# Aggression, Resource Guarding, Attacking Family



## Tagrenine (Aug 20, 2019)

You can try a veterinary behaviorist again, but this time try to record an instance of it happemjng
In dogs this extreme where the family has tried, sometimes we do recommend euthanasia. Usually we recommend for unpredictable aggression or anxiety.
In this case, his behavior sounds controllable (don’t let him find things to steal). What items does he take and guard? Is he muzzle trained?


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## pawsnpaca (Nov 11, 2014)

Such a hard thing to deal with, especially if most of the time he's fine and you love him... I feel for the difficult position you are in.

Did any of the veterinarians suggest testing his thyroid levels? Just grasping at straws here, but low thyroid can produce all sorts of weird behavior, including aggression. I'd also want to eliminate some sort of epileptic seizure...

Can you use a basket muzzle on him to protect from bites if you want to give him a bit longer to see if you can address this issue?

All this may be old news to you, but just in case this article is helpful... Rage Syndrome in Dogs - Whole Dog Journal


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## denverenglish (Apr 20, 2020)

Tagrenine said:


> You can try a veterinary behaviorist again, but this time try to record an instance of it happemjng
> In dogs this extreme where the family has tried, sometimes we do recommend euthanasia. Usually we recommend for unpredictable aggression or anxiety.
> In this case, his behavior sounds controllable (don’t let him find things to steal). What items does he take and guard? Is he muzzle trained?


Hello and thank you for commenting. The behavior is seemingly controllable and as I mentioned in my post we work hard to prevent him from getting things, but in the real world that is just not always possible, as it wasn't in this instance. Also, there are not specific items (ever) that he guards. It's all very random. It is never his food or toys, I can tell you that. He's not muzzle trained because we don't know when the behavior will occur, thus we would need to muzzle him all the time.


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## denverenglish (Apr 20, 2020)

Thank you, and thanks for understanding. It was just recommended to us today to test his thyroid by our vet (that, and cortisol) so I am bringing him in later today. We haven't considered muzzling him, no. We also made an appointment with a vet neurologist (at our regular vet's reco) and that is next week. Thank you for sending that article. I have seen it and it is very much in line with his behavior (sadly).


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## pawsnpaca (Nov 11, 2014)

denverenglish said:


> Thank you, and thanks for understanding. It was just recommended to us today to test his thyroid by our vet (that, and cortisol) so I am bringing him in later today. We haven't considered muzzling him, no. We also made an appointment with a vet neurologist (at our regular vet's reco) and that is next week. Thank you for sending that article. I have seen it and it is very much in line with his behavior (sadly)


I would think that if his thyroid is causing a problem this severe it will show up on any thyroid test, but for what it's worth, for my (mildly) hypothyroid dogs I always sent the blood samples to HemoPet. and asked them to run the "Thyroid Profile 5" which tests T4, free T4, T3, free T3, and TgAA. Dr. Dodds, who owns HemoPet, is a well respected expert in thyroid issues and she's really good about consulting with both vets and pet owners about possible issues. As an added bonus, I find what she charges for blood tests (of all kinds) to be very competitively priced. Here's a link to the order form: Hemopet

As far as a muzzle... yes, I know you don't want him to live with it on all the time, but until you address his issues (or decide they can't be addressed) it may be necessary for everyone's safety. If you use a basket muzzle, he can still drink and take treats and at least you have full control of when he's "dangerous" (for example, he may need to wear it all the time in the house when your daughter is around, but maybe you can remove it to play in the yard with him when it's just him and you). As long as it's introduced in a positive way, many dogs don't mind wearing a basket muzzle, and it would allow you and your family to relax a bit around him. Here's another WDJ article on the topic: Dog Muzzles Are Useful Tools When You Use Them Right - Whole Dog Journal


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## pawsnpaca (Nov 11, 2014)

One last thought... If all else fails, or in conjunction with any traditional medicine/training you are doing, it might be worth consulting with a holistic vet. There is something called "rabies miasm" that can manifest in aggression. Does This Sound Like Your Dog? It seems unlikely in your dog's case, assuming he's been exhibiting these symptoms since you first brought him home, but still... I've found my holistic vet has been able to use a variety of holistic treatments (herbs, homeopathy, acupuncture) to address both physical and mental issues in my dogs.


