you toss the treat to him. When he can do all of this, then start using "Out" in every day life. Whenever he is being pushy, being nasty toward you husband, trying to block your husband from getting to you, nudging you to be petting, climbing into your lap uninvited, or generally just acting like he is in charge, tell him "Out" to make him leave the room. When he disobeys your "Out" command at some point, then get in front of him, tell him "Ah Ah", and calmly but sternly walk toward him until he backs out of the room. Block him from getting around you until he gives up and leaves the area completely, sits, or lays down. He can do whatever he wants, he just can't go back to the area where you told him to leave, until you tell him "Okay". When he stops trying to get around you and you can walk away, if he follows you back into the area while you are leaving, then repeat walking toward him again. Do this as many times as it takes for him to stay out of the area until invited back in. Expect to repeat this a lot at first. You are completely changing the dynamics of your household, so he is likely to try to push the boundaries at first. Ultimately, all of these things should also help him to relax and be more tolerant in general though, so it's also for his benefit. Right now, he is likely constantly trying to control things, instead of trusting you. The goal is to gently but firmly build trust and respect for you and your husband and give him clear boundaries. If you are struggling to implement the training, then hire a trainer to come to your home. Ask a lot of questions to find out how they train and if they have experience with aggression. You want someone who knows how to also handle aggression that is not fear-based. Many trainers only know how to treat fear-based aggression and the treatment can be different for fear-based aggression vs. things like possessiveness. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Trudie, I suggest a lot of boundaries for Bailey and a mini doggie bootcamp to work on building respect without being too confrontational. Check out the article linked below and follow the "Working" method. Also read the other methods for additional tips, but implement the "Working" method especially: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you Second, work on teaching commands that build respect and increase impulse control: Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Crate manners: https://thegooddog.net/training-videos/free-how-to-training-videos/learn-to-train-the-good-dog-way-the-crate/ Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Heel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWo Finally, give him a designated place to go during mealtimes and enforce it. I suggest working on the Place command from the video linked above for this. Work on teaching him to enjoy when you approach him while he is eating in general (don't feed him scraps for this purpose, but work with his own food and treats). Work on approaching him while he is eating and before he growls, while he is being tolerant, toss an even better treat into or next to his bowl. Gradually get close before you toss it as he improves and shows signs that he enjoys you approaching his food - because he expects something good when you approach. If you do not see improvement in his behavior doing the above training, consult a professional trainer who is very experienced in dealing with aggression, pushy behavior, and puppies. This is something you want to deal with early on instead of waiting for it to get worse. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Becka, I suggest a doggie boot-camp for Finch, where you work on commands to build respect and trust. Check out the articles and videos linked below for things to teach: Out command for pushiness and to make Finch leave the room when he behaves aggressively: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-the-out-command Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Crate manners: https://thegooddog.net/training-videos/free-how-to-training-videos/learn-to-train-the-good-dog-way-the-crate/ Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Heel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWo Working method and Consistency method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you Have your husband reward him (while Finch is on a back tie so cannot lung or bite) when he is calm and quiet. Do NOT reward when he is behaving aggressively. You can use daily meal kibble to do this also once he is calm enough to care about plain food (you may need something more exciting to start). If he is too tense around your husband or family members, have the family members practice this with more space between them and Finch at first. Aggression and rewards video: https://youtu.be/mgmRRYK1Z6A As hard as it is, your husband also needs to be calm because yelling will make the suspicion and aggression worse. That does not mean he cannot have house rules and fair consequence for behavior but these should be handled calmly and consistently instead of emotionally, and that can take practice too. He needs to gain Finch's respect and trust by rewarding good behavior and working on training him with consistency once he can get close enough. Commands like Place, Heel and Down tend to build respect, but there needs to be trust first. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Colleen, Unfortunately, since she is not your dog there are very few things you can do. She needs better obedience training, to build respect towards her owner (and ideally you) so that she feels less of a need to control situations, a lot of structure and boundaries so that she learns that she is not simply allowed to rush people, a solid Place command that she is not allowed to break - so that she stays on a bed in his office and only gets up with permission, and to be rewarded for calm, relaxed body language. Unless you are given permission to train her (which I would be hesitant to suggest because you don't want the liability) and he was consistent with what you were doing, there are not a lot of options. You might be able to suggest a tall baby gate with a door so that she at least cannot rush out the door. She may be able to easily jump the gate though if determined. Honestly, a couple of things you might be able to do are: 1. Whenever she is being calm, responsive to your direction, or relaxed, you can reward her with a treat - something like very small freeze dried meat treats so that they are healthy and she doesn't gain weight. I would make sure your boss is alright with you giving her treats though - it sounds like he likely would be if they were healthy. Do not reward her when she is acting aggressively or doing things like jumping - you want to condition her to automatically be calmer around you by rewarding calmer/relaxed body language. When she doesn't growl when you enter or move, at you toss a treat by her paws ( don't recommend getting closer than you have to or coaxing her over with treats - keep the treats where she cannot see them normally). When she is laying down quietly while you are in the room, toss a treat between her paws. When she calms back down, toss a treat. This will not fix her overall aggression but could help her relax more around you. Avoid taking too much responsibility for her for your own sake though. When she rushes you, try to act as calm as possible, avoid direct eye contact and remain calm until she relaxes. 2. Perhaps suggest to your boss that she has a bed away from the door in the room, where he drills an eye-hook into the baseboard by her bed, and uses a chew proof leash like VirChewLY to attach her to the wall while she lays on the bed, so that she cannot leave the bed unless he unleashes her. Your boss can still bring her to work but she cannot leave her spot without his control. This decreases his liability and employee discomfort - which increases work place moral. If anything does happen, I suggest documenting and reporting it so that it does not happen twice. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello J, I suggest starting with a visit to her vet. Random growling could be related to pain, especially if she believes people are suddenly causing her pain, or it could simply make her grouchy in general. It could also be related to poor eye sight or poor hearing, so she doesn't always recognize who is in the room with her and feels defensive when she suddenly looks over and someone seemingly unexpected is sitting there. It could also be related to mental decline - where she forgets who she knows or feels confused (like Alzheimers patients with people), or experiences mood swings. At her age it could be medical and a trip to the vet might be a good idea. If it's not medical, then it might be related to possessiveness. Perhaps there is a piece of furniture, a toy, food bowl, or room she is possessive of and is growling when she feels someone is too close to that thing. It could also be something related to fear, like a funny hat or pair of glasses you put on, or dim lights that made something look funny. Without knowing her history it is hard to tell what is normal behavior for her and not normal. You will have to play detective and notice if there are common denominators in the incidences. For example, were you and your daughter both near a dog toy or a certain piece of furniture when it happened? Were you both wearing hats or glasses? I suggest an evaluation by your vet and then an evaluation by a behaviorist or trainer if her vet determines that she is healthy. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Tara, I highly suggest hiring a professional trainer who specializes in aggression to evaluate him and give you a better idea of what's going on. Since the aggression seems very sudden and unprovoked and potentially not associated with anything new, I would also suggest an examination by your veterinarian to see if there could be a mental, hormonal, or painful injury (including dental issue) going on. At two years many dogs will start displaying aggression in more obvious ways because hormonal and mental maturity effects protective instincts, dominance, territorial behavior, and a number of other temperament type behavior issues. Typically there are signs of these upcoming problems while the dog is younger though, but they do not become as obvious or full blown until mental maturity. You can think back and evaluate if more subtle forms of this aggression were present before or if the behavior is truly recent and sudden to help a trainer or vet figure out what's going on. How to treat the aggression depends partially on what is triggering it though. Since he is growling at those he knows once he has already seen that it is them (opposed to hearing them at the door and assuming they are strangers - which is different), then that seems to suggest something possibly more unusual, which is why I suggest potentially having your vet examine him too. Once you have an idea of what is going on by working with a trainer, behaviorist, or vet, if the behavior is found to be a training issue, or at least partially a training issue, then I suggest checking out Jeff Gellman from SolidK9Training on YouTube, or Sean O'Sea from the Good Dog on Youtube. They both have a number of free videos talking about different types of aggression, along with how to videos. Ideally, have a trainer who is very experienced with aggression help you implement the training though because when working with an aggressive dog there is always the risk of being bitten or doing it incorrectly. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Isabelle, Honestly he may not be a good candidate for a Service Dog because the growling suggests a more nervous, reactive temperament, and a Service Dog needs to be very balanced, confident and calm to perform in public places. He might be able to make a great pet with the right help however. The growling sounds like it might be anxiety based, as a way for him to express nervous energy. Especially since your mom is able to pet him while he does it. Some dogs express built up, nervous energy through growling, but when that's the case, there are no other issues with aggression - no lunging, teeth baring, tense body language, staring, bites, nipping, body slamming, mounting, humping, or other aggressive displays. I suggest hiring a professional trainer who sees a lot of aggression to evaluate whether this is an aggression issue or a fear issue (a fearful dog can bite though so be careful still). Confidence building, building trust and respect, and continued socialization can help in the case of a nervous dog. If the issue is outright aggression, that will need more help, and I suggest hiring a professional trainer who is very experienced with aggression to help you. Without being there in person I cannot say for sure whether he could eventually make a good Service Dog. He may be able to overcome this specific tendency and make a fine pet, but his general temperament may not be suited for Service Dog work, since Service Dogs are put in a lot of situations that involve a lot of pressure and potentially scary things and new experiences (think airplane rides, a kid running over and hugging your dog when you are not looking, a bunch of pots crashing around the dog in a restaurant, an aggressive dog barking at your dog in public, a cat running past, and walking through crowded, loud places...these are only a few of the things that regularly happen to Service Dogs) - a nervous dog can be like a bomb waiting to go off as a Service Dog. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Ing, First, stop flipping on his back - that approach doesn't really establish respect in most dogs and it can cause pup to be more reactive to being touched by you. I suggest hiring a professional trainer to help you with this. Have the trainer help you with the following: Work on desensitizing pup to touch and rebuilding trust in that area. To desensitize him to being touched, practice the following as often as you can using his meal kibble - measure the meal kibble into a ziplock bag, don't reach into the food bowl. Gently touch an area of pup's body while feeding a piece of food. For example, touch an ear and give a treat. Touch a paw and give a treat. Hold his collar and give a treat. Touch his tail gently and give a treat. Touch his belly, his other paws, his chest, shoulder, muzzle and every other area very gently and give a treat each time. Keep these times calm and fun for pup. Touch while he is eating the treat and stop touching as soon as the food is gone. You can start this exercise while wearing thick leather gloves until he is more comfortable if he may bite when you touch even while eating food. The following methods and commands are good ways to build respect: Working and Consistency methods: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Crate manners: https://thegooddog.net/training-videos/free-how-to-training-videos/learn-to-train-the-good-dog-way-the-crate/ Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Heel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWo When looking for a trainer, ask lots of questions and find a private trainer who specializes in aggression and behavior issues and comes well recommended by previous clients who have struggled with similar issues with their pups. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Sydney, Have an adult in your family teach your dog to "Drop It" using less exciting toys first. I don't recommend you try taking the bone out of your dog's mouth; that can lead to a bite since your dog is likely resource guarding the bone. You can teach your dog to drop items in general when told to using treats, then distract your dog with something else fun once he has dropped the bone, before picking up the bone when he leaves the room. An adult should be the one responsible for teaching this. They are less likely to be bitten than you are. Your parents may even need to hire a professional trainer to help them with this and any other aggressive behaviors. Do NOT try to do this yourself or you may be bitten. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stdnfuFbmUc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO2cxHgIzX0 Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Katarina, I highly suggest hiring a professional trainer who specializes in behavior issues and aggression to help you. The jumping is likely an aggressive act and pup's attempt to dominate and intimidate guests. Pup should first always be leashed when around those he tends to do this with. The overall aggression behind the behavior needs to be dealt with in person. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Brandi, Treats from strangers is good as long as the treats are being delivered while he is being calmer and not acting aggressive. If you reward him while he is displaying aggression you are actually rewarding the aggression. You can correct aggressive displays, but the corrections need to be timed with the aggression and done calmly, then he needs to be rewarded well for being calm instead. You are telling him essentially, don't respond that way - respond this way instead. At first you will simply be addressing the external behavior, but once he stops the external bad behavior long enough for him to be able to be rewarded for a better behavior lots, then you will also be addressing the fear or dislike of people as well. Structure is also really important for aggressive or fearful dogs. Check out the video linked below for an example of an aggressive dog being corrected for aggression, then rewarded for calmness. Notice how calmly things are done, the timing of corrections and rewards, the safety measures in place - using a back tie leash so the dog can't get to the person if he lunges, and a remote training device so the dog can be corrected more safely since it isn't as familiar with those training it at first. Aggression video: https://youtu.be/mgmRRYK1Z6A Structure - a focused heel is especially important. Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Crate manners: https://thegooddog.net/training-videos/free-how-to-training-videos/learn-to-train-the-good-dog-way-the-crate/ Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Heel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWo Finally, pay attention to when he is doing well and reward those times. If you pass by someone and he doesn't take notice, calmly praise and reward that behavior. If he hears a weird noise and doesn't react to it poorly, calmly praise and reward that behavior. Even if it seems like you aren't doing anything, you want to catch him during times of calmness around the things that could make him suspicious and take notice of him doing well and encourage him to continue to feel good about those things and do well around them. This can help with other-all tenseness around all the new things and make other interactions less difficult for him. If you feel overwhelmed or things start to get worse, don't wait to get help. Look for a trainer who will work one-on-one with you and has a lot of experience with aggression and behavior issues, plus comes well recommended by previous clients who had similar issues. Always take safety serious and don't assume your dog won't bite - all dogs can bite in the wrong situations and many dogs will redirect aggression if too aroused. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Silvia, It sounds like he is resource guarding with you. Check out Jeff Gellman from SolidK9Training on Youtube. I suggest working on building respect while also using positive reinforcement to change his view of you being near his food bowl. Check out the Working method from the article linked below. Also read the Consistency method found in the same article for additional tips. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you Work on commands that build respect without being overly confrontational as well. Check out the links below on how to teach those commands. When you walk him ensure that he heels even if that means walking him in circles nor a square in a yard or cul-de-sac while teaching heel for a while - the number of steps he takes and having to focus on you should wear him out and stimulate him. Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Crate manners: https://thegooddog.net/training-videos/free-how-to-training-videos/learn-to-train-the-good-dog-way-the-crate/ Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Heel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWo With your sister, have a trainer help you with the protocol below, and have her do some of the above training with him once he is improved enough that she can also work with him - to build his trust and respect for her by stimulating him mentally and giving him structure. People aggression: https://youtu.be/mgmRRYK1Z6A For the food, work on associating you being near his food bowl with good things, to address any anxiety around food (in addition to dealing with respect with the above training as well). When you put his food down, have him do a command first, like Sit. Feed him his meals only a few pieces at a time. Create a fake arm by putting a glove on something long. When he finishes his pieces of food, tell him to "Back Up" then use the arm to block him from getting to you while you carefully reach down to pick up his bowl. Use this fake arm instead of your real arm to block him in case he behaves aggressively when you go to pick up the bowl. Put a few more pieces of food in his bowl when he is calm again (don't reward the aggression while he is being demanding or possessive, wait until he is calm so you are rewarding that instead). Have him do a command again, then place the food bowl down and tell him "Okay" to release him to eat the food. Repeat feeding in small portions until he finishes all of his meal kibble - a few pieces at a time. As he improves, you can work on standing closer to him while he eats (instead of putting the food down and backing up a bit), and dropping fun treats into his bowl while he is in the middle of eating (opposed to just after he finishes eating). You want him to look forward to you walking over to his bowl or reaching toward him because he believes you are going to give him something even better - instead of just feeling afraid that you will take the food away. For the couch, teach him an Off command, keep a drag leash on him while you are home, and do not let him on the couch while this is still an issue. Use the drag leash to move him off of the couch if he disobeys your off command. Reward him if he chooses to lay on a dog bed of his own instead of trying to get on the couch. He needs an entire attitude adjustment. He will benefit from gaining respect and trust by feeling more secure and less anxious. Have him work in life for a while by doing the above. Don't tolerate pushiness or him being demanding either. If he is pushy, make him leave the room or area. Be firm and consistent but also calm and patient. Gaining respect can be done in a calm and patient way as long as you are firm and willing to enforce the boundaries with him and stay consistent. Don't feel bad about making him work. He likely needs it. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Valerie, It sounds like Jake might think he is in charge and he is demanding that you feed him. Is he pushy in other areas as well? Some aggressive dogs will demand to be given something and resort to aggression if you don't comply. This is likely a symptom of a bigger respect issue that needs to be addressed. I highly suggest hiring a professional trainer to help you with this because it is possible you could get bitten if you withheld the food without taking measures to restrain him with a back tie leash to something nearby first. It sounds like he needs a lot of structure and boundaries in general to build respect. Have him work for everything he gets for a while by having him perform a command first. For example, have him wait before you feed him, lay down before you pet him, look at you before you take him outside, ect.. If he nudges you, climbs into your lap uninvited, begs, or does anything else pushy, make him leave the room. Teach him a Place command and work on him staying on place for up to an hour, even when you walk into the other room for a minute. Practice crate manners. Work on teaching a structured Heel. Forget about getting places during a walk for a while right now, instead go somewhere open, like your front yard, a park, or culdesac and practice a heel where his nose does not go past your leg. You need to hire a trainer to help you with the aggression and you need someone who uses a lot of boundaries, positive reinforcement and fair discipline tactfully. Look for someone who is very experienced with aggression and different types of aggression - many trainers are only experienced with fear based aggression and you likely have some dominance- based or territorial aggression going on too, and they are treated a bit differently than fear. If he is displaying aggression in other arenas too, you likely need to have him wear a basket muzzle during the day while changing his attitude about life, so that he doesn't simply resort to biting you to get his way. A basket muzzle will let you feed him treats through the holes still and will be more comfortable than another muzzle. Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Crate manners: https://thegooddog.net/training-videos/free-how-to-training-videos/learn-to-train-the-good-dog-way-the-crate/ Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Heel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWo Dog Training Do’s https://www.solidk9training.com/sk9-blog/2016/09/08/the-ten-commandments-of-dog-training-and-ownership-do-2 Food guarding video - only do this with the assistance of a qualified trainer. You will have to modify the training to include the bailey chair also. https://thegooddog.net/training-videos/free-how-to-training-videos/learn-to-train-the-good-dog-way-the-out-command/ Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Lexi, It sounds like he needs to be desensitized to being touched by pairing touch with something good - like food (carefully), and also work on practicing a lot of structure, boundaries, consistency, and commands to build respect. He is likely a dog that needs you to earn his respect by teaching him mentally, opposed to being overly rough. I suggest working with a trainer who can help you introduce a basket muzzle to him, pair food with touch with each little touch he is given (while wearing the muzzle for safety), teach commands like a structured heel, long Place command, down stay, general manners and structure around the home, and him having to work for things for a while by doing a command he is told before he is given anything he wants - such as Sit before you take him on a walk, Down before you throw a ball, Wait before eating. