Stop Puppy Biting – Will Spaying a 9 month old Schnauzer Help with Aggression Problems?

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by Kim
(Montana)

We got our Schnauzer when she was 8 weeks old. She has been a well behaved puppy and is potty trained. We crated her for the first 4 months. Then we kept her only in the kitchen. Recently she has become aggressive towards our 2 older dogs (lab and cocker spaniel) they are both females. They completely ignore her and do not retaliate. She bites their noses and tails growls at them constantly. This does not appear to be a playful act. She has also become aggressive towards people and has been chasing people and nipping at us and our friends. Any comments and pointers would be appreciated! Thank You for your time!!

Our Response

Hi and thanks for your question – I would speak to your vet about the pros and cons about neutering your dog (when she is older) – some people think that it does alleviate aggression in dogs. You really need to get this problem sorted now before it becomes a major problem (which it could do if it is allowed to continue). It is difficult for me to really get to the bottom of this without seeing your dog in action – so I highly recommend that you get a professional dog trainer to visit as this may need one on one obedience training. You could also enroll in puppy training classes (I can not praise classes enough) as your young puppy needs to be well socialized around people and dogs – and with classes you have a professional dog trainer on hand who can correct negative behavior as it happens.

Hope this helps