QuestionI adopted a mixed border collie from the local SPCA when he was 8 months
old. Now that he is about 2 years old he has become very aggressive towards
men. If anyone comes to our house he may bark when they first come in and
then he acts as if he is excited to see them. The next minute he lunges and
wants to attack and bite. On a few occassions he has gotten out the door or
gate and the first man he sees he runs up to and tries to attack. This could be
a neighbor next door or one a block away. I am terrified he is going to bite
someone. He is so loving and sweet at home to my husband and two
teenaged kids (boy and girl). I don't know his previous history or if that has
anything to do with his aggression just towards men. I don't know how he
would be around young children or women because the situation has not
been encountered. One thing we have noticed in the house is that strangers
do not want to make eye contact with him. That always provokes him to want
to attack. I have contacted a behavior specialist to get some help. Any
suggestions or reasons why he may be so aggressive to these people?
Terri
AnswerHello Terri,
Your dog thinks he is in control. There are several things you can start doing right away to help your dog become a dog again. I strongly suggest you visit the website of Cesar Millan, the famous Dog Whisperer. Here is a link to a portion of his site which shows several clips on how to get your aggressive dog to start behaving: http://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/dogwhisperer/showclips.php
Thank you for your question.
Ann Jordan
Border Collie Coach
