3 year old poodle suddenly aggressive

[AdaramolaRedmond]

My poodle was really sweet and I socialized her a lot the first 1.5-2 years of her life with frequent visits to dog parks. I stopped going as much when work started getting too busy for me but she’s been frequently around my parents dog and still is. Since about Fall/Winter 2022 she’s been a little unpredictable and mostly aggressive towards other dogs and it’s getting worse. I almost don’t recognize her anymore when she nips other dogs suddenly in the face. It breaks my heart. The only other change that’s happened is she got spayed in December 2022, and started to be around my boyfriends dog often in January this year. His dog is a year old now and playful, sometimes too playful and she starts acting irritated (biting in the face). I have to step in sometimes and tell him to stop multiple times and he finally leaves her alone. I don’t want to blame just my boyfriends dog for her behavior because I noticed this sometimes before she met my boyfriend’s dog. Just not as frequent. Now it’s every dog she meets and it breaks my heart. I don’t know what to do, she used to be so sweet and playful. Help

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hi there,

Sorry I have been super busy lately and somehow missed your post the last time I logged in. 

It is possible that these behavior changes have occurred as she has reached adolescence/social maturity which is a time when dog-to-dog interactions start deteriorating https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/survive-dogs-adolescent-stage/

She may have simply matured and is no longer interested in wild play with other dogs. Many dogs become intolerant of several "all in your face," rowdy approaches of other dogs with poor social manners and feel the need to correct them. 

Behavior changes after spaying aren't unusual. There are several theories as to why this may be happening and it's important investigating whether there may a root cause to address. Let's  take a look at some of them. 

Post-Surgical Pain 

Drastic behavior changes after a spay may be indicative of something physical at play, particularly lingering pain. Any discomfort or pain can lower a dog’s tolerance of anything, making them more likely to lash out.

When dogs act aggressively due to pain, it’s important to recognize that there is also a learning component at play. Through barking, growling and biting, dogs are telling others around them to “stop,” “leave me alone” or “stay away.”

As the dog lashes out, he or she learns that the aggressive behavior “works” in making the other dogs back off. This distance-increasing behavior therefore is reinforced and the dog may adopt this strategy in future encounters even once the pain is long gone.

Persistent Pseudopregnancy (PPP): The Silent Killer

A phenomenon that is not talked about much, but that is gradually getting more attention, is the topic of persistent pseudopregnancy. In a nutshell, pseudopregnancy, also known as false pregnancy, takes place when an intact female dog goes into heat and doesn’t become pregnant.

Dogs undergoing a false pregnancy develop symptoms as if they are pregnant (when they are not) and these symptoms typically pop up about 6 to 8 weeks after being in heat. While most dogs who undergo a false pregnancy are intact, interestingly, it may develop in dogs who are spayed if they happen to be spayed in the diestrus stage (the stage taking place once the heat cycle is over)

What is more is that the false pregnancy in spayed dogs can even become a chronic ordeal, leading to what is known as persistent pseudopregnancy.

In one study, persistent pseudopregnancy was found to be one of the main causes of the onset of reactivity and aggression in dogs with a history of being recently spayed. Veterinarian Dr. Sara Davies has nicknamed this condition the “silent killer” due to the fact that many dogs are being euthanized due to behavior problems occurring due to this condition which is not readily recognized.

In her almost 3-hour long webinar, Dr. Davies discusses how owners often notice the changes in behavior within a month or two after the spay, with the most commonly reported changes being aggression towards humans, anxiety, dog-to-dog aggression, sound sensitivity and even separation-related distress.

Fortunately, despite carrying a scary nickname such as “silent killer” this persistent state can be easily reversed following a course of cabergoline, which inhibits the release of prolactin, the hormone known for causing signs of false pregnancy in dogs. A trial of cabergoline given under the guidance of a vet may therefore be insightful if a veterinarian considers this a possibility based on the dog’s spay history and at what point she was in the estrus cycle at that time.

Post-Surgical Stress 

Going through a spay surgery may look like a minor issue: it’s often considered a routine surgery with very low chances for complications. We all imagine dropping off our dogs and picking up our dogs as if nothing happened and then after a brief recovery period, everything goes back to normal.

However, in reality, there’s much more going on than that, and how well a dog recovers may vary from one dog and another based on the dog’s overall resilience and coping ability after all the stress.

The whole process of dropping off the dog, being caged in an unfamiliar place and being exposed to other noisy animals, scary smells, etc. can be overwhelmingly stressful. Then, there is the anesthetic, feeling groggy and awakening in a foreign place and being fit with an enormous lamp-shade collar.

Once home, the dog will undergo forced downtime and may experience pain requiring pain meds. Once better, the dog may still need rest time, but after a few days, those energy levels are up. This often frustrates owners who may get upset as they struggle juggling between restricting exercise and keeping their dogs busy in a quiet way.

