If she bites someone it could be a difficult situation. The jumping on people is a problem that needs to be addressed to - but at least this is a 8lb pup and not a 80lb pup you're having to deal with! My 6 year old son sees the puppy at least a few times during the week, but their meetings are very casual. However, the fact that Tiffany comes back after Molson to reprimand him when he's stepped over the line is a good thing. I've taught him to sit, come and stay (w/ treats) but when I don't use the treats he rarely listens to me. My grandparents bought him and decided to give him to me as a gift, unfortunately while he was with them he had the opportunity to pee on the floor. If you are a stranger to the dog, don't go close to them or maintain eye contact with them. Even though I have used all sorts of cleaners I think he can still smell his "accidents.". At your pups age he is testing his boundaries, and it seems that he's showing signs of 'guarding'. Barking cant be totally eliminated as it is a natural behavior and a form of puppy communication, but you can teach your puppy to reduce barking. We got a new puppy nearly 3 weeks ago, we got her off the dog pound, it was my husband who wanted a dog to start with. Get his chewing under control by reading my Puppy Chewing page and following the tips there. Talk about 'cute puppy dog eyes'! and I try to get it out, she will start growling and trying to bite. There's an article here on leash training puppies which I think will help you... Leash Training A Puppy. I'd recommend that as soon as he's had at least two sets of shots, that you enrol him in a Puppy Obedience Class (see my Dog Obedience Schools page for tips and advice on choosing a good school). There are many people seen who… She doesn't go crazy indoors and she'll just follow us around and lay down near us or play with her toys. If he even thinks he hears her car coming, he will start barking, whining, and making lots of other noises until she comes in. She is loving with my family and our other two dogs. Tries humping everyone, especially the two older dogs. He also chews on everyone's shoes. Whenever he growls at you, tell him very firmly "NO" (but don't ever shout or smack him etc., that will only make him resentful and maybe even scared). I really love the dog and want to find a way to fix this problem. There's no need to scold the pup harshly or to shout etc. Make sure that you don't mistake that for aggressive growling. Either you or your husband holds the leash and the other person opens the door, when the visitor steps in and your pup rushes forward to jump on them, give the leash a short/sharp tug so that he isn't able to jump and is put off-balance. Don't let your son, or anyone else get close to your puppy when he's eating until you get this under control or there is a chance they will get bitten. Your pup needs to know that you are this person. But pups do want to please their owners, and are eager to learn, it's often just that they don't know what is expected of them and are following their canine instincts. I would also recommend practicing the 'leave it' command with his toys etc. Don't yell, or smack at her when she starts acting up as this only increases the emotional level of the situation and will ramp up her tension and excitability. Other puppies understand this, but children don't, and when they run and squeal they are actually encouraging her to continue (at least that's what she thinks!). Always use a calm, but firm voice and keep it low. This is why they're often not recommended as the ideal choice for first time dog owners (among others). This is pretty normal adolescent puppy behavior, and your pup may be a touch on the dominant side. She goes to work with him every day but I have to put he in his … If you do this at every mealtime for a week, then cut back to doing it at one mealtime a day, then every other day.. you should eventually just need to do this on a random basis to keep his trust. This may sound like a lot of work but it is definitely worth the effort and isn't nearly as time consuming as it sounds. It's important when you're doing this to make sure that when he lets you put your hand in his bowl, or pick it up, that he gets a treat or benefit. I wish you the best of luck with this little guy. Once outside he kept nipping at my toes, knees, back of knees. Just make sure she has some safe, sturdy toys to play with. Often I think it is the husband or the male because they tend to be slightly less nurturing than the woman in the relationship, but it certainly works both ways! Some situations make them afraid. I think she gets plenty of exercise (playing fetch, walking). There's one other point I'd like to mention because your pup is part Rottweiler. Large or guardian breeds do NOT need a more authoritarian style of training than any other breed. I want to build his confidence, but feel like I'm about as clueless as can be. This is definitely a problem, but isn't unusual. Giving both dogs lots of exercise on a daily basis will also help them (particularly Molson) to use up their excess physical and mental energy. My puppy is 4 months old German Shepherd cross Rottweiler and when you stroke him he sometimes growls. He may gorge himself the first time or two, but once he realizes that there's always going to be enough food he'll start to slow down. said Tom Mountain, vice chairman of … My son had already greeted the puppy, but when my son went to pet the puppy again the puppy began barking at my son. It's best to have a small or mid sized pup 'altered' (ie either neutered or spayed) before 6 months of age for health reasons. Now, none of this is going to result in a well-behaved pup overnight, but if you are consistent, loving and patient - but firm, your little guy WILL get the message. How can we break this behavior before my grandchild is born?? This page contains a wide selection of real-life questions that I have been asked by puppy owners. I have noticed when he is outside playing and having fun he gets to a point that he is just 100% wide open 100 mph. If he growls or snaps, take him by the scruff of the neck and shake him (not roughly, just enough to get his attention) while telling him "No growl" or something similar. It is actually possible that there is a combination of causes at play. When your dog is telling you no, instead of forcing them, you should figure out why. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. Although you think she gets enough exercise, her behavior is indicating that she doesn't. Actually, in that situation he IS hungry because the worms are taking all the nutrition from his food, so no matter how much he eats, he's always hungry. While your dog is learning not to bark at your husband, do not comfort it, even if it seems scared. Chewing is one of the ways that dogs release stress and it can actually help calm them down! It … If she clamps down on your hand, tell her "NO BITE" very firmly, and at the same time 'encourage' her to let go by giving her a shot of the breath mint spray right inside her mouth. By that point she will probably be about ready to start her obedience classes. If you think this could be happening here, try putting your pup in her crate in another room for an hour during the worst of the 'rush hour' and bring her back out when all is more calm. Also, you have a puppy of a herding breed. Begin by hand feeding Zeus his meals - one piece of kibble at a time. At the time of this incident the pup should have been corrected with a firm "NO bark" and his attention re-directed either to a toy or a game etc. No matter how aggressive your dog is, it is no excuse to hit your dog. I keep telling him not to mess with it and for the most part he doesn’t however when he gets in this “crazy” mood swing he looks right at me and takes off for the tree. It's important to be very consistent when training puppies and not to expect overnight results. However, it completely freaks me out when she starts running around in circles around me and it's almost like she has me cornered and I'm just screaming NO! As for the housetraining problem in your grandma's house, it's likely a combination of him smelling his own scent from previous accidents and the fact that it's a habit for him to go indoors at that house. If you have had Zeus properly dewormed, and you know that's not the problem, then it may be that he wasn't properly taken care of before you got him. But if either of them snarl, curl their lip or put back their ears etc., this is a more serious warning than just play growling. If he had to fight his siblings over an inadequate supply of food, he would already have developed a very food-possessive attitude. She growls and snaps at guests, company in and around my home, and if I take her to the vet, groomers, anywhere where people want to touch her. as to an extent he actually is playing. If Zeus protects his toys aggressively, you'll need to work on getting him to 'exchange' a toy for a treat, and then you give him the toy right back. She chews and bites anything and everything, that is common behaviour but she seems to be more intent on biting feet and toes as well as hands and fingers. However, they can also be stubborn and self-confident and can challenge an owner they feel to be 'weaker' than them, or not in control. Be truly present. After a couple of days begin to drop some very tasty treats into his bowl one at a time while he's eating. It sounds to me as though you've got a fairly dominant little puppy there, one who is determined to be 'alpha' in all situations. That way the correction, seems in his mind, to be directly related to his jumping, and not to someone pulling him. My American Bulldog puppy, 4 months old growls at me and snaps when I go near his food bowl when he is eating. Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. When he is here she can still be pretty unruly, however it is clear that she respects him a lot more than me and will listen to his stop, stay commands etc. Make sure that she gets periods of one-on-one time with you, and play sessions etc., but only on YOUR terms. If he barks, nips or jumps on her you'll need to tell him "no" firmly (but don't shout or smack) and redirect his attention to something that he is allowed to play with. I've included the most common worries and if you have a question about an 'aggressive' or dominant puppy, chances are good that you'll find the answer you need here. Maybe they are not feeling well, or something is scaring them. To begin with I would suggest getting a crate for your little guy and begin to use it regularly. These breeds often excel at learning tricks and love to perform, this would be another way to help her use up her energy and talent. For now I would stick to taking her outside in the yard on her leash, it's normal for a puppy to resist the leash at first but if you are persistent and patient she will learn to accept it. It is up to you to ensure that you interact with your dog in a positive way and utilise dog training to encourage positive behaviours. Shouting or physical corrections have the same effect. This often results in bossy/bratty behavior which can seem to be aggressive. He says he made a mistake. It's a win-win for him :o). Give them their own space. Dogs see three things as a challenge . As your pup has also snapped at you, then chances are he is really growling, but a lot of people aren't aware of this Rottie habit and I wanted to be sure that you were. Your puppy is behaving in a very normal way because he sees your daughter as a sibling, another puppy really, and this is his way of interacting with other puppies. Dogs are not human beings. I feed him 2 meals a day, my husband feeds him 1 meal a day. Doing the things your dog loves will make them happy and change their negative feelings toward you. Luckily it's usually pretty straightforward to figure out what's going on and correct the problem. The puppy was called over, and the barking stopped. HELP!! At this age they need firm guidelines or they'll make up the rules themselves. If you want your dog's attention and respect, give it yours first. Then you may want to use a crate to confine him at least for part of the time you're there, the rest of the time watch him very closely and get him outside at the first hint that he needs to 'go'. Puppies don't understand housebreaking the way we humans do, and as far as Duke is concerned he knows that he needs to go outdoors at home, but thinks it's okay to go indoors at your grandma's. It sounds as though you have a bit of difficulty on your hands, but really this is pretty normal behavior, so don't panic! 