NOTE  NONE  CLEARED TO QUOTE USE ONLY AS A CONVERSATION IDEA / CHECK OUT WHAT MANUFACTURER AND FDA SAY

posted on here this morning about my Abby. Seemed to be having a sudden hip issue. Took her to the vet and they said it looked like a couple of compressed discs. Don't know what she did, but we did hear her whimper once during the night. Anyways, she was in a lot of pain. The vet gave her a shot for the pain, and we took home a muscle relaxer, pain pills and Prednisone. She has been a mess ever since except for a brief romp outside for about an hour, which she enjoyed. She seems dazed, and just stands there. She gets a little alarmed from noises in other rooms. She hasn't drank all day and the only thing she'll eat is these freeze dried chicken treats. She has only taken a couple short naps as well. She has also spit up a few times. Help, I don't know what to do for her.

Debby Martin Crowson Poor baby, sounds like she's having a reaction to her meds. (I'm NOT a vet, though) I'd give your vet a call right away, or the emergency vet clinic. Prayers your baby feels better ASAP heart emoticon

Sal Postle Medora I would get her back to the vet right away. My guess, and it's only a guess, is that she's having a bad reaction to the meds they gave her. I hope she gets better very soon heart emoticon

Nora Mullins Laws Sounds like an allergic reaction...

Karey Lynn Jones My Bandit acted like an absolute maniac, even taking into account that he's a Boston, while on prednisone. Like he was acting like a totally different dog. Might get better with time, but I'd give the vet a call to be sure.

Patty Jensen VanHara I think if I could get her to eat more it would absorb some of the meds. She is resting now, thank goodness. Can't see her face to see if she's sleeping, but at least she's not standing. I wish I could make her understand me.

Karey Lynn Jones My guess would be the prednisone. But not only did the prednisone make Bandit edgey and angry at me but he eventually had to pee so often that he went in the house. She could be different by morning. And she may start drinking and peeing a ton, too!

Sarah Baldwin Try some chicken broth it's doggie gatoraide.. Maybe a little boiled chicken!?

Katherine Dahms Oh, no. I was hoping she was better by this evening. Will keep praying for her. Keep us posted.

Laine  a human , I have the same reaction to prednisone....can't imagine a dog who can't talk going through the same thing. Your vet will have the advice you need. Prayers....

How Will Spaying Change My Dog?

Spay surgery can be behaviorally and medically beneficial for your dog. In addition, if you spay your pet, you'll avoid unwanted puppies and help control pet overpopulation. Millions of healthy dogs and cats are humanely put to death each year in the United States simply because there aren’t enough homes to go around. While the traditional age for spaying is six to nine months, puppies as young as eight weeks old can be spayed as long as they’re healthy. Dogs can be spayed as adults as well, although there’s a slightly higher risk of post-operative complications in older dogs who are overweight.Medical Benefits

There are significant medical benefits to be gained from spaying your dog. Spaying prevents the following conditions:

• Mammary (breast) cancer Females spayed prior to their first estrus cycle have a significantly reduced risk of developing mammary cancer, a common cancer in unspayed females. The chances of developing this cancer increase if a female isn’t spayed until after her second heat cycle, but they still remain lower than the risk for unspayed females. So if your dog has already gone through her first heat cycle, it’s not too late. Spaying her will still reduce her risk of developing cancerous mammary tumors.
• Pyometra Bacteria can infect a female dog’s uterus, causing a potentially fatal infection. This kind of infection, called pyometra, usually occurs in older females (about seven to eight years of age). Approximately 25% of all unspayed females will suffer from pyometra before the age of 10. If your unspayed female shows signs of lethargy, depression, anorexia, excessive water drinking, vaginal discharge, excessive urination, pale mucous membranes (the skin inside her mouth and nose), vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, abdominal distension or inflamed eyes, get her to a veterinarian immediately. Having your dog spayed greatly reduces the possibility that she’ll contract pyometra.
• Ovarian and uterine tumors Ovarian and uterine tumors are uncommon in dogs, although some breeds may be predisposed to developing ovarian tumors. Older female dogs are at increased risk. Having your dog spayed completely eliminates the possibility of her developing ovarian or uterine cancer.
• Injury, stress and disease related to having puppies Carrying and giving birth to puppies can be both physically dangerous and stressful for a dog. Spaying eliminates these potential risks.

