Dealing with an aggressive puppy is stressful and upsetting, but we can help you stop their barking, biting, chewing and bad behavior. Worrying you have an aggressive puppy is really common. Especially at 11 to 12 weeks old when they are growing in confidence and might start snarling, growling, snapping, staring or even lunging at you. Today I will help you to read your puppy’s body language, and tell the difference between puppy aggression vs puppy play. You’ll learn how to spot the signs of a truly aggressive puppy, and know when they are showing natural but rough tendencies instead. We’ll share how to calm your puppy down, and stop puppy aggression becoming a long term problem. Turning your aggressive puppy into a calm, happy companion.
Contents
- Why is my puppy so aggressive?
- Signs of aggression in young puppies
- How to deal with an aggressive puppy
- Can you train aggressive puppies?
Puppy aggression can be a problem for baby dogs of any sex or breed, but is more common in some than others. Traditional hunting dogs are more likely to chew and bite, for example. And working guarding breeds may be more likely to be wary of strangers or unsettled by change. But most of the behavior you see in puppies that really looks aggressive, actually isn’t!
You Are Not Alone: Puppy Aggression Concerns Are Common
In my experience as a trainer working within a large veterinarian clinic, I realized that puppy aggression was one of the most commonly misinterpreted behavior scenarios that causes distress to pet owners. Fortunately, while collaborating with the vets and behavior experts, we were able to put to rest the fears associated with puppy aggression in most cases.
Picture this. You go to your vet and say, “Please help! My puppy keeps biting me aggressively!” But at the clinic, the puppy shows none of the usual signs of biting or aggression. Of course he’s a perfect cuddly pup in front of everyone else… Without being able to see any physical or medical problems, your vet can’t offer a solution.
He might say, “It’s probably just normal puppy behavior.” Does that make you feel any better? You might still be distressed. You might be wondering: How do I KNOW if this angry puppy is safe? How can I tell if my puppy’s bites, growls, and barking are normal phases of puppy play or if there’s a bigger problem?
How to Stop a Puppy from being Aggressive
That’s exactly what we’re talking about today! Keep in mind that dog aggression is a controversial topic. It’s important to realize that there are lots of reasons dogs can be aggressive. So after reading this article, if you’re still not confident that the aggressive puppy growling and biting is part of your pooch’s normal growth and learning cycle, you should go ahead and talk to your vet or call a trainer.
Did you know there are more than 10 types of aggression characterized in dogs? In addition to snarling, growling, and biting characterized by what is considered typical puppy play behavior, there are several types of aggression that dogs can exhibit. Aggression due to fear, food, object guarding, and idiopathic biological aggression are just a few examples of more serious behavioral problems.
These are all atypical behaviors that a dog exhibits in response to pain or fear, or to communicate conflict or threat. There are lots of theories as to causes and methods of treatment for dog aggression. However, misinterpreting puppy play behavior for problematic aggression is common among pet owners.
Why is My Puppy so Aggressive?
Today, I want to focus on what’s classified as “play aggression.” This includes all the behaviors considered typically aggressive puppy play. These behaviors will either intensify or weaken with maturity and training, so it’s important to learn how to stop aggressive behavior in puppies early. They turn into life skills for canines as part of their typical species behavior. Even wild animals exhibit some of these behaviors in their play.
With puppies play fighting is an important part of their development. Just as lion cubs learn to pounce on prey. Bears learn to wrestle and bite at each other’s muzzles to protect their territory as adults. Whether or not your teacup Chihuahua will ever need to rely on her hunting or defense skills, she will likely practice them quite a bit as a pup!
Aggressive Puppy Signs
Does your puppy do any of the following?
- Jumps up on your legs over and over
- Snarls or growls
- Snaps her jaws in the air as if she’s trying to bite at you, snaps at faces
- Barks at you
- Bites your hand when you’re trying to pet or snuggle her
- Bites your ankles and feet when you try to walk
Signs that are Confused with Aggressive Puppy Behavior
For comparison, here are some descriptions of typical canine puppy play interactions:
- Chasing one another
- Jumping on one another
- Pinning another puppy to the ground and standing over him
- Biting or chewing on another puppy’s ears and muzzle
- Biting or chewing on another puppy’s feet and tail
- Snarling and growling
- Snapping jaws
- Barking
To watch a puppy stalking and pouncing can be quite amusing. But it can be much more of a worry to hear that same puppy snarling or to discover your cute puppy growling at kids. So how on earth are you supposed to know what is normal, and what is problematic aggressive puppy behavior?!
