Puppy Problems?

Question

We've recently aquired a gorgeous little golden lab and the little darling is absolutely the puppy from hell. I must say we are trying very hard to follow all the little rules for her in the puppy books, taking her for little walks, giving her time out to sleep, treating her for being good and generally seen as I've never owned a dog before I think we're doing a really good job.

Though I must be doing something wrong, when she gets playful she snarls and she bites - she attacked my partner and made his arm bleed, she seems to be overly aggressive with him rather than myself. Any suggestions - we've tried time out and nose tapping and ignoring, but nothing seems to work. She has plenty of toys and chews but doesn't seem interested. she seems more intent to chase and kill the cat!!!!!!!!!! Help Help she is so so sweet - is she too young for a little muzzle at 11 weeks? Or will this make it worse.

Answer 1

Relax - You are going to be fine. NO MUZZLE - I THINK THAT COULD ACTUALLY BE CLASSIFIED AS ABUSE AT THIS AGE. As a very experienced dog "mom" - please read closely - the snarling and biting is normal behavior that she would engage in when playing with her litter mates. I have experience with shepherds so I know the biting can hurt. It may be possible your partner is playing just a little rougher than they realize. If she were playing that rough with the mother, the mother would gently nip her on the top of the neck. That is the dog world.
In our human world as soon as the nipping starts end it. Place a chew toy IN IT'S MOUTH IMMEDIATELY THEN Place the puppy in the crate without saying anything at all or showing any attention, just ignore her. She will start to associate that the nips end the play right then and there!. I also find that the tan nylabones Wolf size work the best and last longer than the gummy ones. A good hard chew toy helps them get the hard chewing out of their system and they really need it. As soon as she realizes that she is separated from her human playmates, and it will take a few times, she will catch on and realize nipping is not acceptable. I'm guessing you are crate training her because that will save you a world of trouble and safety issues down the line. If you aren't yet purchase a crate ASAP at your local Petsmart or similar store, make it a larger one cause she will grow quick, and you can get a water bowl that attachs to the inside. Just make sure you don't ever make the crate punishment -- just think of it as time to calm herself when she gets too wild.

As far as the cat - to be blunt - when our two puppies got too rough with our cats, well, the cats sort of kicked the dogs "asses". Let the cats assert their dominance now and you won't have a problem -- just make sure the cats don't hurt the dog - now that's a problem I've had. If you need any more info do another post and I'll be glad to help you. Hey, I got the neighbor through the intro of 2 rottweilers to their cats and a yorkie!
PS - I've had huge German Shepherds my whole life and have never had a problem, as they get older it's really funny when you play tug of war and they start making those snarling sounds. You will be fine and labs are great pets.

Answer 2

this is Ur first dog... and U have a PUPPY, not a dog. do not expect dog behavior from an infant.

infants are much harder to care for than elementary-school kids... so U have a huge learning curve ahead!! go to a POSITIVE reinforcement puppy cl;***, and/or hire a private trainer, also R+. it may cost, but will pay off ENORMOUSLY over the next decade and a half.

Look at the RESOLVED Q's and see there all the great advice under 'Best Answers'. There are tips on housetraining, leash training, etc.

PUT THE PUP ON A LEASH - that's what they are for: control. U cannot train without control: physical control comes first, then training, Then And Only Then, SELF-control is learned by the pup.

Ages are stages: don't expect college-performance from Ur Kindergarten pup!
have some patience: both of U, ALL 3 of U, are learning. Consistent rewards are very important: REWARD the right thing, and ignore or simply interrupt anything that U do not want.

U are theones with opposable thumbs and big brains: U control the resources, and the environment. GIVE for GAIN: don't teach or reward what U don't want!

it is that simple - but u aren't dog-savvy folks, so For U, it's hard. U need a good mentor - hence an R+ trainer, even if it's a once a week private!