Behavioral Changes

Dogs become sexually mature when they’re between six and 12 months of age. At this time, female dogs produce a surge of the hormone estrogen and begin the reproductive cycle, which leads to cycles of estrus or “heat.” When in heat, a female dog will be receptive to breeding with males. Most dogs experience two heat cycles per year.

Having your dog spayed won’t affect her working abilities, friendliness, playfulness or personality. However, spaying can affect many behaviors associated with the heat cycle. You may see a reduction in these behaviors after you spay your dog:

• Roaming While in heat, female dogs often try to leave home in search of males, which puts them at risk of getting lost and being injured or killed on roadways. Spaying your dog will reduce or eliminate her drive to roam while in heat. (If you don’t get her spayed, you’ll need to confine your dog indoors or in an escape-proof yard when she’s in heat to prevent escapes and unwanted pregnancies.)
• Frequent urination Females in heat urinate often to attract male dogs with the scent of their urine. Not only will this cause a line-up of neighborhood male dogs at your door, but it can also lead to urine on your carpet and furniture. Spaying your dog will eliminate frequent urination and bloody discharge, both of which may occur during her heat cycle.
• Irritability Each estrus cycle causes significant hormonal changes in a female dog. Some dogs become irritable or nervous and even feel pain due to ovulation. Because spayed dogs don’t experience these hormonal changes, a female dog’s behavior may be more consistent after she’s spayed.
• Aggression Females may be less aggressive toward both dogs and people after they’re spayed. Unspayed females sometimes compete for the attention of a male dog by fighting. Spaying can reduce or eliminate this fighting. Spaying your dog can also eliminate the possibility of hormonally driven guarding behavior. Female dogs will sometimes behave aggressively if people or other pets attempt to approach or touch their puppies. Some dogs who don’t get pregnant during a heat cycle will experience a “false pregnancy” or “pseudopregnancy.” Females in false pregnancy often “adopt” objects and treat them like a litter. These females may guard the adopted objects as if they were real puppies.

To prevent the development of the behaviors listed above, it’s best to spay your dog before she reaches sexual maturity at six to 12 months of age. That way, she’s unlikely to develop unwanted habits associated with her heat. If your dog has practiced these habits for months or years, they might persist even after spaying. However, if you have an older dog, it’s still worth it to spay her. Even if you can’t completely get rid of her problematic behaviors, you might see them less often after she’s spayed—and spaying will still be beneficial to her physical health.

If your dog still has habits you dislike after spaying, like roaming, frequent urination, irritability or aggression, it’s best to seek professional advice. Getting help is particularly important if your dog has an aggression problem. Please see our article, Finding Professional Help, for information about locating a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB), a veterinary behaviorist (Dip ACVB) or a qualified Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT). If you elect to hire a CPDT because you can’t find a behaviorist in your area, be sure to determine whether he or she has professional training and extensive experience in successfully treating aggression, as this training and experience are beyond what CPDT certification requires.

Common Myths

Don’t Spay Your Dog Until After Her First Heat

There’s no behavioral or medical benefit to waiting to spay your dog until after her first heat cycle. In fact, each heat cycle your dog experiences increases her risk of developing serious medical conditions. To best prevent the development of unwanted behavior and medical problems, make plans to spay your dog before she reaches sexual maturity at six to 12 months of age.

Letting a Dog Have One Litter Will Calm Her Down

There’s nothing magical about giving birth that leads to a calmer, better-behaved dog. Two things that do lead to a better-behaved dog are proper obedience training and regular exercise. If you use gentle, consistent training techniques to teach your dog some basic manners, she’ll learn how to control her impulses. (To find a professional in your area who offers classes or private training lessons, please see our article, Finding Professional Help.) Making sure your dog gets at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise per day, as well as plenty of mental exercise, can also greatly improve her behavior. (Please see our articles, Enriching Your Dog’s Life and Exercise for Dogs, to learn how to give your dog a great physical and mental workout.) If you have a puppy, keep in mind that maturity may bring calmer behavior, too.