Aggressive Puppy Attacks!
Don’t feel alone in your concerns, and never be embarrassed to ask for help! I once had a client call me, practically in tears, saying, “My puppy is aggressive towards me!” When I went to her house, I was prepared for the worst. (I had bite-protection gloves and everything!) I got there and saw the poor woman sitting on top of the counter in her kitchen while her 12-week-old Labrador puppy trotted around the kitchen barking up at her—wagging his tail.
For this woman, her fear was real. She was genuinely afraid of being bitten by her puppy. But the puppy thought it was a game. “I’ll bark at mommy, and she squeals so I bark some more!” The puppy was simply communicating with his human mama in “puppy speak.”
Aggressive Puppy Behavior vs Natural Play Behaviors
Here are some tips for differentiating between aggressive puppy signs and whether your puppy is just trying to play:
- Is he play-bowing and wagging his tail? If your puppy bows with his forearms on the floor while his rump is high in the air, and his tail is wagging—that’s a good indicator that he is happily initiating play rather than threatening aggressively.
- Does he leap and pounce onto his target? That’s another sign of a game.
- Look for reciprocity. In play, puppies alternate back and forth with their roughhousing. Is your puppy usually only aggressive when you are playing together? Does he stop if you stop? If you walk away, does he continue to chase you and snarl? If you startle him with a loud noise like clapping your hands, will he back off?
- Maybe he’s teething. Teething in puppies is accompanied by a heightened desire to chew. If your puppy is just as content to chew on toys as he is to bite at your hand or feet, he might be teething. Be sure to rotate a variety of good teething toys to alleviate this issue.
- Does he show signs of fear or pain? A puppy that is afraid or in pain will likely become aggressive. If his ears are pinned back, tail is tucked, eyes are darting, or if he’s slinking with his whole body close to the floor, your puppy might be afraid of something. If a puppy growls when picked up that’s another sign that they maybe afraid. It would be a good idea to consult a behavior expert and a vet to make sure there are no other problems causing your puppy to have unhealthy levels of aggression.
Remember that a puppy growling when playing is a normal puppy. Some puppies are louder and sound more ferocious than others, but most do it to some extent.
How to Deal with an Aggressive Puppy
There are two ways to stop aggressive behavior in puppies. First, you should manage situations during which your puppy becomes aggressive. Second, you can train behaviors to shape polite play and attention-seeking from your pooch.
Managing Biting
Puppies love to chew and bite! But puppy teeth are sharp, and if your hands are turning black and blue or bleeding from what seems to be aggressive puppy biting, you should interrupt the behavior every single time. Here are some steps to manage aggressive puppy biting and other difficult puppy behaviors.
- To manage the behaviors, you need to manage the environment around your pup. Rough play is directly linked to energy level, so any time the play gets too rough, end the game and let your pup have some time to relax. Interrupt aggressive puppy biting and growling by standing up and walking away or removing your pooch to her resting area (crate or playpen).
- Learn how to stop aggressive puppy biting—interrupt and redirect his attention to an appropriate chew toy any time he bites at your hands during play or petting.
- Put your puppy on a long training leash during play sessions with other people or dogs. When he starts getting too rough, you can step on the leash or use the end of the leash to pull him away from his play buddies.
- Children tend to squeal, scream, and move around a lot—all things that trigger excitement in puppies. So use a leash and teach your children and friends how to keep play calm or stop it when it gets too rough.
- If your puppy tugs on your clothes incessantly or nips at your ankles, keep him on a leash. This way you can pull him away from you and redirect his attention to walking straight ahead.
- Give your puppy opportunities to play with other dogs and socialize properly. (Be sure to wait until he has all his vaccinations!) Dog parks and doggy daycares are good places to let your puppy have supervised socialization. Sometimes other dogs make better teachers for our canine companions!
How to Train An Aggressive Puppy
In addition to managing the environment and situations during which aggression usually occurs, here are some tips for training your puppy that will break the cycle of aggression.
- First, get your puppy used to being pet, handled, and snuggled without triggering rough play or chewing.
- Teach your puppy bite inhibition. This is the process of learning when a bite is too strong or no longer part of reciprocal fun. Puppies usually learn bite inhibition early from their mothers, but you can learn some techniques for training this. Check out the links at the bottom of the article.
- Teach your puppy to “leave it” so that you can cue him to stop biting, chewing, or tugging at your shoes, clothes, the leash, or other dogs and people.
Now that You Have a Plan, Put it into Action!
