6 month old puppy aggression...Help!!

[rex96]

Hello there... Our 6 month old puppy Rex has been doing great so far with his training...we met with a trainer a couple months back and he has had no problems with his commands, etc. He has been walking very nicely, and I have been very careful asserting myself as the pack leader. We've been using the Long Down Exercise for major discipline, which was reccomended to us by our trainer. Rex still enjoys stealing and chewing shoes...and with other family members sometimes he jumps up when greeting them. All of this we are trying to solve, but there is one issue in particular we are increasingly concerned about. Sometimes when other family members are walking him, he will suddenly turn on them and jump and bite. Also sometimes, but rarely, he will burst ahead and start to dig, then jump at the person when they approach, as if it is the most fun game in the world. Also when other family members are petting him, he will turn his head and bite. With other dogs, he used to be very submissive, but now he is very assertive with them...not all over them, but he walks up to them and if they back off he keeps coming up to him. He has not yet been neutered, but he will be soon as we got him at a young age from a shelter. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!!

[MaryAnn]

Has anything in his recent past changed? Are you and other family members consistent on how you walk/train Rex? If not, this will confuse the dog.

** When you see that Rex is about to jump on you, raise your knee in front of him to block his jump.
** Regarding "biting" (is it a bite - a puncture wound that actually breaks the skin) or is it "nipping"? To sort out this problem, you need to pinpoint why the dog is acting this way. What is he frightened of? Is he trying to protect you? Is he nervous because he suffered a trauma in the past that caused pain? Was he poorly socialized when he was younger, and doesn't fully understand that humans and other dogs pose little threat to him? If your dog has bitten a person (or another dog) seemingly without warning, he has probably learned in the past that growling was not enough to see off whatever is frightening him and he has gone "straight to bite" because it works.

The solution is SLOW EXPOSURE to the person, dog, or whatever it is that is causing the fear. Never answer aggression with aggression. You make it worse. Desensitizing a dog to a fearful stimulus is a long, slow process. You have to gradually condition the dog that the presence of the stimulus he was wary of now makes good things happen to him. He gets delicious food, he plays his favorite game,or he chews his favorite bone whenever that scary thing is present. Gradually, he will begin to relax and his stress levels will fall. It may take weeks, even months perhaps. Always use positive methods.

** When out on a walk...if you see another dog approaching - watch your dog's body language - it is unrealistic to expect our dogs to be sociable with every dog or person they meet. After all, some strangers makes you feel uneasy, don't they? If you see another dog and/or person coming your way - change direction or cross the street to put some distance between you. use distraction to gain your dog's attention. Make a noise, and him to sit and watch you. Do some obedience exercises with him to keep his focus on you. Once the other dog/person has passed and your dog has not shown any aggressive behavior, give him a fantastic treat. When you are geeting good responses from your dog, you can gradually reduce the distance between him and other dogs.

** RE: chewing things you don't want him chewing on... place these items where your dog can not get to them...closet, room, up on a shelf, etc....
The solution to this "chewing problem" is not obedience training. You can teach a puppy not to chew on innappropriate objects by redirecting him to chew on what he is allowed, but you can't teach him not to chew at all.

[Sarah]

What breed of puppy do you have? It appears as if you are dealing with a dominant/aggressive dog. The reason why the dog jumps is because he/she is fighting for a position in the family unit, attacking the weaker members in the family. With a dog this way, there should only be one handler preferably adult until the puppy is trained enough to at least "listen" and is excellent in obedience, without hesitation on the dogs part. [doggie boot camp]

The reason why I say one handler [pack leader] if everyone in the family is not acting as the assertive pack leader, the dog will regress and continue to act in a dominant/aggressive manner to the weaker one in the family. When a dog is being petted and turns to bite, the dog should be put in a down position, and you as the Alpha turn him over to his side showing his belly, head on the floor in a relaxed manner to the one he tried to bite. You can hold him down with one hand firmly on his chest, and with the other hand place his head on the floor. This is the most submissive position you can place a dog in. It is important that the person be there, just as it is important that if a dog bites or attacks another dog be there while the dog who attacked or bit, be placed in a submissive position. You are asking your dog to give you the highest level of submission.

You can also get a muzzel for the dog until he/she is fully trained.

Keep in mind that your puppy is 6 months old, and you are dealing with a rebellious teenager. Patience, love discipline determination and consistency with this dog and you will have a great dog.

Let me know how things are going....