We have a 4 month old Papipoo pup and she has started to show a bit of aggressive behavior and we want to nip it in the bud before it gets out of hand but not sure how to go about it. She is usually a fairly happy pup, easy going and a bit timid at times. Lately she has started to show a bit of aggressive behaviour. At times when she either jumps up onto our laps or we pick her up for a cuddle, she growls and tries to bite. It's not always but it is to the point where she isn't totally trusted. Last night she jumped onto my lap while I was sitting on the couch, she leaned against me for her usual cuddle and when I put my arm around her she started a very low growl and tried to bite my hand. I gave here a stern "NO" and put her back down on the floor and ignored her. She just looked at me as if to say "what??? what did i do???" and then she went on about her business playing with toys etc. How do we correct this behaviour. She seems to do it a lot more with me than with hubby. Any suggestions????? There are no medical issue as she was just at the vet and got a clean bill of health. She is active and doing well other than it seems like maybe she is testing her limits???? Not sure what to do so hoping others can give some guidance. She gets very growly during playtime when playing with her toys or having a tug of war with us. Is this just an extension of her finding out she has a voice??? Please help!!!!!
Puppy aggression?????? Help!
- Thread starter Missysmom
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It is natural for humans, being primates to want to hug to show our affection. This is not a canine "thing." Not until and unless they learn to tolerate it. To a dog, hugging makes them uncomfortable, threatened and it can appear as aggression from humans. Until a dog gets "use" to his people and becomes more tolerant, it is best to avoid covering the dog, looming over the dog. That said, as she grows and develops with you, she will probably learn more tolerance for that and will eventually come to associate good things with "human hugging."
For the time being, I'd avoid that since it is clearly making her uncomfortable. She warned you that she was feeling defensive or afraid and then she got punished for warning you. If you scold her ("NO!") for growling, you are essentially teaching her not to growl. So, if she is threatened or defensive, she will eventually skip the growl and go straight for the bite. Don't punish a growling dog.
What do you do with this 4 month old as far as obedience practice? She needs to earn most of what she likes and needs. You need to have her sit or down, shake hands (whatever she knows) before she gets a treat, dinner, out the door, toy, your attention. Don't be reacting to her every time she does something. In other words, if she looks to you for attention, don't always react. If she jumps on your lap uninvited, put her down. Ask her to sit first, then you be the one to inviter her up. Obedience practice, a little bit a couple times a day and one skill here and there throughout the day puts you in the "driver's seat." Use motivation and reward methods and don't put your dog on the defensive with traditional stern training methods. Make training fun so she'll look forward to working with you.
I would avoid leaving toys for her 24/7 and you choose the times when she can play. "Sit first." Teach her to give you the toy to your hand, by trading for a tasty treat. Make it a game. Then give the toy back. Teach her that it's fun to give you things. Make sure she gets use to humans taking things, but that she is not fearing losing her things. That includes her food. Drop an extra special tidbit of cheese or fresh meat into her bowl while she's eating. Hang around a little bit. Be sure she is trusing and comforatable with people around her food and toys....that she knows that YOU are the one who provides these things and that she has to EARN them. This is how you become a trusted leader, by controlling her resources.
Again, I must reiterate, that of course humans hug their dogs. I do and my dogs seem to like it all right. But at first, when the dog is so young, she may just see it as foreign and doesn't like it or feels somewhat fearful. They're all different. I had one like that, who was timid when I held him tightly. My Doberman, my most recent pup was not at all put off by that.. They all have different threhholds for "irritants." LOL.
Growly during playtime is perfectly normal. It's play. This is different than grwowling when you hugged her. Or could it be that she was playing then? Are you sure she was objecting and not soliciting play while on your lap? What was her body doing? Sometimes it's really hard on the Internet. We can't see your pup and if you're not familiar with dogs and don't recognize body language, facial expressions, it is sometimes possible to misread what is going on with the dog. I just based what I wrote on my interpretation of what I read in your post.
You called it aggressive behavior and it is very possible at 4 months that it was play. Puppies bite, growl, squirm when they play and they can get rough.
For the time being, I'd avoid that since it is clearly making her uncomfortable. She warned you that she was feeling defensive or afraid and then she got punished for warning you. If you scold her ("NO!") for growling, you are essentially teaching her not to growl. So, if she is threatened or defensive, she will eventually skip the growl and go straight for the bite. Don't punish a growling dog.
What do you do with this 4 month old as far as obedience practice? She needs to earn most of what she likes and needs. You need to have her sit or down, shake hands (whatever she knows) before she gets a treat, dinner, out the door, toy, your attention. Don't be reacting to her every time she does something. In other words, if she looks to you for attention, don't always react. If she jumps on your lap uninvited, put her down. Ask her to sit first, then you be the one to inviter her up. Obedience practice, a little bit a couple times a day and one skill here and there throughout the day puts you in the "driver's seat." Use motivation and reward methods and don't put your dog on the defensive with traditional stern training methods. Make training fun so she'll look forward to working with you.