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello, First, I suggest desensitizing him to being handled - starting with you. For as many meals as possible each week use his meal kibble, one piece at a time as rewards for tolerating touch. Feed him his entire meals this way whenever you can. For example, touch an ear and give a treat. Touch a paw and give a treat. Touch his tail and give a treat. Touch his back and give a treat. Focus the most on areas he doesn't like the judge to touch and reward those areas heavily. When he looks forward to doing this with you, have others he is comfortable with but knows less well practice this if he indicates it is safe to do so with him. Work up to people he knows less well doing this with him as he gets more and more comfortable - have him wear a basket muzzle during this exercise with other people if you feel he may bite. Go slow so that he learns to enjoy the touch before you make it harder for him by moving onto a new person. If you feel the aggression is not related to a dislike of being handled by the judge but related to the judge getting near you - his owner, then you are likely dealing with possessiveness and need to hire a professional trainer to help you with this in person to create a training protocol specific to him and his triggers. You are correct that you should NOT reward him while he is acting aggressively. Only reward him for tolerance or reward him before he shows any aggression, so that the treat and touch happen at the same time. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Sydney, Have an adult in your family teach your dog to "Drop It" using less exciting toys first. I don't recommend you try taking the bone out of your dog's mouth; that can lead to a bite since your dog is likely resource guarding the bone. You can teach your dog to drop items in general when told to using treats, then distract your dog with something else fun once he has dropped the bone, before picking up the bone when he leaves the room. An adult should be the one responsible for teaching this. They are less likely to be bitten than you are. Your parents may even need to hire a professional trainer to help them with this and any other aggressive behaviors. Do NOT try to do this yourself or you may be bitten. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stdnfuFbmUc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO2cxHgIzX0 Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Brian, It sounds like you are probably dealing with resource guarding among other things. I do suggest hiring a professional trainer who specializes in aggression and behavior issues to help you. For the resource guarding you will need to desensitize pup to your presence while eating. Do this under the supervision of a trainer for safety reasons. Generally this is done by feeding pup several small meals. Walk past pup while he is eating from a distance where he can remain calm. As you walk pass, toss a few wonderful smelling treats toward his bowl. Practice this until pup begins to look forward to you passing him while he is eating. As pup improves, gradually pass him with less distance between him and you. Practice until you can stand next to pup and drop treats and he looks forward to you being there while he eats. When pup tolerates you close by while eating, create a fake arm out of something long like a stick and a glove. Once pup finishes the first portion of his food, use the fake arm to remove the bowl, then add more food to the bowl and when pup is waiting politely for the food, give him more food. Continue dropping treats while standing nearby. Practice taking the bowl when he finishes a small amount of food using your fake arm (do NOT use your real hand yet) and adding a little more food each time pup stays relaxed and doesn't growl. Finally, gently touch pup's back lightly with the fake arm, then toss a bunch of treats around his food bowl right after. Each touch should be paired with more food. If pup growls when you do this, you need to go back a step. Desensitizing pup to your presence around the first is half of what's needed. You also need to work on pup's respect for you in general, but this is typically done in more general ways away from food times. Check out the articles and videos below. Pup should be working for everything he gets for a while by having to do a command first. Pup should be given more structure and boundaries, and interactions with him should be calm. Don't tolerate pushiness, demanding behavior, or resource guarding. I suggest doing all of the following under the supervision of a trainer who comes well recommended and is experienced with resource guarding. Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Crate manners: https://thegooddog.net/training-videos/free-how-to-training-videos/learn-to-train-the-good-dog-way-the-crate/ Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Heel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWo Working and Consistency methods: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you There is always the risk of a bite when dealing with aggression so proceed with caution and be sure to take safety measure to stay safe as needed - such as the fake arm, a basket muzzle, or a back tie leash - depending on how pup is responding. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Tara, I suggest hiring a trainer to help you determine what's going on. It may be that you are disciplining wrong and creating aggression, and he is getting defensive. He may be resource guarding the kennel. He could be play growling. This might be a dominance issue or a fear issue and he feels more confident or less confident while in the kennel so only displays it then, and there are probably other, more subtle signs of insecurity or dominance at other times that are missed because they don't involve growling. Whatever the reason, it needs to be evaluated and you need help addressing it right away. At four months old there is a good chance you can still change the behavior and prevent more serious issues - especially if it's early resource guarding, dominance related, or your discipline methods are creating aggression. Aggression gets a whole lot harder to address once a dog reaches adolescence and adult hood (6 months and beyond). Even taking a video of the behavior when it happens and sending it to a trainer and having a phone consultation could tell you a lot with the right trainer. A trainer needs to be able to ask a lot of questions and see body language to know exactly what's going on in cases like this. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Mary, Check out the article linked below. I suggest having the people in the house work on obedience commands with her that increase respect and calmness. Treat Lure training taught in most classes is great for teaching commands for the average dog but it doesn't always increase respect or help with behavior problems that are temperament based. A calmer, confident, firmer approach is often needed. Having the dog work for everything they get in life, have to learn impulse control and calmness by staying on a Place or in an open crate for longer periods of time, Heel on walks- where he is walking behind you and not leading the way. Dog Training Do’s https://www.solidk9training.com/sk9-blog/2016/09/08/the-ten-commandments-of-dog-training-and-ownership-do-2 Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Crate manners: https://thegooddog.net/training-videos/free-how-to-training-videos/learn-to-train-the-good-dog-way-the-crate/ Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Heel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWo Interrupting leash reactivity - after the aggressive state is interrupted, you can then follow up with calm reinforcement for heeling and focusing on you - but the dog needs to be in a calm state before being rewarded and any rewards and praise should be extremely calm. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKToTCOwrKI You may want to hire a trainer to do this because anytime you are dealing with a highly aroused dog in a state of aggression there is always a chance of the dog redirecting aggression toward the owner. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Katie, It sounds like part of the issue is discomfort. I would first talk with your vet about her health and pain management. Although less common, there are more wholistic vets as well who may have some alternative methods to help with pain management. Once any pain or discomfort has been managed, then I suggest desensitizing her to the odd noises to help her like those noises better - this can sometimes change the chemicals in the brain and her overall feelings of stress. Check out the videos linked below on desensitization. Start paying attention to what types of noises irritate her and make a list, then work on desensitizing her to the most common sounds and triggers. Barking video 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp_l9C1yT1g Barking video 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5BjvNScFPs&list=PLXtcKXk-QWojGYcl1NCg5UA5geEnmpx4a&index=13 Barking video 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpzvqN9JNUA&list=PLXtcKXk-QWojGYcl1NCg5UA5geEnmpx4a&index=3 This trainer also has other additional videos on desensitizing to noises and objects on their Youtube channel. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Ruth, Look up Sean O'Shea from the Good Dog on YouTube. I suspect that a trainer like that is what you need. Someone who uses a lot of structure, boundaries, positive reinforcement but also fair corrections, and someone who is very calm. See if you can find a trainer with those things in common in your city. Ask a lot of questions when you talk to them. Look at reviews, and make sure they are very experienced with aggression and behavior issues. I feel like your husband needs to be shown alternative ways to deal with the issue that actually work, so that he feels like he has other options - it's easy to feel frustrated when you don't know how to deal with something to make improvements, and honestly some type of correction probably does need to happen in this case - but corrections work best with calmness and consistency. Positive Reinforcement is generally the best way to teach basic obedience, socialization, and tons of commands, but corrections are often needed in combination with positive reinforcement to deal with behavior issues. You could try to tackle the training yourself, but hiring someone experienced might be easier for you both in terms of learning how to train him and neither of you having to be the one to tell the other how to do it - have a professional your husband has already agreed to learn from be the one to teach and help you. If you do decide to tackle it yourself, likely an entire attitude shift needs to happen for Eli to earn his respect through structure, boundaries, and work. Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Crate manners: https://thegooddog.net/training-videos/free-how-to-training-videos/learn-to-train-the-good-dog-way-the-crate/ Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Heel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWo Working method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you Reel In method for Come: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-whippet-to-recall Finally, when you do let him outside to play, after having practiced the above commands to earn his respect, leave a fifty foot training line on him. When you get ready to bring him in, calmly walk over to the end of the long leash, pick up the end and walk back toward where you plan to call him inside from, and tell him "Inside". If he doesn't immediately come toward you, calmly reel him in with the long leash. When he gets to you, tell him "Okay! Outside" and let him go back outside. Repeat this a few times in a row. When he comes willingly when you call, then give a treat when he comes, let him go back outside one more time, then bring him inside for good. Practice this regularly until he comes without being reeled in and without growling. If he lunges when you start to reel in, don't do the training on your own, hire help. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Clare, Because of his age and it being related to touch I suggest a trip to your vet. He may be in pain. If he respects her less than other members of the family he is more likely to snap at her when she causes him pain. He would still be in pain with others touching him but may be just enduring the pain more quietly because he knows it's not acceptable to snap at them. A spinal issue, certain locations of arthritis, inflammation, or other issues that cause pain could be to blame. When he feels anxious or bad he is even more likely to be less tolerant. If he has never displayed such behavior during the first 8 years of his life and not much else changed within this past year, I would look for a medical cause first. Pay attention to whether he groans while lying down or seems stiff or sore when he moves certain ways too - he could be in pain without these things but if there are signs of them that's even more reason for a trip to your vet. Doggie mental decline, eye problems, or ear problems could also be increasing his anxiety with age. If there is a medical cause, address that. If the issue was pain, then work on pairing touch with treats very gently once the pain is gone - to remove the negative associate with being touched that he may have now. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Pidge, Check out the article linked below and the section on shy dogs and humans. Have your grandfather practice things like ignoring pup while he is across the room and tossing treats to him without making eye contact or noise, whenever he isn't acting fearful of him. When pup can handle being close to him, you can start to incorporate him into things like training and walks with you and her. https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-socialize-a-shy-dog/ Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Melissa, If you are new to him it could be fear aggressive. If you have established a great relationship with him, it could also be a respect issue. Honestly, it sounds like it is most likely genetic though - possibly made worse by a lack of socialization or a need for better boundaries and leadership. Looking for a trigger is important. Dogs that are fearful are often using aggression as a way to keep something scary away. Dogs with respect issues are often protesting you doing something they don't approve of, like touching them in a certain spot or walking toward something they are guarding. A dog that has a genetic issue with aggression can be timid and can be very dominant - but it can also look like an imbalance - where the dog is find one second and triggered the next without something specifically triggering the aggression, or with something that is usually fine but not always fine with the dog. I suggest hiring a trainer or behaviorist who specializes in behavior issues, including different types of aggression and has a lot of success working with aggression, to help you evaluate what's going on. Often there are subtle things that are clues to what is going on - and those subtle things can be very difficult for someone not familiar with aggression to notice. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Roel, First, I suggest teaching Drop It - part 4 Teaching Your Dog Drop It from the article linked below. https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-to-fetch/ I also suggest teaching Leave It - Leave It method; https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite It's possible the growling is play-based but it could also be early resource guarding. In preventing resource guarding just in case, I suggest beginning the following with pup...Do this when pup is eating but also when he is chewing on a toy or stick. Work on getting puppy used to touch and handling. Use puppy's daily meal kibble to do this. Gently touch an area of puppy's body while feeding a piece of food. Touch an ear and give a treat. Touch a paw and give a treat. Hold his collar and give a treat. Touch his tail gently and give a treat. Touch his belly, his other paws, his chest, shoulder, muzzle and every other area very gently and give a treat each time. Keep these times calm and fun for pup. Work on hand feeding, and also practice feeding him his meals in sections. Feed 1/4 of his meal, practice making him wait before digging in by holding onto the bowl, pulling it back whenever he tries to dive in (without letting go of it first), and calmly saying Wait, then after a few repetitions of this, when he hesitates and doesn't dive in while your hand is still on it, let go of the bowl and say "Okay!" in an excited tone of voice, and let him begin eating as a reward for waiting. As he eats, when he isn't growling, toss treats next to his bowl as you walk past him. Practice this from a few feet away until he begins to look forward to you approaching. As he improves, decrease the distance that you pass from. When he finishes the first serving, toss a treat behind him and pick up the bowl while he is distracted eating the treat. Gve the next portion, have him practice waiting again, then do the treat tosses while he east again. Practice this until he has all of his meal kibble portions at that mealtime. Do this at every meal as often as you can. As he becomes relaxed and begins to like you approaching him during meals, get closer and closer, so that you are eventually placing treats into his bowl while he eats. Ease into this so that he stays relaxed during the process. When pup does great with your presence right by the bowl, you can give a gentle pet and feed a treat as you do so. Pet and feed a treat, then give space and go back to tossing the treats to avoid stressing him too much. Expect this progression to take weeks, not hours or days. Do NOT stick your hand in pup's food, take the food away while he is eating, or pet him while he is eating without making the experience fun for him also - via giving better rewards in exchange each time. Messing with a dog while they are eating without the right protocols and rewards to prevent stress around mealtimes, can actually cause food aggression, rather than prevent it. The goal is to build pup's trust with you when it comes to meals - so he doesn't feel the need to guard it, but learns that your approach and taking things like bones, results in something even better happening - like a treat or new bone. Only give treats when pup responds well - not while he is growling. If pup is growling still while you are doing all of this, you are probably being too rough or moving too fast, and there needs to be more space between you and pup while practicing at that point in the training. Check out this free PDF e-book download for other puppy raising tips as well: www.lifedogtraining.com/freedownloads Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Jamie, The issue here is your nephew lying on her. In this situation, she is giving a warning and then choosing to leave the situation to self-regulate and avoid acting aggressive. She is actually doing exactly what she should in this situation. Your nephew is the issue here. This doesn't mean she wouldn't bite, but the first step here is to build her trust for you by having you protect her from your nephew. When kids or adults are doing things that are potentially causing her pain, you be the one to deal with the situation by moving the child away and giving her space - so that she learns to look to you to handle situations instead of her feeling like she has to resort to aggression. As far as other people sitting too close to her, work on desensitizing her to people being in her space and to touch. Have people practice walking past her and dropping treats whenever she responds well and doesn't growl or act aggressive. When she can handle people just walking by, have people practice sitting near her, but not touch her, and toss her treats whenever she responds well. Gradually decrease the distance over a couple of months, going slow and only decreasing distance when she is doing really well with the current distance - you want to help her associate people being close by with good things so that she is more relaxed around people and less fear-aggressive or feeling threatened. Also, work on desensitizing her to touch (this can help with your nephew but isn't a substitute for protecting her from him being in her space too much). Use pup's daily meal kibble to do this. Gently touch an area of pup's body while feeding a piece of food. Touch an ear and give a treat. Touch a paw and give a treat. Hold her collar and give a treat. Touch her tail gently and give a treat. Touch her belly, her other paws, her chest, shoulder, muzzle and every other area very gently and give a treat each time while you are touching an area. Keep these times calm and fun for pup. Stop touching as soon as each treat is eaten. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Joshua, First, pay attention to his body language when he is growling. Does he look alert and confident, nervous, small, and tense (ears back, body a bit lower), or relaxed and excited. You want to determine if he wants to fight/feels territorial/is being possessive/ect..., or feels unsure and nervous about the other dogs, or is excited and frustrated that he can't greet them. It might even be a bit of two things going on at once. If you can determine why he is growling you can better address the underlying cause also. A more confident assertive dog often needs a bit more boundaries, structure and to be fairly disciplined for his aggressive intent (carefully though to avoid the possibility of him redirecting aggression toward you or another person while aroused - human social dogs can do this too). A fearful dog often needs to be told that they shouldn't behave that way but then they also need to be desensitized around other dogs and socialized better to address the underlying fear issue. A G.R.O.W.L. class if great in this case if you can find one within driving distance from you. A G.R.O.W.L. class is a class for dog-aggressive dogs who all wear basket muzzles and are intensively socialized together in a structured way to help them improve more quickly. An excited dog probably needs to work on focus on you, calming exercises with dogs in the background - like structured obedience somewhere where other dogs are walking around in the distance, and be told that the growling isn't acceptable and they need to focus on you instead and ignore the other dog - working on intermediate obedience around other dogs is good for many of these dogs. If you are dealing with the first type of aggression especially I suggest hiring a professional trainer who specializes in aggression to help you in person. Look for someone who is part of a training group that has access to multiple well behaved dogs for training practice. A wonderful trainer is great but if they don't have access to other dogs you won't be able to set up the situations needed to really work through this safely. When you are not home keep pup confined away from windows so that they do not practice territorial behavior - practicing aggression can make it worse and in your dog's mind when he barks and growls at another dog and they walk away (because they were just walking down the sidewalk) he thinks his growling made the dog leave so he is rewarded for growling. You want to stop the aggression from being rewarded in his mind. Also, how you start your walk is super important. Make him wait for permission to go through the door to leave the house so that he is exiting calmly and focused on you. Make him heel behind your leg so that he is following you, focused on you, and not scanning the horizon for other dogs and getting aroused even before he sees a dog. How you lead the walk to start can make a huge difference in how he responds during the walk. Thresholds - for the door exit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Heel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWo Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Lyndall, There isn't an easy answer to this. He basically can roam and do whatever he wants right now and has no reason to respect you because his relationship with you isn't super dependent or structured right now. He needs to start spending a lot more time with you now before you move. You need to spend time training him every day if you can, or as often as you can, for at least thirty-minutes per day. You need to desensitize him to being touched using his meal kibble paired gently with touches while you are feeding him - because of his bite history this probably needs to be done (as well as leash introductions) using a basket muzzle (a basket muzzle will allow him to open his mouth and you pass treats through the muzzle's holes still). Because you will need a basket muzzle, you will need to desensitize him to wearing that using his meal kibble first. Once he has been desensitized to the muzzle and to touch better, then you can introduce a leash. Once he is used to a leash, you can work on commands to build respect even more. Below are a list of things to work on, starting with the things that need to come first, then the things that follow those things: 1. Desensitize him to wearing a basket muzzle using food - so that you can safely work on other things with him. 2. Desensitize him to being touched, handled, clipping a collar on, clipping a leash onto him using treats while wearing the basket muzzle. 3. Get him used to walking on a leash: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-your-puppy-to-accept-leash 4. Work on obedience and structure with him to build respect and trust so that there is hopefully less need for a muzzle going forward - use a muzzle while teaching these things though. Working method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Crate manners: https://thegooddog.net/training-videos/free-how-to-training-videos/learn-to-train-the-good-dog-way-the-crate/ Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Heel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWo Finally, I HIGHLY suggest hiring professional trainer help for all of this if there is a good trainer on the island, who is experienced with aggression and comes well recommended by previous clients. Even working with a trainer from another location over Skype would be very beneficial - so that they can coach you through how to train and adjust the training based on how much is responding. Jeff Gellman from SolidK9Training offers Skype training and specializes in aggression. There are other trainers who do as well too. If there is someone close enough nearby - nearby will by far be best if the trainer is good at what they do. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

