# Puppy Dominance and Spazzing Out



## Max&Daisy (May 16, 2013)

About a month ago I bought a shih tzu puppy and she is approximately 3 1/2 months old now. I have already noticed that she is very pushy and nippy with other dogs. As soon as she meets them she gets on her hind legs and almost goes ontop of them (almost in a mounting fashion). I have seen dogs twice her size and 4 times her age cower to her and run away afraid. It really upsets me because I want her to be a social dog but when people see her dominate the other dog they walk away. I also have another 17 year old dog in the house whom she has never displayed this type of behaviour with so I do find it strange. She also does this weird thing we call "spazz mode" where she just all of a sudden runs around the house like crazy and doesn't stop for any reason. These "spazz modes" end as quickly as they begin. She is a very sassy puppy. If you scold her for biting too hard or trying to jump on the couch she tries to bite you. We are first time puppy owners and are not so sure what to think. She is a very bright dog (learned pee pads in 3 days!) but we think her attitude is just unacceptable. If anyone has experienced this type of thing or can suggest ways to help please do


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

She's not being dominant - she's being a puppy. Most puppies do this and at 3 1/2 months old most adult dogs will let them get away with it. She will learn as she gets older and settles, plus older dogs will start correcting her for being rude. Don't worry about it. A puppy class may help with her social skills, though most puppies don't correct each other unless a bite is too hard or something.

The spazzy behavior is also really normal and pretty much all puppies do this. If she's trying to bite you, make a yelp sound or say "ouch", then walk away (really walk away, like out of the room) and ignore her. She will eventually learn that biting ends her playtime with you. 

Read some of the stickies on this forum. The things you're experiencing are totally normal puppy behaviors and there are some good methods for dealing with the crazy bitey moments.


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## HollowHeaven (Feb 5, 2012)

Mounting is not always an assertion of a challenge, so to speak. A lot of times it can be a playful gesture too. My female will mount anything and everything if when she gets excited. It's a way to initiate play. If the other dog doesn't like it, they will correct it. It's only if the other dog seems to really, really start to be getting agitated that you should be concerned and probably step in and remove your puppy from the situation. A growl or a snap is a correction from another dog. Don't worry about it.

That "spazz" is called Zoomies. It's a real thing, and pretty much every dog does it. It's just the dog being happy and not knowing what to do with their energy. So they run in circles.

How exactly are you "scolding" her? The biting is likely a playful gesture, just her joining in the game you've started with her. For the chewing, you need to be replacing the inappropriate object -shoes, your hand, etc- with a toy, thus showing her what's appropriate to chew on. If she persists to chew on you, leave the room for a moment. This will show her that getting too rough makes the fun stop.


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## packetsmom (Mar 21, 2013)

Just to echo what everyone else has said...this sounds like a normal, healthy puppy that just wants to play. I'd recommend reading up on the stickies on how to train your dog for the behavior you WANT, rather than "scolding" her for the behavior you DON'T want. It often works a lot better and it sounds like you have a pup that is quick to train, given how quickly she picked up the pee pads.

It helps knowing what normal puppy behavior is like. Puppies are often a handful!


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

I just wanted to add that if a puppy the age of yours were pestering my dog, I would walk off with my dog, not because I think your puppy is bad, but because I know my dog won't stand up for himself with a puppy that young, so I need to do it. Adult dogs let puppies do pretty much anything until 4 or 5 months. I know for a fact that Kabota will let a young puppy jump all over him, but won't put up with being jumped on by older dogs at all.


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## seaboxador (Sep 23, 2012)

Get the dog some obedience training.


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## pawsaddict (Apr 17, 2013)

elrohwen said:


> She's not being dominant - she's being a puppy. Most puppies do this and at 3 1/2 months old most adult dogs will let them get away with it. She will learn as she gets older and settles, plus older dogs will start correcting her for being rude. Don't worry about it. A puppy class may help with her social skills, though most puppies don't correct each other unless a bite is too hard or something.
> 
> The spazzy behavior is also really normal and pretty much all puppies do this. If she's trying to bite you, make a yelp sound or say "ouch", then walk away (really walk away, like out of the room) and ignore her. She will eventually learn that biting ends her playtime with you.
> 
> Read some of the stickies on this forum. The things you're experiencing are totally normal puppy behaviors and there are some good methods for dealing with the crazy bitey moments.


Agree 100%


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## MollieLoo95 (Feb 24, 2013)

The 'dominance' issue you are worried about isn't really dominance. It is merely a puppy being a silly puppy and saying "Play with me, play with me!" Lots of grown dogs let them do it; if the dog is running away looking 'afraid', chances are it just doesn't want to deal with puppy behavior. However, if you are really worried about it, you can distract her instantly by throwing a ball or something.
And about the 'spazzy moments'. Lots of puppies do that, it is quite normal. You might want to let her out in the backyard and throw a ball a few times to let her get out some energy. And when she bites you, pawsaddict's advice is good - make a yelping sound and walk away. Pretend to be 'angry' with her for a few minutes (by not speaking/looking at her, don't slap her or anything!). Chances are she doesn't know she hurt you.
I hope that this helped...and I know that lots of them were already suggested. Just reaffirming that they are good ideas.


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## cardozosula (Apr 19, 2012)

ya its mostly friendly as long as it does not bite the other dogs!


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