Out train sporadic dog aggression

TLDR: before I drop a lot of money on a trainer.. Can unprovoked unexpected aggression (not triggered by the presence of toys, food, or other dogs) be out trained in a dog? If so, how? What are my other options? Already doing anti anxiety treats and vet visit for physical. If it is possible and I decide not to hire someone, what kind of commitment would I need to have in order to fix this myself?

I am considering hiring a professional but before I invest that kind of money, I’ve heard that it may not be possible to fix this behavior. No

He’s a small (less than 20lb dog) and he really is very smart and a good boy. He usually listens pretty well, follows commands, etc. he is loving and snuggly and very sweet. He is a good walker too, house trained, etc.

However, there are some times he shows/showed aggression that I know can be/have been corrected but some im not sure can be corrected with training. I can work with him on the toy aggression (specifically with the cats) and I DRASTICALLY improved his nipping at new dogs he meets.

But these ones are more concerning: Can these be out trained?

1. At night he gets “testy.” He will attack my feet under the blanket if I touch him accidentally. Especially in bed at night or on the couch when he’s getting tired. One time, I tried to kiss him at night (he loves kisses during the day like LOVES them) and he nipped my face and I needed to get stitches. It doesn’t only happen in the dark.

2. He approaches people for pets and then as he’s getting them he may nip at them. Happened with the new pet sitter (maybe anxiety?) and a friend. No noticeable sores on his body or anything.

3. This one is kind of funny but he was under the bed and I was having sex with this guy and his foot went on the ground and my dog nipped at it. LOL... the guy turned out to be a jerk anyway and the guys dog was also there at my house and my dog didn’t really know either of them well. But still not ok to nip at someone LOL..

So far I tried/will try:

1. Taking him to the vet for a check up. Wondering if something is going on with his eye sight/peripheral vision maybe

2. Treat for anxiety with anti anxiety treats or whatever vet recommends

3. Working one on one with him on the toy aggression similar to how I did the dog aggressions.

4. Keep a log and see if the behaviors occur more or less based on a pattern of his/my daily activities.

So: can these behaviors be corrected with training? What can I do to correct it myself? Is it better to hire a trainer?

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from Pets https://www.reddit.com/r/Pets/comments/mj99iq/out_train_sporadic_dog_aggression/