It sounds like he needs a lot of structure and boundaries in general to build respect. Have him work for everything he gets for a while by having him perform a command first. For example, have him sit before you feed him, lay down before you pet him, look at you before you take him outside, ect.. If he nudges you, climbs into your lap uninvited, begs, or does anything else pushy, make him leave the room. Teach him a Place command and work on him staying on place for up to an hour, even when you walk into the other room for a minute. Practice crate manners. Work on teaching a structured Heel. Forget about getting places during a walk for a while right now, instead go somewhere open, like your front yard, a park, or culdesac and practice a heel where his nose does not go past your leg. You need to hire a trainer to help you with the aggression and you need someone who uses a lot of boundaries, positive reinforcement and fair discipline tactfully. Look for someone who is very experienced with aggression and different types of aggression - many trainers are only experienced with fear based aggression and you likely have some dominance- based or possessive aggression going on too, and they are treated a bit differently than fear. Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Crate manners: https://thegooddog.net/training-videos/free-how-to-training-videos/learn-to-train-the-good-dog-way-the-crate/ Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Heel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWo People Aggression protocol video- notice the back tie for safety (your guest should never be put at risk. Only train with the correct safety protocols to keep everyone involved safe. https://youtu.be/mgmRRYK1Z6A Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Julia, I highly suggest hiring a professional private trainer who specializes in aggression and behavior issues. Look for someone who is well recommended by their previous clients - who also dealt with aggression. You can also check out Shean O'Shea from the Good Dog, Thomas from the Caninr Educator on YouTube to learn more about aggression, but you really need someone with experience with aggression to help in person, and someone with access to a larger training staff to practice the training around "strangers" safely. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Chelsea, This sounds like a symptom of a bigger problem. I highly suggest hiring a professional trainer who specializes in behavior issues and aggression to help you - and I wouldn't wait. Likely the rules and structure in your home need to drastically change for him to address an underlying issue. If he isn't already crate trained, he needs to be for better management of the chewing during this process. If I was there in person I would want to ask a lot of questions about how you train and what your relationship is with him. Is he used to being punished after chewing things so reacting defensively expecting that. Does he normally respond to commands well - such as Off when on the furniture or Drop It when he has an object. I suspect there is a need for more structure in his life, more obedience commands that encourage respect and calmness: Leave It, Out, Drop It, Place, Heel, Crate, Wait, Stay, Down, Sit, and Off. Hire someone who uses balanced training, is very experienced with behavior issues and aggression, is calm and confident when they train, and comes really well recommended by their previous clients whose dogs had behavior issues, including aggression. Such a person should be able to ask the questions needed to get to the root of things and work with you to come up with a personalized training plan. Look for a private trainer, not a class. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Hope, Your issue is bigger than marking, you need to hire a professional trainer to help you with the aggression underneath it. Once you get the aggression under-control, have him wear a belly - band, which is a male dog diaper that will catch the urine - you need to stop the continual spread of smell, because the smell only encourages him to mark even more, plus a belly band will help keep your home clean. With the belly band on, when he goes to mark, it's time to correct. I would use the remote training collar for that and calmly say "Ah Ah" when he does it. The collar will allow you to correct him from across the room and be safer. He may or may not vocalize when corrected. The growling is a sign of him protesting being corrected - that combined with the marking shows that you have an attitude issue on your hands with him. Have him work for everything he gets in life for a while. For example, have him sit before feeding him, Down before throwing him a toy, go to Place before you pet him, wait before going outside for a walk, stay in a heel for your entire walk (except when you tell him to Go Potty). With the help of a qualified trainer who specializes in behavior issues and has a lot of experience with aggression, work on the following commands with him to build his respect for you. Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Crate manners: https://thegooddog.net/training-videos/free-how-to-training-videos/learn-to-train-the-good-dog-way-the-crate/ Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Heel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWo All of the methods but especially the working method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you Pup needs to have a complete attitude adjustment, then the marking should be easier to address and could even resolve on its own as his behavior in other areas is addressed - it will most likely still need addressing also though. Think of pup as going into doggie boot camp for a while - it won't hurt him it the training is done right and should make living with pup a lot more enjoyable and peaceful. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Sheariah, Honestly, it sounds like its time to hire a professional trainer who specializes in aggression and anxiety. It sounds like the aggression is probably related to trauma and the fighting, but pup also doesn't trust you and there is a greater need for respect and trust for you too. Pup probably needs to be desensitized to being touched and handled again. You may even want to ask your vet if he could have any lingering pain somewhere he is still sensitive to, and get that addressed if so. You can use his daily meal kibble to help him like touch from people again. You will feed him his meals, one piece of food at a time - gently touch him in an area with one hand while feeding the food in the other. Each time you feed a piece of food, gently touch an area while he eats it. Touch ears, paws, chest, shoulder, collar, muzzle, and every other area one at a time carefully, starting with the areas he likes best and move onto the other areas. When he is completely relaxed with you touching him again, have people he knows also practice with him, then gradually move onto people he doesn't know. Check out Jeff Gellman from SolidK9Training and Thomas from the Canine Educator. Jeff has a lot of great obedience and structure exercises for gaining respect - like Place, heel, crate manners, door manners, being calm, ect... Thomas talks more about fear aggression and has several examples of working with fear aggressive dogs. Both trainers can be found on YouTube with their own channels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIJoEJfTS-E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fJBQqJJLSw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXKRkJDFaLM Respect building commands: Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Crate manners: https://thegooddog.net/training-videos/free-how-to-training-videos/learn-to-train-the-good-dog-way-the-crate/ Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Heel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWo Working and Consistency methods: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you If he is generally a bit nervous, then some confidence building exercises may also help his overall attitude. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elvtxiDW6g0 I don't suggest doing this on your own though. The above advice is general advice, but I haven't evaluated your dog in person and I would really recommend someone working with you in person to see what pressure he can handle, what types of desensitizing works for him, how firm to be, and what his overall anxiety level is - is he really anxious or just lacks respect for you and doesn't trust you? Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Minky, I actually suggest a trip to your vet. Because the growling is new and started out with whining, it sounds like he may actually have an injury in his paw or on his leg. If he is in pain, he may also be growling when you pick him up because it's also causing him pain. It could be something as simple as a bur stuck between his toes. Things like an abscess, other infection, burning from ice or hot pavement, chemical burn from chemicals or salt, arthritis, bone or joint issues, ect... I am not a vet but your vet should be able to evaluate those things and more, as well as his overall condition - if he may be in pain when you pick him up also. Refer to your vet. If it's not a pain issue, then I would work on desensitizing pup to being touched using treats. Use pup's daily meal kibble to make touch fun. Feed him his meals this way as often as you can, one piece of food at a time - measure the food into something, don't reach into his bowl. Each time you feed him a piece of food, at the same time, gently touch an area of his body. Stop the touch as soon as the food is eaten. For example, touch his ear gently and give a treat, touch his shoulder and give a treat, touch his collar and give a treat, touch his leg and give a treat, touch his paw and give a treat, touch his side and give a treat, ect...Practice this with different areas of his body, starting with the areas he doesn't mind touch first, and concentrating the most time with practice on areas he is most sensitive too - being extra gentle there. If he may bite you while doing this, even though you worked up to those areas slowly, use a basket muzzle - and feed the treats through the muzzle's holes. It needs to be a basket muzzle though not normal muzzle - a muzzle that still lets him open his mouth inside the muzzle. You can desensitize him to the muzzle before starting the touch training by also using his meal kibble, and rewarding him with a piece of food each time he sniffs the muzzle, touches it, puts his face into it to get a treat you are holding in there, holds his face in it voluntarily for longer while you feed multiple treats through the muzzle holes, let's you buckle and unbuckle it, then leave it buckled for gradually longer periods of time - while being given a treat while wearing it occasionally. Finally, the muzzle should just become routine like his leash. This process will be gradual as well, staying on each step until he is completely comfortable with that amount of contact with the muzzle., before moving onto the next harder amount of contact - such as touch vs. putting his face into the muzzle. Desensitizing him to touch will only work if you address any potential underlying pain first though. He will continue to dislike being touched if it hurts every time, so make sure it really is behavioral and not just due to injury. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Kellie, I would need more information to be of much help. When is the growling happening - is it when your fiance is near you, near pup's food, doing something to pup he doesn't want him to do, when he touches him, when he tries to take a toy from him, when your fiance enters the room, when your fiance is angry, boisterous, or loud, ect...? I highly suggest hiring a professional trainer who specializes in aggression and behavior issues. Look for someone who is very experienced with aggression, will work one-on-one with you guys and the dog, and probably uses both positive reinforcement and fair corrections. You may be able to use a positive reinforcement only trainer if the aggression is fear based or something similar, but for most aggression I recommend someone who uses both. You can also check out Thomas from the Canine Educator, Sean O Shean from The Good Dog Training, and Jeff Gellman from SolidK9Training. They all specialize in aggression and have their own YouTube channels with lots of educational videos about the different types of aggression. I don't suggest tackling this on your own though. It can take trainers years to learn about aggressive well enough to deal with it safely. You really need to know exactly what's going on with pup to know how to deal with it and how to take proper precautions, such as a muzzle, back tie leash, the right training tools, and easing into the training and using the correct methods. This could be something simple like pup being in pain and not wanting to be touched somewhere, or something more complex like pup being possessive of you and resource guarding you from your fiance. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Wyatt, Two things might be going on here, separately or together. Pup may have a respect issues, and he isn't tolerating touch from anyone he doesn't respect. Many aggressive dogs will learn that they can use aggression to get what they want. It's very possible that's why he was given up by his first pet parent. If that's the issue, the respect needs to be worked on. Check out the Working and Consistency methods below for building respect. Place, a structured Heel, and generally not tolerating him being pushy or demanding of things or attention are also good things to practice. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you He may also be fearful of being touched because he was not handled/socialized while young or because of trauma (it sounds like you have confirmed trauma - trauma is a less common cause than is assumed though. Many anti-social dogs were not beaten, but if you have that information, you can assume trauma is a lot of the issue). For a fearful dog, you need to work on desensitizing him to being touched. To do this, I suggest feeding pup his meals one piece of food at a time. Each time you touch him, give him a piece of food. Touch him in different areas gently, such as his ear, paw, other ear, belly, muzzle, tail, back, chest, ect...and each time you touch him simultaneously feed him a treat from your other hand. Because of his aggression, I suggest hiring a professional trainer to help you with this, or at least wear thick leather gloves at first. When pup is completely relaxed whenever you touch him, have your mom begin the same process gently and slowly, while wearing gloves. She should only touch him while he is eating the treat from her hand. As soon as he finishes that piece of food, the touches should stop - meaning the touches will be very brief at first. She should start with areas he is most tolerant of and practice those areas until he is completely comfortable being touched there by her, then add more areas gradually. Once he is comfortable with her, another gentle family member can start practicing with him too while wearing the gloves at first. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Marissa, This is actually an issue I would suggest having a professional evaluate in person. The growling might be play growling - such as during a game of tug of war, and not aggressive in nature. In which case it's not really a behavior issue but excitement, and pausing the game whenever she growls until she calms back down can help pup calm back down. Stopping the game for a minute serves as a natural consequence - as soon as pup is showing good manners again, resume the game as a reward for being polite. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epiNkbdrsiQ It might be that pup is a bit possessive over the ball. In which case I suggest practicing a ton of drop it's using positive reinforcement. This type of Drop it is something I would practice with rewards and lots of repetition. Practice take it and drop it over and over again when not playing fetch - this needs to be done at least a hundred times to desensitize pup. Teach time pup drops the toy when you make the toy really still, give a treat. Practice wiggling a long toy in front of pup and saying "Take It!" when pup takes it, praise. As soon as pup is holding the toy (with your hand still holding the other end), tell pup "Drop It", then touch a treat or piece of dog food onto pup's nose. She should smell the treat and drop the toy. When she does, praise and give the treat. Hide the treats between commands so that she will still want the toy. Practice this randomly throughout the day often when pup isn't expecting it. Pup should gradually begin to look forward to giving you things - at which point you can incorporate your new command into fetch again. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Penny, Have your husband practice the methods from the "How to Socialize shy dogs with humans" section of the article I have linked below. Start by using pup's food as rewards for calmness around your husband - by having your husband toss the treats. As pup improves, have you husband progress to playing fetch and going on structured heeling walks with pup. Instruct your husband to be calm and confident around pup to help make things easier for everyone. Practice those types of interactions with other dog savy friends and family members next. https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-socialize-a-shy-dog/ I do highly suggest hiring a trainer who is experienced with fear aggression to help you. Pup is pretty young to be displaying fear aggression - with professional help there may still be time to improve things, but the older pup is the harder it will get to overcome. Aggression and fear are best addressed as early as possible. Look for a trainer who comes well recommended by their previous clients whose dogs struggled with similar issues. Ideally, see if you can find someone with a training staff too or other trainers they work alongside with - so that a good number of people can be practicing the training at appointments to help pup overcome generalized fears of people, and not only get used to one person - while still being afraid of the mass public. Work on adding more structure in your relationship with pup in general: Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Crate manners: https://thegooddog.net/training-videos/free-how-to-training-videos/learn-to-train-the-good-dog-way-the-crate/ Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Heel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWo Working and Consistency methods: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you Distance Down Stay: https://www.thelabradorsite.com/train-your-labrador-to-lie-down-and-stay/ Confidence building: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elvtxiDW6g0 Finally, is pup alright with your husband when you are not present? If pup does fine when you are not there, the issue could be that pup is resource guarding you from your husband - which is related to pup essentially thinking they own you and not wanting others to get close to "their" person. This is a respect issue if so. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Cheri, Whether fear based on him being possessive of you, my advice would actually be to have your husband work with him on structured obedience to build their relationship. Check out the following videos and articles, have all members practice the commands with pup to prevent him from guarding you, but especially have your husband work with him to change the dynamic of their relationship. Your husband's leadership with him should also be extremely calm and consistent and not angry or loud with him - to best gain his respect and trust. Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Crate manners: https://thegooddog.net/training-videos/free-how-to-training-videos/learn-to-train-the-good-dog-way-the-crate/ Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Heel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWo Working and Consistency methods: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you Check out the videos linked below on aggression and kids. Notice the safety measures like a secure back tie leash, line for the kids not to cross, and dog savy kids...I highly suggest only doing the kid training with the help of a qualified trainer who has such experience (many won't have experience with aggression and kids so ask a lot of questions and check out previous client reviews or referals). https://youtu.be/KIJoEJfTS-E https://youtu.be/9n0_27XY3z4 Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Thank you for the question. My first thought about Bowie growling when you try to put his sister in the kennel is that he is feeling possessive of it and simply doesn't want to get out. Does he have a kennel of his own? Dogs often love a crate and find it a safe haven to relax, and a space to call their own. Get Bowie his own crate if he doesn't have one already. How long have you had the other dog? Do they get along well? With two crates, the sister can go in whichever one Bowie isn't using at the time. As for growling by the bathroom, that is a mystery. Did he have a bad experience in the bathroom? You may not know; it could have occurred before you adopted him. Don't punish him for the growling because it typically means a dog is either feeling afraid, angry or uncomfortable with a situation as discussed in this article on growling: https://www.greenacreskennel.com/blog/2015/07/18/canine-behavior-what-should-i-do-when-my-dog-growls/ If the sister dog is a new addition, that may be the problem. As well, if there is a medical problem with Bowie, that could bring on the growling. If a second crate doesn't help, have Bowie checked at the vet and get a referral to a behaviorist to stop the issue before it gets out of hand. Good luck!