Spaying Is a Quick Fix for All Behavior Problems

Some people think that spaying a dog will get rid of all her behavior problems. Although it often reduces undesirable behaviors caused by the heat cycle, there’s no guarantee that your dog’s behavior will change after she’s spayed. The effects of spaying are largely dependent on your dog’s individual personality, physiology and history. Even if spaying does remedy behavior problems that are influenced by hormones, it’s not a quick fix that will instantly transform your dog into an angelic companion. If you want her to learn polite manners, you’ll still need to teach her basic obedience skills. If you need help with training, please contact a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT) in your area. If your dog has a more serious behavior problem, such as fear or aggression, and it persists after she’s spayed, please see Finding Professional Help to learn how to find a qualified professional who can assist you.

Potential Detriments of Spaying

Although spaying is beneficial in many ways, there are a few potential effects to be aware of:

• A small number of studies report that unspayed female dogs who are aggressive to family members may become more aggressive after they’re spayed. This could be caused by a decrease in estrogen and oxytocin, both of which may have calming, anti-anxiety effects.
• Spayed females have an increased risk of developing urinary tract infections.
• Between 5 to 20% of spayed females suffer estrogen-responsive urinary incontinence (or “spay incontinence”), which means they have poor sphincter control and are less able to hold their urine. At least one study found a slightly higher risk in dogs who were less than three months of age when spayed. The risk is higher for overweight dogs, and dogs of certain breeds are predisposed to this condition. Fortunately, this kind of urinary incontinence is almost always easily controlled with medical treatment.
• Dogs who are spayed before they reach their adult size may grow slightly taller than they would have had they not been spayed.
• There is a very slight increased risk for spayed dogs to develop transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder, osteosarcoma and hemangiosarcoma (three kinds of cancer), particularly those breeds that are already predisposed to these diseases.
• Dogs spayed prior to five months of age may be slightly more likely to develop hip dysplasia and cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture, particularly those breeds that are already predisposed to these diseases.
• Spayed dogs are at increased risk of developing hypothyroidism.
• Physiological changes after spaying may affect your dog’s metabolism and appetite, making her prone to weight gain. There’s some evidence to suggest that puppies spayed before five months of age are at greater risk of becoming obese than puppies spayed later. This potential drawback is easily controlled with appropriate diet and exercise. If you notice that your dog looks overweight, you can decrease the amount of food you give her and increase her exercise. If you’re not sure if your dog is at a healthy weight, please consult her veterinarian.

It’s important to realize that the potential drawbacks of spaying are minimal relative to the benefits. However, you should discuss both the benefits and detriments with your veterinarian to make the best decision for the health and well-being of your individual dog.sourceASPCA

What is Aggressive behavior?

Aggressive *display* (growling, teeth baring, etc.) is one of the many tools a dominant canine has at his disposal if he needs to control the behavior of a subordinate canine. The top ranked dog and the lowest ranked dog are the two that rarely engage in aggressive *action* (bites). One rules the pack, the other defers to the whole pack. It's the middle ranked dogs, the "beta" dogs, that will use aggression to further their ranking.

