showing signs of aggression

Rosie is 7yrs old and in the last 12 months she has started to get aggressive with other dogs,she may have had a bad experience in the kennel.
But now she gets aggressive towards my wife and vet if they do something she not happy about,the vet had to muzzle her just for her vaccination for the first time.When she..comes in she won't let my wife dry her feet without growling.Im very concerned ,any advice would be appreciated.

rich

Obviously may be difficult due to the vet being a trigger, but has she had a thorough health check to ensure that nothing is causing pain/discomfort.

Rachel33 wrote:Obviously may be difficult due to the vet being a trigger, but has she had a thorough health check to ensure that nothing is causing pain/discomfort.

Yes 1yr ago she had cancer in a digit on her paw that was very painful but now it has been amputated there is no pain.
But it isn't the reason she can be aggressive with my wife.
When i let her out at night (and its dark) she goes into a very tense and aggressive zone and can't wait to bolt out the door and run down the garden.

I would say you are best calling a professional behaviour trainer. There is clearly fear, but without being there and seeing it's hard to say what the cause is. It may be a pain memory that's being triggered, maybe she hurt her foot going through the doorway at some point, and there may be other pain memories, but it could equally be something different. A trained pair of eyes should be able to see if it is something specific to your wife, so maybe her reaction or her tension, if it is maybe current pain, or maybe something that we can tell from here. They should also be able to advise and support you through any training.

I know this may have a financial cost but it is worth it to avoid getting bitten, or worse. Make sure you find someone good, recommended, and who uses positive methods of training. Anyone who starts talking about alpha dogs, dominance or anything like that, say 'thanks but no thanks'. You do not want to go down that route with any dog, never mind a fearful one.

In the meantime, don't push things. Live with dirty feet if you have to, and try to build up positive associations with going through doorways - throw treats or a ball through the door, whatever will be nice for Rosie. If either of you are feeling worried about doing something, don't do it. Your worry will transmit to her.

Good luck finding someone and resolving this, and keep safe.

Thanks Liz i will take on board your advise.

best of luck id asvise a behaviourist as well

Hope you get to the bottom of it. Something is winding her up so it must be very frustrating not knowing what. At that age they are supposed to slow down and mellow a bit! Is there any chance theres a cat/animal in the garden which might explain why shes bolting? Also have you ever considered eyesight problems?