All of this can be the perfect storm for the onset of reactivity. While many dogs just sail through the whole experience with little aftermath, it’s important to recognize that some others may struggle with it. Some dogs may also go through their second fear period during this time (it takes place between 6 and 14 months of age) further aggravating the situation.

Changes Related to Hormonal Changes

It is known that estrogen and oxytocin have some anxiolytic effects. This may likely play a role in the findings that spaying may increase reactivity towards unfamiliar people and may worsen aggressive behavior in dogs exhibiting aggression tendencies before surgery. This has been shown in some studies.

A study conducted on German Shepherds has revealed that dogs who were spayed demonstrated more reactivity compared to those who were left intact. The study concluded that spay surgery involving dogs between the age of 5 to 10 months appears to induce an increase in overall reactivity and a range of behavioral changes. 

Underlying Medical Conditions

There are several medical conditions that can trigger behavioral changes in dogs potentially leading to increased irritability and aggression.  These include painful conditions such as ear conditions, dental disease and painful joints/ arthritis. Underlying medical causes are often suspected when there are sudden changes in behavior. 

It’s therefore important to rule out any possible pain issues. It helps to therefore provide the vet with an accurate and complete history of the dog along with all the behavioral changes that have been noticed. The veterinarian can help establish whether the noticed behaviors may be compatible with a medical condition, a behavioral disorder, or perhaps both.

Having covered this, as you can see there can several reasons for a behavior changes as such. It may be insightful knowing more about her interactions with dogs. 

Is she reactive on walks when she sees other dogs or does she seem to only struggle with other dogs during very close interactions?

Is she doing OK with some dogs, like your parent's dog and just struggles with certain dogs? It is possible she is still somewhat social, but being more selective. 

Is she being approached by off-leash dogs on walks? Where are these biting faces episodes taking place?

Does she growl/show any signs of growing irritation before nipping in the face?

Have you noticed a pattern/trend of what behaviors from other dogs seem to trigger her biting?

Does she still share the home with another dog? If so, how are her interactions with him?

 

[AdaramolaRedmond]

So there were times I was walking her, or my mom was walking her, and another dog would go up to her and sniff. She would sniff and then bite the other dog out of no where, and it could be a girl or boy dog of various sizes and ages.

At dog parks (usually off leash), she is not aggressive at first but with most dogs she’ll start nipping and biting them in the legs rear or face. If the dog starts whining or acting scared she doesn’t stop. And usually from what I see the other dog wasn’t being aggressive with her.

She doesn’t usually growl before she bites, so no warning. And doesn’t appear irritated before the fact.

I can’t tell what it is about other dogs that brings this out of her, because I’ve seen it happen more than once with both sexes and various sizes.

She plays rough with my parents dog and the other dog I have a at home. Both are boys and younger than her but they’ve always played rough. The dog I have at home (American Bully) doesn’t know when to stop sometimes after playing for a while so that’s when she’ll start biting him in the face. He’s kind of stupid because he won’t back off until I step in and tell him to stop or leave the room, and even then he’ll turn right back around try approaching her immediately after. My parent’s dog isn’t as bad, if she does start biting his face he stops right after.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Ok, so in this case management is priority (not being put in the position of needing to bite) so very controlled settings. Do not walk her in places where a dog can just go freely up to her and sniff. Even us humans would get irritated if a person we don't know invades our personal space like that. If this ever happens again, body block your dog and toss threat towards the stranger dog so to sent him/her away. 

If she acts this way at dog parks, then dog parks are not for her. Keeping on sending her there will cause her to rehearse problematic behaviors and she may learn to be a bully and this can play a role at how she reacts to other dogs approaching. 

No warning before biting and the fact that it happens with general dogs means we have very little warning space to intervene and little control over what dogs she can be exposed and which she cannot.  So I would strongly suggest no more close interaction with other dogs, unless under just very controlled settings involving structured setups where her space bubble is respected. 

These are a combination of techniques that may aim on addressing the root of the problem. For safety and correct implementation, these methods should be conducted under the guidance of a dog trainer/dog behavior professional committed to humane training and behavior modification methods. Let’s take a closer look at some examples of the process.

Managing the Walks

In a case like yours management may entail the following steps:

-Always keeping the dog on leash during walks 

-Walking in areas where there are leash laws and no off-leash dogs

-Choosing walks where there is space between other walked dogs

-Taking advantage of objects in the environment to use as visual barriers (parked cars, bushes).

-Having any dogs with a history of biting or threatening to bite conditioned to wear a bite-proof basket muzzle to add extra layer of safety

Behavior Modification/Training

The goal in this case is changing the dog’s emotional responses and training the dog what we want them to do in place of behaving reactively/defensively. This needs to be carried out along with a dog trainer/behavior professional for safety and correct implementation. When not actively working on the behavior, the walks should be managed by being always careful to maintain distance where the dog is comfortable and under the threshold.