If your puppy is under 5 months old and exhibits any of these signs of puppy play aggression, try out some of our management and training techniques discussed here. Remember if your puppy plays too rough, it’s okay to step in and separate them from their playmate for a while.
You can also look for puppy training classes in your area, as these classes typically include techniques for managing rough play in puppies.
(paid link) If the problems persist after a few weeks of practicing, consult a vet to make sure there aren’t any medical problems that might cause other types of aggression.
For example, if you were to say, “My puppy gets aggressive at night,” I would want to rule out common medical conditions that worsen at night, such as vision problems or hormonal imbalances.
Only then would we explore behavioral trends that peak at the end of the day or your evening routine that might be cause for your puppy getting aggressive only at night.
If no medical conditions are discovered, and your puppy is older than 6 months and is still showing aggression, contact a trainer or dog behaviorist.
Let us know how your training is going with your puppy!
Check back in with us in a few weeks and be sure to keep an eye here for more training advice for you and your pup!
Scott Winkelhausen says
I have a BAD proble. I have a 6 month old rescue Chocolate Lab mix? He is VERY HYPER & runs all over the house & jumping on & off furniture & US, me & my wife, 71 & 65. The worst part is when he is outside in the back yard he will chew on limbs & breaks off limbs & chews it. I can fix that with some pruning, I HOPE!!! The WORST is he gets a hold of wood, fence slats, & there are trees that have branches that break off & they have little red berry looking seed pods, I’m afraid are very poisonous, so I take them away from him, most of the time after chasing him around u ND the yard. As I walk away from the wood pile he will run up behind me & BITE ME on the back of the leg & then he will run around me ATTACKING ME!!! I don’t want to turn him in for this because I don’t want him to be put down, even though I get so mad I want to !!! But I really don’t. I want to save him & get him to stop all this BAD BEHAVIOR!!!
PLEASE HELP US, We live paycheck to paycheck & can’t afford $100’s of Dollars for train him. PLEASE HELP !!!
Terry says
My 8 month old cavapoo bit me aggressively when I tried to get a hunk of foam out of her mouth she has never done anything like that before I couldn’t believe it. She plays rough and bites but never aggressively until this happened. I thought she loved me and would never hurt me. Now I’m afraid to try and get things out of her mouth. Any advice?
Renee says
Hi I just adopted a puppy from a rescue center. He is labeled by the adoption center as a lab/border collie mix. He is estimated to be 14 weeks old when we got him and he is 15 weeks old now. He has been so friendly and great with children, people and other dogs, until last night. We have a toddler and this past week he has been wonderful interacting with multiple children, many different people as I have brought him to work multiple times, and other dogs. He had shown absolutely no signs of aggression, until last night. We have an ottoman in our sunroom my husband was playing music on our stereo and my daughter was dancing around the ottoman. The puppy was chewing a toy and crawled under the ottoman in which he barely fits. He has to almost slide under on his belly. He was going in and out playing with his toy not being aggressive at all. I lift up the tassels to see what he is chewing under the ottoman to make sure he isn’t chewing the underside. I reach my hand under not grabbing for his toy or him and he full on snarls growls, snaps at me and pulls back, not playing but aggressive. My husband lifts the ottoman up takes him and says no while holding his collar to contain him because he is still trying to bite him now. My husband can’t get him to calm down so puts him in his crate to relax. We thought he was being possessive of the toy, but today we replayed out the scenario from last night, except my husband takes my place we remove the toy and my daughter and don’t play any music to see if it happens again or if it was just because of the circumstances. Well the puppy is under the ottoman again, my husband lies down on the rug to look under the ottoman not even insert his hand as I had and the dog lunges and tried to bite him aggressively again. We tested a few other places in the house and he doesn’t seem to do it anywhere else. Like I said he was so wonderful and sweet and I’m not saying he isn’t but I am a bit nervous as I do have a two year old and had it been her she would have been hurt. I understand he was a rescue dog and he is 14 weeks old but I am shocked after him being so great with loud children all week (all friends and cousins) submissive with other older dogs when they show dominance, and great with everyone and everything. I am just so taken back that he hasn’t shown any aggression and then out of nowhere this happens. We didn’t pull him from under the ottoman we simply lifted the tassels to see him. Now I am watching him closely and tonight my daughter bent to pet his tail (not grab)which I did step in and stop her but he got very still and had that same look he did right before he lunged at myself and then my husband. What do I do? I do not want my two year old to be bitten. I do not understand why he reacted so strongly he was around crazy kids jumping and being loud and running around petting and hugging him and it didn’t seem to phase him. I just don’t want to see him become more aggressive because I will have to rehome him for the safety of my daughter, who is a overall a gentle toddler and who I watch to make sure she is respectful of animals. Please help me if you can!
judy fenters says
We have a 10 month old akc sheltie. He has been neutered two months ago, and has been through two training classes. I am his main handler, and he is very aggressive towards me.
