Good evening, I’d like to know how to correct my puppy's behaviour. She turned 4 months old today. Every time my children play together (not even with the puppy), she goes over to them and starts biting them, even when the kids shout that she's hurting them. I know she probably just wants to play, but I want to fix this. Even if I keep her on a lead in the house or make her lie down, she always starts up again.
And that’s not to mention when we’re walking her on the lead outside. If I’m just walking, it’s fine, but if I run, she tries to bite my calves. The kids can’t walk her because she just wants to bite them. I really want to sort this out before it becomes too difficult or an accident happens. My children are already quite nervous because two weeks ago I had a large Golden Retriever that jumped at my daughter’s face and we had to have him put down.
The puppy was already doing this before that happened, but I really need help as I don't want to be forced to rehome her.
Translated from French
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You bunch of vultures. You all seem to think you know it all, ganging up on someone who’s just asking for help. A dog nipping is normal—well, yes and no. Just like us, some dogs are just incredibly stubborn and know exactly how to go for a child, regardless of all the rules you’ve put in place. And as far as I’m concerned, when it comes to your own child versus a dog, there’s a clear priority. A dog lunging at a child's face hasn't necessarily been poorly trained. Genetics play a massive part in it. And I’m sorry, but not everyone has the money to shell out £110 an hour for a professional trainer. So stop calling this person an abuser. It’s pretty clear she isn't the "alpha" in this situation...
"Bunch of vultures"... Blimey, you’re not exactly full of Christmas cheer, are you?
This post is two years old; it’s a bit late to be spewing such hate.
Actually, that hatred seems to be the dominant trait with you—you might want to see a specialist to help you channel all that. If you’re a bit short on funds, a muzzle combined with some DIY training is always an option before you lunge at the first person you see. Genetics, you know...
You’re a bunch of vultures. You all seem to think you know it all, ganging up on someone who’s just asking for help. A dog nipping—it’s normal, yes and no. Just like us, there are some very stubborn dogs who know exactly how to go for a child, regardless of all the rules you’ve put in place. And it seems to me that when it comes to your own child versus a dog, there’s a clear priority. A dog lunging at a child’s face hasn’t necessarily been poorly trained; genetics play a massive part. And I’m sorry, but not everyone can afford to fork out £110 an hour for a trainer.
So stop calling this person an abuser. Clearly, she isn’t the dominant one here...
Lorna’s made a great point here: a forum isn’t the place to come looking for answers for a "problematic" dog, or for us owners who aren't quite sure how to handle our pets if we’ve already had major issues. While you can get advice on a forum regarding behaviours you don’t understand, if there’s a real problem, there are plenty of people here who are experienced enough to spot an issue that would be better handled by a veterinary behaviourist.
I agree with Lorna and énergie solaire on this... Mind you, I’m not questioning your ability to manage both a dog and children, but is now really the right time to be getting a husky puppy?
Generally speaking, I’m always staggered by our human capacity to believe that everything will just sort itself out without us doing a thing (given time, with a different dog, with a different partner, in another country...). We need to stop trying to "fix" the dog (or external factors) and start working on ourselves. You are the real project here. A few days ago, I ran into a young woman with a dominant, aggressive male Beauceron that had already threatened (and nipped) children visiting the couple’s home. Had she asked for help? No. And throughout the entire conversation, she only spoke about the dog, never about the owners... A classic case of denial.
And that’s exactly where bringing in a professional makes perfect sense. They’ll quickly spot what’s going wrong in YOUR behaviour, and once your eyes are opened, I promise it’ll make your life so much easier and you won’t regret the investment. It’s actually what the trainer I saw with my own dog told me: people want to talk to me about their dog for hours, but it’s completely pointless. In two minutes, the dog has already told me everything. It’s the owner who needs the work.
PS: A dog is NEVER "broken" (except in the case of very rare physiological or neurological disorders). A dog functions perfectly, and it doesn't know how to do anything other than be a dog. A circular saw works like a circular saw. If you keep injuring yourself with it, you can spend your whole life cursing circular saws, but it won't change anything. You’re much better off learning how to use it properly.
My first reaction: you had your previous dog put down because it bit your child in the face. This is tragic. Have you actually learned anything from it? If you don’t take a long, hard look at your own actions, there is no reason why things will go any better with a Husky, or any other dog for that matter. This accident shows that you failed to recognise and handle the problem in time. So, as Docline said: it's a lack of understanding of dogs and poor communication.
If I were in your shoes, I would call in a professional immediately. Everything you've said shows that you need proper training to learn how to live with a dog in a safe and healthy way.
No forum, tutorial, or book is going to give you the key to success.
After what you’ve been through, just hopping on a forum isn't enough to learn how to train your Husky puppy. If you still believe that, you’re clearly not in the right frame of mind.
If your child became so violent that they were at risk of hurting or killing someone, you wouldn’t go asking for advice on a forum, because it’s obvious that the help you need lies elsewhere.
You need to realise that a tragedy like that leaves scars, and it takes time and work to heal. Your dog lost its life and your family has suffered. Get some professional help to find some harmony, and don’t just settle for a few training exercises outside the school gates.
Yes, I know Cesar Millan, I watch his programmes on the telly. I've learnt so many tips from him. A huge thank you! I tried out your technique this evening when the kids got back from school, and I can't wait to see the results. Thanks again!
If you want to delve a bit deeper... I hardly dare mention it as it’s such a taboo subject. I’m hesitant to bring it up because he’s effectively been blacklisted in France. But Cesar Millan—the man you see teaching about respecting personal space—has heaps of DVDs. They’re likely available in French, though I’m not sure if you can still get hold of them there given the ban. Anyway...
Otherwise, you could look for a thread titled ‘Leadership Training’, posted here by Lorna in the ‘Dog Training’ section. She talks about a man who could be a massive help in this sort of situation. He won’t be turning up with a clicker and a handful of treats.
A big thank you, I’m going to give this a go tonight as soon as the kids get home and watch some videos to help with walking on the lead, thanks again so much!
