Shy Dog Turned Aggressive

[jeanniet]

My brother and I recently adopted a 3 year old Chihuahua/Dachshund from a rescue group. He was very shy and timid when we first got him. He adjusted well and became more friendly the first two months we had him, but now he has become quite aggressive. He barks and charges at people and most other male dogs. And recently, he has bitten my mother twice. I don't understand why this is happening, because it seemed like we were making so much progress in training him. But now he won't obey anyone and is very aggressive towards my mom. We are very concerned about his aggressive behavior towards my mother and other people. I don't know what I should do now.

[adunphy]

I dont believe its uncommon that when a fearful dog becomes more confident it can turn into aggression. What you need is a program where you work the dog into situations where he is uncomfortable but at the same time learns appropriate responses that you can reinforce. While you are training these behaviors you will need a management program as well. I would suggest you look for a dog trainer who has the letters CPDT after their name. If you would like to post your general area, I can help you locate someone.

Amy Dunphy CPDT
http://www.dogtrainersearch.com