I would avoid leaving toys for her 24/7 and you choose the times when she can play. "Sit first." Teach her to give you the toy to your hand, by trading for a tasty treat. Make it a game. Then give the toy back. Teach her that it's fun to give you things. Make sure she gets use to humans taking things, but that she is not fearing losing her things. That includes her food. Drop an extra special tidbit of cheese or fresh meat into her bowl while she's eating. Hang around a little bit. Be sure she is trusing and comforatable with people around her food and toys....that she knows that YOU are the one who provides these things and that she has to EARN them. This is how you become a trusted leader, by controlling her resources.
Again, I must reiterate, that of course humans hug their dogs. I do and my dogs seem to like it all right. But at first, when the dog is so young, she may just see it as foreign and doesn't like it or feels somewhat fearful. They're all different. I had one like that, who was timid when I held him tightly. My Doberman, my most recent pup was not at all put off by that.. They all have different threhholds for "irritants." LOL.
Growly during playtime is perfectly normal. It's play. This is different than grwowling when you hugged her. Or could it be that she was playing then? Are you sure she was objecting and not soliciting play while on your lap? What was her body doing? Sometimes it's really hard on the Internet. We can't see your pup and if you're not familiar with dogs and don't recognize body language, facial expressions, it is sometimes possible to misread what is going on with the dog. I just based what I wrote on my interpretation of what I read in your post.
You called it aggressive behavior and it is very possible at 4 months that it was play. Puppies bite, growl, squirm when they play and they can get rough.
Why is my puppy biting?
We could argue this all day long; there are several schools of thought on the matter. I think that it really doesn’t matter why it is happening the fact of the matter is, it is happening.
Now that leads us to our next question is my dog vicious? No all puppies nip and bite some can be incredible rough about it, they have a little more spunk than the puppy that you had before. These one is a little more tenacious then previous puppies nothing to stress about just make sure you are in the Alpha position and you will be fine. Train your little guy/gal that it is unacceptable to bite and teach them some obedience and you will have a happy healthy pet.
I am no expert but I can’t stress these two things enough:
Timing: When your puppy does any unwanted behavior be sure to correct them immediately!!! That means the second Fido’s teeth touch your hand CORRECTION!!!
Consistency: If the answer is “NO” once it is no every single time!! If you don’t want your dog to do it, never, never, never allow it, not even once because you are tired, busy, or “it was kind of cute the way they did it that time.” Personally I believe this is the biggest problem for most of us humans, don’t expect your puppy to know that it “wasn’t cute this time ”. This is law; once it is a “No” it is always a “No”!!!!!!
Now here are several methods, choose what you are comfortable with and what works for you:
As soon as your puppy nips, bites, or tugs at you:
1)Yelp let your puppy know that they are hurting you.
2)Before you play with your puppy stray Bitter Apple (available at almost any pet store or online) on your hands so they get a mouth full of a fowl taste. This is not painful it just tastes nasty.
3)Redirect his attention to a toy (if you have a squeaker or something that makes noise that you can hold in your hand) squeak shake it, etc. The noise will get his attention and you can tell him “No!”
4)Loop his leash around a doorknob and try giving him a timeout on that. Only 30 seconds or so, but no toys, no food, no attention at all. Play with him when you let him off and just keep repeating it until he gets it.
5)Shaking a can full of coins or the trusty water bottle.
6)Grab his lower jaw with your thumb inside his mouth and your hand under his mouth and hand it for a second. (Like fishermen grab fish) This is not painful just uncomfortable to the pup they don't like not having control of their mouth and this takes away control for a sec.
7)Use your fingers as a bite, since the puppy is small, use two fingers and assertively put them on the puppy’s neck when he bites you while saying "no bite".
8 )Flatten your hand and put your whole hand in the puppy’s mouth, make it so they cannot bite you but they have a mouth full of hand.
For people who intend to work there dogs I asked a couple of the workers to tell me how to handle puppy nipping/biting here is what one of them had to say: (This worker has years of experience and my respect along with other workers so I personally trust his opinion)
Edited to add: I copied this off another site and it seemed to have really helped me in my training my pup.
We could argue this all day long; there are several schools of thought on the matter. I think that it really doesn’t matter why it is happening the fact of the matter is, it is happening.
Now that leads us to our next question is my dog vicious? No all puppies nip and bite some can be incredible rough about it, they have a little more spunk than the puppy that you had before. These one is a little more tenacious then previous puppies nothing to stress about just make sure you are in the Alpha position and you will be fine. Train your little guy/gal that it is unacceptable to bite and teach them some obedience and you will have a happy healthy pet.
