Help Needed on Puppy Agression

[BlueBear]

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I think I'm right in saying that Wagg has,quite a lot of highly processed ingredients. Can you swap that out for something more natural? I'm not a huge fan of Purina foods either.

Have a look at www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk

It independently assesses foods, including treats.

Thank you I'll take a look and get some of the treats you posted in your link. I think I'll change up his food anyway I didn't realise Purina wasn't that great

Thanks for the advise

 

[Tinytom]

We have 2 large breeds deerhounds...the breeder gave them beta large breed puppy ..we changed to natures menu raw ...we also gave them powdered ewes milk what the farmers give orphaned lambs ...twice daily for their bone growth ...your boy is going to be a big lad .homemade treats would be much better for him....

 

[Tinytom]

I encourage all of our pups to bite ...bite on toys ...kongs filled with tasty treats ...nylabone ...teaching bite inhibition is invaluable especially larger dogs...my deerhound boys can nibble my fingernails without trimming them at all ....hopefully your boy has settled a little....

 

[BlueBear]

A quick update.

We read the article again which was provided in an earlier post which we found extremely useful. We then decided to make some adjustments to hopefully improve the situation to make life easier for us.

The first thing we did was to put an additional stair gate on the living room door so now Blue can be secured in the kitchen or the living room independently if needed. We have a big open plan kitchen and had only one stair gate to prevent Blue getting out the front door, so now Bev can escape him if she is being bitten and isolate herself. Blue can also be left in the kitchen when Bev needs to clean out the guinea pigs or do ironing etc. It makes life easier all round.

I then moved his crate (now used only for sleeping) out of the living room into the kitchen so he can go to bed earlier without us distracting him and keeping him awake when we want to watch TV. His dog bed is still in the living room so he can sit with us when he wishes but we take the dog bed base out for him at night time and put it in his crate for something comfy and familiar.

We then decided we would schedule "nap times" because (my fault really) he is huge for a 10 week puppy (he is about 10Kg) we think treat him like a 6 month old so I think we were keeping him awake, over stimulated and occupied for far too long, making him cranky and annoyed (leading to the biting maybe). Instead, he now he goes for a nap at 9:00am, has a play from 11:30 to 12:00, dinner at 12:00, play time from 12:15 to 14:00 and nap time from 14:00 until around 15:30. He has his dinner at 16:00 and then play time until 18:00 where he should sleep until about 19:30. We then give him supper at 20:00 and then bed time at 22:00. He goes to the toilet after each meal so that should help him with his toileting (although he is quite good already and dry at night).

Bev has wrapped herself up in a thick jacket so when he bites her, she stays still and Blue walks away because she won't engage in the game. He has bit her legs a couple of times, but when this happens she leaves the room and closes the stair gate, removing her and him from the game physically (this has had great results already).

We have made sure that treats are always to hand so we can reward him in good time, rather than running around and missing the moment.

Finally, we are making best effort to not make sudden movements and be calm with him, especially greeting him where we realised we (actually, I) could be winding him up first thing in the morning and between naps, making him get all wound up.

So far it's working well today and Blue seems calm, playful but not too lairy and aggressive as he has been. He is super calm compared to his worst days over the weekend but we also realise its early days.

Thanks everyone for your help, I think we may be turning this around.

 

[BlueBear]

I encourage all of our pups to bite ...bite on toys ...kongs filled with tasty treats ...nylabone ...teaching bite inhibition is invaluable especially larger dogs...my deerhound boys can nibble my fingernails without trimming them at all ....hopefully your boy has settled a little....

Thank you for the advise. We have got a rope, a Kong rubber thing, some soft toys and I have a nylabone for puppies which I'll give him today if you think it's a good idea. I see so many differing opinions on-line.

 

[Tinytom]

I dont actually like rope toys for larger dogs ..it can make them rag things and make them hyper .....I would stick to puppy nylabones and kongs ...I also never give squeaky toys either ...cardboard boxes are good too with food hidden...I have always been lucky that we have always had a dog with our pups ...we got our first deerhound pup in the may and then added another (same dad different mother )in july ....its been hard work but they keep each other entertained for hours
Thank you for taking all the advice on board ...you should have a well rounded pup in the end ...

 

[JoanneF]

Sounds like he and you are doing really well.

We have made sure that treats are always to hand so we can reward him in good time, rather than running around and missing the moment.

This sort of situation is where a clicker (or other sound marker) can be really useful.

Training with a clicker

 

[BlueBear]

Sounds like he and you are doing really well.



This sort of situation is where a clicker (or other sound marker) can be really useful.

Training with a clicker

Funny you should say that because he responds when I click my fingers. My old GSD used to respond to my finger clicks but he was a rescue and 18 months old when I got him. I just click my fingers out of habit and he seems to respond well.