Thank you for the question about little Missy, and for the cute photo. I can understand completely why Missy has problems with a burr or tangle - after what she went through with the matted fur, she must be extremely sensitive to the touch. I am glad that she enjoys being petted most of the time. She is fortunate to have a caring family looking after her now. Does she let you groom her at all? I would give her a gentle brushing every day, even if you can only brush a section at a time just so that you can keep ahead of any tangles that may occur. Praise her highly and give a treat when she cooperates and does not growl throughout the process. As for her quick change in behavior, not knowing her past does give a clue to that. As well, what you do know, meaning the condition she was once in, says a lot for how she behaves. I think you are doing the best for her with unconditional love and that is how you should continue. There are tips here that may help: https://wagwalking.com/training/greet-other-dogs. I would try taking Missy on pack walks, at first staying on the outskirts and then, as she gets to know the dogs, walking closer so that she can get to know them and gain confidence. Lastly, a veterinarian checkup to rule out unknown injuries or illnesses is an essential step, too. All the best!

Hello Rylee, First, have you had this dog his whole life or is he a recent rescue? If a recent rescue this could be something that was there before but just now surfacing as he has gotten more comfortable in your home. Assuming you have had him for a while, he may be becoming possessive of you or something may have happened - like someone teasing him through the fence or him being scared by a friend who tried to corner or rough house with him in a teasing way. If the issue is fear due to something that happened, I suggest working on desensitizing him to people again - have friends and family he doesn't see all the time practice some of the instructions from the article linked below on Shy Dogs and Humans - utilize a back tie leash or basket muzzle if he may bite someone in these situations. https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-socialize-a-shy-dog/ If the issue is him being possessive of you, he will most likely be fine around those people when you are not present and only display aggression when you are involved in the scenario. If that's the case, I suggest desensitizing him to people - rewarding tolerance and calmness around them but also working on implementing a lot of boundaries in you and he's relationship, and practicing commands that are geared toward building his respect for you. Possessiveness is a form of resource guarding people - and in simple terms the dog essentially thinks you belong to them and they don't want others messing with what's "his". When that's going on, your relationship with him needs to change so that he doesn't try to claim you anymore. Place - work up to pup doing 1-2 hours on Place at a time. You can give a food stuffed chew toy on Place, but building that level of calm respect and impulse control is important, and Place is a very good, non-confrontation, calm way to practice that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O75dyWITP1s Crate manners: https://thegooddog.net/training-videos/free-how-to-training-videos/learn-to-train-the-good-dog-way-the-crate/ Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Heel article - The turns method (Walks should always look like him walking slightly behind you, nose at your knee. When there is respect issues, pup doesn't get to lead the way and things have to be structured): https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Working and Consistency methods: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you Decide what the boundaries in your home need to be right now with him and enforce them very consistently. Follow through on commands that you give - which might mean having him wear a drag leash around the house so that you can calmly pick up the end of the leash and lead him somewhere when he ignores an Out, Place, Come, ect...command. Not giving him food, affection or toys without him performing a command like Sit first, and definitely not giving him what he wants when he barks, nudges, climbs into your lap uninvited, pushes his way into somewhere, ect.. Making him wait patiently for your "Okay" before eating his dinner (or hand feeding and making him work for each piece by doing a command first if resource issues crop up at all), and waiting for "Okay" before he can go through the door to go outside - just expecting him to be respectful of your instruction, space, and leadership with a calm and confident attitude on your end. Finally, often certain forms of aggression seem to appear suddenly around the time of sexual maturity (between 1-3 years, with 2 being the average age. Even among neutered or spayed dogs). Many times there were subtle signs like pushiness or anxiety - that were missed before it was full blown and with sexual and mental maturity the problem becomes more obvious at that age - and it really is a behavior issue that needs to be addressed; however, with the aggression seeming to appear so suddenly it could be worth getting pup checked out by your vet. Sudden aggression can be a symptom of pain or another medical issue in pup. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Kim, I suggest hiring a professional private trainer to come to your home and work with you for that. Look for someone who specializes in aggression. With the help of a trainer I would desensitize her to wearing a basket muzzle first. You can do this using her daily meal kibble. Give her a piece of kibble each time she touches or sniffs the muzzle, then whenever she pokes her head in it to reach a treat, then when she holds her face in it to eat several treats passed through the holes to her, then for allowing you to buckle and unbuckle it, then for keeping it buckled for longer while you pass treats through the basket muzzle's holes. Gradually work up to her wearing the muzzle for longer and periodically rewarding her through it's holes while she wears it until she is completely comfortable with it on. Once she is used to the muzzle, let her wear the muzzle around for a few hours during the day for a few days just to get her used to it and to avoid her associating it with the training that will come next. Attach a 4-6 foot leash to her collar whenever you are home and let her drag it around the house. With her wearing the muzzle and the drag leash on, practice teaching "Off" with the couch. Show her a treat and move the treat to the floor for her to get it from there (pass it through the muzzle's holes if she gets off the couch) while telling her "Off". If she gets off, praise and give the treat. If she doesn't, calmly take hold of the end of the leash and quickly move her off of the couch. It's very important to have the leash and muzzle on her ahead of time for this because otherwise you might be bitten when you first do this. She has learned that she can get her way using aggression, so you need to remove the option of her being able to bite you - by using the basket muzzle and leash. Practice her getting off the couch often. Reward and praise if she gets off without protest when you tell her to, and use the leash to move her off without reward if she refuses. Keep the muzzle and leash as a standard setup while you are home for at least a month to create a new habit around the couch. For the resource guarding, first practice walking past her while she has a bone or toy. If she stays completely calm and doesn't stare you down, growl, tense up, or show any other defensive signs, toss a treat toward her then continue walking. You want to associate someone approaching her and her reacting well with a reward. Don't reward aggressive displays of any kind though!! Gradually decrease the distance that you pass at as she improves, but watch for any subtle warning signs of aggression - this needs to be gradual to keep her reactions calm. Also, choose a long, less desirable toy, and allow her to chew one end while you hold onto the other. Only do this with the help of a qualified trainer for safety reasons. While she is chewing, hold a smelly treat near her nose and say "Drop It". When she drops the boring toy to get the exciting treat, praise and give the treat. Tell her to "Take It" and allow her to chew the toy again while you hold the other end. Repeat this often, then end the session after a few repeats - giving four treats, one at a time for the final release to end it on a good note while you put the toy away. Only do this with boring items that are long enough you can hold onto the other end. Practice over and over again until she will quickly drop the toy when you say "Drop It" while the treat is still hidden behind your back. When she will happily relinquish the toy, then choose another, more exciting toy to practice this with. Don't use a bone or one of her favorite toys yet though - those are put away where she can't have them right now. In addition to practicing the above with the help of a qualified trainer, also work on building her general respect for you. Check out the article linked below and follow at least two of the methods found there. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Thank you for the question. Was Zippy okay before at the dog park and now this is a new behavior? I wonder if something took place that you didn't see when he was playing with another dog. If Zippy is growling at other dogs as you pass by them on a walk, it is best to work on the behavior as described here: https://wagwalking.com/training/greet-other-dogs. Try the Passing Approach Method, whereby you work on Zippy's actions every time you pass another dog. You will keep him on a heel and then praise him verbally and with a treat when he has success passing the dog without a reaction. Another great suggestion from this guide is to join a walking club. Find one where the instructor is used to working with dogs that may have mild issues with other dogs. Then, you will take pack walks together, gradually bringing the pups closer together after a few walks, when they see that each other does not pose a threat. As well, take Zippy for obedience training from beginners to advanced. Once he learns that listening to you is not optional, he'll obey. And you will learn how to control his actions even when he is distracted by other dogs. The socialization will do him good, too. All the best!

