My dog just started snapping at my husband and every once in a while myself. If he is bad and my husband goes to touch him he will snap. He hasn't bit yet but we are pretty quick to pull our hands away. This makes my husband very irrate and he screams at my dog. I think it is because he speaks so differently at him when he's mad. How can I get my dog to stop doing this?

First take the dog to the vet and have him checked over, if this is a new behaviour there could well be a health reason for the change in the dog. You don't say what age I take it that the dog is not just leaving puppyhood, if so then it is a matter of training, but what ever the age this behaviour will need to be stopped and your vet should be able to put you in touch with someone who can help.

It is not possible or advisable to try to give advice on aggression on this forum as you do need to see the dog and his reactions not only when he is being aggressive but also at other times, any advice given 'blind' could make matters worse or even dangerous, the dog must be seen by someone who can help.

As Jackie H says.....giving advice on aggression problems without seeing the dog is fraught with risk....

If the behaviour really is sudden, as in its started for NO reason at all that you can find, take the dog to the vets, he/she may be in pain.....

But, also, have a really long think, has this behaviour really begun suddenly, or have there been little signs you have maybe missed, dogs bite for a lot of reasons, because they feel threatened, because they have learned that displaying aggression is rewarding being the two biggest ones, and of course pain....

Em

I think he may feel threatened when my husband yells at him, to be honest it would scare me too. But I'll have him checked out because I reached at him slowly to get him to go outside and he snapped at me. Very unlike him because when my husband yells he runs to me for safety.

But thanks for the advice.

It does sound as if your husband is encouraging the problem, but it would be best to have someone look at the situation if only to tell your husband that he has got to stop. And IMO the sooner the better. Why and when is your husband shouting at him, is it only after the dog bites, or at anytime the dog displeases him.

I agree with all the above advice, and would also add this:

You said words to the effect of - if he is bad and my husband goes to touch him, he bites.

This puts up many questions to my mind, and suggests (purely from what you have said, please note :) ) that your hubby is physically punishing or grabbing him when the dog is "bad".

What does the dog do that is "Bad" ? As usually dogs just need training, and that solves the "badness" LOL.

Secondly, can you just clarify exactly what happens when your husband goes to touch him, ie. what is the dog doing, what is husband doing and what are his intentions?

Best wishes

Lindsay

Well, my husband and I fight on this also. There's been another problem which I posted about him starting to pee at night after being completely housebroken since we have moved. So, my husband will yell at him for peeing. When he's in a normal mood he just tells him he was bad and needs to do pee-pee outside. When my husband has something else irritating him and yells at my dog, it is a totally different yell. And he'll reach at him to throw him outside and Schwartzy (that's my dog) will then snap at him. Then I'll try to settle him down by taking over and I'll reach to pick him up (slowly) and he snapped at me once. I don't think it is a health problem, I think he's petrified of my husband when he yells. When all of this is over they play like a man that loves his dog and a dog that loves his daddy. Go figure. I think I need a way of convincing my husband to stop his bad behaviour. My husband has always had cats, me on the other hand have always had dogs. We have different styles of training and he thinks mine are totally wrong.

Angie

Hi Angie

Whatever else you do, please please do get your hubby to read John Fisher's "Why Does My Dog....?" It is so good, informative with both poignant and hilarious bits in, i am sure it will help him understand that his attitude will not make your dog into a better dog, but only into a scared and snappy one.

I am fairly certain the dog sees your hubby as a very unpredictable animal and gets stressed out when hubby does :( If your dog is regularlly scared by hubby, he will start to defend himself as, to him, there is no other way. He has the choice of Fight, Flight, Freeze or Fiddle about, and can't do 3 out of the 4. If your hubby takes the attitude "No dog's gonna bite me" etc etc then he will fuel the problem into explosive proportions and make life very unpleasant for all of you.

If your dog is peeing indoors, this needs to be tackled but it may take time and the dog may make mistakes. If a human child made a mess at night, would he scream and shout? He needs to learn more understanding :) No offence i hope, just trying to make clear that you are right and hubby is wrong.

When they are at play the dog sees him as fun and his body language will be different, hence the lack of concern from the dog :) If Schwartzy tried to bite you when you mentioned, he was undoubtedly stressed out and in a state.

As i can't see what is happening, i am only making suggestions based on what you have told us: i agree and indeed have always said that giving advice where aggression is concerned is wrong, but i hope you have a few ideas to go along with. I would suggest you do consider a check up in case the dog is unwell and take it from there. Are you in teh US?

Best wishes
Lindsay