I am no expert but I can’t stress these two things enough:
Timing: When your puppy does any unwanted behavior be sure to correct them immediately!!! That means the second Fido’s teeth touch your hand CORRECTION!!!
Consistency: If the answer is “NO” once it is no every single time!! If you don’t want your dog to do it, never, never, never allow it, not even once because you are tired, busy, or “it was kind of cute the way they did it that time.” Personally I believe this is the biggest problem for most of us humans, don’t expect your puppy to know that it “wasn’t cute this time ”. This is law; once it is a “No” it is always a “No”!!!!!!
Now here are several methods, choose what you are comfortable with and what works for you:
As soon as your puppy nips, bites, or tugs at you:
1)Yelp let your puppy know that they are hurting you.
2)Before you play with your puppy stray Bitter Apple (available at almost any pet store or online) on your hands so they get a mouth full of a fowl taste. This is not painful it just tastes nasty.
3)Redirect his attention to a toy (if you have a squeaker or something that makes noise that you can hold in your hand) squeak shake it, etc. The noise will get his attention and you can tell him “No!”
4)Loop his leash around a doorknob and try giving him a timeout on that. Only 30 seconds or so, but no toys, no food, no attention at all. Play with him when you let him off and just keep repeating it until he gets it.
5)Shaking a can full of coins or the trusty water bottle.
6)Grab his lower jaw with your thumb inside his mouth and your hand under his mouth and hand it for a second. (Like fishermen grab fish) This is not painful just uncomfortable to the pup they don't like not having control of their mouth and this takes away control for a sec.
7)Use your fingers as a bite, since the puppy is small, use two fingers and assertively put them on the puppy’s neck when he bites you while saying "no bite".
8 )Flatten your hand and put your whole hand in the puppy’s mouth, make it so they cannot bite you but they have a mouth full of hand.
For people who intend to work there dogs I asked a couple of the workers to tell me how to handle puppy nipping/biting here is what one of them had to say: (This worker has years of experience and my respect along with other workers so I personally trust his opinion)
Edited to add: I copied this off another site and it seemed to have really helped me in my training my pup.
I have to disagree about corrections if "corrections" are to mean aversive (startling, frightening, nerve wracking, scary, painful, intimidating, coercing) punishment. The best way IMO to teach a puppy that biting hard is unproductive for her is to end all playtime immediately. Get up and walk off. You can give a "no reward marker." ("too bad")
Bite inhibition is very important for a pup to learn. That means that mouthing your hand gently is OK, but the second there's any pressure behind it, to where there is any pain, playtime over. This can mean the difference between a dog pinching someone when they're put in a defensive situation and ripping off a child's face. They need to learn to regulate the pressure of their bite rather than not bite at all. End all playtime and attention if the teeth hurt you in the slightest. Don't speak, (unless you want to use a no reward marker)(I don't for this, but some people do) look at, touch, NOTHING. Walk away. When the pup is mouthing gently, stay and pat the pup. Later you can teach the pup that unless you invite her to play mouthy, she does not. You will be putting it on cue down the road. That way you don't have to have a slobbery dog mouthing on you anytime she wants.
Again....please do not punish a puppy harshly, by spraying things, frightening her with loud noises, fiddling with her mouth with your hand (that's just more attention)....you need her to trust you as her teacher, not fear you or be nervous with you. Teach her instead, what behavior brings her your attention, toys, whatever it is she wants and what behavior does not. Remove whatever payoff she's getting for whatever she's doing when you don't like that behavior. Show her what she can chew on instead.
Bite inhibition is very important for a pup to learn. That means that mouthing your hand gently is OK, but the second there's any pressure behind it, to where there is any pain, playtime over. This can mean the difference between a dog pinching someone when they're put in a defensive situation and ripping off a child's face. They need to learn to regulate the pressure of their bite rather than not bite at all. End all playtime and attention if the teeth hurt you in the slightest. Don't speak, (unless you want to use a no reward marker)(I don't for this, but some people do) look at, touch, NOTHING. Walk away. When the pup is mouthing gently, stay and pat the pup. Later you can teach the pup that unless you invite her to play mouthy, she does not. You will be putting it on cue down the road. That way you don't have to have a slobbery dog mouthing on you anytime she wants.
Again....please do not punish a puppy harshly, by spraying things, frightening her with loud noises, fiddling with her mouth with your hand (that's just more attention)....you need her to trust you as her teacher, not fear you or be nervous with you. Teach her instead, what behavior brings her your attention, toys, whatever it is she wants and what behavior does not. Remove whatever payoff she's getting for whatever she's doing when you don't like that behavior. Show her what she can chew on instead.