[chali]

hello all, i am new.

i have a 1 yr old lab and kelpie (best guess) mix. got her at 3 months and she is mostly very well behaved. we went to puppy and intermediate training classes.

there have been two incidents of her being very aggressive towards other dogs.

1. at the dog park we go to almost daily, she dropped her ball and it rolled slightly under another dog as they were saying hello. after a couple seconds she went for it and the other dog, not sure what mine was doing made some sort of defensive move and mine became very aggressive, far beyond any sort of playing/ wrestling. the same thing happened about 5 minutes later and we just left after that. again, we go there often with no other problems, she usually doesnt mind sharing her ball or stick or whatever.

2. yesterday my parents were in town and brought over their 3 dogs, 2 small 1 medium sized. they have all been over a few times before, and i have taken mine to see them a few times also. of course mine, a puppy always tries to play with them whether they want to or not (usually not) and she is bigger so there was some friction, but always playful on her part. this time however, in the hour or so they were here, she virtually attacked the medium one 3 times, completely unprovoked.

so i guess im wondering if these were isolated instances, or if i need to be worried about it happening again or getting worse.

ty, chali

[Cracker]

Sudden increases in aggressive episodes ARE worrying, so yes you should be doing several things:

Have a complete vet check..often (but not always) sudden changes in behaviour can be related to physical issues. Make sure her thyroid (6panel, not T4) is tested as well. Sometimes these personality changes are simply related to age and development, but they still should be checked for health reasons.


Watch for other behaviours that may be new but more subtle. Is she sleeping more or less? Acting differently than she usually is about things like her food or toys or is reluctant to go certain places or to meet certain types of people etc.

Find a GOOD behaviourist, someone certified and hopefully with lots of experience to SEE the dog. She could be reacting aggressively because of a myriad of reasons, and an educated eye can see things you may miss and misinterpret.

So yes, I think you should take this seriously.

[lizziedog1]

Sudden increases in aggressive episodes ARE worrying, so yes you should be doing several things:

Have a complete vet check..often (but not always) sudden changes in behaviour can be related to physical issues. Make sure her thyroid (6panel, not T4) is tested as well. Sometimes these personality changes are simply related to age and development, but they still should be checked for health reasons.


Watch for other behaviours that may be new but more subtle. Is she sleeping more or less? Acting differently than she usually is about things like her food or toys or is reluctant to go certain places or to meet certain types of people etc.

Find a GOOD behaviourist, someone certified and hopefully with lots of experience to SEE the dog. She could be reacting aggressively because of a myriad of reasons, and an educated eye can see things you may miss and misinterpret.

So yes, I think you should take this seriously.

I second this advice. You need to get professional help ASAP.

Getting a vet check is more important for behavior changes then many people think. My oldest female started to become a bit grumpy towards other dogs a few years ago. This after a lifetime of loving other dogs. Two years ago she was diagnosed with a spinal condition. Any lateral bumps on her rear causes pain. She was just protecting her rear side from getting bumped by other dogs.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[chali]

ok thanks for the input guys. just made an appointment with the vet. will go from there.