My puppy attacks me when I scold her

Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French

14/02/2019, 11:21

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Hi everyone, so I got a Belgian Malinois puppy a week ago. But when she starts chewing the sofa or taking things she shouldn't... I tell her off, then she growls at me and lunges. But if I just leave her to it, she destroys everything.

I've tried scruffing her, giving her a bit of a shake, or even putting my hand in her mouth, but nothing works—she's back at it again two seconds later.

Also, she eats her own poo in the morning and evening; I'm guessing she must be hungry, but I'm giving her the amount of dry food recommended on the bag (56g across 3 meals). The brand of kibble is a natural, grain-free one.

I would also like to know when the puppy nipping phase usually ends?

Thanks for any advice, she's lovely otherwise.

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Jean-yves

14/02/2019, 11:57

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And stop picking him up by the scruff of the neck and shaking him; you simply don't do that to a baby.

Redirect her attention with a firm "no", but without shouting, or a sharp "pshhht" sound, and give her a toy she can chew to her heart's content. She needs plenty of toys with different textures, shapes, and densities, ones that make different noises, and so on.

A puppy explores the world with their mouth, so it’s perfectly normal for them to taste and chew everything around them. On top of that, teething makes them want to bite even more.

As for eating poo, there could be several reasons for it. If he’s been told off too harshly or had his nose rubbed in it (I know some people still do that), he might have seen you cleaning up after him and is doing it to please you. However, it could also be a nutritional deficiency in his diet, or simply curiosity – dogs are often attracted to smells that we humans find revolting. But it’s not because he’s hungry.

She’s only been with you for a week, which is already a massive upheaval for her, and you’re already starting to tell her off.

Like @proveto said, I think you should get some help from a dog behaviourist; training a Malinois doesn't leave much room for error.

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Provetojuniorconseil Icon representing the flag French

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14/02/2019, 11:38

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Hi there, Malinois are dogs that need a huge amount of exercise; if your girl is destroying everything, it might partly be because she’s bored and has too much pent-up energy. You should make sure you're taking her for long walks and providing her with some tough toys to keep her busy—for example, puzzle toys that you can hide food inside. You also need to be careful as training a Malinois can be tricky, and things can quickly escalate, leading to an aggressive or dangerous dog if they aren't trained properly. The best thing to do would be to consult a dog behaviourist or trainer as soon as possible to get the situation sorted. Positive reinforcement is often much more effective than punishment; the ideal approach is rewarding good behaviour rather than punishing the bad. When you want her to stop doing something, try giving a firm “no”, then completely ignore the pup for about 10 minutes (you could even put her in a time-out in a room where she can’t get into any mischief). Repeat this every time she misbehaves (like when she’s nipping, for example). Best wishes, Margaux

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