Dominance confusion is created when a dog is totally confused about his place in the pack and uses aggression (bites), or aggressive displays (growling, teeth baring), to answer the question "Who's in charge around here anyway?". In a canine only pack there are clear lines drawn in the sand. The alpha gets control of the resources, directs the hunt, breeds and makes any decisions affecting the group that need to be made. The rest of the pack voluntarily follows his lead. The caricature of a snarling, nasty, dominant alpha dog is not a correct one. The alpha male, for example, tolerates nearly everything the alpha female throws at him without objection. However, their roles and their relationship are clearly defined. She follows his lead when issues affecting the group are decided. The image of an alpha wolf throwing a subordinate onto his back and threatening him with his life is not something based in reality. In a pack situation everyone knows their place and the sub-dominant members of the group voluntarily roll over if they are being chewed out by any higher ranked individual. If you've ever seen aggressive displays of this type they look and sound very nasty, but when it's all over no one is injured or bleeding. Exceptions to "no harm done" aggressive displays are when two dogs (males or females) are fighting over breeding rights, or when a younger and stronger dog challenges the older, weaker or ill alpha. Another exception, and the one that is relevant to this discussion, involves an alpha that is not necessarily ill or elderly, but is ineffective or lacking in leadership qualities. In a canine pack situation there would be no dominance confusion because the ineffective leader would be demoted and remain with the pack, would leave the pack or would be killed. There would not be a continual struggle for that top spot on the pack ladder. If your pet dog is given the rights and privileges of a leader and then corrected for not coming when called the leadership in your "pack" is constantly changing. There is confusion.

WHY DOES MY DOG DO THAT?

Dogs live in social groups with well defined rules and well defined hierarchies. However, it's not all set in stone. Within those parameters there is a lot of room for individual preferences. A subordinate dog, for example, may protect his food from a higher ranking one. One of the less flexible rules is that in order for a pack to be a pack there has to be a leader, a top dog. Your dog is getting messages from you that say you want him to be the leader. That's not the message you intend to send, but it's the one he's getting. One of the reasons this is so stressful for him is that he knows he's not alpha material. He might be shy or timid, he might be a bully, but he knows he's not equipped for that top spot. The domestication of canines has resulted in dogs that are perpetual juveniles. Our pet dogs don't reach the level of maturity that wild canids do. Vocalizing is one of the hallmarks of this theory. Juvenile wolves yip and bark when excited or whine to call for an adult if they are lost or in trouble. Another indicator of the difference between adult wolves and domestic dogs is the relative ease in which we can get our pets to see us as their "alpha" figure. It's a much more difficult task to convince an adult wolf, or other wild canine, that you are in charge.

The only thing more stressful for your dog than being the alpha is being in a pack that has no alpha, so he reluctantly takes the job. So, now you have a dog who's trying hard to be a good leader, but really wants you to be the leader, and he's getting mixed messages. If you tell him "no" or "sit" or insist that he comes when called you are telling him that you are in charge. If you let him sleep in your bed even after he's growled or snapped at you or give him attention on his terms you are telling him that you're happiest when he's in charge. The fluctuation of the pack leadership can get him to a point where he will bite just to get the issue settled once and for all. But, that's not working either, there is still no stability, so the risk is that he will escalate the aggression. To make matters worse, when he uses aggression, or aggressive displays (which is appropriate alpha behavior) you answer with aggression and things just get worse from there.

The irony here is that a truly dominant dog, real alpha material, is rarely aggressive toward his owner. There's just no need. He knows he rules, you know he rules, there is no confusion. He's tolerant and often loving towards his owners, if somewhat aloof. He comes when he's called if he's in the mood, if he's not he simply stands there as if he didn't hear you. He only engages in aggressive displays if the owner gets way out of line. He might growl if you step over him while he's resting or try to move him off of his bed, but he picks his fights carefully and doesn't get upset at every little owner transgression. If your dog ignores you following some sort of conflict or confrontation it's not because he's mad at you, he's using the social isolation technique to remind you of your place in the pack! Did you think I thought this up all by myself? Nope. The dogs showed me how it's done. :)

