Dear Brandy,

The people at my vet's office told me our one year old male Cocker Spaniel has an aggression problem and we should seek training for him. We don't have much of a problem with him, as long as we don't try to make him do something he doesn't want to do. Should we be concerned?

Yes, Yes, Yes!! In one of my favorite articles about dog aggression, it tries to explain how easy it seems for doggie professionals to see a potential problem, while the owner may not even realize there is a problem at all. There are many signals and warnings before the dog actually bites, but for the most part, those warning signs are usually pretty accurate. Owners are typically reluctant to notice or admit an aggression problem exists. I've seen dogs lunging at the end of their leash and the owners still attempt to justify their dog's behavior with some other explanation. They tend to excuse the behavior with statements such as "he's just excited", "he didn't want to", "he was scared", "I surprised him", "he just wants to play", etc. You should be aware there is never any legitimate reason for a dog to bite its owner or any other member of the family, and there are very few legitimate reasons for him to bite someone else. If your dog is snapping at you for whatever reason, you need help and you need it fast! A minor aggression problem can turn into something very ugly very fast without intervention. The good news is that many aggression problems can be dealt with and controlled. Very rarely is a dog just "mean". Most of them bite for some reason, and a professional can help you find out what that reason is and show you ways to deal with it. Some reasons dogs bite include fear biting, dominance, and true aggression. The methods for dealing with aggression vary greatly and depend on the underlying cause, so please seek professional assistance.

For future reference, starting your next dog in a puppy development program while it's young may head off a lot of potential aggression problems.