He bites my feet and jumps up on me. Nothing is working with him! I am very discouraged and don’t know what to do! I feel like he hates me! This is the 4th sheltie we have owned, and he is a terror right now. Any suggestions?
ASHLEY HASLER says
Hello 🙂 We have a 9 week old rhodesian ridgeback girl. She is doing so well with her house training and is crate trained. She has her day sleeps outside (training her to do this so I can go back to work) and night sleep in her crate. She has her meals in her crate. She goes to the toilet outside. So all is going well… except the nipping!! She is biting us and although I know its playful she is really hurting me and my kids. It seems to get worse the more excited she gets. For example, if I take her to the oval near our house to run around she runs and latches onto my feet or legs causing rips in my pants. Then when I try to get her off me she goes for my arm. Even on a leash she does this. She does this first thing in the morning when shes had a full nights sleep because shes so excited. How can we control this? We feel like we cant take her out in public.
Ashley Thurston says
I hope this improved! I have a 9 week old Rhodesian Ridgeback boy and he is doing the exact same thing. It’s really tough.
Natasha says
This post is a year old so I’m sure it has gotten better. I have a now 6 year old RR and I still laugh about how terrified I was of her as a puppy for this same reason. I laugh now because she’s just the sweetest most patient dog I’ve ever had but man as a puppy when she would get excited and lunge at me during those morning potty breaks I would run inside crying.
Andrea Funnell says
Hiya.
Please can you help with some advice. I have a 14 week old mastiff x he is a very loving and happy puppy but when he can’t do something or does not want to do something or gets attention when he does not want if…is very vocal and try’s to bite and gets very cross!!
I stay calm and try not to pull my hand etc away, I have had many puppy’s
Of this breed but he is something else!!
He is an angel in every other way in training, social interaction children you name it he is amazing but just when he can’t get of the bed he gets so cross he really get angry or trying to get him indoors when he says no!!
Just need some Advise on how o should handle the situation 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Mon says
Hi. we have a 4 months old Shih Tzu. He is absolutely gorgeous however there are times when his behavior is really bad. I took him to groomers last week and they couldn’t trim him as he was so badly behaved. When I try to pick him up or put his harness on he gets very aggressive. My hands are covered in very deep cuts. It’s causing me a lot of stress as I think I am responsible for causing him a lot of stress and anxiety which is the cause of his behavior. I think it’s something I am doing that triggers this behavior in him. Thanks
Mary says
My 12 week chibuhua puppy bites when I attempt to put his harness on. He growled at my vet on his first visit. He can be sweet but then all of a sudden chomps on mt hand.
Ash says
Is it only when you put the harness on?
Lyn says
My rehomed pomchi does that did you learn how to fix it because I’d like to fined out how to fix this my pups 5 month
Mardi Berman says
My 3 month old golden doodle barks the entire time we are eating dinner. He has a full view of us but there is a small divider so he stays in that room. We tried allowing him to roam the room we’re eating but he pees. So, I believe he’s barking for attention and I tell him to go lay down or give him a chewy with snacks he has to try to get out. But his barking is really getting to me. It’s nerve racking… I need advice please. (He is a puppy and bites-and getting aggressive sometimes after walks) but the barking is not working.
April says
Hi, I just got my daughter a 8 WK old puppy. She is part beagle, pug and chihuahua. She has snapped more than once at the face. She did it to me once after I put my mask on. My daughter was sitting on the floor and the puppy was on the futon. She went at her face. I am worried that this is the start of a major problem.
L says
HELLO MY PUP WAS DOING THE SAME THING, YOU NEED TO PUT THE LEASH ON AND KEEP HIM NEAR YOU AND PULL HIS COLLAR UP CLOSE BY HIS EARS AND EVERYTIME HE BARKS ARE ATTEMPTS TO BARK PULL HARD ON THAT LEASH AND SAY NO, AND WHEN HE STOPS SAY GOOD BOY AND GIVE HIM A TREAT CONTINUE TILL HE DOES IT WITHOUT A TREAT OR THE LEASH THE SAME WITH WALKING IT WILL TAKE A SHORT WHILE BUT BE CONSIST AND HE WILL LEARN IT WOKS
Natalee says
I have a 16 week old Black mouth cur/ Rhodesian ridgeback mix and she is usually super sweet and we have been trying to work with her on laying on the couch when we are on the couch. I was following the normal routine and I picked her up and set her on the couch and later next to her, and she kept trying to leave so I layer her on her side this time and she growled at me so I lightly tapped her nose and said no firmly. Time goes by and all the sudden she full on snarled in my ear and was bearing her teeth at me and so I said again firmly “ Ivy no” and she responded to that by biting my eye and so I tapped her nose still lightly but enough to where it most likely hurt for a second and I said no and firmly put her in her kennel… it did not leave a mark but it really hurt and I am now scared to touch her at this point and my family is thinking about taking her back to the breeder because they are also scared… I don’t think she was playing at all and I need help on how to get her to not do this.
