# 4 month old aggressive biting attacks



## Jones'Mum (Jan 29, 2015)

I am completely at a loss of what to do. My 4.5 month old boy Jones suddenly gets in to his head to attack me, jumping high up on me ripping holes in all my clothes. He'll get into 'attack mode' and bare his teeth at me, crouch low and jump on me, trying to bite my arms, clothes and legs- even breaking through the skin and making me bleed. And then 5 minutes later he'll be over it and be completely calm and adorable again, sitting when I tell him to etc.
I have 3 kids under 5, and a husband- and he doesn't do this to any of them- just me!!! (He does jump on them a bit, but not the angry viscous aggression that he has with me). I spend the most quality time with him, feed him, stroke his tummy etc etc and we get along well- I adore him, until these episodes, which are quite upsetting. I am very firm with him, I did puppy preschool and do the commands and training that you're meant to do.
I've tried yelping like a dog, shaking a can of coins, squirting water at him with a spray gun when he's biting, ignoring him (that was a hard one when he was actively biting me), tapping him on the back (the vet recommended this), trying to get away from him and isolate him as soon as possible, putting him in a puppy enclosure as punishment. All of these methods I've given a week each (we've had the problem with mouthing from when we got him at 8 weeks- so have been trying to deal with it for a long time), none of which have had any effect at all. 
My husband didn't believe it was happening, and kept telling me I just had to be more firm, but then he saw it happen and fortunately believes me now. He is teething, but this is a whole other level to just 'mouthing' 
What do I do?????
(I'm wanting to get an obedience trainer to the house, but we don't have the$$$ for it!)


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## Chritty (Aug 17, 2014)

We gave a LOT of ice cubes during teething. Frozen items are key to help soothe pup. We even laced the cubes with baby bonjela. It's not going to stop all the biting but it will help. Golfgal froze carrots. 

I even massaged Millie's gums whilst she was teething. If I gave her my hand to gnaw on she wouldn't really hurt me. It was uncomfortable but so was her mouth so I figured it was worth it


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## Jones'Mum (Jan 29, 2015)

Thanks Chritty. I guess I'm just confused that if it is teething, why the sudden angry onset for 5 minutes (and then back to calm)and why only just with me?


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## Jennifer1 (Mar 31, 2012)

To me this doesn't sound like an aggressive attack to much as a teenager throwing a fit. 
Mine went through a phase like this and it is hard! How I dealt with it was one of 2 ways, either stop all movement, cross your arms, turn your back to him and then no more moving no talking and don't look at them. When he calms down, then you can interact.
What worked better for me was a time out. When the behavior starts immediately and unceremoniously take him by the collar and swiftly move him into another room (or crate) and close the door. Don't say anything during this and don't show emotion. Leave them in for 30 seconds and then let them out. 
The key to whatever you try is consistency.

We have lot's of really great trainers on here so hopefully they will chime in.


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## kellyguy (Mar 5, 2014)

I don't think I honestly have ever seen a golden have "anger". I think one of the hardest things to remember with puppies is that they don't speak human. They also don't have human emotions or reasoning. They act and react to us they way they do because they are either trying to figure out what we want, playing, reacting to fear, pain, hunger, instictual prey drive, etc. Even dogs that engage in vicious attacks on other dogs are "reactive" rather than "angry".
I don't suscribe in most of the "alpha" dominance theory of pet behavior but there are a few things that are logical. 
Sometimes puppies will play aggressively with one person versus another because something about that persons behavior or personality makes the puppy view them as a playmate rather than as beloved master. Puppies will test their limits and boundaries, and yours just has the wrong idea of whats acceptable.


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## Anon-2130948gsoni (Apr 12, 2014)

Sometimes I think they just get bored and act out with the person who usually makes things happen...just to make something happen. Add in teething pain...they lead with what's bugging them. 

How much exercise is he getting? Where does he sleep?


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## West1134 (Nov 3, 2014)

I'll second what a few have said here that worked for us in the similar stage we very recently had with Kona (he's now 7 months old and MUCH better, but the teething stage was a nightmare at times).