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## denverenglish (Apr 20, 2020)

pawsnpaca said:


> One last thought... If all else fails, or in conjunction with any traditional medicine/training you are doing, it might be worth consulting with a holistic vet. There is something called "rabies miasm" that can manifest in aggression. Does This Sound Like Your Dog? It seems unlikely in your dog's case, assuming he's been exhibiting these symptoms since you first brought him home, but still... I've found my holistic vet has been able to use a variety of holistic treatments (herbs, homeopathy, acupuncture) to address both physical and mental issues in my dogs.


Thank you for all of your insight Lisa. I will educate myself on muzzles and the holistic approach to this. Thank you.


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## Winnie’smom (Jul 16, 2020)

Denverenglish, I have a friend who's dog has similar issues to yours (although not a golden). They have had him since he was a puppy, his aggression is about resources that are not his, and very difficult to predict. They have children in the house and the dog has to have a muzzle on at all times around the kids. They have worked with trainers and a veterinary behavioralist. His thyroid was just tested and came back very low, he is now started on meds and they are seeing some improvement! I hope that you get some answers, and I'm so sorry you are going through this.


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## denverenglish (Apr 20, 2020)

Winnie’smom said:


> Denverenglish, I have a friend who's dog has similar issues to yours (although not a golden). They have had him since he was a puppy, his aggression is about resources that are not his, and very difficult to predict. They have children in the house and the dog has to have a muzzle on at all times around the kids. They have worked with trainers and a veterinary behavioralist. His thyroid was just tested and came back very low, he is now started on meds and they are seeing some improvement! I hope that you get some answers, and I'm so sorry you are going through this.


Thank you Winne's Mom! Reading these replies gives me hope. I too am hoping his thyroid is low and that we can try meds to see if they can help. Fingers crossed and I will update you all when the tests come back. The advice here is invaluable.


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

My heart goes out to you. This is an absolute nightmare for a family to go through and when you're a family with children, the stakes are very high. I just wanted to tell you that facing the thought of the next 10-12 years managing a dog like this safely, when the level of bite damage has become so severe, is daunting and I would not judge you for making the painful choice to euthanize. People without children in the home and kids needing to have friends visit, you're responsible for the safety of visitors, cannot understand the level of stress that such a strict level of management would be. I'm so sorry.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Two comments

Eyes glaze over---I had a Cocker like that. Spaniel rage.
Don't let him get to the things he shouldn't have. 

In any event you have your work cut out for you. I wish you luck.


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## denverenglish (Apr 20, 2020)

nolefan said:


> My heart goes out to you. This is an absolute nightmare for a family to go through and when you're a family with children, the stakes are very high. I just wanted to tell you that facing the thought of the next 10-12 years managing a dog like this safely, when the level of bite damage has become so severe, is daunting and I would not judge you for making the painful choice to euthanize. People without children in the home and kids needing to have friends visit, you're responsible for the safety of visitors, cannot understand the level of stress that such a strict level of management would be. I'm so sorry.


Thank you. Really. Your words mean a lot.


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## denverenglish (Apr 20, 2020)

gdgli said:


> Two comments
> 
> Eyes glaze over---I had a Cocker like that. Spaniel rage.
> Don't let him get to the things he shouldn't have.
> ...


Thank you.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

I am so sorry you are facing this problem. Clearly you have already worked hard to manage this situation. The problem is compounded by it being unpredictable when he may become aggressive. You are right to worry about your children, and you were just lucky that you had layers on today. You know that won't be the case in the future. Please don't wait thinking you can fix him, and end up with you or your children seriously hurt. I think you know this is not an if it happens again, it is most definitely a when it happens again.


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