# Why my puppy is so aggressive?



## jack111 (Jan 9, 2009)

We got a 4-month beagle last Summery from a breeder. I was told it is a kind between mini-beagle and the normal beagle. That is the first puppy we ever have. He was very cute, and looked scared when he came to my house the first time. We took him out to the park when the weather is good. 
Two months later, we got the first accident: he bit my son's hand when my son pat him while he was playing toy. My son took care of him the most in the first month! We did hand-feeding for some time. Also tried to gave a command before feeding him. He does well for that. However, when he steals food, he is very easy to get very aggressive when I walk close to him. He knows I won't let him eat it. We got accidents a few more times later. I grabbed his collar to put him down twice. But I found it was not good to use force, because he became more alert and easy to get angry. I am wondering whether he is actually feared, however, it does not seem like. When he grunt , shows teeth, and tries to bite, he sit up with his head up. We took him to pet store a few times. Each time he saw the dog in cage barking to him, he lowed his head and turned away.
We spend less time with him later as we are all busy. He always seems to be very excited when we come home. Not sure whether he feels lonely. This morning, it is more strange that after I put him in the cage before I leave, I walked close to him to see bye. He started to grunt, show teeth, and barked to me. I told him "no", and stared at him. Finally, he seemed to get back to normal, and turn his head away. I usually like to use my finger to touch his nose and give him some treat before leaving. This time, he just quickly tried to bite my finger when I touch his nose the second time.
I am a first time owner. I am going to consult professionals. However, I think people have experience with dogs in every-day life may give me better ideas what was wrong and what I could do to change the situation. Many thanks in advance for any suggestions and thoughts.


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## deege39 (Dec 29, 2008)

Well. I don't have much advice to give, but what you mentioned there, telling him "_no_!" and staring at him was a good move. 

A few people have told me that dogs see us as their pack members and we have to establish dominance with them, whether that's true or not it's still true we have to establish dominance and authority... Some people say, "_Don't stare a dog in the eyes..._", well when my step-mother's young pup went through a rebellious streak and tested my authority, I'd tell him no, puff out my chest and stare down at him firmly... After a few seconds he'd put his ears back and scurry off to watch me from across the room.

Sorry I couldn't really give you advice, but I do compliment your method, and the fact you're seeking out help instead of just masking the problem or giving him away. : )


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## TooneyDogs (Aug 6, 2007)

It's all normal puppy behavior but, you're right that you need some help with the training before things get worse. The pup needs to learn bite inhibition, not guard resources and you need to fix the fearfullness. It's too late for puppy kindergarten but, basic obedience classes would help tremendously.


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## irish dog lover (Jan 10, 2009)

We got a new dog about a month ago now .... He is a minature jack russell. He wasnt a puppy when we got him though he was about a year old . When we took him home he was nervous as most dogs are when they are adopted, but a few days later he started to settle in. Now whenever someone comes to the door he growls and barks aggressively. He is not always violent though he can be playful sometimes but last week when my mum was playing with him , she took his ball to throw it and he bit her. My sister and I have tried to convince her not to put him down but its not working. When we went to see him there was no problems he didnt bark or anything so we are very puzzled.  . Perhaps he misses his old family but we contacted them and they dont want him back........ I will really miss him ........


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## carolinajewel03 (Jan 11, 2009)

My pom is the same age as urs, and it is very important to me, to be able to reach and get things out of their mouths...For example, he got one of my sons fishing lures, and when Diesel seen me comming he quickly ran under the table, but I got him out, stuck my finger in the side of his mouth to pry it open (he thinks he is a pit) I pried his mouth open a removed the lure..A puppy will eat everything they can swollow, if it is to big, they will chew it til it can be. I had a pit bull one time that was the most loving dog, but over food or water u would die a horrible death. I will not have a dog to bite me, I will be able to do what I want to them for there safety, I do agree with the alfa dog theory, cause I have experanced it for myself, but every dog with the exception of the pitt, has always know me to be the alfa. You have to get control over the biting, what if next time it is the face. I think classes will be great but if you don't apply the same thing at home then it will not work. good luck and keep us informed.

I wanted to add, I have a wolf, he weighs 125 lbs now. He had a bone stuck in the roof of his mouth, oh he was in some pain, felt so sorry for him, anyways, when my husband brought him in for his visit in the house with me, I noticed he was in pain, so I opened his mouth and reached and got the bone. I also wanted to add that the pitt we had, I think the reason he was like that over food was the first 10 weeks of his life he was in a 8x5 cage with 11 other puppies, fighting for food and water. When you go to a breeder, ask to see where they keep the puppies while there being raised. I will not by from a breeder with more than 5 dogs, cause it is to much to handle and I have met some that keep all 100 dogs in one cage, then trying to pretend they know which dog sired the litter...this is a puppy mill, be careful and watch for this on ur next buy...There are alot of wonderful breeders like the one I got my pom from, but the ones thats bad is bad.


