[Dailydrool] BAD basset

[Drew McQuade]

The first thing to do if you have an aggressive basset is visit the vet's. 
Various things can cause aggression, and you need to have them checked out.

First, ask yourself if your dog has been experiencing any pain. Has he been 
shivering or showing signs of insecurity about doing things he normally 
loves, like jumping or running? Does he snap when someone touches a specific 
area of his body? Since a child startled him and he snapped, I would also 
check his vision to make certain it wasn't a matter of his being unable to 
see the child and getting a greater than normal surprise.

If all of that is fine, it could be a disease of some sort. Hypothyroid, 
Lyme disease, and other problems can cause some aggression. Your vet may 
want to run a blood test or two to see that everything is OK.

Has any recent bad experience made your dog nervous around people or other 
dogs? Our Abner became somewhat dog aggressive after being unprovocadedly 
attacked by a dog.

 If all else comes up blank, you may want to invest in a behaviorist. It 
sounds as if your dog may really be fearful, rather than truly aggressive. 
Dealing with a fearful dog may sound as if all you need to do is give 
encouragement, but there's a lot more to it than that.  Check the 
behaviorist out and make certain he or she deals well with 
fearful/aggressive dogs.

Just calling in a behaviorist will not solve the problem. It may be a long 
road to full rehab. But it will give you the tools you need to work with 
your hound. And you may be able to keep people and other animals safe while 
you deal with the issue.

One of the best things you can start to do right away is observe your dog 
carefully. It's taken me a couple of years to figure out Abner's fearful, 
quirky aggression. Finally, after e-mailing another Drooler, I think I've 
figured that he has trouble when the barometric pressure changes--in either 
direction. His old back trouble must hurt then, and he tends to get snappy. 
It's a great relief to have an idea what's going on, even if I don't yet 
have a full solution.

When we started out with Abner's snapping, before we knew about his back 
trouble, my vet told me it was behavioral. I had noticed some other signs 
that indicated a pain problem. But an Xray indicated nothing. Yet when 
Abner's back did go, I was ready for it. We shot to the vet's immediately 
and had him in surgery quickly.

It may take a little time to work these things out, but you can't start 
earlier than today. I hope all goes well for you both.
Pam, with Drew, food slave to the Dashing Bassets