- Ice cubes, and lots of them! (but not to many back to back)
- Crate, room, or whatever that you give him time outs in. When bad behavior occurs, simply take him to that place and leave him there for a 30 seconds to a minute and let him calm down. Its amazing how well this worked for us. Now did he 100% learn cause and effect from this? No, but it def curtailed some of the biting.
- Holding your fingers around his snout (making sure not to cover his nose) and gently holding it closed while saying no bite. You must hold on to him so he can't squirm out and wait for him to tire and relax before you release. We saw good results from this technique.
- Get an antler!! Best thing we ever got for Kona. He can't destroy it, at least not quickly and he loves gnawing on it for long periods of time. A bit pricy, but worth it.


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## Goldylover2 (May 1, 2014)

I was in the same exact boat your in Jones'Mom. My puppy would also go into those attack modes. He ripped one of my shirts and broke the skin a couple of times. It wasn't play either. I don't care how others on this board try to spin it. We finally had enough and contacted a trainer. He kept him for a week and taught him the basics. We went back every week for an hour session. It worked for us. You might want to contact an experienced trainer in your area. The trainer that we contacted charged us 600 bucks for that week and ten sessions after that. It was well worth it.


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## Tayla's Mom (Apr 20, 2012)

Not aggressive, just the worst phase you can go through. Some dogs are better than others some are demons. Tayla was a demon on steroids for a long time. She was better by the time she was a year old. She is the sweetest dog and just needed a job and to learn impulse control. I doubt yours is aggressive either.


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## Chritty (Aug 17, 2014)

Goldylover2 said:


> I was in the same exact boat your in Jones'Mom.
> 
> I don't care how others on this board try to spin it.



We have recently been going down the same stream in the same boat too. 

I've read your story a lot of times Goldylover and I have to say from what you have told us previously that your trainer has labelled your puppy's aggression incorrectly.

Probably 3 or 4 months ago I started a thread about my puppy's aggression. I was told similar things that are being said here on this thread but I was reluctant to believe that it's just normal puppy behavior. Millie would bare her teeth and attack, jump and be just plain horrible. Both my wife and I had cuts on our hands, scratches all up and down our limbs, torn clothing, the lot. 

We turned to a trainer. He rehabilitates Pitbulls so they can be rehomed instead of being destroyed. He spends a lot of time with aggressive dogs. We spent a few hundred dollars to have him come and spend some time with us to help with our aggressive dog. 

After spending hours with us he told us that there is no way what our dog is doing in aggression. She is a high energy, excitable pup that needs her excitement levels kept under control to have her behave the way we expect her to. 

And that's the thing, all these stories on here about puppies behaving terribly is that they are babies. They've only been alive for such a short time. Their brains and their thought processes are only just starting. It is our expectations as puppy owners that need to be altered. We certainly were very naïve to what what puppyhood is like. I thought it would be all cuddles and puppy breath. What I have learnt now would have probably turned me off from buying a puppy in the first place and just gone with an older rescue. 

Puppies are a massive PITA. They're not all as bad as each other but still. 

Bitey, naughty, ignorant, trouble - yes

Dangerously aggressive- highly unlikely


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## Jones'Mum (Jan 29, 2015)

Thanks for all of the replies so far- I really appreciate all of them. From what I can see I feel ill qualified to deal with this myself, whatever Jones' intentions are when he's lunging at me, the intentional repeated biting takes it a bit far for me. I think we had better save for a while and pay some money and get a professional to come out (I think in Australia they're even more expensive then the US from what I've heard). 
In answer to a question above, we have a 3 bed house and 3 kids, so there's no room inside to sleep, he has his own space on our covered fenced in deck- which he likes. Exercise: He gets walked for 20 minutes nearly every day and played with outside for a while.


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## Chritty (Aug 17, 2014)

Jones'Mum said:


> Thanks for all of the replies so far- I really appreciate all of them. From what I can see I feel ill qualified to deal with this myself, whatever Jones' intentions are when he's lunging at me, the intentional repeated biting takes it a bit far for me. I think we had better save for a while and pay some money and get a professional to come out (I think in Australia they're even more expensive then the US from what I've heard).
> In answer to a question above, we have a 3 bed house and 3 kids, so there's no room inside to sleep, he has his own space on our covered fenced in deck- which he likes. Exercise: He gets walked for 20 minutes nearly every day and played with outside for a while.



