Recently, my 9-and-a-half-month-old Golden Retriever has been giving me a right hard time. He wasn't an easy puppy, so I was prepared for a challenge, but now he's right in the middle of his "teenage" phase, things aren't getting any better!
Ziggy isn't a mean dog at all, far from it. He’s still very immature—which I suppose is normal for his age and breed—and he's very energetic and playful. He’s never had any issues with other dogs; he plays several times a week with various dogs in the neighbourhood, off-lead, all breeds and sizes, and there's never been a problem. At home, he’s very stubborn and it’s not easy teaching him to behave (especially since we live in a flat), but he’s still young so I know I need to be patient.
However, lately, he’s started being aggressive towards me. I think it might be over-excitement, but I’m not sure. It started during play: he escalates very quickly, loses his self-control and starts showing his teeth, growling at me, and trying to bite my hands, arms, or clothes. I should mention he doesn’t clamp his jaw shut, but with his teeth, it’s still not very pleasant. When it happens, I stop playing immediately, but he chases after me and I have to leave the room or shut him in the kitchen to get him to settle down. He’s also started showing this kind of behaviour when I tell him off for things he’s not allowed to do. Finally, just recently, he’s started doing the exact same thing on walks for reasons I can't quite pin down. Sometimes it’s in the morning, at the start of our usual walk, I try to lead him a certain way and he starts jumping up at me. Or when I stop to chat with a neighbour. Or simply when I stop him from eating something off the ground. Usually, when I'm outside and can't just leave the room, I try to distract him by scattering treats on the ground. But for example, this morning it didn't work. I had to pin him to the ground because I was worried he’d hurt me, and in the end, I had to just go back home.
What do you think is the best way to react in those moments? Do you think it’s just adolescence? Or stress?
Translated from French
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First off, a dog or puppy that gets the right amount of daily physical and mental stimulation doesn’t usually behave this way.
You need to make sure you’re tailoring their walks, socialising them with dogs of all ages, and letting them burn off steam with other young dogs to meet their actual need for varied interaction and exercise.
Secondly, I must admit I don’t quite understand how a 4-month-old puppy is managing to bite an adult’s face, or even a 10-year-old’s. In what situation is your face getting that close to a dog’s mouth? (The same applies to your arms, for that matter).
When I’m roughhousing with a puppy and I’m down on my knees or crouching, I always put on my gardening gloves first and keep a chew toy between the two of us. As soon as the puppy gets too overexcited and loses self-control, I walk away without saying a word. Being left alone is a massive punishment for a puppy.
You’re right to bring in a behaviourist; it’s not easy to observe yourself and spot mistakes that might be blindingly obvious to an outsider.
Evening everyone,
I’m having the same issue with my 4-month-old Golden Retriever puppy.
He often gets really aggressive and it’s impossible to play with him. He bites my clothes and won’t let go, tugging and growling. He snaps at our faces, and he's already caused a few injuries to my 10-year-old son. My own hands and arms are covered in nips.
He’s completely unmanageable during these episodes, so I have to put him out on the patio so he can calm down.
I’ve tried everything: patience, a firm "NO", being gentle, a stern voice... but NOTHING works.
I think I’m going to have to get a professional trainer in to help me.
Just so you know, my puppy is with me 24/7—at work, at home, everywhere...
The situation is becoming really difficult.
I'd really appreciate some advice.
Carol
Hi @Petitpoisdesbois,
You should start a new thread and tell us a bit more about your situation. How old is the dog, what's their daily routine like? Who looks after them, etc.?
At first glance, your dog's behaviour looks like a dog who just wants to play (so he's a bit over-excited) and hasn't quite grasped the boundaries yet.
It’s all about the overall relationship, and there are exercises to help manage this. On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d say your issue is about a 2 and can be sorted out very quickly. The other members here will definitely be able to give you some advice, but they'll need to know a bit more about your lifestyle and your bond with your dog.