Back to the shops .... LOL

 

[BlueBear]

I dont actually like rope toys for larger dogs ..it can make them rag things and make them hyper .....I would stick to puppy nylabones and kongs ...I also never give squeaky toys either ...cardboard boxes are good too with food hidden...I have always been lucky that we have always had a dog with our pups ...we got our first deerhound pup in the may and then added another (same dad different mother )in july ....its been hard work but they keep each other entertained for hours
Thank you for taking all the advice on board ...you should have a well rounded pup in the end ...

I'll swap the rope to for the nylabone.

Thank you !

 

[JoanneF]

Funny you should say that because he responds when I click my fingers. My old GSD used to respond to my finger clicks but he was a rescue and 18 months old when I got him. I just click my fingers out of habit and he seems to respond well.

Back to the shops .... LOL

A clicker works the other way round - you don't click to get his attention. You click to 'mark' the moment he has done something you like. Have a read of the thread I linked above and as ever, please ask if there's anything that isn't clear.

 

[BlueBear]

A clicker works the other way round - you don't click to get his attention. You click to 'mark' the moment he has done something you like. Have a read of the thread I linked above and as ever, please ask if there's anything that isn't clear.

Ok thank you but I didn't see a link?

I feel like I should have got a cat LOL

 

[JoanneF]

Training with a clicker

 

[JudyN]

This is so good to read There will be setbacks, there will be days when he just seems to have the devil in him, and when he approaches adolescence things might get 'interesting'. But once you see improvement, which you have already, you will be able to deal with these days calmly, knowing that they are all part of him growing up.

He sounds like he could be a sensitive lad, so always bear this in mind - it may take very little to get his brain fizzing and for him to struggle to cope. The good news is that dogs like these really help you develop a Zen state of mind, because the dog needs you to be calm and not match his arousal levels

 

[BlueBear]

This is so good to read There will be setbacks, there will be days when he just seems to have the devil in him, and when he approaches adolescence things might get 'interesting'. But once you see improvement, which you have already, you will be able to deal with these days calmly, knowing that they are all part of him growing up.

He sounds like he could be a sensitive lad, so always bear this in mind - it may take very little to get his brain fizzing and for him to struggle to cope. The good news is that dogs like these really help you develop a Zen state of mind, because the dog needs you to be calm and not match his arousal levels

Thanks Judy.

The big difference between today and previous days is that we feel so much more in control and can deal with the issues constructively. We still have biting here and there (nowhere near like before) and Bev can distract Blue and deal with him, which is a big difference from yesterday when she was in tears, wanted to get rid of him and wouldn't come out of her room.

So, big massive thanks to everyone, we feel like we are making progress.

 

[Feverfew]

Apologies if this has already been mentioned and I've missed it, but I urge you to take your puppy for a veterinary check up.

Aggression of the sort you describe is rare in very young dogs, so if he were mibe, I would be ruling out any neurological issues.

I'd also be speaking to the breeder, if they are available, to see whether any of his siblings have had any similar issues, and also any history of neurological disorders, eg epilepsy.

As I say, these conditions are rare, but you need to eliminate them as well as using behaviour and training approaches.

 

[BlueBear]

Apologies if this has already been mentioned and I've missed it, but I urge you to take your puppy for a veterinary check up.

Aggression of the sort you describe is rare in very young dogs, so if he were mibe, I would be ruling out any neurological issues.

I'd also be speaking to the breeder, if they are available, to see whether any of his siblings have had any similar issues, and also any history of neurological disorders, eg epilepsy.

As I say, these conditions are rare, but you need to eliminate them as well as using behaviour and training approaches.

Hi Feverfew

We took him to the vets on Tuesday this week for a checkup and he got the all clear. A healthy puppy but full of beans

 

[JudyN]

There are some conditions that can cause aggression which can only be ruled out by a blood test (I'm thinking of thyroid levels, but there are are probably others). So I wouldn't rule it out.

How has he been over the past few days though? I do hope you've turned a corner, even if you still have a way to go.

 

[BlueBear]

There are some conditions that can cause aggression which can only be ruled out by a blood test (I'm thinking of thyroid levels, but there are are probably others). So I wouldn't rule it out.

How has he been over the past few days though? I do hope you've turned a corner, even if you still have a way to go.

He is much better but still has a few episodes. We think he does it more when he is hungry or due for a nap but so far it's manageable and way better than before.

 

[Feverfew]

Hi Feverfew

We took him to the vets on Tuesday this week for a checkup and he got the all clear. A healthy puppy but full of beans

That's great, sounds as if you are making progress too on the behaviour front, which is great to hear.

One possible explanation is that he left his mum and siblings too early, as they are the ones who teach bite inhibition. If it were up to me, they'd all stay with mum up to 9 months old, but that's probably impractical.

 

[BlueBear]

That's great, sounds as if you are making progress too on the behaviour front, which is great to hear.

One possible explanation is that he left his mum and siblings too early, as they are the ones who teach bite inhibition. If it were up to me, they'd all stay with mum up to 9 months old, but that's probably impractical.

Yes I think you're right.

He still has his moments but we find a run around the garden enough to settle him down again