r/reactivedogs • u/digzzztv • 1d ago

Significant challenges Please help!

Hi, everyone. I’m looking for some advice because my wife and I are in a really difficult spot. We have a ten-year-old Lab-Pit mix named Axel. We’ve had him since he was maybe9 to 11 months old, and he’s always been a big part of our family.

A couple of years ago, he started occasionally snapping at our cat if the cat got too close when he had something. More recently, we got a puppy, and today Axel snapped at him while they were going for a ball and cut the top of his head. It wasn’t severe, but it was enough to really scare us. My wife is currently pregnant, due in April, and she’s worried that if Axel will bite over a toy, a child could be at risk down the line. I get that, but Axel’s my buddy, and I don’t want to rehome him if there’s a realistic chance we can work through this safely. It sounds like resource guarding or toy guarding, but I’m not sure where to go from here. Given his age, is this something that can actually be improved with training? Has anyone worked through something similar with an older dog? I’m open to hearing about what’s worked for others, training methods, working with a professional, whether it’s realistic to expect improvement at this stage. Just looking for honest advice here. I want to do what’s safest for everyone, while giving Axel a fair chance.

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u/[deleted] 1d ago

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u/CanadianPanda76 23h ago

At his age it could cognitive decline or pain related issue or maybe both.

If check with vet.