Where in Aus are you?


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## Jones'Mum (Jan 29, 2015)

Maitland NSW


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## Chritty (Aug 17, 2014)

I'm in Thornton!


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## Jones'Mum (Jan 29, 2015)

What are the chances of that?!! Recommend any trainers in the area?


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## Chritty (Aug 17, 2014)

I can. It would be really cool if Millie and Jones could get together for a puppy play date. My wife and I could talk to you about trainers while those two wear each other out


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## Harleysmum (Aug 19, 2014)

[ Exercise: He gets walked for 20 minutes nearly every day and played with outside for a while.[/QUOTE]

So some days he doesn't get walked at all. If he is a high energy pup and, at the moment it sounds as if he is, then he needs to be walked every day and I would think 2 x 20 min walks would be in order at 4 months. He needs to use up some of that energy.


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## Jones'Mum (Jan 29, 2015)

That sounds good- poor Jones doesn't have any puppies he plays with, just got to find time- tricky with so many young kids running around! Not really sure what we were thinking when we signed up for a puppy too...


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## Katduf (Mar 10, 2013)

I would double the walk time, and allow a lot of time for sniffing and exploring the world outside of his home. The stop and sniff on a walk engages the brain as the actual walk tires the body. Make him work for his food as well. The kong wobbler is great for breakfast kibble as they have to problem solve to get the food. I use the wobbler for my two every morning. An alternative is putting kibble into a large juice bottle. Keeps them busy and engages the brain, it relieves boredom and makes them tired. This phase of 'attacks' will pass though, try not to take it personally. My son was Bear's target for what seemed like forever. Bear is now the friendliest sweetest dog, and he has a very strong bond with my son.


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## Susan: w/ Summit we climb (Jun 12, 2014)

Wrestling with another puppy actually uses up a whole lot more energy than a walk.

It also meets his need for socialization with dogs.


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## San Francisco Goldens (Sep 12, 2016)

*Our 4-month old draws hurts me a lot*

Thank you for this thread. I know it's a bit old, but still helpful. Our first Golden did not have these temper tantrums. Our new Golden puppy is driving me to tears. I can't get away from him fast enough, distract him fast enough, stick a chewy in his mouth fast enough to avoid those sharp puppy teeth. I keep saying to myself that "he is just a puppy" and I forgive him quickly. But a couple of times that I have been unable to get away from him, I have ended up pinning him to the floor until he calms down. I can't stand doing this, but I can't get away from him, he has is teeth sunk into my achilles heel, and I am bleeding. I don't think his is a genuinely "aggressive" dog, just a very energetic puppy. 
We have a trainer, and we are patient (mostly). I guess I am not looking for further suggestions. Mostly I just wanted to let other Golden lovers who have puppies, that they are not alone.


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## Brixton319 (Jun 17, 2016)

I haven't read the other responses in detail but I understand what's happening because my boy would do the same thing. He's about to be 6 months. I can say with confidence it's because he's bored and he's getting older. At that age they don't realize what size they are. He is still a puppy and has to get tired out. There were time when Brixton would bite my shorts while walking and after a few times of raising my voice he knew it had to stop. it didn't last long maybe about a month to a month and a half


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## susankoleff11 (Oct 14, 2016)

I am REALLY struggling here. My 4 1/2 month old pup launches himself at me or sneak attacks me daily. He gets a hold of my hand and will NOT let go. Growling all the time. I have to pry his mouth open to release my hand and he often will go for the other one. My breeder says she's never heard of behavior like this in golden and has had him back with her for 2 weeks of assessment. She hasn't seen anything like the behavior I'm describing. I walk him 3 times a day with some off leash time with other dogs. Total of 1.5 hours a day. I play tug and train to "off". He sleeps in a crate. He's been to puppy classes where he was a star. I train him 4 or 5 times a day for a few minutes at a time because he's smart and really loves it. I've tried everything to stop the attacks and they ARE attacks. I took to kneeing him in the chest when he launches at me on walks to protect myself, now he sneaks up on me and I don't see it coming until he has me. I really worry about what this will turn into when he's an adolescent. The breeder doesn't want to give him back to me - feels I don't have the right energy. This is my fifth golden and I have NEVER seen anything like this!


