Dog Behaviour

I'd appreciate your opinions on this. Do you think this is just 'normal' puppy behaviour that is nothing to worry about, maybe the puppy will grow out of it or do you feel this is a sign of an aggressive dog to come?
My four month old puppy snapped at my childs friend. The child put her face in my puppies face. I asked her to move her face away but before she did he snapped at her. He made no noise as he did this and didn't bite her. The child and her mum were understandably very shaken up. I felt and still feel dreadful. Thankfully the puppy 'only' snapped but I'm worried if this may happen again and next time maybe make contact.
What do you think? Is this just a puppy learning? We are training him with a professional dog trainer and will continue to do so but I feel so terrible that my puppy scared the child and may do it or worse again.
Any opinions are appreciated,
Thanks,
X
In reply to chopping his nuts off we are going to have him castrated as soon as he is old enough. We have been advised at six months to do this.
Thanks so much for all of your answers. Sadly it is a bit of a after the horse has bolted for me as I obviously trusted him too much. Not again.
I did ask the girl to remove her face but he snapped before she did. Her Mum heard me say this. I'm not for one second defending what my puppy did and it has really shaken me up. It has given me concerns as to what he will grow into.
We have done it all by the book, puppy classes from the earliest we could, sociaisation started before he could even walk on the floor. We take him to meet other dogs over the park and this has all gone well so far but it only takes one time and that has scared me. Maybe I'm just looking for reasurance that it is 'normal' for a puppy of this age and with our trainers help and loads of hard work it doesn't mean our pup is aggressive.
He is a large breed yes and this certainly does make people less tolerant.
I am so careful though I wasn't careful enough at this time. Wehn he meets people he must sit. Then they stroke him twice on his head and say good dog. Then that is the end of the greeting. This is how we have been working with our trainer and it helps. He doesn't jump op too much but as he is big it def does seem more of a problem. I fully understand why. It can be intimidating to people and I respect that.
This child had already been introduced to him and was fine for a couple of hours. She didn't pull his ears or anything. I'm not sure how he meant the snap. He didn't growl so I would say it wasn't aggressive but I don't think he was beeing playful either. I thought it was a warning.
I just sent a text message to the Mother of the child asking how the girl is and apologising again. She replied saying the girl has a bruise.
So that means he actually nipped her doesn't it? Does that make it more of an aggression thing?
I'D JUST LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR ANSWERS. YOU BASICALLY CONFIRMED WHAT I KNEW. KEEP ON THE WATCH, I'LL DEF BE MORE CAREFUL IN THE FUTURE BUT IT IS NORMAL PUPPY BEHAVIOUR.
I SPOKE WITH OUR VET AND HE ASSURES ME OUR PUPPY ISN'T AGGRESSIVE.
THANKS AGAIN- YOU REALLY HELPED WHEN I WAS FEELING VERY ANXIOUS.

Was it a play snap, or was it aggressive? Pups this age still do play fight, a lot - and he may have been playing. He still needs to learn that this is not acceptable behaviour - but it doesn't mean that he is fated to be an aggressive dog who is unsafe around anyone - human or animal.

Children and puppies can be a great combination - but they can also be hell - as you discovered - particularly if you have a child who pushes at the puppy's limits and won't back off. Having a child face off a pup like this is threatening behaviour to a dog - and a snap would be the pup's way of warning the child to back off - without causing harm. Looked at this way, it was actually quite restrained behaviour!

Talk to your dog trainer, explain exactly what happened - but don't panic. Is it a big dog? It seems to me that large breeds are always expected to behave better as pups than small breeds - and that simply isn't fair. Cute nips from a pom suddenly look sinister from a rottie pup… but the intention is exactly the same.