Hello Omar, I would highly suggest hiring a professional trainer who specializes in behavior issues and aggression to work with you at your home. Many trainers are also offering Skype and other remote training right now - you need someone who can discuss pup's history, the circumstances around the aggression, and how you are interacting with pup during those times and throughout the day - to come up with a training method that is most likely to work for you. For now, I suggest working on building pup's respect for you in a calm way. Check out the article linked below and pay special attention to the Working and Consistency methods. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Misty, First, I suggest desensitizing him to wearing a basket muzzle (basket muzzle will be more comfortable that a tighter one and let him open his mouth to drink and relax more while wearing it), and have him wear that whenever he is out of the crate right now - he should be crated at night, when you can't directly supervise him while home, and when you leave - this is a guy who needs a lot of structure and boundaries for any hope of being re-homed and kept so don't feel bad for being strict with him. To introduce the muzzle, first place it on the ground and sprinkle his meal kibble around it. Do this until he is comfortable eating around it. Next, when he is comfortable with it being on the floor with food, hold it up and reward him with a piece of kibble every time he touches or sniffs it in your hand. Feed him his whole meal this way. Practice this until he is comfortable touching it. Next, hold a treat inside of it through the muzzle's holes, so that he has to poke his face into it to get the treat. As he gets comfortable doing that, gradually hold the treat further down into the muzzle, so that he has to poke his face all the way into the muzzle to get the treat. Practice until he is comfortable having his face in it. Next, feed several treats in a row through the muzzle's holes while he holds his face in the muzzle for longer. Practice this until he can hold his face in it for at least ten seconds while being fed treats. Next, when he can hold his face in the muzzle for ten seconds while remaining calm, while his face is in the muzzle move the muzzle's buckles together briefly, then feed him a treat through the muzzle. Practice this until he is not bothered by the buckles moving back and forth. Next, while he is wearing the muzzle buckle it and unbuckle it briefly, then feed a treat. As he gets comfortable with this step, gradually keep the muzzle buckled for longer and longer while feeding treats through the muzzle occasionally. Next, gradually increase how long he wears the muzzle for and decrease how often you give him a treat, until he can calmly wear the muzzle for at least an hour without receiving treats more than two treats during that hour. Second, with the muzzle on while he is free, also attach a drag leash to his collar while he is loose and you are there to supervise. Third, with those safety precautions in place, begin addressing his overall attitude and building his trust and respect for you - both are important and both are built through love, boundaries, and a lot of structure and consistency - this is not a dog to give free reign of things too or pitty. Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Crate manners: https://thegooddog.net/training-videos/free-how-to-training-videos/learn-to-train-the-good-dog-way-the-crate/ Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Heel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWo Working and Consistency methods: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you Out - which means leave the area: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-the-out-command/ Leave It method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite Off: https://wagwalking.com/training/stay-off-the-furniture Teach the above commands to build trust and respect, and once pup knows them well, enforce them consistently, using them to manage pup's behavior in the home. If pup refuses to get off something or obey a command, calmly use the drag leash, with pup muzzled, to move pup and enforce the command. Your attitude should be calm, matter-of-fact, and confident when working with pup. Don't tolerate pushiness and give pup what they want when they are demanding. Pup needs to work for things, see that you consistently follow through, and play games that have more structure build in and don't encourage him to become overly-aroused - like a structured heeling walk, games where pup practices Drop It over and over, or fetch with a lot of commands incorporated - such as Sit-Stay while you throw the toy, Come to bring it back, Drop It, ect... Start with the above training commands before moving onto structured games though - pup's attitude and respect for you and people in general needs to change first. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello jessie, The fear could be from a number of things - genetic disposition and a lack of socialization, in the presence or absence of abuse or trauma, or just one of those things. I do suggest hiring a professional trainer or animal behaviorist, who specializes in behavior issues like fear to have someone who can help you adjust the training along the way as you see how she is responding. Not all trainers are experienced to help with that so do your research and ask lots of questions to find the right person - even working with the right person over Skype during social isolation could be very beneficial. Sit down - so that pup is calmer, and have you or your parents (one person at a time) toss pup her dinner kibble one piece at a time without making eye contact. Do this as often as you can. Keep enough distance between them for pup to relax enough to eat the food. As she gets more comfortable, decrease the distance by tossing the treats slightly less far, so that pup has to come closer to your parents to eat them. Watch pup's body language to determine when pup is relaxed enough to decrease the distance - don't rush this process but do practice often at the current distance. When pup will come within a foot of the chair they are sitting in to eat the food and is relaxed at that distance, start to practice this in other positions like standing up, sitting on the ground or laying down. When you change positions, you will likely need to go back to tossing the treats further away again because the new position will probably make her nervous. Once pup will go up to their chair when they are sitting or in one of the other positions and is even more comfortable with you both in general, put on a harness or martingale type collar that pup cannot get out of on pup. Spend time slowly introducing the harness using the method from the video linked below once pup is comfortable enough to get closer to you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn5b8u1YS_g&feature=emb_title Choose a secure, front-clip type harness. Ideally, practice this in a fenced in area since pup may be a flight risk. Clip her leash on the harness and go on a walk with pup and one of your parents (practice with both, but do each separately first, then do both together as pup imrpoves). If pup is nervous, have your parent stay several feet away while walking in the same direction at first - with you (or whoever pup is most comfortable with at that point, holding the leash). As pup relaxes during the walk, gradually have your parent get closer until you can hand the leash off to your parent and let them walk pup alone - without you. This might take several sessions before you can do that without pup stopping or tensing up when your parent gets close. Don't rush this - be aware of pup's body language and any tensing up. Definitely practice in a fenced area if available, even though that will mean walking back and forth a lot. Once pup will walk with your parent and get close to your parent and you to eat, practice having them and you hand-feeding her the dog food and walk her regularly to develop trust. When you get that far, also have everyone teach her commands and tricks using positive reinforcement to further build trust. Check out the article linked below as well, and be aware of pup's body language and not putting her into situations that might lead to a fear bite. https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-socialize-a-shy-dog/ When pup is comfortable with everyone, then also move onto teaching her to enjoy physical touch and handling too. Use puppies daily meal kibble to do this. Gently touch an area of puppy's body while feeding a piece of food. Touch an ear and give a treat. Touch a paw and give a treat. Hold her collar and give a treat. Touch her tail gently and give a treat. Touch her belly, her other paws, her chest, shoulder, muzzle and every other area very gently and give a treat each time. Keep these times calm and fun for pup. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Sarah, I suggest building trust and desensitizing her to touch and handling, while also working on building her respect for you and family members. For touch desensitizing, use her daily meal kibble to do this. Gently touch an area of pup's body while feeding a piece of food. Touch an ear and give a treat. Touch a paw and give a treat. Hold her collar and give a treat. Touch her tail gently and give a treat. Touch her belly, her other paws, her chest, shoulder, muzzle and every other area very gently and give a treat each time. Keep these times calm and fun for pup. Start with areas she doesn't mind, like a shoulder, and very gradually add in more sensitive areas, from less sensitive to more sensitive, as she improves and is visibly more relaxed during practice. Ideally, practice this at as many meal times as you can, or ration some of her food from meals (to avoid weight gain from extra food) and practice at other times of the day. To build respect, check out the article linked below. I suggest all three methods in general, but pay special attention to the Working method and Consistency methods. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you Finally, work on teaching calm commands that build trust and respect, such as Place, Touch, Down-Stay, Heel, and Out. Place: https://youtu.be/J8dxxwlemQk Touch: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/what-tricks-can-i-train-my-dog/ Heel - turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Down stay: https://www.thelabradorsite.com/train-your-labrador-to-lie-down-and-stay/ Out - which means leave the area: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-the-out-command/ Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Rachel, First, it sounds like pup is resource guarding you - pup essentially is acting like they own you and keeping others away from you when they don't want to share you. I would work on building pup's respect for you and your son. Check out the article linked below and follow the Working method and Consistency method. Have pup earn things he wants from your son also, with your help, such as having pup Sit for your son before being thrown a toy, down before being given dinner, ect...only do that part of the training when you are there to facilitate their safe interaction though. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you Also, work on getting pup used to touch and handling even more. Use pup's daily meal kibble for this. Gently touch an area of pup's body and give a treat. Touch an ear and give a treat. Touch a paw, collar, shoulder, back, tail, ect...and each time you touch feed a treat. When pup loves these touches, help your son practice this with your help, making sure touches stay very gentle and pup is tolerating well. Wait until pup does well with you and other family members doing this before you include your son in the practice. Practice this often at meals for the next year to maintain pup's tolerance. Also work on teaching space commands like Out, Leave It, and Off. Out - which means leave the area: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-the-out-command/ Leave It method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite Off: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-train-dog-stay-off-couch/ Right now don't tolerate pushy behavior from pup, make them work for what they want. Do not let pup climb into your lap uninvited, and if pup tries to get between you and your son or displays any form of guarding or aggression toward him, make pup immediately leave the room using the "How to Use Out to Deal with Pushy Behavior", section of the Out article. There should be some gentle but firm consequences for guarding anything around your son for pup from you, as well as more rules and boundaries in general, and rewards for tolerance and obedience, but pup should be receiving primarily good things from your son when tolerant- like the treats for touch, and continuing to encourage respect and gentleness toward the dog from your son. Pup's respect for your son should come as an extension of their respect for you because of your responses, rather than your son having to enforce anything. Having pup work for your son to earn things via tricks and performing commands to get a treat is something fun and non-confrontational they can do together though. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Thank you for the cute picture! I think that Ace will need some one on one training with a trainer that is used to aggressive and possessive dogs. You have to get this under control as you know, before it gets out of hand or someone gets hurt. Speak to a trainer in your area or connect with one of the many trainers online who are now doing Zoom and Skype courses. Ideally, in person may be the solution but see what you come up with. I also think that you should practice obedience commands with Ace at home and when on walks. Get all family members participating so Ace listens to everyone. With the warmer weather, this can be done outside - maybe Ace will be better behaved outside. It's always a good idea to have a vet take a look at Ace to rule out any medical conditions that may be affecting him, causing the actions. Good luck!