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## jack111 (Jan 9, 2009)

Thanks for all your advice and encouragement. I am still learning... 

I bought it from the breeder who has many puppies. He claimed that he never saw his puppies bite. Guess I need to be careful next time. I have a friend who has a beagle, too. I don't think they did anything special, but their puppy never bites. I might have just got a tough one and have more work to do. But I am not a good trainer yet.

I took my puppy to a private evaluation session offered by a local humane society. While getting some helpful information, more are confusing. I was told not to say "no" to the puppy when it grunts and shows teeth. I was told to leave the food to the puppy if it steals it and show sign of aggression when I tries to get it back. But that sound to me that the puppy is my "boss". As a mentioned before, he is aggressive to us, but is always afraid of other dogs.

The first training I was suggested to do is to retrieve a toy from my puppy. I was asked what is a low-value one to my puppy. Talking about the toys, I am not sure whether there is any difference between chewing and tearing it into pieces, while everyone seems to say chewing is normal for a puppy. My puppy often chews and tries to break a toy. He chews and tears many the stuffed animal toys into pieces very soon, so we ended up giving him something else, like an empty bottle. He does not like bone like toy because (I guess) he can not break it. Everything else looks the same to him, an empty bottle, a stuffed pet toy, a paper role, ... He does not want me to take it away when he is "working" on it. However, when he is not playing with it, he does not care I take it away. That sounds to be no low-value one to him.

Yesterday my puppy was doing very well as we took him out to play a long time and he really liked it. I tried to leave him in the back yard with a long leash for him to play. I think he likes it. The only problem is that he digs holes in the lawn! I was still wonder his aggressive has something to do with the fact that he is boring. But the trainer in the private session said that should never be the case.

I may have to take him to do more private training. But it is really costly. About $100 per hour. Not sure how much I afford.


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

> =jack111;452658]Thanks for all your advice and encouragement. I am still learning...
> 
> I took my puppy to a private evaluation session offered by a local humane society. While getting some helpful information, more are confusing. I was told not to say "no" to the puppy when it grunts and shows teeth.


A growl and showing teeth is a warning. Heed the warning! When you discipline a dog for growling and/or showing teeth, the dog learns NOT to give a warning, and will just go directly to the bite. This you DO NOT want.



> I was told to leave the food to the puppy if it steals it and show sign of aggression when I tries to get it back. But that sound to me that the puppy is my "boss". As a mentioned before, he is aggressive to us, but is always afraid of other dogs.


Keep food inaccessable, so he cannot steal it. Should he find an opportunity to do so, offer him something else in exchange for the stolen food. If that doesn't work with him, then consider it a lesson for you. Don't keep food where he can get to it. He may be afraid of other dogs because he's undersocialized. 



> The first training I was suggested to do is to retrieve a toy from my puppy. I was asked what is a low-value one to my puppy. Talking about the toys, I am not sure whether there is any difference between chewing and tearing it into pieces, while everyone seems to say chewing is normal for a puppy. My puppy often chews and tries to break a toy. He chews and tears many the stuffed animal toys into pieces very soon, so we ended up giving him something else, like an empty bottle.


Some dogs gut their stuffy toys, tearing them to shreds. My rescue didn't know what toys were, nor did he know how to play, period, when I got him. He destroys stuffy toys to this day, so he's given Kongs and raw bones. 



> He does not like bone like toy because (I guess) he can not break it. Everything else looks the same to him, an empty bottle, a stuffed pet toy, a paper role, ...


Don't give him stuffed toys. There are many other alternatives you can offer him. I've yet to meet a dog who didn't like a raw bone, but . . .



> He does not want me to take it away when he is "working" on it. However, when he is not playing with it, he does not care I take it away. That sounds to be no low-value one to him.


Well, if I was "working" on something, I wouldn't want it taken away either! I would put all toys away, and give him only one or two to play with at any given time. 



> Yesterday my puppy was doing very well as we took him out to play a long time and he really liked it. I tried to leave him in the back yard with a long leash for him to play. I think he likes it. The only problem is that he digs holes in the lawn!


Dogs who are tied up often dig holes. 




> I was still wonder his aggressive has something to do with the fact that he is boring. But the trainer in the private session said that should never be the case.[/


Sorry, I don't understand the above statement. Did you mean you wonder if his aggression has something to do with the fact that he is bored? 



> I may have to take him to do more private training. But it is really costly. About $100 per hour. Not sure how much I afford.