Answer 3

Stop tapping her nose. That's an aggressive move and will only encourage her to be aggressive in turn. At that age, it's hard to believe your puppy is actually attacking (as opposed to playing) unless she's been given reason to be afraid of you (or your partner). Since she's your first dog ever, your best bet is to enroll in puppy training. The trainer will be able to help you troubleshoot why what you're doing is not working. You should never need a muzzle, especially with a lab since they are very gentle dogs usually.

With the cat, she's probably just trying to play and when the cat runs, she thinks the cat is playing. When she chases the cat, sternly tell her no--be authoritative, but do not yell. Then pick her up without saying anything else and put her in her crate for a few minutes. This works very well and does not make the dog hate her crate (as I feared it would when my trainer told me to try this). She'll quickly learn that when she chases the cat, she doesn't get to play at all.

Good Luck!

Answer 4

When she bites yelp loud. Her mother or siblings would screech if she bit to hard and that is what you have to do. Then right away turn her over on her back and hold her there strongly until she relaxes and realizes you are the BOSS. Don't let go when she is on her back until she relaxes don't matter how long it takes. Don't hit her that will make her more aggressive and confuse her biting is how she plays with her siblings. Remember dogs do not have hands so they pin down their opponent to show dominance. Yelp to show pain and pin to show you are alpha. Also look at her eyes when she is being strongly pinned down and say no with emphasis. Also eat before her i have read this so many times in books how they are PACK animals and right now she thinks she is boss or the leader and in a pack the alpha eats first so feed her after you eat walk through doors first and sit/sleep in the best spot example bed or couch. She has to learn to respect you. U could also put some bitter apple bite on your skin cause dogs hate the taste and won't bite you anymore. This worked for my cousin with her lab but it might not for you ask your vet or a trainer for help if you need more help. I hope you can make your little devil an angle!

Answer 5

Basic Training of the Puppy - Read here https://tr.im/MXChN

The new puppy is certainly one of the most adorable and cuddly creatures that has ever been created. It is the most natural thing in the world to shower it with love and affection. However, at the same time it is important to realize that if you want to have a well trained adult dog, you need to begin the training process right away. The dog, like its related ancestor, the wolf, is a pack animal. One of the features of a pack is that it has a single dominant leader. Your new puppy is going to want that leader to be you, but if you do not assume that role from the very beginning, the puppy’s instincts will push him to become the leader.

The most important thing to remember about training the puppy during its first six months of life is that it must see you as the leader of the family pack. The essential thing is gaining the trust and the respect of the puppy from the beginning. You will not do this by allowing the puppy to do whatever it wants to do whenever it wants to do it. On the other hand, a certain amount of patience is required. Most people err in their early training by going to extremes one way or the other. Although you need to begin the basic training process at once, you can not expect your dog to do too much at first. Basic obedience training is fine and should include simple commands like sit, stay, and come. Remember that trying to teach the dog advanced obedience techniques when it is a puppy is much like trying to teach a five year old child algebra.

It is also important to restrain from cruel or abusive treatment of the puppy. You can not beat obedience into your dog, and it certainly is not going to engender feeling of respect and trust. House breaking is an area where this usually becomes a problem because of the anger that is triggered when the puppy fails and creates a mess inside the home. Although this issue must be addressed without anger, it most be addressed. If you allow the puppy to eliminate inside the house, it will continue to do so as an adult dog. The same thing is true of other destructive or dangerous behavior such as chewing and biting. Do not expect the puppy to grow out of it. You are going to need to train the puppy out of it, but you should do so firmly but with a sense of play and fun using positive reinforcement and lots of love and praise for good behavior.

