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Canine Behavior/Puppies that bite and get aggressive
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QUESTION: I have a three-week-old puppy that is a cross between a husky and a terrier. When she is in a good mood she has a lovely temperament, however, when she gets into the biting mood she becomes aggressive. I try shouting at her and speaking sternly but it doesn't stop her, it's as if she doesn't want to stop. Some people recommend a quick smack to stop her, but I don't think this is a good idea. Please give me some advice on what we can do because we spend most of our time scolding her rather than getting her to bond with us.
ANSWER: Hi, Natasha,
Thanks for the question.
I think you must mean you have a three-month old puppy, not a three-WEEK old puppy. Correct?
LCK
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: sorry about that, you can imagine how concerned I am to make such a silly mistake. Yes, she is a three month old puppy.
Hi, Natasha,
Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you. I'm having computer problems.
Puppies are very oral. They can't help it. Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, and puppies gotta nip and bite and explore the world with their teeth. They don't really mean anybody any harm. It's just that those little needles they call teeth are so darn sharp!
That said, DO NOT SCOLD OR PUNISH YOUR PUPPPY FOR HER ORAL IMPULSES. It will only make her more determined to use her teeth in ways that are not going to be pleasant for you or your friends, family, and furniture! You have to find ways to redirect her into something she should bite, like a soft toy, or a squeaky rubber toy, or a bone. Whatever her teeth feel like having at any given moment.
Puppies also have three speeds: 1) too pooped to move, 2) very active and curious about everything, and 3) overtired, which can seem a lot like ANGRY. It's not. It's just a state where certain neurochemicals are firing so rapidly that she can't control herself. She may squawk and scream and try to tear the walls down, but since she's over TIRED, the mood shouldn't last long.
I hope this helps! I've run out of time, so go to my website and my blog for more info!
LCK
http://www.leecharleskelley.com
http://LeeCharlesKelleysBlog.blogspot.com
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Answers by Expert:
Lee Charles Kelley
Expertise
I've been training dogs in New York City for nearly 20 years. My training approach and philosophy are based on the way police dogs, search-and-rescue dogs, and detection dogs are trained--through the prey drive, inherited from the wolf. It's true that there's been a shift away from using the "wolf model" in dog training recently, and to some extent, there's a good reason. That's because trainers have been using the wrong model, the one that says you have to be the "alpha" or the pack leader in order to control your dog's behavior. This simply isn't true. In wild wolves there is no dominance hierarchy, no "alpha" wolf, and no pack leader (not in the traditional sense). The pack instinct only exists to enable wolves to hunt large prey by working in harmony. (Wolves who live near garbage dumps, for example, and who don't hunt together, don't form packs.) So if wolves don't have an instinct to "follow the pack leader" or "obey the alpha wolf," how could dogs have inherited it from them?
Years ago, before I became a dog trainer, I noticed that the happiest, most obedient, and best-behaved dogs I met weren't the ones who'd been to a dog trainer or behaviorist; they were the dogs whose owners always had Frisbees and tennis balls on hand. And while it might seem that my approach would only be relevant to high-drive dogs who love fetch and tug-of-war, it isn't. Even something as seemingly unrelated as a housebreaking issue or greeting behavior are often the direct result of a dog's predatory energy not having an acceptable outlet.
All behavior is an expression of energy. So when a dog's energy isn't utilized in a way that feels satisfying to his or her instincts and emotions, that's when behavioral problems develop. Giving the dog an acceptable outlet for its energy will almost always bring the dog's behavior back into alignment with its instincts
Feel free to ask me questions about any training/behavioral issue.
LCK
Experience
20 years as a dog trainer. I'm also a bestselling author, writing a series of dog-related mystery novels for Avon.
Organizations
Dog Writers Association of America
Education/Credentials
Just a natural gift I have for understanding and training dogs
Past/Present Clients
Too numerous to mention.
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