Alison smith says
Why were you forcing her to stay if she wanted to leave ???? I think that is part of the issue. The dog was not happy to sit there . She tried to tell you to leave her alone but you ignored her Trying to say “hey I’m not happy”
Ashley says
Never hit! It will
Make it worse. Hire a dog trainer. A professional can help.
Nicky says
maybe don’t force her to stay where she is not comfortable, you want her to be comfortable being there herself.
L K says
MOST DOGS LIKE TO LAY ON THE FLOOR OR THEIR PILLOW BEDS LEAVE THAT DOG ALONE SHE DOESN’T LIKE THE COUCH DON’T YOU GET IT DUH ??
Maria says
I have a 2 month old Golden Retriever, got him a couple of weeks ago. He loves playing, and his breed is very friendly. He is really big on chewing hands clothing or basically whatever that moves which is fine because he is a retriever, we try to redirect him to toys. But lately he is playing really rough and starts out as play but as it grows it seems like agression. Once we tell him “No!” or signal that we do not want to play that rough, he just gets rougher, snipping, bitting, growling, barking and even sometimes moving his lip, as if he is thinking about actually biting. We get that this might be a puppy phase, but we do not want him to get used to it and do it as he grows.
We have read that making squeals when he is biting to let him know it hurts as his litter mates would have. This worked for maybe two times and then it seems as if it just motivates him to go rougher. I do not know what to do.
Candy says
Hi I know what your going though. We have a 9 week old golden retriever puppy and he is the same. He has put holes in clothes, biting, growling. He is good at night and with his potty training, if we could get him out of the biting. Our other pup we had a golden retriever I can’t remember doing this. We got him from same breeder. He is a little cutie 🥰 when he isn’t biting. Good like and hope you find in time he stops.
Charmaine Shawana says
I have a 6 month old Morkie. He has serious puppy aggression. Rarely can I had or I’m and cuddle him. He was just neutered…..help…always biting, nipping and snapping at me and others…. help…
Belinda says
Hi Please help I have a LabXChow 5 mths old Chewy and Chloe is 7 Mths Chloe is very domineering over him and takes his toys and then a fight breaks out Chewy gets really aggressive and also when he’ wants the othe dogs food he gets really aggressive,What cN I do to train him not to be aggressive my husband puts him down in his back,When he gets aggressive it’s like you can’t stop him please help
Michelle W says
Hi
I have an 8 week old lab/mastiff mix and a 13 year old yellow lab. The yellow lab is so passive and so behaved. The puppy growls and is bites at his face and belly. The old guy finally growled back and snapped at him but the puppy doesn’t care. Help!
Louise says
Hello. I have a 11 week old springer spaniel female puppy. We have had her for 3 weeks.
She has started to get rough with playing and biting legs and clothing a lot. We are discouraging this with giving her chew sticks and toys to chew on instead of us.
However she gets in hyper moods in the last couple of days and winds herself around my legs jumping up and trying to bite.
When I tell her off she reacts aggressively. When I put her on her back she tries to bite me hard and is snapping.
I’ve tried being dominant and calm with her. Moving her away into different rooms and it is only then that she stops after a couple of minutes.
Otherwise she is very loving.
I’m really worried about how I break this cycle as her bites hurt and she is small enough for me to manage now but it won’t be long before I struggle.
I’ve been trying to exercise her as much as possible to get her energy lower and train her to sit. She is responding to the training well. Just these manic moments which are starting to scare me. Please help!
Alison says
I am having the same issues. Our 3 1/2 month old puppy is lunging at me and actually biting hard enough to draw blood. It’s not all of the time but a few times a day and I am afraid of her when it happens. I was hoping for someone to give some advice. Have you any idea what to do? Thank you.
