Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a 2yr old mix breed (possibly a black mouth cur) that I got from my mother. She had him with her other dog, never had a problem with him except housebreaking and she would leave him in a kennel when gone.

The problem I have with him is he is starting to get aggressive with strangers he does not know. He try to go after the neighbors over the fence, he has bitten (but not broken the skin) my sister twice, and tried to lunged at the neighbors little girl when she came over to play with my 4yr old.

He has also started acting like we beat him. We have never laid a hand on him even when he peed on the carpet. But he just act abused, he is very very fearful acting.

I do not know what to do for him. I want him to be a happy dog, my daughter loves him but if he continues to bite people I will not be able to keep him. Also, I do not want him to go through life fearfull of everybody. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank You.

He needs to be evaluated in person by an expert. Ask your veterinarian to recommend a behavior specialist in your area. Meanwhile, you need to keep him completely away from children.

Possibly this is inherited temperament, and whether or not it can be helped is the question for an expert evaluating the dog in person. Don't take the chance of any more bites. The next bite, or the one after that, could leave permanent damage on someone.
-----
Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

What you are describing is odd behavior and needs help in person unfortunately. Fear aggression takes special handling and skills to work through. Sorry- I hope you can find someone in your area to help you and your dog get through this.
-----
Chelle and the rest of the crew including, but not limited to Kita and Taiko (the shiba inu wrestle maniacs), Adi (reserved and dignified tabby cat), and all 28 reptiles www.freewebs.com/performanceshibas