Temperamental puppy

[cymruambyth]

For many years we have 2 dogs, one small, one largish. We now have a giant 2 year Los who gets lonely as everyone is scared of him! 80 kilos running to play with a human or dog can be scary
our little JR tartar died in January.
2 weeks ago I bought a 10 week old JR puppy from a farm; I met both parents who were fine, all living in a barn.

The puppy was fine until he had his collar and I pulled him from his food when he started snapping, I won! Anyway the problem is that if other members of the family try moving him when he doesn't want to move he growls and occasionally snaps.

gut instinct is that he is going to have to be put to sleep as a liability. Any suggestions or ideas will be very gratefully received.

[Undercover Elsa]

Re: Temperamental puppy

Hi hun,
10 weeks is too early to be showing true aggression. I'd guess he's had to compete hard for his food with his littermates and maybe there wasn't enough to go round.
I would hand feed him for a while, piece by piece, on the flat of your hand. Tell him "gently" as he eats it. He needs to know you're the alpha female and you control the food.
Once he's doing that nicely, get the rest of the family involved, feeding him by hand gently and calmly until he realises everyone's above him in the pecking order and no one's trying to steal his food.
I'm just rearing a Golden Retriever pup...he did the same at first but now he's fine after hand feeding (14 weeks old now).

Being raised in a barn isn't the best start. He needs time to learn manners and adjust to being in a house. My GR was from a breeder and my hands were raw the first few weeks as he mouthed everything, but after saying OUCH! each time and just ignoring him if he played rough he's got the message.

[cymruambyth]

Re: Temperamental puppy

Thanks Elsa; I've had loads of puppies but this is the first to show such behaviour. If the rest of my family try moving him he growls and snaps, so they don't trust him. I told him off big time when he tried it on with me and can almost do anything with no problem, though they all doubt me!
i have been hand feeding him by hand so that he occasionally sees his food! The beast doesn't like to see food being wasted!
I think the problem is that we are all aware of how snappy a JR can be (our last one ruled the roost!). The rest of the family despite being macho 6' plus males are scared of a puppy bite!

[MrsD]

Re: Temperamental puppy

we had similar problems with our lab, Mum was wrecked (nine puppies) so the breeder took them away rather prematurely (around five weeks), our doggle was one of the bigger puppies and ruled the roost a bit purely by doing sideswipes with his big bum and of course no Mum to teach a few manners. They were also in a shed pen thing. Took a couple of months to sort him out and establish who was the boss, he mouthed a bit and a couple of short raps with a newspaper on the nose sorted that, he's a great big soggy, loving lump now, occasionally has a wee mad turn and chews a sock or a pair of ripe boxers but very good natured.

Just stick with it, the first three months are the worst.........................

[Beefy1976]

Re: Temperamental puppy

When I was a child my parents had a JR. He was very much my mother's dog and was fine with her, aggressive with everyone else. He was also very food aggressive which was ultimately his downfall as he bit my nephew quite badly. He had loads of personality though and it was such a shame. I hope you have caught it young enough to be able to train him out of it. Good luck.

[cymruambyth]

Re: Temperamental puppy

Looks like no knee jerk reaction and loads of hard work. Two of my sons were left with the dogs last night and started texting at 1am to say puppy was growling and had to go!

[Pixie]

Re: Temperamental puppy

I agree that it's far too early to think of having him put to sleep. You've already had good suggestions...just make sure he realises that he's the lowliest member of the "pack". Tell your sons (and everyone else) to talk to him calmly when reprimanding him and not to feed him titbits when you are eating. Consistency is the key with puppies, just as it is with children.

Yes, it looks like you've got some hard work ahead of you but he will repay it a hundredfold with the love and joy he'll bring throughout his lifetime.

[Undercover Elsa]

Re: Temperamental puppy

Cym,
Did you see the parents, and what were their temperaments like? If they were good temperaments then you should be OK but it will be hard work for a while. All the family need to be commited to it and consistent in his training.

