How to tame an aggressive puppy?

Question

I adopted a pup from an animal shelter.I was 1st told it was an lab/G shepherd mix then the vet revealed that it could have a pitt in it too.But i was'nt worried about it. It has been nearly a week since i've brought the pup home.He has been peeing and pooping in my house which i can understand and i am trying to teach it.But now it has a very bad habit of biting and i mean biting everything including me.It does not go for a real bite but when it gets really excited it can get carried away.I do leave it in a crate when i am awy @ work or something.And as soon as i am home i wanna set it free but once its out it starts biting.It about 2+ months old.What measures can i take to tame it down and make it more social, so that when i bring it out i don't have to worry about people wanting to pet it.

Thank you everybody for all your wonderful answers.When i picked him up from the shelter he was running around with 20 other dogs including his mother.So it might why he is acting like that . .all defensive and biting everything.

Answer 1

you have to be the "Pack Leader".
next time he goes to bite you make your hand into a claw type shape.
place it on his neck & put pressure on his neck with your fingers.
don't squeeze him too hard, though.
after all he is a pup.
the idea behing this is as follows -
when dogs are in a pack , the pack leader will show him who is boss by biting the back of his neck to subdue him.
you HAVE TO BE THE PACK LEADER.
i can't stress this enough.

as far as house breaking him.
when he pees or poops in a spot put his food dish there.
dogs will not evacuate where they eat.

puppies are going to bite though no matter what.
it's a show of affection, so is jumping on peole.
it's like saying "Hi !!"

socialize the pup with ther people n dogs as much as possible.
the more he sees other people n animals the calmer he'll be.

You also have to put into practice "nothing is free"
if you're going to feed him ,make him sit first.
if you're taking him outside , make him sit at the door first.

The best way i found to do all of this is either with his favorite toy or, in my dog's case, cheese.

show them the object (like the cheese) n make him do what YOU want him to do in order to get his reward.

one other thing -
NEVER use his name when you're angry.
his name should only be used for positive things n praise.

praise -
ALWAYS praise your dog for doing goo.


just stick with it.
short training sessions are better than long ones.
they don't have a large attention span

Whatever you do - do not hurt the pup.
you want to gain his trust.

There's everything that i paid $100.00 dollars to learn
for you - it's free.
hope this helps.

oh, one more thing -
give him PLENTY of things to play with.
different things too.
hard & soft.
they bite cause it's a teething baby.
it makes their mouth feel better.
try ice cubes every so often ,too.

Answer 2

You are dealing with a baby and everything goes into their mouths.
You will have to train the pup that biting ins not accpetable behavior and that you will not tolerate it.
The next nip frimly but gently grab his muzzle and hold closed for a second or two and tell him NO BITE repeate this as often as necessary.
The majority of your vocabulary will be no bite for awhile.
It takes time for the pup to learn that biting is not acceptable. In a pack they bite the muzzle of the older dogs to get food and as a from of greeting. You need to let this guy know that will notwork here and it will not be tolerated. WIth work and some growing up time it will get better and the more you train the dog the less of a problem it will be.
Good luck

Answer 3

This is actually normal puppy behavior - they have to LEARN people don't like to be nipped. Some techniques that often work - pick one you feel you can do & stick to ONE, concistency is key.

1. Yell " Ouch" & they IGNORE pup for 1/2 minute or minute- this one worked for centries before orginized training existed.
2. light tap under the jaw with a cranky "no bite"
3. Squeeze the muzzle shut with same command
4. stuff a sock in it - stick a knotted sock or soft toy in the gapping "looking to nip" mouth

NOW undstand none of this should be hard enought to harm pup or cause more than a monentary disconfort.

Answer 4

Contact a dog obedience trainer for tips on what you can do to resolve the issue - there are a number of good ways to stop this behavior

this is for sam - there was a guy I knew that thought like you did - so he let his pup run free while he was gone, the dog got tangled in a cord and choked to death - crating is very useful in house-training; safety for your dog and your belongings. most dogs won't relieve themselves where they sleep. - A crate also reminds a pup of his mothers womb, they like the enclosure.

Answer 5

This is normal puppy behavior. When her mouth clamps on you , say "No!" and give her one of her chew toys so he/she will learn what she is allowed to chew on. Spanking or hitting will not work. It will only make her/him fearful and have a tendency towards "fear biting" in the future. Substituting chew toys for your hand(or other body parts) will take consistent repetition but will be well worth it in a friendly, loving companion. I have a Pitt/Dane mix that still likes to "hold my hand". She learned to only chew on toys but for some reason(comfort?) will still take my hand in her mouth, not clamp down or chew, but just hold it. I have allowed this because it seemed to be her way of greeting me and she has not done this with people outside of the family, but it is less frequent now so maybe she is outgrowing this. I hope this helps. Being consistent and repetitive have always helped me raise great dogs. I have six of them!

Answer 6

take it to a puppy class. talk to someone who raises dogs. I know labs are very hyper when they are little so maybe he will grow out of it. I had a dog that would bite like that too, just hold its snout until he quits crying it might help. good luck!

Answer 7

Best thing would be to contact a professional trainer. Might check out Petsmart, or Petco also.

Answer 8

something simple that works for aggressive puppy is an empty bookbag. very simple and easy. try it, may sound odd but he will sit or lay for awhile. hopefully he will get use to relaxing. pet and rub him when he is still to make him understand this is what gets you to rub him

Answer 9

im not trying to be mean but when it bites you you should pop it with a rolled up newspaper not hard just to startle the pup

Answer 10

If you crated me when you went away for hours I would try and bite you when you let me out as well.

Crating is cruel ... PERIOD.