Hello Leatha, I suggest socializing her as often as you can while is still young. Take her to a wide variety of places. Practice structured obedience like Heel, Down, and Watch Me to keep her energy calm and focused on you. With her focus calmer and on you, look for opportunities to reward her for being in a calm state around other people - like people walking past while you are training. Recruit dog savy, gentle friends to help you. Again, work on commands to get her in the right mindset, then once she is calmer and not reacting poorly or tense around the friends nearby, have them toss treats to her while she is in a calm mindset - do NOT reward or pet while she is acting tense or aggressive or that may make it worse. When she is comfortable around them from a distance, have them join you on walks with her to build their bond in a non-confrontational way. Finally, have them practice her commands with her using food lure rewards, keeping it fun, focused on training, and going back a step if she shows any signs of aggression or fear. I am not there to evaluate the level of aggression in person, so always take precautions to keep others safe - watch her body language, maintain safe distances that she is ready for, and use things like leashes, or even a basket muzzle when needed, and hire professional help if you feel overwhelmed, aggression gets worse, you feel anyone is in danger, or you aren't seeing improvement. Check out the article linked below as well for some non-confrontational ways to build pup's respect and trust for you. Doing so can help pup look to you when they feel fearful or suspicious. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello, have you had Pepe long? If this is a recent behavior, take him to the vet for a checkup. There could be a dental issue and he does not want you touching his face. That is my first thought. Try giving him treats often, or play with a toy (like of tug of war). This is once you have ruled out a dental issue, of course. Take Pepe for walks often and practice commands like Heel where he has to focus on you. Practice over and over, giving him a high-value treat when he succeeds. That way he will get used to you putting your hand near his face. Here is the heeling command: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel The Turns Method. After giving the treat, give a gentle pat on the top of the head. Good luck!

Hello, my best advice is to seek a trainer in the area who has experience with dogs one on one for aggression. One serious bite is too many. Is this a new behavior? Has something changed in the home? Take Charlie to the vet as well to rule out a medical issue that could be causing the changes in behavior. Maybe he has a dental issue or something like that. The methods here are all good but look in particular to the Socialization Method. https://wagwalking.com/training/not-bite-5 As well, make sure that both you and your partner are sharing the duties (walking, play time, feeding) so that he learns that you both provide good things. Maybe give Charlie interactive toys and feeders at home, too, so that he stays mentally stimulated. Good luck!

Hello Christina, First, I suggest working on building pup's respect and trust for you so that pup isn't being possessive of you - in case that's behind the behavior. The issue may also be the darkness and pup not knowing who is entering the room when lights are off. If that's the case, having someone verbally announce themselves before entering can help pup respond better. Pay attention to whether that helps or not - if the behavior happens even when people they know announce themselves before entering, the issue is more likely possessiveness, rather than pup simply feeling fearful because they aren't sure who is coming in. If pup responds well to someone announcing themselves first, have people practice announcing first and reward pup for every good response to condition pup to expect people entering the room at night to be something good and not something scary. If pup is resource guarding you and being possessive of you, I suggest focusing more on building pup's respect for you so that pup is no longer viewing you as something they "own". Check out the following articles and videos, with methods and commands to begin implementing to build pup's respect as well. If pup has shown any form of aggression toward you, I highly suggest hiring a professional trainer who specializes in behavior issues and aggression and comes well recommended by previous client's who had similar issue with their dogs, to help in person with this, since aggression needs additional safety measures and evaluation, to ensure everyone stays safe while it's being addressed, and to ensure the training is effective. Working and Consistency methods: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O75dyWITP1s Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Out - which means leave the area: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-the-out-command/ Leave It method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite Down-Stay: https://www.thelabradorsite.com/train-your-labrador-to-lie-down-and-stay/ Heel- Turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Off- section on The Off command: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-train-dog-stay-off-couch/ Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Very cute! It seems that Lucky may not be too keen on the crate and he is snapping in retaliation because he does not want to go. Is everyone settling down to bed at 10pm? Lucky may have lots of energy yet and not want bedtime. Is he getting an evening walk? Make sure you are taking him out right before bed, too. That may be a way to break the habit - take Lucky for his last pee of the night, then into the crate with a treat before the door is closed. Here is a guide that helps encourage a dog to like the crate: https://wagwalking.com/training/like-a-crate. Lastly, if lucky has not started obedience classes, now is the time. He'll learn respect and will understand his place. Look into classes; with the warm weather they should be opening up outside soon. Lucky's breed is of working lineage and he will thrive on training, potentially behaving better at home. Take a look here: https://wagwalking.com/training/obedience-train-a-poodle Good luck!

Hello Chrissy, First, I would gently work on building pup's respect for you as they near adulthood. Check out the article linked below and read all three methods. Pup having a bit more respect for family members can help her feel more secure, help her let you handle situations she feels unsure about, and help with her listening to commands better. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you Work on teaching directional commands so that you can let her know how she should behave when in a situation she feels unsure about - Especially Come, Quiet, Leave It, and Say Hi. Out - which means leave the area: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-the-out-command/ Leave It method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite Quiet method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bark Place command: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O75dyWITP1s Down-Stay: https://www.thelabradorsite.com/train-your-labrador-to-lie-down-and-stay/ Heel- Turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Come - Reel in method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-whippet-to-recall Say Hi - this command is used to cue to your dog that the person is good. Pup doesn't necessarily need to approach new people once this command is learned, but once learned with people they like, it can be used when pup is in a situation where they aren't sure if the new person is okay or not, to indicate to them that they can expect something good and relax. https://dogsdayoutseattle.com/teaching-dog-go-say-hi/ Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello! As she ages, this issue will slowly start to disappear. But in the mean time, here is some information to help you so it doesn't become a habit that follows her into adulthood. Puppies may nip for a number of reasons. Nipping can be a means of energy release, getting attention, interacting and exploring their environment or it could be a habit that helps with teething. Whatever the cause, nipping can still be painful for the receiver, and it’s an action that pet parents want to curb. Some ways to stop biting before it becomes a real problem include: Using teething toys. Distracting with and redirecting your dog’s biting to safe and durable chew toys is one way to keep them from focusing their mouthy energies to an approved location and teach them what biting habits are acceptable. Making sure your dog is getting the proper amount of exercise. Exercise is huge. Different dogs have different exercise needs based on their breed and size, so check with your veterinarian to make sure that yours is getting the exercise they need. Dogs—and especially puppies—use their playtime to get out extra energy. With too much pent-up energy, your pup may resort to play biting. Having them expel their energy in positive ways - including both physical and mental exercise - will help mitigate extra nips. Being consistent. Training your dog takes patience, practice and consistency. With the right training techniques and commitment, your dog will learn what is preferred behavior. While sometimes it may be easier to let a little nipping activity go, be sure to remain consistent in your cues and redirection. That way, boundaries are clear to your dog. Using positive reinforcement. To establish preferred behaviors, use positive reinforcement when your dog exhibits the correct behavior. For instance, praise and treat your puppy when they listen to your cue to stop unwanted biting as well as when they choose an appropriate teething toy on their own. Saying “Ouch!” The next time your puppy becomes too exuberant and nips you, say “OUCH!” in a very shocked tone and immediately stop playing with them. Your puppy should learn - just as they did with their littermates - that their form of play has become unwanted. When they stop, ensure that you follow up with positive reinforcement by offering praise, treat and/or resuming play. The growling and barking is likely her trying to initiate play with you. But she needs to learn that this behavior isn't what she should do for attention. So if she starts to growl and bark, just get up silently, and walk away until she calms down. Letting every interaction with your puppy be a learning opportunity. While there are moments of dedicated training time, every interaction with your dog can be used as a potential teaching moment. Please let me know if you have any additional questions. Thank you for writing in!

Hello, you will have to continuously expose Fudge to people and places so that he learns to be social and less territorial or protective. Try the New Places Method here: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-rottweiler-to-be-friendly. The methods described here are good -so please read through the entire guide. Start with the Respect Training Method: https://wagwalking.com/training/be-friendly. Fudge has to learn the boundaries of good behavior. Lastly, and this is very important, take Fudge to obedience classes so he can learn how to act with people and other dogs. The controlled setting will make it easier for you as well. You can also look for a trainer to come to the home and work with Fudge there. Good luck!

Hello, I would do as you are thinking and be one step ahead of the game - I feel that professional advice from a trainer is the way to go. If Juno is growling at people and dogs (is she well-socialized with other dogs, and only barking at Charlie?) the problem will most likely escalate and then will be more challenging to work on. Call around your area and speak to trainers to ensure that you get one that has experience working with aggressive dogs. I would work on her obedience commands at home right away, too. https://wagwalking.com/training/obedience-train-a-great-dane. This gives you more control over her. She'll learn her place and hopefully start complying with proper behavior. But call a trainer right away. All the best!

Hi! Here is some information on nipping/mouthing. Nipping: Puppies may nip for a number of reasons. Nipping can be a means of energy release, getting attention, interacting and exploring their environment or it could be a habit that helps with teething. Whatever the cause, nipping can still be painful for the receiver, and it’s an action that pet parents want to curb. Some ways to stop biting before it becomes a real problem include: Using teething toys. Distracting with and redirecting your dog’s biting to safe and durable chew toys is one way to keep them from focusing their mouthy energies to an approved location and teach them what biting habits are acceptable. Making sure your dog is getting the proper amount of exercise. Exercise is huge. Different dogs have different exercise needs based on their breed and size, so check with your veterinarian to make sure that yours is getting the exercise they need. Dogs—and especially puppies—use their playtime to get out extra energy. With too much pent-up energy, your pup may resort to play biting. Having them expel their energy in positive ways - including both physical and mental exercise - will help mitigate extra nips. Being consistent. Training your dog takes patience, practice and consistency. With the right training techniques and commitment, your dog will learn what is preferred behavior. While sometimes it may be easier to let a little nipping activity go, be sure to remain consistent in your cues and redirection. That way, boundaries are clear to your dog. Using positive reinforcement. To establish preferred behaviors, use positive reinforcement when your dog exhibits the correct behavior. For instance, praise and treat your puppy when they listen to your cue to stop unwanted biting as well as when they choose an appropriate teething toy on their own. Saying “Ouch!” The next time your puppy becomes too exuberant and nips you, say “OUCH!” in a very shocked tone and immediately stop playing with them. Your puppy should learn - just as they did with their littermates - that their form of play has become unwanted. When they stop, ensure that you follow up with positive reinforcement by offering praise, treat and/or resuming play. Letting every interaction with your puppy be a learning opportunity. While there are moments of dedicated training time, every interaction with your dog can be used as a potential teaching moment.