My puppy is 3 months old & I’ve had her a few of days. I’m reading a book on puppy training & it says to use pieces of dried food when she does something right but she doesn’t react to the smell or sight of food the way it says in the book. She has no interest at all so I tried doggy chocolate buttons & again no interest. So finally I tried breaking up a slice of ham & finally I got a big reaction. So I fed her later on (dry food softened with some water) but she didn’t want it. I want her to eat it straightaway rather than free feed & she should be hungry but she doesn’t come running like I’ve seen other dogs do & needs coaxing to eat her food quickly. Right now shes eating a doggy treat shes saved from lastnight but I thought dogs scoffed those things soon as they got them. When outside she tries to eat everything (plants & stones) & now shes started trying to eat coal & my curtains inside, yet shes not that interested in normal puppy pedigree food!! I read online that dogs poop an hour after they eat but although she poops twice a day or so it could be 5 mins after dinner or hours after. The other thing is when shes giddy she makes biting motions. She might be on my lap & kind of nibble & lick my hand or clothes. Usually when shes doing that she rolls around like crazy & lets her tongue loll out. We both discourage it but my boyfriend thinks its playfulness. We were playing with a rope toy today & she was loving it but it seemed like she was jumping up to try to get the side that was in my hand & after a few minutes she got me. Its just a scrape really but I don’t know if it was an accident caused by her getting all excited while we played or if she meant to do it. When I said ow & dropped the toy she ran up onto my lap & started licking me. So does she not like the food & is all this normal puppy behaviour? Should I take the bowl of food away after a certain amount of time to show her she should eat it when its offered? Thanks in advance Shes half sheep dog half labrador. I think she gets enough excersise because she tears around the place until shes exhausted & then sleeps for ages! I'm working on the walk thing though, trying to get her to walk on the lead.
I know she was eating pedigree before I got her. Is there something wrong with pedigree? Some people say its good but most seem to go "urgh". Maybe I'll get her something different today

Leave her fod bowl out for 30 min. If she doesnt eat then pick it up and offer it again at dinner time.
Have you tried cheese? Some dogs are just picky eaters. But she will not starve herselfe to death. She will eat eventually. Just a thought: Can you give her something better then pedigree?
For the biting: as soon as she puts her teeth on your skin, yelp really loud, get up and walk away. You have o do this everytime. Thats what her littermates did when playing gets to rough.

My dog is a male, and when he gets in the house he tends to get very excited and starts jumping around all over the place and tends to knock things over.

Plus going toilet is a matter too, he doesn't know which places to not pee.

How can I train him to be calm and to not go toilet where itis unwanted? Help? Please jot down any suggestions, Any at all!

How about keeping your dog indoors for the majority of the day, use a Crate. Let your dog outside from 10am to 4pm instead of in the middle of the night.
Crate him when he sleeps at night, and crate him when no one is home to supervise. Otherwise let him roam the house. Dog's do not like to soil their "sleeping" place, AKA the crate. So they will hold it in as long as they can. A 6month old can hold their pee for 6hrs max, 7months 7hrs, 8months 8hrs, etc.
Look for signs that your dog needs to use the washroom (excess ground sniffing, twirling in circles etc.) If you catch the dog "in the act" scold him, but don't scold him if it takes you longer than 5seconds from the "act", or else he will not associate the scolding with what he did wrong.
After you take the dog out of the crate, immediately bring him outside and teach him the cue "Go pee pee!" or w/e. Also bring your dog outside after each meal, each nap, and just as a play session starts. PRAISE your dog when he pee/poops outside. If your dog pooh's inside, bring the pooh and the dog Outside, and tell him the cue "go pee pee" or w/e. Stop access to water 2hrs before bed and make sure to bring him outside to pee before you go to sleep and lock him in the crate.
Make sure to clean up any spots your dog peed on with proper cleaner (nothing with ammonia, cuz that smells like pee and a dog will just pee on the spot AGIAN.)
Eventually your dog will try to give you a cue when it needs to go outside. Mine sits against the door and whines if it's an emergency. You could also try to train your dog to ring a bell.
anyways that's all I can think of. Goodluck, I hope your parents help you with the training and you stop making your dog live outside simply because you don't know how to potty train.

Husband and I got our American Bulldog puppy in beginning of May. He seems to have different relationship with each of us, I feed him and wake up with him to have him potty plus I am home all day with him since I work from home. Hubby play wrestles with him and see hims at night and morning. Puppy seems to listen to hubby more as I guess it's the deeper tone of voice and he is more strict. My question is hubby is leaving for six weeks. I know this is alot of change for the dog, I'm wondering if I should be doing anything more so that he listens to me just as much. I don't want to have disciplinary issues especially as he'll be going through a growth spurt.
When hubby was gone for just a few days last week, puppy seemed to whine and mope, like he missed that rougher interaction. I tried to "wrestle" a little but he looked at me like I had two heads. Almost like what are you trying to do? It was a little funny.

play more rpugh with him and be yourself just be cool and spend this time being good to the dog and who knows what will happen then you could have a better realtionship witht eh dog than your hubby bond with it

