What Causes A Young Aussie To Turn And Attack Her Owner?

by Karen
(Cleveland, OH)

Hello. I have a 9 month old purebred Red Tri Aussie. She is a well cared for dog and we exercise her, play ball with her, and take her many different places with us! She is well socialized, and we have had playdates with other dogs ever since she was 9 weeks old. She gets along with dogs, and nice to people. She can be somewhat shy with strangers but then warms up.

The problem is sometimes she gets so excitable, starts to growl, and attacks my pantlegs, feet, and legs. It is not play-biting. I make her sit and calm down when it happens on walks. I shorten the leash to better control her. However, she sometimes comes at me multiple times and aggressively bites me. It is infrequent, but when it happens it is bad. What causes a dog to turn on it's owner? We have been through training, and she does not do this to anyone else but me. I spend an hour per day power walking/jogging her rain or shine! We also do sprints and play ball with her frequently. The attacks seem to happen during walks when she really gets wound up and wants to play - run free perhaps? Then she turns on me... anyone else have this problem? Thanks!

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