UrbanPup Posted March 28, 2014 Report Share Posted March 28, 2014 Hey everyone, Turbo is proving to be a very aggressive pup. We have been working on his food aggression by hand feeding, but he still is showing aggression even when food is not present. When he starts to growl with his toys we usually punish with a strong verbal "no" and take away the toy until he is calm. Yesterday, however, he became aggressive with almost no warning. We were just lounging on the couch watching tv, he was calm and laying down, and I took a few cute pictures of him Only minutes after that picture was taken I went to pet him and he growled, then lunged at my face! The damage: The whole experience was so disheartening. I want so badly to have an affectionate loving dog but it seems Turbo does not appreciate any type of affection at all. Now I am nervous to handle him or have him near my face at all. I contacted a dog trainer in the hope that she will be able to guide us thru this, but even she was surprised he is so aggressive at such a young age. Has any one else had similar experiences, and if so, did they improve with time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted March 28, 2014 Report Share Posted March 28, 2014 Hope you heal up ok. I haven't had any experience with aggression in pups (just in adult dogs) :eek: Someone will have some wise words for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingBlaze n Skyla Posted March 28, 2014 Report Share Posted March 28, 2014 Has he been vet checked? Seems odd for a puppy to behave this way only time my pup bit me badly was when he hurt his leg n was in pain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGBY Posted March 28, 2014 Report Share Posted March 28, 2014 Food aggression in puppies is very common. Puppies learn that they need to be the strongest in the litter and get to the mama's milk so that they won't get forced out and not get any food which is why puppies especially can be food aggressive for the first few weeks (My Bigby was but he's fine now, at most he'll just run off with whatever he has and go hide it for later) As for the sudden bout of rage I absolutely have zero idea what could've triggered it? I will say though that Husky's (and Malamutes) are very vocal when playing, Bigby growls alot when I play ball with him but I know it's only because he's having fun and not because he's mad at something... Still though, contacting a trainer is the right idea so that you and your pup can spend many happy-peaceful years together without incident Hope it goes well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted March 28, 2014 Report Share Posted March 28, 2014 That looks like a serious bite I am sorry that I don't have any advice. I had 2 of mine from pups and the only time that they had growled at me was when they had rawhide, which I now ban. Hopefully your trainer can help you with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biorick78 Posted March 28, 2014 Report Share Posted March 28, 2014 When mine was 2 to 3 months she would also go for face biting I would just say no and ignore her for 10 minutes she would throw a temper tantrum she has now grown out of that we would also tell her to give kisses and reward her with treats Sent from my Torque using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammybeans Posted March 28, 2014 Report Share Posted March 28, 2014 I don't have experience with this in puppy form, but when I first adopted Champ he would go after your face if you were playing with him. After issuing a stern "no" and ending play he eventually got it, he rarely will go after your face anymore. As for the growling when being picked up perhaps instead of picking him up you could use a leash to lead him into the time-out spot? Another reason behind not picking him up to take him in there is that he'll probably end up getting too big to keep picking him to take him into time out, using a command to associate a time out area with would be good as well. I do hope you heal up and that the trainer can give you some better advice. Good luck... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowpups Posted March 29, 2014 Report Share Posted March 29, 2014 I've never heard of a pup been aggressive how old was he when you got him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mydiamond Posted March 29, 2014 Report Share Posted March 29, 2014 Hi Lindsay hope your cut heals well it looks terrible I've never had a pup, but this topic has came up on the forum several times in the past and there are some responses that I like. This one is my particular favorite: Please remember that dogs do not understand our language. Toy aggression is present because they feel the need to guard their toy. If you take the toy away, it only feeds that need. So my advice would be carry on with the verbal corrections but don't take the toy away. Keep all toys out of puppy's reach and make sure he follows a command (usually "sit") before he receives the toy. For more info, google "NILIF" training Last but not least please keep in mind that it is not recommended to work with an aggressive dog by yourself. If this behavior persists, get a behaviorist. Good luck and keep us posted x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankmayfield Posted March 29, 2014 Report Share Posted March 29, 2014 My Maverick was almost the same. He was food aggressive no matter how much I petted him whilst holding the food. He still growls at me every now and then. I don't get it either, but I accept it. When he growls at me I can put my hand in his mouth and he just stands there and looks uncomfortable. I AM NOT SUGGESTING THAT AS A SOLUTION. However, I do that when I get annoyed with him growling at me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carly Posted March 29, 2014 Report Share Posted March 29, 2014 Skye is currently going through a nipping at our faces stage when we are playing, I don't think its aggression though as she is perfect in every other way, I just think she's getting over excited. We are working through this with a strong "no", ending play and giving a time out behind the baby gate so she's not in the room with us. I understand it must be getting you down, I hope you manage to work through it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markulous Posted March 29, 2014 Report Share Posted March 29, 2014 Oh, so many reminders of why we don't want puppies ever again! Too much hard work! We're happy to take older dogs Are you sure it was aggression? I appreciate the growl but was it an aggression growl or a play growl? One of our fosters has exactly the same growl for play as he does for serious - very confusing (especially as he came in with fear/food aggression - all gone now). Puppies have no real idea of what they're capable nor any judgement, so have to learn it all - it would appear that the best time is when in the litter from about 9-12 weeks and they learn from their mother and siblings. Even then, they still need further education from us! From an affection point of view, each of the 6 dogs with us is different. We've the "Where's Mum?" (all she wants to know is where she is and to give/get affection) to total indifference to us (as long as we feed her, that is!). The ones in the middle tend to more "OK, I'll accept/give some affection now but don't bother me unless I ask" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbanPup Posted March 29, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2014 Thank you all for the comments! We've contacted a local dog behaviorist and have set up a consult. Since the bite he has been less nippy and has not growled over toys or food. Perhaps he was just stressed out that day? With the guidance of a professional I'm sure Turbo will grow to be a well mannered pup. Thanks again for your support Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted March 29, 2014 Report Share Posted March 29, 2014 Good luck! Hopefully it was a one time thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carly Posted March 29, 2014 Report Share Posted March 29, 2014 Hope it all works out for you and that you can rebuild the trust with your pup, looking forward to hearing how your consult goes Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mydiamond Posted March 30, 2014 Report Share Posted March 30, 2014 good to hear keep us posted x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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