Whats happening please Help!

[Kelly_Alfie]

well i own a 3 year old (in december) German Shorthaired Pointer called Alfie we have had him since he was 7 weeks old and he has always been a sweetie love him to bits and so does all the family.he is normally really friendly with people he doesnt no.i always take him down the stables with me since he was young and let him run around why im mucking out and doing stuff.

If anyone walks past the house he has always barked and if anyone comes to the door he will bark until you have opened the door and spoken to that person then he will be quiet and sometimes get excited to see them even if he dont no them.

but for the last 3-4 weeks he has been doing some out of chracter things like when im down the stables and someone he dont no wals on the stables he will really badly bark and growl at them and sometimes show his teeth and i think if i dont pull him away sometimes then maybe he would have bit them.and the same for when someone he dont no comes to the door and we open it he trys to get out there and do the same. I mean i just dont no what to do because he is never like this always been such a friendly dog and all of a sudden has changed i tell him of for doing it and i am no longer letting him run around the stables always tide up till he goes for a walk i just dont no what to do and what in the hell would have made him like this please please help me and my little alfie

 

[Cole's Mom]

I am not a behaviorist or trainer. This is just my opinion. Has he been socalized? Sounds weird. Maybe get his thyroid tested. Do some training with him. See a pro trainer or behaviorist? Just a few suggestions.

Cole's Mom

 

[Kelly_Alfie]

whats a thyroid test? he plays loads with other dogs has never been horrible to a dog hes always socalizing with other dogs and always really nice to them. i just dont see where this has all of a sudden come from he has ALWAYS been such a friendly dog.

 

[FoxyWench]

since this is such a sudden occurance, i think you shoudl take him to the vets for a blood test (the thyroid test) also is he neutered?

usually when a dog takes a very sudden personality switch (that cant be accounted for via envoronmental changes) its usually a medical issue, it could be somehting as simple as a chemical imbalance, it could be hes hurting, or it could be something as serious as cancer.

talk to your vet about it, get blood work done and then if nothing, its time to see a behaviourist/professional trainer one on one.

 

[showpug]

3 years old is the typical age that dogs will start acting this way if they are going to. He is reaching full mental and physical maturity now. If certain things didn't take place when he was younger, the problems will start to show now. Did he attend puppy school? Was he socialized a lot? What were his parents like?

Has anything changed in his life recently? Has something negative happened between him and a stranger?

In the mean time, don't ever let him off lead and make sure he is neutered!

 

[bubbatd]

Please have him vetted ................something is wrong !