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Ask Yvette

Dear Yvette,

Our dog is eight months old. Out of nowhere he has started to turn nasty. Living with him is becoming a chore and we don't know what to do to fix it.

Peter

First, let me say that I personally do not believe that dogs “suddenly” turn. Most pet owners are surprised by behavior changes. Experienced eyes are not.

People tend to be very forgiving with puppies. We excuse or ignore small signs that can be very important. One of the most important red flags everyone should know is:

Dogs that take valuables such as bones or toys into other rooms, quiet areas or into confined areas need immediate attention from a professional.

Some of these dogs will take their toys under coffee tables, into corners or other “safe” zones. The more secure or secluded an area is, the easier the space is to guard.

First bites usually involve a child. Some people feel it relates to dominance. In my opinion, there is a far simpler explanation. Puppies are full of energy. When a puppy decides to chew or play in another room, most exhausted puppy owners are relieved. It can be a relief to have an active puppy calm down.

Time passes. Eventually the day comes when a child enters the home. Most often this happens when a family welcomes a new baby, or during holiday visits. The child wants to visit with the dog. The child searches out the dog. The dog that has never shown any sign of a problem, “All of sudden, without warning, bites the child.”

The dog gave a very clear warning. That warning is, “I do not feel comfortable around people with my things. I want to be alone with those items.” The dog has not bitten because he has been left alone. No human = no bite. There was no aggression until a child stepped into the wrong place at the wrong time.

Ideally, problems need to be prevented. New puppy owners should start prevention exercises even if they think the new addition is, “Perfect.” As part of our commitment to reducing dog aggression, new owners can access guarding prevention exercises on our website under the, “Articles,” heading.

Socialization through puppy classes is also a critical component. Most people do not adequately socialize their dog. A couple play sessions with a friend's dog is not nearly enough.

When a problem starts to develop, the first step is to obtain an accurate diagnosis. Unless you identify the problem, you're upstream without a paddle. You might also need to liaison with your veterinarian to rule out some medical conditions.

If your idea of, “nasty” involves nuisance behaviors such as jumping on guests or chewing the wrong thing, manners classes are in order. But if your dog is growling, snapping, biting, lunging or showing other signs of aggression, you need an evaluation.

During an evaluation, a consultant will be looking at a number of things. How much damage could this dog potentially do? Are there helpful warning signs? Dogs who give a long, protracted warning growl are giving you time to act and react. A short fuse is far tougher to work with.

Since problems usually escalate with time, talk to a professional and get some advice to help steer you in the right direction.

Yvette is an award winning pet writer and pet behavior columnist. She also is the author of Meeting Milo, a North American dog bite prevention program to reduce the approximately 2 million children bit by dogs annually. She is the owner of AwesomeDogs.ca and works as a behavior consultant in London, Ontario.

This column was originally featured in The Londoner
See more of Yvette... www.awesomedogs.ca
www.meetingmilo.com

Yvette has 2 dogs of her own, KIKI and KAYA. Take a look...

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