Has he had his inoculations yet? Did the vet hurt him? Maybe get him checked out by the vet in case there's any problem with his neck causing him to over react?
I would also take him to Puppy Socialisation classes as soon as he's covered
He needs a safe cage/ playpen/ secure area where he can sleep or go for time out if you're too busy to watch him. Make sure everyone else leaves him alone when on time out.
General (fun) obedience training will help too. Reward him with tiny treats. Teach him to walk on lead, sit, stay, lie down, high five, come when called etc all as short (5-10 mins) FUN lessons with lots of praise.
I've just had a very time consuming 6 weeks with my little terror (Real Golden Retriever pups would rip a roll of Andrex into shreds in seconds )
I've had GSDs all my life and used to run a training club, but my Golden pup was harder work than any GSD pup at first.
However...now I'm seeing the rewards as from a bitey (teething) manic little ratbag he's suddenly turned into a loving cuddly sweetheart who loves learning new stuff. He'll do all the things I listed above and will lie with treats on his front feet till I say OK to eat. Most of the time hehe. It's taken 6 weeks to get to this stage. Still a long way to go but very rewarding now.
I put him in a harness first (just for training) and then added a half check collar for security when we started taking him out. Might be an idea with your little lad if he doesn't like collars. Click the half check collar if he pulls forward, use the harness if he stops dead or hangs back. I iuse a double ended lead.
Here is is on his first trip out (he'd just spotted a duck):



As a last resort if you think he's definitely not the dog for you see if the breeder will take him back, but I'd never consider euthanasia at that age.

[MrsD]

Re: Temperamental puppy

wee lamb Elsa!

We took doggle to socialisation classes and were totally mortified as he tried to shag everybody, including the vet nurses, it was like being at playgroup with the kid that thumped everyone....................

we had him "seen" to as fast a possible and he limits his shagging to the odd cushion and just occasionally thin air, vet says he's got memory balls

it's all about time but everybody in the house just has to muck in, I spent time taking stuff out of his bowl when he was eating when he was small, I let him eat if off my hand and withheld the bowl, just to reinforce the fact that I was the boss and he wasn't.

I did this with my Sil's puppy as well, again just to reinforce the staus quo.

[cymruambyth]

Re: Temperamental puppy

Hi Elsa

thanks for the lovely photo. I've had Danes, Rotties, Ridgebacks plus some little dogs. Despite my family knowing better (FiL was a gamekeeper) so OH has different ideas to me......... I have trained them and had them well behaved.
I just haven't had one who has been so feisty when young. I did meet mum and dad and although the set up wasn't ideal, they were fine, I wouldn't have bought him without seeing them. He has had all his jabs as I'm worries about the beast bringing something back on his paws. I can move him by his collar etc, it is just that he has taken to growling at every male in the household!
Plan of action is to get sons to give him a titbit before they move him and if necessary they can wear gloves, I'm sure everyone's fear is giving him power.
I got up late this morning and it was lovely going into the kitchen and having little and large running around and wagging tails.

i think I was sounding my problems in case someone thought the behaviour was outrageous and he should go!

[Undercover Elsa]

Re: Temperamental puppy

I totally understand Cym. I've had my moments with him, thinking WHY didn't I get a German Shepherd? Retrievers are especially mouthy and my hands were raw. But now on a morning I can't wait to go in to him and all I get are sloppy cuddles.
My next job is getting him to be more polite with my old GSD who is not amused at being mobbed, but too polite to tell him off. The puppy "licence" from other dogs lasts till about 6 months so he'll have to behave by then or be nipped!

He was shagging his bed and toys too MrsD, especially after he'd had a telling off, as if to show at least he had power over something!

[cymruambyth]

Re: Temperamental puppy

Before I left for work the puppy was humping the beast's leg! He also sat there ripping out the hairs on the beast's chest; I don't think he'll try that one again for a while

[Undercover Elsa]

Re: Temperamental puppy

I can just picture it!

[diddlydee]

Re: Temperamental puppy

Keep at it, Cym. I'm sure he'll be adorable with everyone with a little training to show who's boss!

My lab was very bitey as a pup, and even growled at littlun, so, with supervision we had her feed him, take him out for wees, brush him, send him to his bed etc. and now he does exactly has he's told by her and follows her everywhere. It does pay off in the end

Whilst on the subject of my doggles, he has taken to jumping up at people. Something which I detest. I did get him out of it as a pup by having him nudge my hand for treats. When he nudged he got lots of praise and the treat, and it seemed to stop the jumping up behaviour, instead, he nudged your hand

However, hubby likes to playfight with him and it seems to have brought back the "jumping up" behaviour again. Any tips for how to get rid of this behaviour?

PS. What a beautiful puppy, Elsa

[Undercover Elsa]

Re: Temperamental puppy

Thanks Diddly

We've had that problem with him too, still does it to other people sometimes, but it's getting better.
I got him out of it by just stepping back, saying NO! really forcefully, with the palm of my hand towards him and then turning my back on him and ignoring him until he calmed down.
Once he learned to "wait" I now say NO! - SIT -WAIT then when he does that I get down to his level and fuss him. Sometimes just the palm of my hand works if he's not too giddy. I'm very into hand signals LOL. Can't do with shouting at dogs. It's the tone and authority that matter. Plus lots of praise when they get it right of course.