@camiller Hi there, how have things progressed six months down the line?
I’m having exactly the same issue with a one-year-old Golden cross, to the point where I’ve stopped walking him altogether. Everything goes fine with my partner, but when I’m the one taking him out, it’s a different story. It starts off okay, but towards the end of the walk, for no reason I can see, he suddenly gets worked up and starts trying to jump up at me, tugging at my arms, hands and clothes. I just can’t seem to sort the problem out.
We’ve got a garden, so he spends a lot of time in there, although I know that’s not really a proper solution.
We’ve also been to some positive reinforcement training classes, but I’m starting to wonder if that’s actually the way to go.
Hi there, I’m having the exact same issues with my 6-month-old Aussie—at home at least, not on walks (I dread to think what she'll be like when she hits adolescence...). At first, we tried ignoring the behaviour, but perhaps not for long enough as it didn't work. Confrontation didn't help either; it actually made things worse (though back when she had those needle-like puppy teeth, it was physically impossible to ignore her when she nipped your calf!). Then we tried time-outs, which worked well to begin with, but now she’s realised she’ll be let back in eventually. Our current solution is a house lead—a different one from her walking lead—to calm her down and be able to move her without risking a nip. Best of luck, as I know how disheartening this situation can be. She’s our first dog, and while we were prepared for the mischief, the accidents, and the walks... we weren't prepared for being growled and barked at. If you find any other solutions, I’m all ears!
Hi everyone, if you’re interested in training your dog, I’d suggest checking out this programme created by a professional dog trainer. It shows you how to train your dog in just 15 minutes a day. Here’s the link if you’d like to find out more: https://1tpe.net/go.php?dat=ZmFkZWxsbGwubmVvYWlkLjM=&tk=
Mountain hikes, what have you got to complain about?
As she’s grown up and her personality has really started to show, my dog has finally noticed a few injustices in the house: humans—those big apes who never go fast enough on walks—don't eat dry food... and they sleep on much softer things...
With her Bloodhound genes, being a police tracking dog and all, and listening only to her innate sense of justice, Captain Padja has stepped in to right those wrongs.
Since then, as punishment for treating Dingo and Nana like that for so long, she’s been forcing me to sleep in the garden, and I’m only allowed dry food every other day. I even have a fasting day because, as she puts it: "if you shift some weight, you’ll walk faster and for longer, you little chunk!" 😥
My big lad Dingo, who loves me to bits, tried to stand up to the new dictatorship. But then... he found out he had free access to the fridge under the new regime.
So, here I am in the garden.
Aboss, is there anything you can do for me? Can I fix the situation with Captain Padja in just 15 minutes a day? Or will I need 20? 😱 I dread to think...
Evening,
Why would you want to stop putting him in time-out when he’s in that state? It’s actually a really good thing!
What you mustn't forget is to give him plenty of affection once he comes back out and he’s calm. Otherwise, it’s straight back to the bathroom for another dose of alone time.
Giving him a fuss as soon as he’s calm when he comes out will help him make the connection between his behaviour and what’s expected of him.
And of course, make sure you stay calm yourself, no matter what.
Actually, it sounds like your girl doesn't get over-excited with your partner. That might be down to his own energy level—a calmer tone and a more laid-back attitude... It seems their relationship has just developed that way. Even if he isn't quite as hands-on as you, he seems to have found the right balance when it comes to interacting with her and setting boundaries.
You also seem to find it quite hard to ignore her... Sometimes that’s necessary and even beneficial. It also stops you from having to put her in time-out when she gets out of hand—and there might come a point where she won't let herself be isolated anymore anyway...
Try to find the right balance between interaction and just letting her be, so you can both go about your business. Aim for calmness without her having to be completely zonked after a walk. Use "on/off" play sessions to teach her how to channel her emotions, and for you to learn how to manage her energy—even when she's really hyper—without panicking. It's all about her listening and paying attention to you.