KING OF THE CASTLE SYNDROME

I often hear from people that are not experiencing any real behavior problems with their dog, but they want an explanation for a very common phenomenon that I call "King of the Castle Syndrome". The call almost always comes from the woman of the house. Jane wanted a dog and John didn't. They agreed that Jane would get the dog and it would be her dog. Jane gets the dog and she's very happy! She dotes on him, she feeds him, bathes him and brushes him every day. She provides him with everything a dog could ever want -- except leadership. John ignores the dog most of the time, but is not unfriendly to him. When the dog approaches John while he's reading the newspaper John looks at him, then goes back to reading. When the dog approaches Jane she stops what she's doing and plays with him. What has prompted the phone call is that Jane is feeling rejected by the dog. When John comes home from work the dog acts like he's greeting his long lost, beloved grandmother. John gives the dog a pat on the head and a "Hi there dog" and goes about his business. Jane is upset because the dog is never that happy to see her and she always lavishes attention on him when she gets home! During the evening the dog will lay quietly and happily at John's feet. When he wants attention he goes to Jane and bugs her until she gives him what he wants. What has happened, over time, is that John has begun to enjoy having a dog. When John is so inclined, he calls the dog over for petting or ball throwing or to take him for a walk. As much as the dog seems to love Jane, he is completely devoted to John. John has the attitude of an alpha. That's all it takes, attitude. It doesn't take aggression, it doesn't take rolling a dog onto it's back and growling, it doesn't take hitting or yelling -- just attitude.

YOUR NEW ATTITUDE

To develop your new attitude you're going to have to think like a dog! When your dog comes to you for attention think of it as his way of saying "I'm still in charge, right? I want you to confirm that for me". Now, think of all of this from his viewpoint. Way down in his little brain he's thinking "geez... I hate this ... all I want to be is the adored house pet, can't one of you take over?" Compare this attitude to a 13 year old child who says "Get out of my life, I can make all my own decisions, stop telling me what to do". The kid really does feel that way, he's not making it up. Imagine what would happen if you said to the kid "Here ya go honey, here's the address where you send the mortgage payment and here are the utility bills and you do know how to do your own grocery shopping, right?? I'll be in my room, you're on your own!" As sincere as the kid is about wanting to be in charge, he knows he's not equipped to handle all of that. He needs an adult to be in charge of most things; he needs guidance and leadership. One of the differences between dogs and children is that dogs don't grow up and move away and start their own packs. They are our responsibility forever. We have to be their leaders forever.

You need to get your dog's attention and do it quickly and let him know that he's no longer in charge. This will free him of the responsibilities he now feels as pack leader and make him more relaxed and happier and much easier to get along with. He is pleading with you to take charge. His behavior is a way to push you and push you and push you some more and make you take the leadership position.

WHAT DO I DO NOW?

FIRST 48 HOURS:

Ignore your dog for a full 48 hours. If you want you can start this tomorrow morning, or you might want to take a day to think about it or pick a day that's more convenient for your schedule. Just be sure that when you start it you can give the technique a full 48 hours of your time.

Give him nothing at all for those two days. No attention, no petting, nothing. Don't say his name. Pretend that you have an invisible dog that needs to eat and go outside. Put his dinner down, but don't call him or talk to him or anything. If he'll go outside to pee and come back in on his own, without you calling him, you can do that, otherwise put him on a leash (without saying a word) and take him out to go potty and bring him back in, all without interacting with him in any other way. Do not physically isolate him from you by crating him (other than the normal times he'd be crated) or putting him outside or in a garage. The reason this technique works is because it involves social isolation, not physical. The very important part of this technique is the part where you ignore him. If he nudges you for attention, do nothing. Nothing! Don't tell him to go away, don't tell him "no", pretend you don't notice that he's there. He may try harder, at first, to get your attention and this is where you must ignore him. If he's able to get your attention by trying harder then he will be rewarded for that behavior and you'll have a much more difficult time getting him turned back around. If he gets so pushy that you have to do something, you can use physical isolation for a short time. Go into another room and close the door or put him in his crate. If he scratches at the door or does anything that you feel you have to respond to then put him on a leash, tie the leash to your waist or your arm and go about your business without talking to him or interacting with him. I can't emphasize enough how important it is to not let him get your attention -- even negative attention like yelling at him.

By the middle of the second day you may find he's sleeping most of the time. This is the relief period. He's convinced now that you really do intend to be the alpha and so much responsibility has been lifted from his shoulders that he just crashes. That's OK-- let him sleep.

