Expert QA

I have a 4-year-old male and a 3-year-old female miniature Schnauzer. The male is extremely jealous of the female and won’t even let her eat in peace or sit in my lap without reacting. What could be causing this behavior and how can I stop it?

From the Editors of The Dog Daily

Showing aggression is one of the most common -- yet quite serious -- problems seen in dogs. There are different forms of this: possessive aggression (when a dog challenges others over favorite objects and people), territorial aggression (when a dog defends its territory, which may even include you) and dominant aggression (when a dog asserts its strength and status over another dog). There are other types, but it sounds like your dog displays all three of these. Neutering, if you haven't done that already, can solve many such problems. Also, depending on how your pet was raised as a puppy, or what training he has received, aggression can be something that emerges in very young dogs that they will not outgrow on their own: They must be properly trained and socialized. You need to assert your pack leadership over your male dog. When you tell him to stop doing something, he must learn to obey your commands. If your dog has already gone through basic training, regularly reinforce those exercises. For the sake of your younger female dog, yourself and your houseguests, you may want to try professional obedience training for your dog, even if this will be a refresher course. An experienced trainer can work with your pet over a period of time. If your dog is acting out among familiar faces, he's likely to be in an even more combative mood around complete strangers.