Dear Pooja,
We adopted a 2.5 year old Maltese terrier last year.
He was quite aggressive when we took him in, to the extent my kids had to take tetanus injections due to his bites.
We realised this was because he had separation anxiety as he was in and out of five houses before us.
He has cooled down a lot with time but occasionally he gets aggressive when he approaches people at the door.
He tends to growl and bite and it is when we least expect it as these people are known to him.
Please advise how to train him.
Regards,
Neetu Nelson

Ans: He needs to be checked by a doctor for any deficiency. Blood tests too may be needed

Ans: Dear Shubham,
How is it possible for a 5-year old to understand logic when he is throwing an emotional fit (tantrum)?
Like you said it yourself; when it could have been stopped and changed, it wasn't done. He probably felt that it was fine to behave 'violently' (though I don't understand the context in which you use this word).
Now. all of a sudden when you and your wife are trying to stop him, he is pulling away as this behaviour was rewarded earlier. he has your earlier silence as your love and affection for which which he fears will be withdrawn now if he stops his behaviour.
So, logic isn't going to work; it doesn't work with adults, and here the child is merely 5 years.
So undoing what was done is going to take a lot of effort and patience (beyond all the talk that you and yoir wife are doing).
Start by:
- ignoring his tantrums; he will time-out himself in exhaustion
- talking to him at his eye level; get down on your knees, so he doesn't feel intimidated by your height
- hugging him a lot; a caring touch is worth a thousand words
- telling him how excited you both were when he was born; this can ensure that he will be special even after the arrival of the new baby
- distracting him with creative things; story telling and fine motor skill games improve focus and concentration
- cutting down on foods filled with sugar; sugar boost is artificial and can make a child or anyone go a little anxious
- ensuring him that he is loved a lot; saying it aloud while hugging him will soften his behaviour over time

Try these and I hope they work. If not, kindly without delay seek an appointment with a professional who can deal with children at your son's age.

All the best!

Ans: Check if he is able to accept No and have waiting skills. Incase not, you can first work on it. Give him but delay it and give him what he wants immediately. If he is not able to adjust to a group it can be due to various reasons,we need to check that.