DAY THREE:

Start the day the same as the previous two days. Let him out and feed him or whatever your normal routine is, all without saying a word to him or interacting with him in any way. Then, call him to you. If he comes to you right away, tell him to "Sit", pet him and tell him what a good boy he is, then walk away. If he doesn't come to you when you call, turn your back on him (this is important!) and leave the room. No matter what he does that first time (come to you or not) wait an hour and do it again. Call him to you. When he comes to you and sits spend at least 5 minutes interacting with him -- petting, talking, whatever you want to do. Then, end the attention time. Walk away. For the rest of the day call him to you at various intervals (an hour, 20 minutes, 2 hours, 10 minutes) and give him about five minutes of attention each time.

DAY FOUR:

You can relax things quite a bit today. Give him attention any time you're in the mood, but still ignore any attempts on his part to demand your attention. Because of his history of biting you will probably have to make this a life long rule --- attention on your terms only, not ever on his, but that's not too difficult a rule to live by. He can still get all of the attention a dog would ever want, it's just that you're going to initiate the attention and end it. If, months from now, you feel he's been so good that he can start asking for attention you can give it at try. The way you test it is to let him ask for your attention once or twice and then the next time ignore any attempt at getting your attention. If he accepts your decision (no attention) then he's probably OK. If he gets more pushy, then he's probably on the road back to his old ways. It is quite natural for a dog to try to make his way up the pack ladder as far as he can go. He may test the rules every now and then for the rest of his life. Don't worry about it. Just say no.

DAY FIVE AND FOREVER AFTER:

Now that the issue of leadership has been resolved, it's time to start the Nothing in Life is Free program. NILIF is a useful technique for all sorts of behavior problems, not only for those dogs that have a history of dominance confusion. For that reason, it gets it's own page and is not repeated here.

WHAT ABOUT SLEEPING ON THE BED?

The alpha gets the prime sleeping spot. If your dog didn't already have a history of aggression you could let him share your spot, but the bed thing can be all it takes for him to hang on to his aggressive ways. How you go about accomplishing this during the initial 48 hour isolation period is going to be tricky. If you can close the bedroom door at night without him going ballistic on the other side, that's what I'd recommend. If you can't do that I'd try putting him on a short leash and tethering him to the bed frame. If he's crate trained, put the crate in the bedroom and have him sleep there. I don't think isolating him from the bedroom is as important as isolating him from the bed. What I don't want is for you to set yourself up for a bite, so do whatever you have to do to keep him from reaching the bed. Keep the door closed during the day. Have him on a leash before you open the bedroom door so he doesn't run in and get on the bed. If he's successful at getting on the bed you're going to have to interact with him in some way to get him off of the bed and that's what you need to avoid for the first 48 hrs

One of the things I like about the study of canine behavior is that no one really knows much of anything! It's all theory and conjecture based on our observations of how dogs react to stimuli, how they interact with each other and the nature of their inter-species interactions. This treatment plan is based on my own observations of dog behavior and what I've learned from other people's study of the subject. I've been using this technique since 1990 and have had a great deal of success with it. However, there is room for error even in the most classic of situations. Keeping that in mind, I don't want you to do anything at all that you're uncomfortable with and, especially, anything that you think could cause you to suffer a bite. If this treatment plan doesn't make sense to you or if you think it's the wrong course of action for you or your dog don't do it. It's that simple. There are more theories and techniques having to do with canine behavior than you can throw a stick at, so if one doesn't work it's time to try another. If your dog has other issues (food guarding, dog aggression, fears) you may have to work on those separately. However, working on other issues without resolving the leadership issue first won't work. Also, it's time to sign up for group obedience class! Class will help you show him what the new rules are, show you how to enforce the rules in a positive manner and class is a ton of fun for both of you.

©1991 Debbie McKean
02/22/06

If you want to link to this page or otherwise use this material for any reason other than your own personal use, all you have to do is ask :-)
 deb@k9deb.com



Breaking the cycle of aggressive behavior

Dogs are individuals, and what works best to correct aggressive behavior is different in each case. Read and learn as much as you can. The following tips are often helpful for dogs with dominance aggression. Again, if things are at the point where there may be a danger to yourself or others, get professional help.