You MAY need to get private professional help, however, have you taken him to an obedience class? There, you will learn how to communicate effectively with your dog, so he understands what it is you want from him. Once you do, you both will be happier. Dogs need adequate exercise and mental stimulation. What do you provide your dog to meet these needs?


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## jack111 (Jan 9, 2009)

Thanks for your reply in such details. It helps a lot.



poodleholic said:


> A growl and showing teeth is a warning. Heed the warning! When you discipline a dog for growling and/or showing teeth, the dog learns NOT to give a warning, and will just go directly to the bite. This you DO NOT want.


I am a bit confused. Do you mean it is normal to see a dog growling and showing teeth frequently? I thought a puppy would be more "friendly" than that, especially when there is no apparent reason. Though I agree that warning is better that biting. Last night, my son feed him with his hand. He looked good. When finished, my son slightly pat him and stood up. He suddenly jumped and bit my son's sweater without any warning. We are still puzzled what triggered that.



poodleholic said:


> Sorry, I don't understand the above statement. Did you mean you wonder if his aggression has something to do with the fact that he is bored?


Yes, that is what I mean. Usually, after he plays a lot outside, he looks more "friendly" when we pet him at home.



poodleholic said:


> You MAY need to get private professional help, however, have you taken him to an obedience class? There, you will learn how to communicate effectively with your dog, so he understands what it is you want from him. Once you do, you both will be happier. Dogs need adequate exercise and mental stimulation. What do you provide your dog to meet these needs?


I took my dog to the private evaluation as I mentioned. Instead of the obedience class, I was suggested to go with the private training session, and the trainer said she did not know how many sessions we need as it differed case by case. That is where comes my concern about the on-going cost for the private training. Any experience with that?


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## Thracian (Dec 24, 2008)

Taking an obedience class would give both you and the puppy a good base to start from. The class will help you teach him basic commands. Once you finish that, then you'll have a better idea of what you might need to work on more, whether it's with a private instructor or not.


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

> =jack111;453789]I am a bit confused. Do you mean it is normal to see a dog growling and showing teeth frequently? I thought a puppy would be more "friendly" than that, especially when there is no apparent reason.


Without actually witnessing your puppy in action, I can't truly know what's going on. However, it is normal for puppies to growl and bark and jump and nip at clothing, hands, etc. They can get pretty wild, and it can even sound and appear to be aggressive, when, in fact, the puppy is just playing. 



> Though I agree that warning is better that biting. Last night, my son feed him with his hand. He looked good. When finished, my son slightly pat him and stood up. He suddenly jumped and bit my son's sweater without any warning. We are still puzzled what triggered that.


How old is your puppy? 
How old is your son? WHERE did your son "pat" the puppy? (On his head? Chest? Back?)

Again, this could simply be wild play. Not appreciated, but play none-the-less. I have a Standard Poodle puppy who is going through a wild-child stage, racing around the yard and coming up to charge me - jumps on me and those razor teeth can hurt! Yikes! She's not the least bit aggressive, she simply gets out of control in her play excitement. We're working on that with hand signals, so she stops just short of jumping me. She does this to the adult Poodles, too, and they are correcting her! (Good Poodles!)

My daughter has a Beagle puppy who is very, very rough, and bites during her play. They were very frustrated with Delilah, and thought she was a "mean puppy." Delilah isn't mean, and she's smart! She wasn't getting enough exercise or mental stimulation, so she was doing her own thing. Beagles need something to do! I had my daughter implement NILIF into daily life, provide brief training sessions every day, structured games (to make her learn to think/problem slove), introduced a stuffed Kong, and provided raw bones for chewing. I'm happy to say that Delilah is no longer referred to as "the Devil's spawn," LOL, and she's learned to stop nipping and jumping on people. 




> Yes, that is what I mean. Usually, after he plays a lot outside, he looks more "friendly" when we pet him at home.


Could be that he's got a lot of pent-up energy. What sort of exercise does he get daily? What sorts of things do you do to mentally stimulate him?



> I took my dog to the private evaluation as I mentioned. Instead of the obedience class, I was suggested to go with the private training session, and the trainer said she did not know how many sessions we need as it differed case by case. That is where comes my concern about the on-going cost for the private training. Any experience with that?


It's still YOUR choice. Try the obedience class, and see how it goes, first.


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## jack111 (Jan 9, 2009)

Thanks for all the helps here. Just want to give an update.

