TrishPalmer

Need some help. We've had our pit Grizz for going on 4 years. We were his second owner and received no previous history. We got him when he was almost 1 1/2 years old. We have moved 2 times in the last 2 years and he has been around the same family the whole time. Never had any issues at the original house with aggression or bites. In the last year he has started charging the door when my husbands niece or sister tries to leave and tries to snap on their hand. Never broke skin. Also doesn't do it every time they are in our house. He makes no noise before he charges. We have had people he doesn't know in the house and he doesn't do it to them. He can be curled up with them 5 minutes before on the couch or playing with them with his kong. There seems to be no constants with his reaction. I can't figure out why he is doing it. We got him fixed a month ago and he hasn't done it to either of them since then. But he just did it to my husbands nephew today after spending the whole morning hanging out with him. He's been hanging out for the last week and this is the first time. Absolutely doesn't do it when anyone comes in, only when some people leave. I can't figure out the reason so I'm not sure what the problem to correct is. We also have another dog, 9 year old lab and she has no issues like this and is always in room.

jttar

Hello TrishPalmer and welcome to the forum. Hopefully others will chime in here that have experienced the same behavior, I have not.

From your description it sounds more like a separation anxiety reaction more then aggression. Simply, he doesn't want that person to leave. Dogs communicate with their mouth, barking, whining, biting, licking etc. I'm not excusing the behavior but it might not be aggression.

It sounds like it is the same people that he act out on. I would suggest setting up the situation and before that person gets up to leave have him come by you and pet him and talk calmly to him. Then have the person get up and leave the house without any words, eye contact with the dog or lingering by the door. If he tries to bolt to the door or them, hold his collar and firmly in a loud voice say "NO". Repeat the process each time they are leaving and when he doesn't try to run to the door, praise him verbally and with a small treat. Once he catches on that the behavior is not acceptable he'll probably stop. Most of these dogs just want to please us.

Joe