Avoid potentially dangerous situations. Do not do the things that cause an aggressive response in the dog, whether it is staring at the dog, hugging it, or disturbing it while it is sleeping. If the dog growls when her food dish is handled, give the dog something else to do while the dish is removed; fetching a ball, going for a walk. Do not use any treats or toys which may cause the dog to become possessive. If the dog starts to show any aggression, re-direct her attention. Take out the leash, or a favorite toy, and ask the dog to come to you and sit. You can also just walk away. Later, when the dog is calm and comes to you for attention, ask her to sit or lie down before you pet her. Keeping a long leash on the dog whenever she is inside can help you to move the dog when needed.

If the dog has already bitten someone, it may be best to have the dog wear a basket muzzle in the house, so that it can have social interaction with the family and not be isolated. Never leave a dog alone with a muzzle or leash on, indoors or out. Use a Gentle Leader or Halti head collar and make sure it is properly fitted. This is not a muzzle; it does keep the dog's mouth closed when gentle tension is applied, which has a calming, subduing effect. It also gives you much better control of the dog, since it works much like a horse's halter. Never leave a head collar on a dog in a crate, or if there is no adult present to supervise. Use a head collar outside for walks and inside during behavior modification exercises; it greatly reduces the ability of the dog to pull you where he wants to go.

Teach your dog that she must earn everything, from you and anyone else, with appropriate, calm behavior. From now on, anything your dog wants means that she must first do something for you, such as sit. You are in control, not the dog. Do not give the dog your attention on-demand. Ignore the dog if she whines, or pushes at you with her nose or paw. Wait until she stops making demands and is calm. Then ask her to sit, and pet her. Make the dog sit or lie down and remain calm each time you give her treats, before you put the leash on, before going outside, before you throw the ball, etc. Several times a day, work with your dog on 'sit' and 'stay' commands, using small treats, and lots of praise.

Teach your dog that people have higher status than she does. Do not allow the dog to be on the couch or bed or in other places where humans sit or sleep. Do not let your dog stand up and put her front paws on your shoulders. Do not let your dog jump up on people at all. If the dog is going to jump up, ask her to sit or to lie down. When you come to a doorway, ask the dog to sit; then you go first and the dog follows. You should be the one to initiate playtime and decide when it will end. Avoid any games like 'tug-of-war' that may encourage your dog to be possessive about a toy. Practice having your dog come to you and 'drop' or 'give' whatever she is carrying. Any game of fetch should end with the dog giving the toy back to you, so that you 'win.' At mealtimes, prepare the dog's food, but do not give it right away. When the family has finished eating, make the dog sit and wait until you place the dish down and say "ok."

For any of these exercises to help, they must be used consistently, and the whole family needs to be involved. Owners need to be prepared to work at it for the rest of the dog's life. Once a dog has learned to defer to people, there are additional exercises which can be used. These are designed to 'desensitize' the dog to the situation in which it has shown aggression (for example, at feeding time or during grooming). These exercises can be very effective if done correctly. Depending on the dog and the level of aggression, these situations can also be dangerous. This is where I would recommend owners work with an experienced professional, if they are not doing so already.

Sometimes, medication is needed in addition to behavior modification exercises. Commonly used medications include clomipramine (Clomicalm), amitriptyline (Elavil), and fluoxetine (Prozac). Patience is important; it can take weeks to months for certain drugs to become effective. These medications are powerful, and may interact with other drugs, so it is essential for your veterinarian to prescribe them and monitor their use

Resources for Owners

As noted above, your local veterinarian is the best starting point. He or she can assess the situation, prescribe medication if needed, and refer you to other professionals who are experienced with behavior problems in dogs. Many veterinarians are able to help with behavior modification. There are also many excellent trainers and other behaviorists available. The following web sites may be helpful:

Directory of Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists - www.animalbehavior.org
American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior - www.avsabonline.org/avsabonline/