Hello, if the growling is a new behavior for Ellie, I would take her to the veterinarian for a checkup. She may have an issue like arthritis or dental problems that cause pain. This can bring on growling without apparent reason. If it was a single incident, I would not worry about it - you may have been pulling her fur by mistake or holding her in an uncomfortable way unintentionally. This could cause her to growl. If the growling continues, a vet visit is a must. Good luck!

Hello! It sounds like he is going through an adjustment period. This is pretty normal for dogs whenever a change takes place. Their behavior often illustrates the level of change. He seems to be acting out due to quite a lot of change. It typically takes dogs about 30 days to adjust to any new change. During this time you can offer him lots of love and even some structure. Take him on a walk at the same time every day, and also work on training commands he knows as a refresher.

Hello. That sounds very concerning. A sudden shift in behavior like that towards a once trusted and loved human warrants a visit or call to your veterinarian. Often, an underlying (mimor) medical issue can trigger bizarre behaviors like this. Even something as simple as pain. I would give your vet a call and if you rule out all potential medical issues, you can then work on having her re-establish a bond with him.

Hello, I would try and redirect the behavior. First, there are things to look for. Is there a chance that Taz needs to go potty? With his small bladder, he'll need several trips outside a day. This would be a good task for you to take on. Whether Taz needs to go out or not, before he exhibits the growling and shaking behavior, suggest an outing. This redirects him and will also help to form a bond with you. As opposed to being told to go away, he'll look to you for fun things and will seek you out in a different way. When you take Taz out, have treats in your pocket and reward him for his successes. He may be a tiny guy yet, but he'll still need obedience training. That is another way to form a bond and friendship. Take a look here for a good starting point for little Taz: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-dog-basic-obedience. I'm sure you and Taz can form a great relationship - it will just take a little time. Good luck!

As a dog owner, you probably get upset when your dog growls. Your first reaction may be to suppress the growling by scolding or punishing the dog. This is never a good idea. By teaching your dog that growling isn't acceptable behavior, you're taking away its ability to warn you that it may bite. You may have heard stories about dogs that bite with no warning. But, in many cases, this is because the owners trained their dogs not to give a warning growl first. The key to getting a dog to stop growling is not to suppress the growls, but rather to deal with the underlying problem. Once the pain, fear, possession aggression, or territoriality has been dealt with, the dog will no longer need to growl. In-Depth Training Territoriality, possession aggression, and fear are serious behavior problems. Depending on the degree of the behavioral problem, the dog may respond well to a training program or may need a much more in-depth behavior modification program. A dog trainer or animal behaviorist can help you evaluate the dog, and determine the best course of action for dealing with these issues. As you work with this type of trainer, be as specific as possible as to what you think triggered the growling. The trainer will likely work with the dog to slowly condition it to accept the trigger and not growl in its presence. Next Steps While you're working to determine the cause of the growling, don't ignore it or it's likely to get worse. Be careful around your dog until you figure out why it's growling. Additionally, you may want to help your dog modify its behavior until the situation is under control. For example, if your dog always growls at the mail carrier, close the window shades and eliminate any sightlines while you work on the problem. If possible, eliminate triggers, avoid stressful situations, and caution others (both dogs and humans) to keep their distance in order to prevent a dog bite. For example, you may not want to introduce your dog to new dogs, bring it to a dog park, or host a loud party until you get help.

Hello, it sounds as though Zuzu prefers the floor to the crate and does not enjoy being woken from her nap. She is pretty young and still requires a fair amount of sleep, as you know. Take a look at the guide here, which has excellent tips for helping a dog like the crate. https://wagwalking.com/training/like-a-crate. All of the methods are good, but in this case, I would try the Surprise Method. It involves placing treats in the crate when Zuzu is not looking as a way to encourage her to go in more often. As for the growling, Zuzu needs to learn it is not acceptable. Is she okay at other times when you pick her up? If not, you have to get her used to being touched and handled. A little bit at a time is key. A pet here and there, a short grooming session, a game of fetch where you pat her every time she brings the ball are all ways to do it. Don't be afraid to tell her no when she growls. If the behavior keeps up, you can call in a dog trainer to your home to assess her and offer tips. Good luck!

Hello, I am sorry to hear that this happened to Baxter. I would call your vet to discuss this. It could be that the wounds are sore or getting infected (this can happen from too much licking). Keep the 9 week old puppy away from Baxter, who needs his space right now. It's understandable that he growls, based on the traumatic experience. But, get the vet involved first. Take a look here as well, especially at the Respect the Resident and Do's and Don'ts Methods. https://wagwalking.com/training/accept-a-new-dog. Give Barney his alone space until he is healed and keep the pup at a distance for now. Good luck and I hope Barney heals soon!

Hello! It sounds like she has some leash aggression going on. Since you have tried treats without success, you may want to try channeling her behavior into a command. While tedious and not always ideal, especially while hiking, this could be a good solution. Simply give her the command to sit. Have her focus on you. And then reward her for sitting. This will help to re-train her brain to focus on you when she is feeling triggered.

Hello, I would start with a big focus on obedience. Make sure that Lucy has to work a bit for everything so that she begins to respect you. Have her "sit" before you place her food dish, before she gets her leash on to go out, before a treat, before she is handed a toy, etc. Place a focus on obedience. There are great tips for training here: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-pitbull-puppy-basic-commands. And as well, read this guide and look at the Trouble Shooting Method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-dog-with-guarding-issues. If you are finding that these methods are not helping, consider calling in a trainer to do some in-home training with you and Lucy. She cannot be allowed to continue the growling and dominance to you or your older greyhound. All the best!

Hello. If this is something new, and it sounds like it is, I would have him evaluated by your veterinarian first before attempting any behavior modification exercises. Often, health issues manifest as unprovoked aggression. If medical issues have been ruled out, a good place to start is to refresh his basic commands. This re-engages his brain and also establishes all of the humans as the ones in charge. It is a very passive and non threatening way to gain your dominance back. Everyone can take turns spending 10 minutes a day practicing training commands with him. Use lots of treats and make it a fun experience. Also, you can start making him perform commands before he is fed, before he goes outside, or before he gets to do anything he wants to do. This is called a "nothing is for free" approach. Meaning he can't just get what he wants all the time without working for it. He is a working breed and his brain may be a bit under stimulated and he could be acting out. He is 14 in human years and bored teenage males are pretty unpleasant creatures! These are some basic tips, but a lot of the time these tips resolve issues like this. If for some reason you are still experiencing issues after a few weeks, please feel free to send in another message and I can give you some more advanced advice.

Hello, I think I would start teaching Storm to sleep on his own comfy bed. I say this because he is thinking he is the owner of your bed - and this could get problematic as he gets older. Buy him a nice big and comfortable dog bed and use these tips to get him to start sleeping there: https://wagwalking.com/training/sit-on-his-bed and https://wagwalking.com/training/accept-a-new-bed. There are also excellent methods here:https://wagwalking.com/training/sleep-on-his-bed. You have lots of reading to do, but with persistance and determination, in a short while you will see Storm loves his bed. And you will both get a better night's sleep. There is an element of respect here, as well, that needs to be addressed. Storm should not be growling at you in any instance. Start having Storm sit before everything he does. Make him sit before his food bowl is placed in front of him, sit before he gets his leash on for a walk, sit before a treat, sit before playtime, etc. This will begin a sense of respect. I will point out that it is essential that you take Storm to obedience classes. He will be a big and powerful dog when full grown. He needs to be socialized so that he can get along well with other dogs he meets. Also, taking him to training will ensure that you know how to handle him when on walks. He'll learn basic commands and how to heel when walking which is key to you enjoying your walks with him. Enroll him right away and start training at home with this guide: https://wagwalking.com/training/obedience-train-a-whippet. Happy training!

Hello! It sounds like she is pretty lovely in home. That is great she is so good with your child. As far as her reactions to strangers and loud noises/sudden movements, your best route to go with this is to re-train what those things mean to her. She seems to be reacting out of fear and also protection. So if we can get her to associate positives with those things, it will help her overcome her issues. The best way to do that is to provide her super tasty treats while in this setting. As she gets more comfortable, you can even have strangers give her treats, or drop treats by her. This will take a little time, but she is young enough that you shouldn't have any issues completely turning this around.

Hello Mary, First, since this is a recent behavior and it sounds like she just started a new medication, I would check with your vet about the behavior, to make sure there isn't a side effect, pain, or something medical going on - pain or illness can show up in new behaviors like aggression. I am not a vet though, so speak with your vet. If the behavior is unrelated to her health, I suggest working on building her trust and respect for both you and your husband. Check out the article linked below, practice all three methods found there. Spend at least thirty minutes a day actively working on commands she knows or teaching new commands. Have her work for everything she gets in life for a bit, by having her perform commands like Sit before you give her things like petting, opening the door for a walk, putting food down, even giving the meds (most dogs tend to like treats better and are less suspicious of pills even if they have to work for it by doing something like Sit first). Evaluate the household rules and make sure you are being consistent there and giving some boundaries - insecure dogs also benefit from boundaries and structure, and the predictability that comes with it. Don't allow guarding type behaviors like standing on your lap uninvited, nudging you, barking for attention, ect... when pup does those things, calmly make her leave the furniture or room. If she protests leaving the room or furniture, keep a drag leash on her while home to supervise (to make sure it doesn't get caught on anything, don't leave it on when not present). Calmly pick up the end of the leash and enforce the command by leading her with that whenever needed. Keep your behavior calm but persistent and consistent about following through with the rules. If this is the first time she has even behaved this way toward you, I would check with your vet though to make sure there isn't something like un-managed pain or side effects going on too. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hi there. He is likely associating the negative experience with you unfortunately. Dogs don't have rational thoughts like we do. He is uncomfortable or in pain and you are there. So you will want to work with him to build as many positive interactions as possible. You can play games that involve treats. Have him do basic commands for you and give him treats and lots of praise. Also going for quick walks is a good way to re-establish your bond.