Answer 6

Sounds like she enjoys playing rough. I'm not one for beating or slapping puppy's but there is a line that no dog should ever cross at any age and that is snarling and biting there is a difference in playfullness and proper agression. I have English Bull Terriers and they are all well mannered but the other day my 10 month old put her ears back and went for my foot because I was putting her collar on. I smacked her very hard and grabbed her by her scruff and pushed her down into a submission position she was very shocked but hasn't dared do it since and has been impeccably mannered and learnt her lesson. I'm not saying you should beat your pup but you may need to give her a hard smack she needs to learn that her behaviour is not acceptable she will not stay small and cute forever and this problem may well escalate.
Bull terriers don't feel allot of pain witch is why I was quite rough with mine but I have only had to discipline her a hand full of times in her life especially for chasing and trying to eat the cat.
She plays nicely with him now and knows when she is being too rough because I will tell her a stern NO and she leaves him alone. It took alot of persistance and taps on the bottom at first but she soon got the idea. My bully boy however got the idea straight away he latched on to the cat and I gave him a smack (not very hard) on his bum and said NO and he learnt from then and also knows the boundrys.

Answer 7

I think that a muzzle would be avoiding the real problem. You probably should seek professional help. Have you ever watched the Dog Whisperer? It's on the National Geographic channel. I don't own a dog now, but his techniques are very effective. The only thing is, it will be hard for you to learn good techniques from a TV, which is why I'd recommend a dog trainer.

I would recommend against becoming more violent, because it's possible to show the dog who's boss without physically hurting her. Check out the show to see what I mean.

Answer 8

hiya, just read ur q and some answers. as others have said she is only 11 weeks old and at her most playful. Pups do have sharp teeth however are you rough playing with her causing her to bite? Tapping her nose is not a good idea and dogs should not be disciplines using this method. Hold her face and tell her NO! she will soon get it, but not for a while... In regards to her chasing the cat, you have to hold the cat if it isnt to frightened and gently introduce them... the puppy thinks its a playmate and obviously will want to jump all over it... they will get on, give them time. For her biting she will grow out of it, as labs are one of the most placid dogs. Treasure these days with her because they grow up real fast. Good luck!

Answer 9

Its sounds as if you are doing things the right way so well done. She is completely normal - all puppies are pretty violent and it takes a while for them to learn to control the urge to put everything in their mouths!
Don't muzzle a puppy, They all nip and attack anything that moves. It is the owners job to teach when this is and isn't allowed. For example, its ok to chase a ball you throw but not ok to chase the cat. It will take many weeks for your puppy to learn what to do and what not to do but by being consistent you will make gradual progress.
The trick is to get your puppies attention focussed on you before the chase of the cat starts. Once the chase starts it is instinctive and you will not be able to control the pup. Shouting its name and making and fuss just undermines your authority because the pup is so engrossed it won't pay you any attention.
The cat will gradually learn not to run in front of the pup too - a few scratches from the cat will teach you puppy some respect!
With regards to the 'aggressive behaviour' this is not really aggression but play fighting. It you watch puppies playing together you will be shocked a how rough they are with their needle sharp teeth. Your puppy needs to learn never to put its teeth on human skin. This is why you should never 'play rough' with your puppy. Don't hype your puppy up - it is cute but leads to naughtiness as you've described. Instead, play with balls and tug toys and empty plastic bottles. She will learn to focus her energies on these toys instead of your arms!
Be consistent and firm about what is allowed and most importantly be confident - you are doing things the right way and she will learn in the end!!

Answer 10

I recently got a Jack Russell pup and she was doing the same thing, growling and snapping. Trying to bite your hands and face.
But now when she does it i just put her on the floor and ignore her. Then she seems to wonder off and do her own thing.
We locked her away at first but since stopping that she hasn't bit us as much. Locking them away only provokes it.
We have a cat too and our pup seems to find it fun to chase her aswel, am sure she only wants to play tho. But we try to keep them apart as much as possible.
Just reward your dog for good behaviour, even if she is just sitting there. Spend as much time with her as you can so you can bond but make sure your partner does the same.
If all fails i'd try training classes.
Don't muzzle her. She probably doesn't understand what she's doing wrong.
And Labradors are usually very friendly animals so am doubting she has a real vicious streak in her.
Good luck and don't give up on her!