1)  I have a small tree planted in the side of my yard. I tried lots of things but it is not until my son picks him and removes his from the room does he stops. She isn't afraid of them at all. Please help! Generally I allow running around for a while, but the nipping and biting is a no-no. Any suggestions on building his confidence and encouraging a healthy relationship with family, friends, and other dogs? Of course, that's simply not possible. To get the best out of this, make sure your dog gets to know the food is coming from you. Basically, I want to know how to get her to not attack her leash, or the hand that puts it on her and how to stop aggressive behavior with my kids. The puppy is on the timid side, but has grown out of its shell since joining his new family. Sometimes I give her camomile tea mixed in with her water - sometimes it calms her down. Your little guy loves you both, and he will be happier and more secure once you establish rules and cause-and-effect for him. I'd recommend getting a couple of those tiny breath mint sprays and using those as a deterrent when you correct her for biting. Your dog may bark when you're approaching them because they fear you. At these times it would be good to keep a favorite chew toy in your pocket and offer him that as he runs past you to distract him from your pant legs. Biting is a big no-no, if he ever snaps or bites at you, again tell him "NO BITE" firmly, and if necessary reinforce that by wrapping your hand gently around his muzzle for a few seconds. She simply said the puppy was playing. Some dogs bark for your attention. Right now, he's becoming an adolescent and he's trying to exert his own authority and test his boundaries, he wants to know 'who's in charge' - he needs to find out that it's YOU. If I'm busy or my husband is not paying attention to him, he moves his bowels where ever he feels like it. While your dog is in training, show it that there is no reason to be afraid of your husband, and eventually, your dog … A lot of it is trial and error and just trying to figure out what makes things worse, and what makes them better. Don't approach your dog from its back as this may startle them, especially older dogs who may be hard of hearing. She loves kids and other people - always wants to greet and play with them. Eventually you'll be able to make his treat just once in every half a dozen times and he'll still be obedient. However, this sort of 'humping' behavior isn't necessarily sexual in young puppies, and tends to be more of a dominant behavior. I'd also suggest that you visit my Aggressive Puppy page to learn more about the different types of aggressive behavior in puppies and to find out whether your pup really has a problem or not. Ask her to 'sit' (and make sure she obeys) before you feed her, play with her, pet her and so on. Raising a puppy is like raising a child, and it takes lots of time, patience and consistency to teach them the correct behavior and how to fit in with their human pack. When she does that, I try to bribe her with a treat again. For the most part he never acts this way. Sometimes these moments of puppy craziness are worse in pups who are not able to be active during the day, and their energy just builds up. So, if you find that they're just going at it and it's getting out of hand - step in and separate them. She scolds me. Instead of taking your dog out for a quick walk around the block for potty breaks, take them for a long walk. When they misbehave, be calm. I walk him and teach him obedience during the day. If you watch carefully, I think you'll notice that although they nip and bite at each other, they don't actually bite-down, it's more an open-jawed 'mouthing' behavior. Don't wait until they misbehave to correct it. If she has something in her mouth she shouldn't, like a leaf, rock, sock, etc. It can be pretty easy to get puppy aggression and dominance issues confused, especially if you're not familiar with normal 'baby dog' behavior! A combative, or overbearing approach doesn't work as the dog will often resist, but if you use a loving, calm and firm attitude your puppy will respect you and pay attention. But that was not the case this time. I keep telling him Riley is still a puppy and it's our fault that he does the things he does.. That we allow him and enable him to be a bad pup, but for the life of me, I don't know how to correct all this bad behavior. Don't talk to her (even negative attention is attention in her eyes) and don't make eye-contact, simply walk away or ignore her. 3 months old. After he's stopped jumping, or at least has slowed down his efforts, the person at the door should ask him to 'sit' and once his little butt is on the floor, he gets a treat and the visitor can greet him while he's sitting. Unfortunately, these products will not change how your dog feels about you. She's literally like a Tazmanian Devil(the animal, not cartoon) in how she reacts. It definitely sounds as though Molson tends towards being dominant, but at least right now he's young. She's an adolescent and it's natural for her to be testing boundaries etc., she simply needs to know exactly what she can get away with and what she can't. I asked my niece why she didn't correct the puppy from barking (she was cleaning up the puppy's business when this happened). If you touch the bowl he would rather tear your hand off for lack of better term. My 15 wk old boxer just started humping legs. My American Bulldog puppy, 4 months old growls at me and snaps when I go near his food bowl when he is eating. When you're playing and training your dog, give them 100% attention. It's very likely that this issue will have been resolved long before he's big enough to hurt Tiffany. However, what's worse is that Tiff sometimes comes after Molson with a few nips and bites, and the cycle of puppy fights continues! Some may say that you shouldn't comfort a fearful dog. Dogs are sometimes aggressive out of fear and to protect themselves. 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