Have I Adopted a Bad Dog?

Mama

What were you thinking?

With all the issues you have been dealing with,
you got a puppy?

Now this!

Talk with an animal trainer.

D.

There are some good suggestions below about socialization, being mindful about who approaches your puppy & interacts with her, and consistent training.

Here is the advice I have given my puppy owners, especially ones who have discovered a month or two after getting a puppy from me that they accidentally turned it into a snapdragon!

When Puppy starts mouthing or nipping, make a corrective noise (like a game show buzzer "aaaah aaaah") and say Be Nice. As soon as Puppy backs off, praise Good & resume. If the biting was due to play activity, back off just a little so you don't draw her into frenzied activity. If she starts biting again, make the same noise & command, but this time, give a firm NO! before Be Nice to get her attention.

Third strike, she's out. Now you remove her from the environment, by putting her in a time-out in her kennel. One or two minutes, TOPS. This is not punishment, this is a chance for her to realize that it is "play nice or don't play at all" and there will be no attention if she can't behave.

After 1-2 min, let her out of the kennel with no fanfare, & go about your activities. If you were playing before, do not engage in play immediately. If she behaves coming out of the kennel, great. Many puppies, however, will come out still behaving the same as soon as you interact with them. Again, go through the 3-strike process.

Be patient - this may take an hour (for soft personalities) or a few days/a week for strong-willed and very mouthy puppies. What you are teaching her is that she needs to be respectful of your personal space.

If her biting is more than just a nip or two, or mild mouthing, but more like a Tasmanian devil is being unleashed upon you, hold her firmly with both hands until she settles, you can even use the phrase "settle, settle". I like to hold from behind (not facing them) with my thumbs/palms over the shoulders, and fingers circling towards the chest. Use just enough pressure to hold her still, but not enough to force her into a down position if she does not offer it.

This does 2 things - #1 removes as much of -you- from the biting range as possible & #2 helps to restrain them in a manner that almost mimics the swaddling effect used in children. The shoulder & chest is one of the more non-threatening body areas on animals such as dogs (& horses). When doing this, as soon as you feel her start to calm down, relax your pressure just a bit, & offer praise.

There are many reasons for mouthing/nipping behavior. Very common, if a puppy is removed from it's litter sooner than 8 weeks, it misses out on very critical development periods where they learn socialization and bite inhibition FROM THEIR LITTERMATES. It is much harder to teach this to the dog after the fact, and you don't know the history of your pup.

Because you are also indicating that she has issues with being picked up, you should also be respectful of HER space. Ideally, puppies are handled daily from birth to 8 weeks, and exposed to a lot of different stimuli and experiences, but if they are not, they can be very resistant to some of the "man-handling" we humans like to engage in with cute, snuggly puppies.

If she doesn't like being picked up, try to avoid that, and work towards interactions such as petting, & shaping her into movements (using treats to encourage her to sit, lay down, roll over, etc.). Use positive reward (praise for doing it, no punishment for not doing it) to encourage the correct behavior. This will help her associate interactions with you and her resulting behaviors as a positive experience.

Additionally, approaching her needs to be a conscious effort. Get her attention first, and then approach. Watch carefully with children, who (depending on age) can be concerning to a dog. They tend to move faster and unpredictably, speak in higher, more excited tones, and their smaller size makes dogs question what their role is in the relationship.

As with all things, consistency is the key. Be patient, firm and kind. If you do not see improvement in behaviors within a few days, do not hesitate to consult with a professional trainer. I would personally recommend seeking an animal behaviorist, not just any fly-by-night who says they train dogs.

I have bred & trained Rhodesian Ridgebacks since 2000, & offered training advice to many pet owners, drawing on my personal experiences & the knowledge of other experts. I hope some of this was helpful to you, & feel free to contact me with any questions. T. =-)

No, you haven't adopted a bad dog. You've adopted a puppy who needs to be properly socialized and trained.

