Puppy help!

So we are having some issues with Molly - she is 16 weeks old and has such a bad temper. She can be the sweetest puppy and cuddle all day long and then something switches and she becomes vicious. And it's not like when she is playing --- she becomes really mean.

We are taking her to puppy kindergarten in a few weeks but my patience are really starting to wear thin.

Did anyone else have this problem with their puppy and if so, what did you do about it?

Thanks!

Re: Puppy help!

it's a dominance thing...she's trying to be the alpha and you need to show her you and DH are the boss. We rolled our dogs onto their backs and laid on top of them. Works wonders!

Re: Puppy help!

I had the same problem, except Gus was vicious and aloft (sp?) more than he was cuddly. The above poster is right, it's dominance, and part of it could be fear aggression. My dog is just a little neurotic, but very aggressive, and he doesn't deal with being yelled out-he will argue with me (bark at me, snap)--the best way that I have found to handle it is to turn away from him when he gets like that-act like he's not even there, or walk out of the room. Don't worry about her destroying things while you're out of the room, she'll follow you to where you are going.

Puppy kindergarden is a great idea, but you might want to pick up this book-the art of raising a puppy-it's written by the monks of new skeet. It's what helped me deal with Gus' aggression, and thank god because at 10 month's old he's 98 pounds. I did a puppy obedience class with him, and we are going to another adult obedience class in a few weeks, just to reinforce it.

Also, I have found that exercising the hell out of him helps tremendously--walking, or talking him to the dog park. Other, bigger dogs won't take that kind of nippy, or aggression--they'll cuff her--which is what you want.

Where do you live? You should bring her to Coindre dog park, or blydenburg, or put her in a puppy day care once or twice a week. The ruff house has a great facility in port jeff, and one in ronkonkoma, you can take her there for a day, it's (27 bucks for the day), they break them into groups based on size, and they play all day--but mostly it's socialization, exercise and interaction.

Don't get frustrated, some dogs are just tougher than other!

Re: Puppy help!

If our Katie becomes aggressive we roll her on her back and hold her down until she stops fussing. That is what the mother dog would do. We have found that this helps alot. The first few times we did it she really flipped out. We don't have to do it that much and she seems to know who is boss now. If she continues to be wild she gets a time out in another room away from us.


ETA: Playing and exercising her alot seems to help too.

Message edited 2/10/2006 10:45:17 AM.

Re: Puppy help!

Thank you guys so much. It stinks because most of the time she is so cuddly and just wants to be loved - and then she just turns and becomes so aggressive and mean. We will try turning her on her back today and see how that works. I feel bad because she really is only about 5 pounds but we don't want her to get away with this.

We also have been walking away and leaving her when it happens - but then she tricks us and starts crying -- so I go back in - and then she's a little terror again. We will have to stay out even when she cries I guess.

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Re: Puppy help!

We have the same problem with rudy! Only Rudy is 37 pounds theres no way I can even catch him. I always try and do the roll over on his back thing but, hes big

We gave up and signed him up for classes at petsmart tonight god I hope it works

Re: Puppy help!

Posted by june262004

We have the same problem with rudy! Only Rudy is 37 pounds theres no way I can even catch him. I always try and do the roll over on his back thing but, hes big

We gave up and signed him up for classes at petsmart tonight god I hope it works

Re: Puppy help!

Posted by Wendy

Posted by june262004

We have the same problem with rudy! Only Rudy is 37 pounds theres no way I can even catch him. I always try and do the roll over on his back thing but, hes big

We gave up and signed him up for classes at petsmart tonight god I hope it works

How'd Rudy do in class??

Re: Puppy help!

Which Petsmart is he going to? We signed them up for classes at the Petsmart in Levittown.

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Re: Puppy help!

Posted by june262004

Posted by Diana1215

Which Petsmart is he going to? We signed them up for classes at the Petsmart in Levittown.

Hes going to levittown also. I live right near there! His classes start on the 18th

Re: Puppy help!

Yes Kim is his trainer