He is 5 months and is a lovely confident dog. He plays well with other dogs (quite submissive with them). He is OK to train, and recall is pretty perfect. Im going to get him neutered at about 6-7 months, but will his behaviour change when he is 6-18mths etc He is a shih tzu jack russell cross.
Small dogs mature more quickly than larger dogs - you can expect him to reach physical maturity at about 1.5 years (whereas a large breed is still growing up to 2 years). So, your dog is already starting adolescene. As you are neutering him in the next month or so you will nip most of the effects of testosterone in the bud and he won’t have the opportunity to develop too many bad habits. When a dog reaches adolescence they start to realise that they are bigger, more powerful and have an influence in their family/pack. Just like human adolescents, they test the boundaries and check whether you mean no or if they can get around you. If they can get around you then you end up with a nightmare dog. But, if you stick to your rules and the training you have already established with your pup, you will get him through this period easily. He will also have higher energy levels until he reaches maturity and should be fed on puppy food until hes about 10 months to 1 year depending on the recommendations of your vet and the food manufacturer. From your description you have done things right while hes a baby and you won’t have much trouble!

A dog is a man’s best friend or a woman’s best friend. This has been a saying for centuries. The joy of raising a dog and growing together is a very richly rewarding experience. A child owning its first puppy and growing and learning together is a fantastic bond which teaches the child about life, sharing, caring and companionship.  We only need to think of the great film and television series Lassie and the numerous other dog and child related movies to see how this is portrayed.

So with all these positive images of dogs and canine support why is the press always reporting stories of bad dog behaviour. Can it be true; does it really exist?

Unfortunately it does and you do not have to look far to see first hand examples of this. It is common to see dogs chasing cars and bicycles, sometimes even sadly children. For a child having an unfortunate incident with a badly behaved dog can have long term lasting effects. No longer does the child see a dog as a lovable companion. From that point on any dog can be a potential threat to them and their outlook to these loveable animals is sadly ruined. We can help you to successfully teach your dog, please check out this guide.

Is bad dog behavior the fault of these animals is the dog to blame for acting out one of its basic instincts. Unfortunately this is not the case a dog can be a successful pet or it can be affected by bad dog behaviour which can affect the lives of other people that it comes into contact with in a negative way. What is the difference then between these two characteristics? I believe it is all down to the way that the dog is taught and supervised.

We all lead busy lives and the companionship that a dog offers needs to be tempered by the owners ability to properly teach and control their pet so that bad dog behaviour becomes a thing of the past. Think of it like owning your first car, you wouldn’t think of getting a car if you couldn’t drive. Owning a dog requires some background understanding and preparation to make it a successful outcome.

Is this task difficult? Is this a hard skill to achieve?

Certainly not, it requires some patience and a method. The result a dog which will be your best companion for life and a pet that you can be proud to walk down the street in the comfort of knowing that bad dog behavior is a problem that you and your pet certainly do not have.

If you would like to learn more about how to successfully teach your dog, please check out this guide.

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I love our cockerspaniel puppy “charlie” to bits and I want to keep his teeth and gums healthy and clean so i give him raw bones, but once its in his posession you just cant go near him for hours its like he has a split personality. He wont let anyone near him, in fear that we will take his bone, even once he has come inside and the bone is out side he stil show aggressive behaviour when approached. Charlie is normally so friendly and cuddly. Raw bones are banned in our house for now, as that seems to triggetr the aggressive behaviour, I have found that puppy pedigree denta bones work well as they clean the teeth but he doesn’t get aggressive towards us. I am very concerned about this behaviour and I want to know why he would have acted like this and how I can prevent it in future. Please help.
Hi there. Bones, especially raw ones, are considered “high value” to a dog. They are an extra special treat that Charlie only gets every now and again — they look good, taste good, and Charlie sees absolutely NO reason why he should give his fantastic prize up for you. After all, how would you feel if you were eating your favorite bar of chocolate and someone snatched it away with no warning or compromise? you wouldn’t be happy, would you? well, Charlie is doing the same. The best way to combat possessiveness is the show the dog that you are no threat to his food. I like to compromise and here is how… “What you got there, Charlie? you got a tasty bone? good dog. Lookie, want a piece of ham? this also tastes good.” *Charlie drops bone* *You pick up bone, give the dog a treat, and give the bone straight back*…dog learns that by dropping the bone, the bone is not going to magically disappear, and the hand that can take it away is also the provider of tasty treats. Hand feeding him can also help him associate you being no threat to his food. Best of luck!