Hello Destiny, The answer to your question depends a lot on when and why she is growling. Could you please give a little more details about her history and the growling and barking? If the issue is due to fear of people, is pup afraid of your family members or only strangers? With fear, pup likely needs trust with people build. For strangers that involved desensitizing pup to new people using rewards, structure, and enough space for pup to feel comfortable then gradually get closer as pup improves and is rewarded for good responses. With family, it's a bit more in depth because pup is in such close contact, so will involve desensitizing but also things like practicing obedience and heeling, desensitizing to touch using food, patient, and rewarding calm responses. This has to be done gradually, starting with simple exercises that give space at first. Pup could also be growling due to resource guarding, territorial behavior, dominance between dogs, a medical reason, and more. To address the growling and barking you have to address why pup is growling and barking also. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Erin, Check out the article linked below. https://wagwalking.com/training/like-a-crate I suggest hiring a professional trainer to help you in person with this issue. You can try working toward getting pup to go in on her own using the methods from the article above, but I suspect pup will need an approach that involved pup wearing a basket muzzle qnd desensitizing pup through calm repetition. That should only be done with the guidance of a skilled trainer who specializes in behavior issues like fear and aggression though. Exactly how you go about it will depend a lot on guaging pup's responses as you go, which will take someone in person. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Carmen, I suggest working on gently building pup's respect, and building trust around toys by practicing drop it often with various items. Drop It needs to be practiced several times a week using various toys and items, starting with things pup values less and working up to things they like better - rewarding pup with a better treat or toy rather than just taking the item, to build trust. Drop It section: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-to-fetch/ Obedience and Consistency methods especially: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you You can also want to work on desensitizing pup to being touched if they don't normally relax completely and enjoy being handled. This should be done carefully if pup isn't tolerant of handling, potentially with professional help or a basket muzzle if handling alone triggers aggression. Touch: Gently touch an area of pup's body while feeding a piece of food. Touch an ear and give a treat. Touch a paw and give a treat. Hold their collar and give a treat. Touch their tail gently and give a treat. Touch their belly, their other paws, their chest, shoulder, muzzle and every other area very gently and give a treat each time. Keep these times calm and fun for pup. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Paula, First, this is something I would hire a professional trainer to help in person with, especially since the safety of your son is involved. Look for someone who specializes in behavior issues like aggression and comes well recommended by their previous clients with similar needs. I would also work on giving pup a lot of structure and boundaries. Building respect for you and your son more, and desensitizing pup to your son being around. I would have pup work for everything they get in life by having to do a command, like Sit before being given something like dinner, a walk, a pet, a toy, ect... Check out the articles and videos linked below for commands and method to begin implementing with pup to build impulse control, respect, and boundaries in your home with you and family. Don't tolerate begging, nudging or barking for attention, getting on furniture uninvited or getting between two people possessively. Pup leaves the room at first sign of any of those things. Place - gradually work up to pup staying on place for up to an hour at a time - this is a good respect, impulse control, and calming exercise. Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Heel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWo Working and Consistency methods: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you Out - which means leave the area: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-the-out-command/ Leave It method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite I would also desensitize pup to wearing a basket muzzle and they need to be wearing that whenever you and your son are home, and be crated when you are not home or able to supervise. Depending on the age of your son, they can also practice staying on place with a back tie tether without the muzzle, if your son is old enough to leave pup alone at those times when you aren't training with them. Muzzle introduction video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJTucFnmAbw&list=PLXtcKXk-QWojGYcl1NCg5UA5geEnmpx4a&index=6&t=0s Finally, pup needs to be desensitized to your son being around him and around you. This should only be done with professional help and safety measures like a back tie leash, and possibly basket muzzle. Check out the videos below for some examples of how this is done. Notice the line on the ground the kid stays behind out of reach and the safety measures like a back tie to prevent the dog from reaching the kids. The dog is attached to the pole with a secure leash while on Place - notice the tape on the ground the kid knows not to cross - to keep the kid out of the dog's reach in case the dog lunges: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gblDgIkyAKU Later stage, up close desensitization - even though kids are close, there is still a line and pup is still on a back-tie leash so that pup can't actually get to kids to bite if they tried. This is practiced after a lot of respect building and further away desensitization has taken place, not at first. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIJoEJfTS-E If the aggression is related to pup guarding you, you working on respect with pup should help but the desensitization process will also need to be practiced with your son approaching you while pup watches, and not just with your son around pup. Your son would also be involved in pup earning things in life, such as a walk, by performing a command for them first while on a leash and wearing the basket muzzle for your son's safety. Pup can be rewarded while wearing a basket muzzle by having you pass treats through the muzzle's holes or letting pup lick a peanut butter or liver paste dipped straw given through the muzzle's holes - that's part of why the muzzle should be a basket muzzle, so pup can still open their mouth with it on and it be more comfortable. Finally, the muzzle should be practiced when your son isn't around to work on pup getting used to it, so that it's not associated with your son only. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Kevin, Check out the Working and Obedience methods from the article linked below. I recommend practicing those this month to gently rebuild some trust and respect. Working and Obedience methods: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you I also recommend practicing the Off command with treats in frequent, short training sessions - before the command is needed in real life again soon. Section of the article on the OFF command: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-train-dog-stay-off-couch/ Finally, I recommend keeping a drag leash on pup for a 2-4 weeks while you are home to supervise. Whenever pup refuses to get off the couch, you can use the off command - which you have proactively been practicing, and if pup obeys, reward with a treat from your pocket, and if pup disobeys, calmly pick up the end of the leash and direct them off of the couch quickly. If you feel pup may bite - which is always possible when there is a growl, you can also desensitize pup to wearing a basket muzzle and have pup wear the muzzle for that amount of time during times when you are home to supervise and may need to confront the couch guarding. Use a basket muzzle if you do so, so that it's more comfortable and pup can still open their mouth while wearing it. Make sure you spend time introducing it properly so that isn't not a large stresser for them. To introduce the muzzle, first place it on the ground and sprinkle his meal kibble around it. Do this until he is comfortable eating around it. Next, when he is comfortable with it being on the floor with food, hold it up and reward him with a piece of kibble every time he touches or sniffs it in your hand. Feed him his whole meal this way. Practice this until he is comfortable touching it. Next, hold a treat inside of it through the muzzle's holes, so that he has to poke his face into it to get the treat. As he gets comfortable doing that, gradually hold the treat further down into the muzzle, so that he has to poke his face all the way into the muzzle to get the treat. Practice until he is comfortable having his face in it. Next, feed several treats in a row through the muzzle's holes while he holds his face in the muzzle for longer. Practice this until he can hold his face in it for at least ten seconds while being fed treats. Next, when he can hold his face in the muzzle for ten seconds while remaining calm, while his face is in the muzzle move the muzzle's buckles together briefly, then feed him a treat through the muzzle. Practice this until he is not bothered by the buckles moving back and forth. Next, while he is wearing the muzzle buckle it and unbuckle it briefly, then feed a treat. As he gets comfortable with this step, gradually keep the muzzle buckled for longer and longer while feeding treats through the muzzle occasionally. Next, gradually increase how long he wears the muzzle for and decrease how often you give him a treat, until he can calmly wear the muzzle for at least an hour without receiving treats more than two treats during that hour. Muzzle introduction video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJTucFnmAbw&list=PLXtcKXk-QWojGYcl1NCg5UA5geEnmpx4a&index=6&t=0s Also, be sure that pup is not in pain or sick for some reason since this is a new behavior. Feeling bad can contribute to aggression and not wanting to move. I am not a vet, so speak with your vet about this if you suspect that could be the case. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Wendy, First, I suggest you work on teaching pup Off from the article linked below. Off section of this article: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-train-dog-stay-off-couch/ Second, have pup wear a drag leash around the home when you or your wife are there to supervise (to make sure it doesn't get caught on anything). Third, work on desensitizing pup to wearing a basket muzzle and have pup wear that temporarily while free while you are there to supervise. To introduce the muzzle, first place it on the ground and sprinkle his meal kibble around it. Do this until he is comfortable eating around it. Next, when he is comfortable with it being on the floor with food, hold it up and reward him with a piece of kibble every time he touches or sniffs it in your hand. Feed him his whole meal this way. Practice this until he is comfortable touching it. Next, hold a treat inside of it through the muzzle's holes, so that he has to poke his face into it to get the treat. As he gets comfortable doing that, gradually hold the treat further down into the muzzle, so that he has to poke his face all the way into the muzzle to get the treat. Practice until he is comfortable having his face in it. Next, feed several treats in a row through the muzzle's holes while he holds his face in the muzzle for longer. Practice this until he can hold his face in it for at least ten seconds while being fed treats. Next, when he can hold his face in the muzzle for ten seconds while remaining calm, while his face is in the muzzle move the muzzle's buckles together briefly, then feed him a treat through the muzzle. Practice this until he is not bothered by the buckles moving back and forth. Next, while he is wearing the muzzle buckle it and unbuckle it briefly, then feed a treat. As he gets comfortable with this step, gradually keep the muzzle buckled for longer and longer while feeding treats through the muzzle occasionally. Next, gradually increase how long he wears the muzzle for and decrease how often you give him a treat, until he can calmly wear the muzzle for at least an hour without receiving treats more than two treats during that hour. Muzzle introduction video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJTucFnmAbw&list=PLXtcKXk-QWojGYcl1NCg5UA5geEnmpx4a&index=6&t=0s While home, after pup has learned the Off command, practice inviting pup on and off the couch, reward getting off. If pup disobeys anyone in the family, calmly pick up the end of the drag leash (while pup is wearing the muzzle), and quickly lead pup off the couch using the leash - using their own momentum against them to get them off quickly. Don't reward if you had to make them get off, but calmly lead them into the other room and practice some other obedience commands in quick succession, like Sit-Stand-Down in various orders, fast paced heeling with lots of turns, ect...Then go back into the other room and try the couch again. Practice all three method from the article linked below - especially your wife, but you as well. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you Have walks with her be structured heeling walks, interactions calm and confident, clear boundaries, not tolerating pushiness or demanding for attention in general, and working for what she gets by having to do a command first. No need for yelling or harshness but be consistent, a bit firm, and expect her to work to build her respect. If you fell you need help, things gets worse, or they aren't improving, don't hesitate to seek professional help in person from a trainer who specializes in behavior issues like aggression - I highly recommend the basket muzzle be standard right now while restructuring things and building respect - due to the risk of a bite. These two commands are good ones to work on. Work up to a 1 hour Place command with pup. Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O75dyWITP1s Heel- Turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Harr, Assuming pup is hearing something opposed to something else going on, I recommend the following (if suspect its not because of noises or something in the environment, I would reach out to your vet to see if something could be bothering her in her body - I am not a vet). First, does pup growl at things you can hear at times? If pup tends to growl at things you can hear consistently, then its more likely pup is also growling at things you cannot hear - opposed to a dog who is normally quiet even when there are "suspicious noise" - like neighbors, dogs, high pitched sounds, ect...Pup could also be smelling something, like a rodent or a scent coming through an open window. If the issue is noises, check out the video linked below on desensitizing pup to noises - in this case, it's the noises associated with the arrival of guests. In your case, make a list of noises you can hear that pup growls at, then practice desensitizing pup to those noises by intentionally getting someone to make them while practicing what the person in the video does with the noises that trigger her dog. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhc2jlc6dmc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIV2lai2RJ4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpzvqN9JNUA Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Jonathan, First, I do recommend hiring a professional trainer to help you in person with this. You need someone to help you desensitize pup to you approaching him and to you touching him - food rewards are the easiest way to help pup associate that with good things, but it needs to be done gradually and carefully to avoid a bite, which is part of why I recommend hiring a professional trainer to work with you privately, coming to your home for lessons. Look for someone who specializes in aggression and behavior issues and comes well recommended by their previous clients - not all obedience instructors have behavior issue experience, so ask questions about experience and reviews/references/referrals. Second, you need to rebuild trust and respect - trust especially. Having regular obedience sessions using lure reward training is one good way to do this - the goal is simply to get pup working with you in a fun way, teaching them new things and having that time together. Going on heeling walks and hikes where pup is learning to focus on you to stay in heel is also another good way - but I would work on a bit of desensitizing with pup and the trainer before this. If a lack of respect is also an issue, you can use things pup wants in life as rewards for obeying commands to build respect, like telling pup to Sit before giving them dinner and calmly waiting until they do before you put the food down. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Arlette, First, I recommend hiring a professional trainer to help you in person with this due to the bite risk. I also recommend desensitizing pup to wearing a basket muzzle so that you can deal with this issue safely. Introduce correctly ahead of time, the muzzle doesn't have to cause much stress. Muzzle introduction video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJTucFnmAbw&list=PLXtcKXk-QWojGYcl1NCg5UA5geEnmpx4a&index=6&t=0s With pup used to wearing a basket muzzle, have pup wear the muzzle routinely during the day when you are home to supervise. Teach pup the Off command and keep a drag leash on pup while home. For now, getting on furniture is off-limits completely since pup is resource guarding it. When pup gets on the furniture - while wearing the muzzle and drag leash attached since that's how pup needs to be while you are home to supervise, then calmly walk up to pup, pick up the end of the drag leash, stand a few feet away - probably 5 feet since that's about how much leash you will have, and calmly but firmly command pup to "Off". If pup obeys, praise pup, lead them over to their dog bed, and give a treat on the dog bed. If pup doesn't get off - growling or no growling, use the leash to quickly move them off the furniture - using their own momentum to get them all the way off the couch and away from the area - don't do this loudly, angrily or acting fearful if you can - calm and confident with patient but firm persistence should be your attitude. Do not skip practicing Off proactively ahead of time with treats - with pup also muzzled with the basket muzzle - which you can pass treats through or a straw dipped in peanut butter to reward obedience. With pup wearing the basket muzzle routinely right now, also practice building respect in general by practicing the three methods from the article linked below. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you If you have used any methods that have involved hitting pup, you will also need to desensitize pup to touch most likely by practicing gently touching different areas of pup's body and giving a treat through the muzzle with each touch - do this with the help of a trainer, keep touches gentle - starting with areas pup likes first, and be sure to pair each touch with treats to re-build trust. This should be done in a fun way for pup. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Valerie, When his tail is wagging, is it a stiff high wag, or a relaxed sweeping wag? If pup's tail and overall body is not stiff but loose when wagging, its possible the growling is due to arousal and not aggression - which can happen when pup is nervous or excited. If pup is not being aggressive, I would simply work on teaching a Quiet command for the growling. Check out the Quiet method I have linked below, teach pup to "Speak" when they growl, then reward stopping and Quiet. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bark If the growling is aggressive, you will need to work on building pup's respect, possible possessiveness of people, desensitizing to touch, and obedience commands that give pup direction - like Out and Off. To desensitize pup to touch, you would practice gently touching pup in different areas of their body while giving a treat each time. Pup's kibble can be used for this in place of a meal once a day - having pup earn each piece of kibble one touch at a time - measure the food into a baggie or something other than pup's food bowl - don't reach into their food bowl for the food. If pup is likely to bite you, you would need to desensitize pup to wearing a basket muzzle, that treats could be passed though, ahead of time, and having pup wear that while you practice until pup is no longer displaying aggressive behavior when touched. Respect - if pup is likely to bite, you will also need pup to wear the muzzle routinely while you are home to supervise during the day while addressing overall attitude: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you Commands for respect and directions Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Out - which means leave the area: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-the-out-command/ Leave It method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite Place command: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O75dyWITP1s Down-Stay: https://www.thelabradorsite.com/train-your-labrador-to-lie-down-and-stay/ Heel- Turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Off- section on The Off command: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-train-dog-stay-off-couch/ Muzzle introduction video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJTucFnmAbw&list=PLXtcKXk-QWojGYcl1NCg5UA5geEnmpx4a&index=6&t=0s Because the growling is happening in a variety of situations, I recommend hiring a professional trainer to help you with the different aspects of training. Look for someone who comes well recommended by their previous clients and specializes in behavior issues like aggression. If you are unsure if pup is aroused and excited or aggressive, a good trainer who specializes in behavior issues should also be able to observe pup's body language and behavior to determine that. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden