10 week old puppy growling at my son - need to deal with ASAP

puppy999

Hi I hav also found this thread intreresting...........when I got my puppy 2yrs ago (Akita) I went on an Akita web site and was told that I needed to put my puppy in his place (he was 8mths at this point) .....I was told to put him on the floor ....emmmmmmmmmm yes right he was nearly as big as me ....lol..... If he was naughty (which was very rare) I just removed him and put him out side for 15 min.........worked wonders for me.
He is a dream of a dog ......thing is I have never heard him growl.....lol .... and I hav had him since he was 3wks old .....................
I didnt know he was 3wks at the time she said that he was 6wks and his papers had not come thou...... but he was a very big healthly pup.
Good luck Blue-monkey with your new puppy

sarabe

blue_monkey wrote: »

.......Sara, he seems to work the same way you do from our conversations. Fingers crossed please, I so want this to work and to have nice, happy calm dogs that everyone loves.

I have everything crossed for you but I'm sure you'll be just fine. Enjoy your dogs.;)

blue_monkey_2

Hiya, I've come in to update the thread as I posted another question so thought it was time to catch up.

Dog training is going well and I am happy with most things to be fair. We do have a calmer household now that, with the trainers help, we do not let the dogs jump up at all and we are able to reprimand them withouth yelling or shouting at them, they are not allowed into the room with us or visitors until they are calm, and they have to have good manners so now barging past us and rushing for food - little things that make a lot of difference and they are working. They have to work for food rather than just being given it - it is the little things that make all the difference.

However, rather disappointed that pup (now 17 weeks) is still snappy and growling at us. We are reprimanding her when she does it and we have been working with her in the way we was explained but it is hard to know whether she is having an off day. I am ashamed to say that the older she gets the more nervous I am getting now. The dogs are, on no occasion, left with the children but if we are in the room they are allowed in and she will still do it with us there, even if someone brushes past her accidently. For a dog that is so assertive and also having been bought up since a puppy with boys, she is strangely nervous of my son - not really with DD.

I know it is a never ending road of training now and we have to do it forever, but sarabe, will the pup/dog always be tetchy and snappy or is this something she CAN grow out of? The only thing I can think of is, the bigger she grows the harder she will bite and feel really sad because if this does continue, are we going to have to find her a new home with no children? I do not want to think this but my head says I have to be honest with myself about this, because the dog has to become part of the family and (maybe I am having a bad day) just feel really disheatened right now that there is no improvement. This is not something I can ignore, I can put a muzzle on her but that is not addressing the problem we have, is it? It is masking it and the problemis always going to be there. I am going to speak to the trainer about this, I've contacted him tonight but no reply yet, so I thought I would give it some thought over here. I hope no-one minds, thanks for your time.

catlou

Just a thought......what do you feed her?

Reason being the first food my pup was on made him really wound up and snappy, when I changed food the difference in behaviour was dramatic and he was so much calmer.

blue_monkey_2

catlou wrote: »

Just a thought......what do you feed her?

Reason being the first food my pup was on made him really wound up and snappy, when I changed food the difference in behaviour was dramatic and he was so much calmer.

It's a good thought. She has always had Iams - but I've ordered Burns after being recommended it by the trainer, delivery should be here today so their food will be changing. I am putting them both on it. I think that there are so many different ones to choose from it is very confusing on what to give them as there are so many choices.

Going to give the Burns a try and see if it makes any difference to teir behaviour though.

Molly41

I had a similar situation with my first dog a boy westie. Unfortunately he went onto become increasingly aggressive as he grew older and as we had lots of lanky teenage boys in the house we were always on tenterhooks. Initially this started in the house and then moved to outside when out for walks. We had also acquired two further westie girls as rescues from the breeder but they settled in beautifully and whilst they got on really well with the boy their presence did nothing to reassure him - as it seemed a fear based aggression. It culminated in a stand off one summers afternoon when we were out and the boys were held ransom on the trampoline as westie boy got out of the house and wouldnt let them off. They had to stay there for a few hours till we got home. We luckily rehomed in to my dad who he had always adored and it was a mutual appreciation. He has settled down a lot and lives a very quiet life but very fulfilled and accompanies my dad everywhere (even the toilet and recently alerted my mum when my dad was suddenly take ill). However he does still have a tendancy to snappiness and a strange man recently approached my dad whilst out walking and was chased off by Chay good and proper so worked in his favour. We were lucky as could rehome Chay - otherwise I dont want to think what the outcome would have been. Sorry I cant be more positive.

sarabe

blue_monkey wrote: »

Hiya, I've come in to update the thread as I posted another question so thought it was time to catch up.

Dog training is going well and I am happy with most things to be fair. We do have a calmer household now that, with the trainers help, we do not let the dogs jump up at all and we are able to reprimand them withouth yelling or shouting at them, they are not allowed into the room with us or visitors until they are calm, and they have to have good manners so now barging past us and rushing for food - little things that make a lot of difference and they are working. They have to work for food rather than just being given it - it is the little things that make all the difference.

However, rather disappointed that pup (now 17 weeks) is still snappy and growling at us. We are reprimanding her when she does it and we have been working with her in the way we was explained but it is hard to know whether she is having an off day. I am ashamed to say that the older she gets the more nervous I am getting now. The dogs are, on no occasion, left with the children but if we are in the room they are allowed in and she will still do it with us there, even if someone brushes past her accidently. For a dog that is so assertive and also having been bought up since a puppy with boys, she is strangely nervous of my son - not really with DD.

I know it is a never ending road of training now and we have to do it forever, but sarabe, will the pup/dog always be tetchy and snappy or is this something she CAN grow out of? The only thing I can think of is, the bigger she grows the harder she will bite and feel really sad because if this does continue, are we going to have to find her a new home with no children? I do not want to think this but my head says I have to be honest with myself about this, because the dog has to become part of the family and (maybe I am having a bad day) just feel really disheatened right now that there is no improvement. This is not something I can ignore, I can put a muzzle on her but that is not addressing the problem we have, is it? It is masking it and the problemis always going to be there. I am going to speak to the trainer about this, I've contacted him tonight but no reply yet, so I thought I would give it some thought over here. I hope no-one minds, thanks for your time.

It'll be the reprimanding. You need to work with your dog not against her. Cooperation not competition. Can I ask what you are doing? Send me a pm if you wish.

sarabe

I've just seen what you wrote on another thread.

our trainer told us we have to take her and stroke her many times in the day which I do - she has growled at me many a time when doing this but I just reprimand her for it and carry on.

Can't believe that advice - sorry.

zaksmum

sarabe wrote: »

I've just seen what you wrote on another thread.



Can't believe that advice - sorry.

Hi Sarabe...can you tell me please what's wrong with stroking your dog many times in the day? I do that with mine all the time and there's never a problem. Or is it only aggressive dogs you shouldn't stroke? Thanks

sarabe

Absolutely nothing wrong with stroking your dog. I do it all the time too if the dog wants to be stroked.... but to continue to touch a dog that is uncomfortable with it and then to reprimand them for trying to communicate their discomfort.......