Becky says
My puppy does this as well,at least twice a day. It normally happens because she needs to go to the toilet, is tired or hungry. Try redirecting your pup calmly and taking her outside to toilet,or give her a time out with a chew/toy in her crate or another room. It’s horrible but she will learn and so will we. Good luck.
Jan says
I have recently taken on a 8 month old lurcher had him neutered ,fully nolated , he is showing food aggression and has shown some aggression to wards me and my other dog he also has a walking problem what’s to jump up at every one on a walk. I have also put a calming collar on him he has only just been neutered 2 weeks to day and he has stopped humping the vet say that to give him at least 6 Week to properly carlm down how can I get him out of food aggression
Kristen says
I just got an 8 week old rough collie puppy two days ago. She is very calm and quiet most of the time, her hyper phases involve lots of toys, chewing, and friendly chasing. She doesn’t bark much so far, and also rarely growls. The two adult dogs she interacted with, she was relaxed and happy. She is also calm and friendly around strangers. However, today I visited a friend with a 9 week old German Shepherd puppy. She was showing very clear signs of aggression, standing rigid with her head held high as she bared her teeth, however she only did this when he would bite or try to play with her first. Is this fear aggression? We separated them often to relax and eventually did it altogether when she started to settle with a toy. She never started the fights. I’m very nervous about this. Any and all advice is welcome!
Olivia says
Vary informative and helpful information for people like me who are trying to train their dog. Can you also share some dog training tips.
Annette Murphy says
We have a 15 week old collie cross cockapoo puppy . She nips and bites and we are trying to deal with that. Sho only finished her injections about 3 weeks ago and we have been taking her for walks always on a lead meeting other dogs but not in a play situation. She is good on her walks but recently we brought her to a puppy park and on the second occasion she showed aggressive behavior towards other dogs , snarling and showing her teeth. She would sit beside me and peep out at the other dogs and then every now and again if a puppy came near her she would chase the puppy and the aggressive would appear. We separated her from the other puppy immediately . Can you advise me how to handle this situation please.
Is she overawed by so many dogs?
Should we wait until there are not so many dogs and then introduce her slowly to the other dogs?
What should we do
Rose says
My puppy is 10 weeks old and if she is tired and needs to be moved to another place from where she has positioned herself she will tear you up and it isn’t just a little bite, she attacks. She is a small chihuahua, but has torn my hand up twice and I have had her three days. She wants me to love on her and play with her today and I don’t want anything to do with her and I feel terrible.
Lisa says
My puppy is 9 weeks old and I’ve had her 2 days. I realize when she is really tired she does the same thing but she is an American bulldog. 🙁
I cant walk away as she comes after me. I think the key is to watch and put them in a quiet place, like their crate, before they loose it. She scared the heck out of my son, but it’s me she does it too. Almost ready to give her back.
ron ramsey says
i need help we just got a 9 mouth old puppy that was miss treated she was put in a crate all day and had to sleep in it all so . she is very Aggressive dog i need help now . We want to keep her but my wife only has one eye and have to rind a knee bike i only have one foot . This dog is a sheppadoodle . PLEASE SOME TELL ME HOW TO HER FROM BITING AND CHEWING ON PILLOWS . I have other question after a female get fixed do they still want to hump thing ????????????????????
Nawodit says
I have a question. My 1 and a half month old puppy bites my small brother randomly time to time. The bites leave deep wounds because of the pup’s sharp teeth. I don’t know what causes it. Its just happens suddenly. I need to know what can i do about it.
Charlie says
Thank you for the article, some great information. I have a catahoula/ pit bull which I adopted at 5 weeks old. He’s been fussed on and loved by my little girls for the last 20 odd weeks. He lives with a golden doodle who is very excitable when she sees other dogs. Ive noticed she annoys other dogs through enthusiasm and they can growl or even snap at her. Tonight my cata/pb met some other puppies of about 12 weeks of age. Signs were not good, tail was low, long stares and then a quick snap with no social signs of happiness. Took him about fifteen minutes to get comfortable and when he showed signs of playing and wagging his tail we had to leave. Is there concern here for either dog and if so what are the recommended next steps?
Rachell bowers says
My puppy is about six weeks old I got her when she was around 3 days old. She’s shepered and lab. But when I go to tell her no or pull her back or even try to swat her but , she will turn and try to bite me and growls very angery . She’s got me once and Drew blood . I don’t understand. She’s the same with her food with other animals get near her . I’ve never pribed her from food , never been mean . Can I get her out of that . Because if I try to scold her I will win . But she won’t quit trying to get at me . When I hold her still for trying to nip at mean not playing.
Lizete says
We just go a male puppy Dalmatian, he had been with us for a month.( he will be three month soon) anyways I am so deeply sad. I am not confused either, ( I can tell)he shows all the signs of an aggressive dog. I am afraid of him already, i am afraid for my family. Do t know what to do.do t know when he will jump at me a bite my face.or someone else. I have search on different web site and our dog matches every single sign. He was so expected, I was so exited for his arrival, but right now ( between us. I do t want him anymore.
Can he become a good dog, do t know what to do. 😌
Tosh says
Hey, I was wondering if you still have the dalmatian and any helpful tips you can give me on anything you learnt to help him with his aggressiveness? I have a dalmatian pup 7 months right now and it’s getting a bit too much and now he barks and growls whild trying to bite theough the crate at bedtime.
Sue Perkins says
My Lakeland Terrier puppy is 13 weeks old she has been amazing so loving and playful and relaxed, however in the last couple of days she has started to become aggressive towards us especially around food or when she has something she shouldn’t have . She snarls and bites drawing blood from my partner. Please help
Sheri says
We have a 10wk old male golden retriever puppy, he has been with us for 8 days. We are a family with you d children, have had other dogs, never any issues. 3 days ago, he growled, snarled and snapped. I thought it was odd behavior. The next day I tried to pick him up, he growled, snarled and tried to bite me. He does this randomly, no pattern but then he will be the sweetest little puppy. This is definitely aggression, not normal puppy play. He was very aggressive to a female puppy lastnight. He is really good towards our 18mth old female dog. I took him to a trainer and she thinks he’s an alpha male, dominant and he will always be. She said he will need a lot of training and won’t be the family dog we were hoping for…any advice or experience with this? Please help, I don’t want to give up yet…
Linda says
I have a Yorkshire terrier and when l won’t to clean her face or paws or stop her from doing things she turns very aggressive and it really scares me.
I love her to bits but l need help on managing this so l can do things with her grooming and lots of other things please can you you help.
Molly says
Hello!
Our family welcomed a Dane puppy for Christmas this past year! What we thought was going to be this magical experience has left us with a lot of surprises! Almost like having a 3rd child! ?
We love her a lot (we this momma does❤️) however we have a lot of problems with her growling when we go to try and get her get in her kennel for when we leave for a few hours for work each day. Some times she will even show teeth and turn her head and snap at us. This makes me fearful as we have younger children and I don’t want her to do it to them. Pleases give me insight as to what I can do. I have tried to bribe with treats and other mechinisms.
We also have issues with her coming to us when we call her, when she is outside or even in the house about 75% of the time she refuses to come to us like she can’t hear us or is ignoring us and turns around and walks the opposite way. So then we are chasing her around the house and yard trying to catch her. ? so annoying. Any tips.
I know she is just a puppy and it takes time but I need help and want to nip this all quick ecspecially the growling and biting! Otherwise the husband says she has to go back to the breeder because he don’t want her to bite the kids or baby!
Starbitcrazy says
Also, the puppy WILL bite the kids. It’s a puppy. Even if it’s just in play, it does hurt and children get dogs over-excited very quickly.
I wish people would do their homework on breeds and temperament before committing to a puppy. Each breed is different and all require a huge amount of effort. Plus need to make sure kids are old enough to understand what having a puppy is like and how to treat it properly.
Starbitcrazy says
Your pup is only, what, 10 week old? You can’t expect to have a wonderful time with a pup until you adjust your expectations and be realistic about how much time and effort one requires. When they’re this young, they need to be with someone all of the time. She has only just left her litter and is now left all alone and locked up. I’d bite you too!
She needs to be taught that her crate is a nice comfortable safe space which she gets into voluntarily. You cannot just bung her in and go out. She’s probably very unhappy at being left and knows you’re leaving when you put her in and so resists your attempts. Try this…
Leave the crate door open and throw some treats near the back of it. Pay no attention to the crate or pup and leave her to discover the treats on her own.
When she’s eaten the treats, put some more in there. You want her to think this is a magical place where treats just reappear!
At first she will grab one treat at a time and back out. Still keep ignoring this behavior until she stays in the crate and eats the treats. Now start to make a gentle fuss of her and start to refer to the crate as her ‘house’ or any word you want to use. i.e ohhh (insert dogs name) are you in your house eating your yummy treats – you lucky girl!
It may take a few days to get to this stage, just keep throwing the treats at the back.
Once she’s happy lying down in there (door still open at this stage), sit down and pet her in there still chatting about her house. She needs to know that the door will not be shut every time she gets in. Never use the crate as a punishment or force her in as she will not consider it as her safe space. You want her to get in voluntarily.
Now that she’s happy chilling in there with her treats, close the door while she’s eating but sit down in front of it so she knows it’s alright. Keep chatting. Gradually you can move away. Stay in the same room so she knows you’re still there and keep chatting. Leave her for a few mins and let her out. Keep doing this and build the time up, gradually leaving the room and doing some chores eg. so she can still hear you’re there.
As you need to leave her completely alone sometimes, once you have the above in hand, start to pretend to go out. Put on your coat and grab your keys say goodbye to her and leave. The house needs to be empty for this. Stand on doorstep for a minute or two and come back in. Keep doing this and gradually build up the time. This means she knows you are always coming back.
With regards to recall, my oldest pup is 10 months and its just gotten worse as she’s gotten older! Just keep using the same recall word and use high value treats and huge well dones when she comes. Even if it’s taken you 10 mins to encourage her back. I know it’s frustrating but a dog won’t come back to an angry voice, so keep using your happy tone! She needs a reason to return to you, so make it good every time! Don’t even bother chasing her, she thinks it’s a hilarious game. Run away loudly in the opposite direction and she’ll chase you! Reward when she does this.
You have rather a large dog so I would recommend training classes and lots of socialisation. Take her everywhere with you when appropriate.
Get to know your dog and their habits and quickly you will be able to preempt their actions and correct them before they do wrong. Also try using a puppy play pen, put her bed and toys in it so she can play safely.
This was rather long – sorry!
Joy Morgan says
I have a 3/4 American pit. 1/4 lab. She’s about 10 11 months old and weighs 70 lbs. She’s always been aggressive about food if it’s something she really likes if you get her while she’s eating she gets real still and will bark or snap at me. It scares the crap out of me and try to avoid doing this but sometimes I naturally just teach down to Pat her. I love her she’s very spoiled. But I need to get a handle on it before she bites me.
Robin Stepanek says
I have a very dominate Jack Russell Terrier that is 12 weeks old. I have been working with him and much of the ankle bitting and play bitting is under control as he is very motivated by treats. However one issue continues which is biting if you try to restrain him. For instances he is on a lap and wants down and you prevent him. He will bite your hands and hard enough to draw blood. I have started working with him about lying passively on his side . He often struggles growling and seriously trying to bite. I hold him until he relaxes and then let him up. His tentdency is to jump up snapping. I have had some success by ignoring it and redirecting him to sit and watch me for a treat. My question is am I handling this correctly? Is there a better method? If I try to keep him on his side till he gives up- which has never happened yet- he screams and fights, he will bite in frustration at anything he can reach- carpet clothing and skin. So I only make him lay on his side for a second if he relaxes and the let him up rewarding him.
Thank you robin
Patricia brown says
We have a 14 week jackapoo puppy twice she has picked something up that could harmful she took these into her cage when we tried to take them off her she snapped and growled and bit very aggresley and drew blood the only way we stopped her was to tempt her with treats.we are worried she will do this to others.please reply thank you
JM says
Just curious if your puppies are getting better and what methods worked. I just brought a dog home from the shelter. He appears to be a Jack Russel Mix. He is very aggressive with his play biting especially at certain times of the day.
Jayant Talwar says
My golden retriever shows similar traits but the intensity has been increasing,what did you do?
Ellea says
Your dog is boring because you are ignoring his signs! If he is trying to jump down and you hold him back, he has already told you he is uncomfortable where he is, but you’re holding him in place. Same with laying on his side. If that is something you want to teach him try using hand signals and treats, not force.
Kaue says
Thank you for the article. I’m one of those puppy parents you described, but my experience is different than above.
Our puppy is 4 months old. We have two other older dogs, two cats, and three kids in our home. The puppy is kind and loving most of the time, but can snap at me when the cat is around. Or if I stop him from leaving the room he has whipped around and bit me. Today, he bit and punctured my daughter’s hand because she tried to pick up something from the floor. I get he could have thought it was a game here.
I see him play like you mention above. He does that all the time! And I get pups being mouthy as they learn and teethe. This feels different. He is very dilberate when he does it. Could I be misunderstanding the situation.
Yvonne says
I have a question… My puppy (3 months old) goes pee nicely on the pad but won’t poop there! His mom trys to cover his crime by eating it ?. She is trained for going outside but when I send him out she draws him away to explore and when they come in he goes and leaves little logs by my fish tank anyway! Should I take him outside without her and how do I break him of going on the floor and teach him to use the paper indoors?