I need Advice,please!
 

I had my yorkie,Max for almost two years now and I got him when he was 8 weeks old.He's adorable and cute but has started to act agressive towards me and my family.He was bitten me quite a few times but so far nothing serious.The biggest problem we are having is he will not let us take off or put on his harness.He will start to growl and bark and show his huge,sharp teeth which of course scarys us because of the fear that he might bite us.He would let us pick him up or often times take him a shower.I live in Queens,New York does anyone know any classes or training near by that I can take him to?

You may have already done this, but I'd start with a vet. That's highly unusual for a 2-year-old dog to suddenly start acting aggressively. I would suspect a medical problem. A friend of mine has a Great Dane she raised from a pup. It attacked her one day, and she was ready to put him down. But it turns out he had a tooth infection. They treated that, and he's been lovable ever since.

Definitely start with a vet, then look to a behaviorist if the vet has no answers.

:goodpost: This is great advice. :D

Do you ever watch
 

A couple of years ago my girlfriend got bit by her dog. Seemingly for no appaernt reason and it was pretty bad. He was only about 5 years old. She took him to the vet the same day as he had not been acting normal and they kept him and after 2 days in the hospital he died. I don't remember what was wrong with him but the bottom line is...

Please try the vet before worring about further training. Somthing really may be hurting him. I especially wonder because you say he won't let you take off or put on his harness. sounds like something is bothering him.

Kim

aggression
 

Always go to the vet & be sure if its nothing medical 1st. If he gets a clean bill of health then its time to stop allowing him to run your household. This means no sleeping on the bed, not up on furniture, make him SIT for EVERYTHING (petting, food bowl, playtime etc anything that he considers valuable) If you need to find a trainer in your area go to APDT.com then click on trainer search & enter your zip code. Good luck!! :thumbup:

Yes, I second the dog whisperer. I love watching him, he teaches you soooooo much. If it is not anything that the vet sees that is physical, try Ceasars techniques. I do believe he will say just go ahead and put on the harness, even if he does bite. If you do back down he will do it all the more. He needs to know you are in charge. Does not matter if he likes it or not.

Blessings

I think the operative words were "which of course scarys us because of the fear that he might bite us." Never, ever let a dog sense fear in you. All that does is make him more aggressive, even if he is your pet.

I also watch the Dog Whisperer and one thing I've gotten from his program is that dogs will sense your energy. It's very important not to give off the wrong energy, especially fear. What Cesar usually does when his clients talk about being afraid is to make them remember situations where they have had to be courageous or commanding and then think of themselves as being in the same position with their dogs. This usually helps his clients to take a more commanding position, which then translates to the dog that you are the alpha dog in the pack and that he cannot threaten or nip at you.

So if your dog turns out to be healthy, then the next step is to reassert yourselves as the leaders of the pack. Do not back down, do not allow yourselves to feel fear, do not allow the dog to nip at you with no consequences for his actions. Always correct the behavior immediately, and if there is a confrontation, make sure you don't allow the dog to win under any circumstances. You must do this if you want your dog to be happy, and healthy and to feel safe with you.

I live in Queens too, I'm sure you have a great vet but I can always recommend mine too. Or just some advice. I agree, the vet visit would be my first bet too. If he comes out with OK bill of health, then I would start looking for a trainer, more focus on behavior issues than training first...

Very agressive lately - I need help, please!!!
 

Please help me, I am desperate!
Frankie is 6 years old and has become incredibly aggressive for the last 3 or 4 months. Besides barking uncontrollably when he sees another dog or is around strangers, he has already bitten 6 people. Last evening he bit the little girl next door and my cousin's husband. This is not only terribly embarrassing for me, but very dangerous. I took him to obedience training at Petsmart and he didn't learn a thing. He is aggressive with me also. He becomes histerical - won't listen, won't look, won't pay attention to anything when he gets 'possessed' like that. It has gotten to the point where we can't have anyone visit us and we can't go anywhere with him. I have already made an appointment to take him to the vet today. Any other suggestions?

Sounds like you should be following the same advice given on this thread. Pookyprofessor's advice in post #6 seems right on. A, see a vet, which you're doing; then B, start taking control as she suggests.

I successfully stopped my 3-year-old from beating up my 11-year-old by increasing his level of exercise and then leashing him and supervising all play with toys. After a month or so, I was able to remove the leash. But my issue sounds a little different than yours. Good luck, and please post back if you solve the problem.