If it’s difficult to keep the dogs under the threshold on walks, the walks should be skipped and steps should be taken to work in a more controlled setting, always with the help of a professional. Here are some examples of behavior modification.

The Power of Parallel Walks

Parallel walks offer the advantage of granting more controlled exposures. The dog will need to be on a 4 to 6 foot standard leash and another dog will need to be a calm dog with an experienced handler/dog trainer. A bag full of high-value treats will be necessary (chicken, steak, beef liver, cheese, etc, always check with the vet first if there are food allergies/sensitive tummies).

Parallel walks entail having each dog walking in the same direction (parallel) starting with about 20 feet between them. When your dog glances at the other dog , she is praised and fed a tasty treat.

If she consistently does well with this exercise, distance is very gradually decreased. If at any time she shows signs of being tense, the distance is increased until calm again. The goal is to obtain what is known as a positive “conditioned emotional response.”

“Look at That on the Go”

Another exercise I perform when one dog starts acting “reactive” towards another dog is “LAT on the go.” This is basically a more dynamic version of Leslie McDevitt's Look at that Dog game that I have crafted for a dog who was acting reactive when dogs were walking behind him.

This may turn out to be helpful when dogs need to be walked in a line, with one dog behind another, as it may happen on tight roads where parallel walking is not feasible. In this exercise, the dog that barks/lunges is walked in front while the other dog is walked at a distance behind. Every time, the dog that barks/lunges looks behind and makes eye contact with the other dog, she is fed a treat, and the dog being looked at receives a treat as well.

The same exercise can be done then by swapping the dogs’ positions, where the reactive dog is walked behind and both dogs are given treats when they glance at each other. You can find an example of this here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/case-studies/03-homer-homers-reactivity/

Open Bar Closed Bar

Open Bar/Closed Bar was crafted by world-known dog trainer Jean Donaldson. In this behavior modification method, it’s best to use some type of visual barriers to make it clear that your dog’s appearance makes super high value treats happen. Bushes or parked cars may help.

Your dog is basically fed high value treats upon watching the other calm dog walk back and forth. Treat delivery starts upon the other dog (open bar) then treat delivery is stopped once the other dog is out of sight (closed bar). The process is explained more in detail here: What is open bar/closed bar in dog training?

Helpful Training Cues

There are several helpful training cues that can come handy on walks. These cues need to be firstly trained in areas without distractions (in the home, then the yard) and then once taught at a fluent level, they can be used on walks, and then finally in contexts where quick responses are needed.

It’s important to use high-value treats to reinforce behaviors when in distracting environments. These cues work best at the earliest signs of trouble prior to the dog engaging in problematic behaviors, hence the importance of close supervision and reading canine body language. Even though you mention there is no warning from your poodle prior to biting, there are likely very, very subtle signs that may have gone unrecognized. 

A great book that goes in-depth on canine body language is On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals by Turid Rugaas, a respected Norwegian dog trainer I call the "queen of calming signals."

Here are some helpful cues:

Emergency U-turn: this can benefit all dogs. It teaches dogs to promptly turn away from “sticky situations.”

Eye contact: a smacking sound is used to gain focus back

Attention heeling: the dog learns to look into the owner’s eyes when passing by distractions

Recall: to call the dog away from potentially engaging in an undesirable behavior

Leave it: to stop the dog in its tracks from engaging with something in the environment

Impulse control training exercises: these exercises are particularly helpful for young dogs

If biting behaviors persist, this is a sign that the dog has been pushed over threshold and steps should be taken to reduce future instances.

If the behavior pops up unexpectedly despite our interventions to preempt it, and therefore needs to be interrupted/stopped, it’s important to intervene at the earliest signs and cue the dog immediately to engage in another behavior (come to the owner using a recall, stop approaching by using the “leave it” cue).

Once again, these cues must be taught at a fluent level in a calmer setting and then practiced in gradually more and more distracting settings before expecting them to work in face of a strongly distracting environment with a rehearsal history.

Some Words of Caution

It’s important to note that although dogs may at some point give signs of better tolerating each other, too close encounters may re-evoke problematic behaviors. It’s best to therefore practice safety and keep the dogs on leash at a safe distance to protect the work done.

Despite all the precautions we may take, dog behavior may be unpredictable, and even dogs who have given signs of getting along for quite some time, may undergo changes out of the blue and relapses may be possible. Close supervision and watching for early signs of stress is always important.

Disclaimer; If your puppy or dog shows signs of potential aggression (lunging, barking, growling, snapping, biting), please consult with a dog behavior professional for direct in-person guidance. Articles, videos, and general information provided online are not meant to replace in-person training/instruction. By using this service, you are waiving any liability claims or other types of claims related to any of your dogs' behaviors against you or others.