Why does my dog do this?

Question

okayy

so my dog (buddy) growles at me and one time at christmas he bit my cousin ( 3 yrs. old) but not through the skin.

so we took him to obedience class and he does at that stuff. when he growls i either spray bitter apple in his mouth or i put him in his room (laundary room).

but even after hes had that done billions of times he still growles at me. one time my sister brung her dog over reese so (buddys brother) buddy attacked him and he would not give off of him.

so anyways even when hes laying down and i pet him he sometimes growels at me idk y.

am i doing anything wrong? what should i do, because when ever people come over we have to say don't pet him, becuase he might bit or growl.

now you know the problem let me tell the story.

when buddy was a puppy his owners work 1st and 3rd shift so buddy was always in a cage. when ever he would whine the people would kick the cage and tell him to shut up. and they didn't feed him that much and didn't give him toys so he would steal food and chew baby toys and excuse him because they didn't care for him.

so my sisters boyfriend took him and my sister and her boyfriend live together both of the dogs were fine but then they started to fight and do my mom wanted to get a dog so we took buddy.

Answer 1

With the story of Buddy's previous owners he probably has trust issues. You have to earn his trust and let him know that he's okay. If he's not nuetered that may help to calm him also. Best of luck!

Answer 2

Both the people above  have a good point.

Answer 3

you both need more training.  he needs to have more loving and trust built up.

good luck.

Answer 4

I'd say consult a trainer. They will help you figure out if the aggression comes from dominance issues or if it's fear based so you can follow the best action plan.

As for right now I'd suggest LOTS of exercise as well as always having a quiet place for him to go when he feels insecure.

Be firm and consistent but never mean/scary.  

Answer 5

Well it sounds like his aggressive issues are due to him not being properly socialized as a puppy.  You may need to seek out a professional to help you correct this problem.