The puppy is almost 10 months now. The obedience class really does not provide more information. I know many of them already and have tried to use some of them in the past two months as I am trying to deal with my puppy. The result is sad. The puppy was adopted for my son, and he picked it. While he just started middle school, he was busy. He regretted that he did not spend enough time working with the puppy. My son tried to spend more time with the puppy, but we got one more accident. I know he puppy did not really bite hard, however it broke the skin. The trainer has hinted that it was not an easy job, especially as I have another little kid around. We have to keep the puppy on leash all the time. I do not think the puppy is happy as he is so active. The puppy may be more happy stay in another family with more skills and likes him. However, as I am with the puppy more in the past months, I feel so so bad when thinking of letting him go. He is bound to me. He is so smart. He knows when we are leaving the house before we start to put on cloths and shoes. He always looks at me when I am around. He has very unique characters which surprised me. I usually put him in a big crate before leaving to work. He is usually not happy with that. Once he barked at me. I usually leave some biscuit to him before I go. That time, after he calmed down soon, he turned his head away like an angry boy, and use his front paw to push all the biscuit out of the crate one by one! ...


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## Dogstar (May 11, 2007)

I think you need to get your puppy a LOT more exercise and take a few steps back and THINK. 

Dogs are not small furry humans. Their thought processes are awesome and amazing and fun- but they're not like ours. THey don't do things for spite, or meanness, or because they're angry at us. They do things because the behavior gets them a reward in some shape or form- access to toys or food (or continuing access) or other reousrces, for the most part. 

I don't think anything your pup is doing is particularly abnormal. I think it sounds like he needs more exercise and much more consistant leadership. I'd recommend finding a better trainer.


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## jack111 (Jan 9, 2009)

Dogstar said:


> I think you need to get your puppy a LOT more exercise and take a few steps back and THINK.
> 
> Dogs are not small furry humans. Their thought processes are awesome and amazing and fun- but they're not like ours. THey don't do things for spite, or meanness, or because they're angry at us. They do things because the behavior gets them a reward in some shape or form- access to toys or food (or continuing access) or other reousrces, for the most part.
> 
> I don't think anything your pup is doing is particularly abnormal. I think it sounds like he needs more exercise and much more consistant leadership. I'd recommend finding a better trainer.


Usually, I get up at 6:30 and take my puppy to run with me. My son takes him out for a walk after he is back from school. I take him to the back yard to play a while when I come back from work. My wife takes him out for a walk at night. Probably he needs more exercise, but cannot let him running outside freely because he bites before and what if he bites other people. Yes, the main problem is the bite, although he is good most of the time. However, with what I learned from the obedience training, it does not quite work. e.g., he does not want me to clip the nail. When I hold his paw, he turns his head, open his mouth, and use his teeth to push my hand away.


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## DogsforMe (Mar 11, 2007)

Have you read the stickys at the top of this forum?
http://www.dogforums.com/19-first-time-dog-owner/8377-bite-stops-here.html
http://www.dogforums.com/19-first-time-dog-owner/8697-before-you-get-your.html
http://www.dogforums.com/19-first-time-dog-owner/2337-great-behavior-training-article.html
http://www.dogforums.com/19-first-t...-dog-owner/42820-things-we-wish-everyone.html
And their links?


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## skelaki (Nov 9, 2006)

From your posts, I'm guessing that you don't live in the US and that English is not your first language. The situation you describe about the breeder in one of your posts screams puppy mill breeder in the US. This can make life more difficult for you and for the pup especially since you appear to be an inexperienced dog owner.

Beagles were and are bred to hunt rabbits all day. They have an abundant amount of energy that must be channeled into positive channels. The exercise your pup's getting, while good, is inadequate. The most important thing he needs, especially since he's now a teenager, is exercise that uses his mind as well as his body. Put him on a strict NILIF program and have him earn everything he gets. There's a sticky on NILIF on one of the forums or you can also google, "alpha dog boot camp" (without the quotes) for information. Along with the NILIF, schedule two 10-15 minute basic obedience sessions each day and work on sits, downs and coming (recall). Work especially on the first two, aiming gradually for a long, 30 minute down. Teach him tricks also. NILIF, obedeince and trick training all use his mind and will help tire him. They'll also help establish your leadership in his mind. 

Make one of his walks into a power walk. This is a walk where the dog must walk on a loose lead without pulling, lagging, marking, sniffing, etc. unless you first call for a break. Once again he's using his mind and his body.

Much of his behavior is typical puppy and adolescent behavior. If he starts to jump up, turn your back, fold your arms and totally ignore him. Give him absolutely no attention unless he's got "four on the floor" (meaning paws). If there's a problem with him guarding something such as toys or food, take all toys away from him. He only gets to play with a toy when you're holding it. If you want to give him a chew toy or bone on his own, crate him while he has it if he might try and bite someone while he has it. Feed all food by hand and if he tries to bite, put the food up. 

Some dogs, just like some kids, require stricter rules and more structure than others. Yours may be one that does. But don't give up. He will get past this stage. Just decide as a family what the dog's rules will be. Then everyone participates in enforcing the rules in a firm, fair manner.


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