I very much recommend that you find a good trainer in your area. Not a trainer at the pet supply store, but a professional dog behaviorist and obedience trainer who is credentialed and registered with their professional organization. Yes, it will cost you, but it is worth every penny and every moment of your time. Get in for classes as soon as possible (no, it's NOT to early). They will help you to work on socialization and dealing with any issues you're having. You'll also teach your dog her place in your "pack" and what is expected of her. You cannot make any expectations of her until you teach her those things.

We adopted a young dog a couple of years ago, and I thought the very same thing: OMG, we got a crazy dog. Since training she's completely different. A wonderful and amazing dog. Polite, sweet, and social.

Finally, regarding visitors and new people, training will teach you and your puppy how to greet strangers. Until you get to training class, I do not recommend that you allow strangers to approach your dog. I would be very concerned that she might bite or be aggressive. So, until the trainer has worked with you both, and you've gotten her responses under control, please keep strangers safe from your dog. She's not bad, but she just doesn't know better, and she's too unpredictable.

Good luck!

Get a dog trainer ASAP. Find one who will come to your home (since I'm sure your puppy is still getting her shots, you won't want to take her out in public where there are other dogs just yet, nor to a place like PetSmart that is teeming with germs).

Secondly, this dog has been with you for only a few days. She is scared. She has no idea who you are, who your kids are, etc. They're probably coming at her a million miles an hour, and she's terrified. If you haven't done so already, give her a small area of your house that can be baby-gated off (even if it's a bathroom, the laundry room, or somewhere like that). Get her a crate, and put it in there. Put her food and water in there. She can spend all of her time in there when she's not directly supervised by an adult, or when you're away from home. Leave the gate open even when she's hanging out with the family, so that if she feels overwhelmed, she can go there and be alone.

Secondly, if she doesn't have a collar, get her one. Then, buy a cheap, dollar-store leash. Cut off the handle end of it so it's 2 feet long or so. She should wear this at all times when you're home (just let her drag it around behind her). When she does something that you find undesirable, such as biting, give a sharp jerk on the training leash and say, "No biting!" If she persists in biting, give two sharp jerks and repeat, "No biting!" If she persists after that, give 4 sharp jerks and repeat the command. She WILL stop biting. You just have to be very consistent. Do the same for jumping, incessant barking, bolting. She will learn, as long as you correct her the same way, for the same issues, each and every time she misbehaves. She has no idea right now what you find acceptable. You have to teach her. Likewise, when she's being good, tell her. "Good no jumping!" or "Good no biting!"

Also, let your kids know to never take her food away from her while she's eating. That will give her the idea that her food might disappear at any time, and that she needs to therefore defend her food. That's a behavior you don't want. So they shouldn't tease her by taking her food or treats away.

I hope that helps. Be patient with your puppy. She is still small.

It is NOT normal for a puppy this young to growl or snarl seriously at anyone. What you are describing sounds likely to become a long term problem. It is normal (just bad manners) for a pup to want to play, tug, get carried away and use her teeth. But this does not sound like what you are describing. It seriously does NOT matter why the pup is this way (of course it is not her 'fault') - it matters that she may become a dangerous dog. It doesn't take much aggression for a pup to take out a child's eye. I would absolutely advise any of my clients to return this dog. If you have a question about how you are interpreting her behavior - you should be taking her to your veterinarian in the next few days anyway. They will be able to tell you whether this is true aggression (again whether it is fear or dominance is irrelevant - you do NOT want any sort of aggressive dog around kids) or just normal puppy over exuberance.

People will tell you that there are no bad dogs, only bad owners. This is not true. Just as humans come into the world with some base temperament, so do dogs. Just as some humans are mentally ill through no fault of their parents, so are some dogs.

There is only so much you can do with a dog with a bad temper (or faulty wiring). Honestly - I'd start trying to find a home where you can trust that the dog will be well trained, well socialized, and rarely around kids. It will hurt, but not as much as it would hurt of she attacks a child.

If you didn't do so this time, I'd also suggest that next time, you look into getting a dog from a rescue where the dogs are kept in homes. They will have assessed the dog's temperament and helped determine the right kind of home, saving you this heartache.

Good luck and hugs,
e

p.s. Also, for a home with kids, I am on Team Golden Retriever.

p.p.s A nip is playful or chewing/teething mouthy. What you describe is aggression. I know I am in minority here, but...I've been attacked by dogs for no good reason (hiking on a public trail, walking down the street). I think because I am small and slow and I tend to lag behind groups, I look like prey. And it's so frustrating - people can be so freakin' delusional about their dogs and about dogs in general. Dogs can be great companions, but they are not superior psychic humans in dog bodies. They are dogs. We do ourselves no favors pretending otherwise.

So yeh, you don't want to be attacked by dogs or even A dog. You definitely don't want that to happen to your kids or your kids friends. You don't have to have evil in your heart for a dog to decide to attack you. The dog does not have to have been abused to be aggressive.

Sure - get training for the pup, but ask the trainer about the dog's temperament, and ask the vet. Dog trainers and vets are pretty good about being honest about a dog's temperament. If they tell you the dog is aggressive, believe them, and try to find the right home for her.

At this point, this tiny dog is trying to survive. He doesn't know you and doesn't have any reason to trust that you'll keep him safe.

You have to train puppies. It goes beyond taking care of their physical needs. There are books, but I think it is better to look for a local trainer that can help and teach you by showing.

Get her puppy training classes. All dogs need to learn boundaries and proper behavior. Mother dogs will teach puppies not to bite, etc. If she is picked up and bites all the time, then you may also want to ensure she has no health issues that cause her pain when being picked up, and that the family (esp. kids) are picking her up gently and carefully. Kids are not always the most careful and she may be wary of them. When a dog snarls at a particular type of person, I always suspect the dog had a run-in with that kind of person (man, child, kid on a bike...) Get her puppy training classes. You adopted a baby dog. It will be different. Be sympathetic (everything she knew is gone) and work with her.

In addition to the training and socialization suggestions below...
Is it possible that she is injured? If she is truly "biting," rather than just getting carried away with playing and using teeth too much, maybe it is because she is in pain. If she has a broken bone, sprain, back injury, or similar, it may hurt when she is picked up in a certain way. Fear of pain could also cause her to "warn" others not to pick her up by snarling.
We have two pit bulls who we spent quite a lot of time training. One of the two snarled at me ONCE when she was a puppy and had a toy. I held the loose skin at the back of her neck, took the toy, and said firmly- NO. Mine. And for several weeks I would give them a toy or treat and periodically take it away for a few seconds, have them sit, and give it back. We never played tug of war with them- if a human touches something in their mouth, it belongs to the human and they let it go. We also never let them mouth or chew on our hands, fingers, toes, etc. If they started to chew on us, we put our hands flat against their muzzle and say "kisses." They learned quickly that licking humans is OK, biting humans is not. They are both 11 years old now and great with our kids, but it was a lot of work in the beginning to teach them proper manners.

I'm curious where you adopted this puppy from? Do you know anything at all about its parentage/litter mates, or history?

Getting the dog is only the first step. Your next step is to take your dog everywhere so she gets use to all different people and situations AND enroll her in dog training classes.

My dog has zero manners and was upset by everything. Dog training helped me learn how to be the top dog in the household.

it's possible, i guess, but with a puppy this young, she's probably just scared and nervous and has no clue what the rules are, so is very defensive. how else can she let you know she's scared and unsure?
being picked up is VERY scary for some dogs, and it sounds as if yours is one of them. i'm sure she can be retrained and reassured that her family is safe, but it will take time and patience. and clearly strangers are something that brings out the fear factor in her, so keep her away from people while you are all adjusting to each other.
puppies are a lot of work, and unless you're very lucky or very experienced, a lot of money because training is really important. and with a puppy like this, ie one with issues in a family that is not experienced, a professional trainer is a must. books are great, but they rarely cover every contingency. don't write this puppy off until you've given her a chance, and that means working with a good trainer so that you know how to establish and maintain the boundaries that will make her feel secure, and you know how to understand the cues she gives you and how to communicate more effectively with her.
good luck!
ETA omg, just went back and see that just a few months ago you posted a 'dog gone bad' post about an adopted dog biting your family! why on EARTH are you doing it again???? clearly you and your family are not good with dogs, and bulldozing through them as if they're toys. knock it off!!
khairete
S.

Hire a professional to help you train her.

You've had the dog three days?! The poor thing may be scared and unsocialized. Do you know anything about where it has been the last 3 months and how it was treated and handled?

The information you can get will be dependent on where you adopted it from. Pet stores have no info because their dogs are from puppy mills, mass producers of puppies purely for profit. Breeders would have more info for you and shelters/ rescues may have info and should be able to either help you or refer you to a dog training classes that use positive reinforcement techniques.

Puppies chew and mouth all the time. It's how they explore their environment. You probably need classes for her because they actually are teaching you how to shape the desired behavior. Make sure you get one that uses positive training!

There's no telling what that puppy has endured in his short life. You don't know if he's been hit, hair pulled, kids stomped on him, etc....he could be fighting for his life as far as he knows.

He needs a firm hand for sure. I don't care for dogs, I'm a cat person. If we had a dog that did this I don't think I'd want to invest the time and effort to retrain him. I'd probably find a home for him without children and with perhaps an older person who has a sedate lifestyle.

Mama,

What breed of dog did you adopt?
How many puppies were in the litter?
How was she treated prior to your adopting her?

Your dog needs CONSISTENT training and love. We adopted our dog at 10 weeks. He's a boxer pit bull mix. He's a HUGE love bug. However, he liked to jump and nip when he was a puppy. We issued a FIRM "NO JUMP" command when he jumped. Told him "Good boy" and praised him when he did NOT jump. Same with nipping.

He is now 4 years old. He's a great puppy dog who loves to snuggle and talk to me. Yes, he talks to me - it's hilarious.

Just like babies, dogs will pick up on your stress and anger and react. So you need to breathe - remember she's a BABY/PUPPY and needs training. If you don't feel you can handle it on your own - Pet Smart and other places offer pet training services. Look 'em up and hire one that works for you.

Good Luck!

Please take time from your busy schedule to watch shows like the dog whisperer and any other dog behavior shows you can find.

Dogs are pack animals. This puppy needs to learn who the boss is and what is and isn't acceptible in your pack. Every human being in this pups world should be superior to her. She needs to be shown that. Time to get her to some obedience classes too. Some dogs have a stronger will than others and some have the tendancy for dominating the pack but that can't be so when they are in your home.

You need to learn so much more about dogs and raising them. Get yourself some trainng on how to train them. It will do you well.

Based on this post and your post in May about another bad dog incident, I would say you aren't really up for proper care of a dog and you might want to reconsider your choice in pets. Dog training is difficult and people who don't do it well can end up with a dog with a whole host of problems. I'm normally on the side of "you adopted the dog - you own it for life"... but I suggest you re-home this pup so it has a shot at a good life.

Puppies can get scared and nervous and not be properly socialized but that doesn't mean we excuse it. She needs to be evaluated by a veterinary behavior specialist and have them put a treatment plan in place. In the wrong hands, with improper training methods, or no intervention at all, she will only get worse. There's play-biting but it's play - it is not accompanied by snarling, growling and hair standing up. Personally, I would be taking the puppy back to wherever you adopted her from and letting them know what she is doing and that it's not going to be a good fit for you and your family.

I echo everybody who said "training." You must go for training with your puppy. It's a perfect time to start and if you don't, it won't get better with her, just worse. Training, training, training.

Take it to puppy classes. A good trainer should be able to help you.