[hrobinson72]

Hi, 2 months ago I adopted a 2yr old rescue dog called pepper as a companion for my bored 3yr old lab cross collie winnie, they got on amazingly from the start and can spend all day playing with each other, but in the past 2 weeks pepper has become jumpy and snappy, she has started to panic when ever she hears a loud bang such as my partner breaking wood for the fire, she has started sitting outside the kids rooms at night and when we try to move her she snaps at us, she has also bitten my son when he opened his door one night to see why she was growling.
We love her to bits and dont want to have to send her back, can anyone help us try and fix the problem.

[Marc]

Something has changed or recently happened to her, and one of the most difficult things in the world can be trying to figure out what.

If she trusts you, then give her a full body massage (just rub lightly). I know it sounds weird, but this is how you start with a 'suddenly strange' acting dog to see if there are any tender and or sore spots. Check her mouth for loose/tender teeth. Check her toenails. Check for matted hair. Ask everyone if they've disciplined her with a rolled up newspaper or anything like that. Were any strangers in the house around the time this started? Did they make loud noises or sudden moves? Did the kids run and fall near her? Did something get dropped near her? The smallest thing can make a rescue dog revert, but it's not permanent. She's still a good pet. Keep spending time with her to build those bonds.

If you just cannot pinpoint anything at all, then go for the full vet check up.