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

He is probably at the worst part of teething. I question your breeder if they say they have never seen this in a golden. Hang in there. Read through some threads here to get some ideas you can do until this phase is over. Your doing the correct things.


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## Aislinn (Nov 13, 2010)

The breeder doesn't want to give him back to you? What is the breeder saying he/she is going to do? River went through a stage like this. Let's just say he visited his crate quite a bit. Today he's the best, I couldn't ask for a sweeter boy.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Also without knowing exactly how you are interacting with your pup maybe the breed just isn't right for you.


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## Piper_the_goldenpuppy (Aug 26, 2016)

I'm sorry you are going through this. These types of issues are very difficult to diagnose online, but it's not your dog being "vicious," like the tag suggests. Goldens are very mouthy, and play with their mouths, some are more vocal/growly than others, some dogs are much more energetic and willful when it comes to trying to play and pushing the boundaries than others, and rarely there are temperament issues. Walking is a prime time for a 4 month old, hyper golden to want to go into attack mode. My last girl was INSANE at that age. She was a very fieldy golden and needed a lot of exercise. Goldens are a very active breed and need a lot of exercise and entertainment throughout the day to be happy, especially as puppies. Field-type goldens especially. 

A lot of behavioral issues can be managed by increasing active exercise. Meaning, your dog might need more of it, and more jobs to do. Smart and high energy dogs especially. If they have too much energy, they will create their own fun, which will seem to you like they are antagonizing you. Walking alone is not enough to burn their energy. Walks, with "some time off leash" to play with other dogs is probably not enough. My Piper is a super low key puppy, and we go to the dog park for an hour each day to play fetch--for an hour. Or if there are a lot of dogs there she runs around with the dogs, but if she's not running with them, I'm throwing balls for her. They need exercise that gets them tired and panting. In addition, we do two 30 minute walks, or a 30min walk plus an hour walk, or hike, or swim, plus short 10 min walks for potty breaks. My last girl needed 1.5 hrs of running around each day, plus at least an hour of a good speed walk (or run, when she was old enough). 

You could try getting an easy walk harness or a gentle leader head collar, which will give you more control on walks. Keep a leash on him while he's in the house, and if he starts biting, take him to the crate immediately for a time out. Make him do multiple repetitions of commands for every privilege (before going on a walk, before putting food down, before petting, playing, etc). Not a single thing comes for free. 

Teach him to heel well, and keep him on a heel during walks. If he doesn't know heel, then keep him on a short leash, immediately at your side. He can't sneak up on you if he's right at your side, and on your walks he should have your entire attention (and eventually, vice versa). He shouldn't be on a long leash period. He needs boundaries that are very firmly, but lovingly enforced. 

More than anything though, you could enlist the help of a trainer/behavioralist, who can help you work through these issues and make sure you are training him as effectively as possible.


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## Wolfeye (Sep 15, 2015)

I'm not sure what the best way to handle dogs like this is. I have always allowed a lot of biting and it's ALWAYS been in play. I can't imagine a dog wildly attacking me... nor if it happened, that I'd just give him a "Dutch Rub" for sure! Y'all must be saints, because my response to an actual attack would likely be an uppercut, not a timeout.


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## murphy1 (Jun 21, 2012)

That was exactly what Murphy did to me....not my husband....I was his favorite target. Ripped clothing, blood running down my arm....he'd just jumped at me for fun. There was a period of time I didn't even like him. He grew out of it and is the most gentle soul ever. Get a small spray bottle with water and have it close by, all I had to do was pick it up and he'd back down.


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## -ALBUS- (May 5, 2016)

Cpc1972 said:


> Also without knowing exactly how you are interacting with your pup maybe the breed just isn't right for you.


Assuming you're replying to susankoleff11, she said this is her 5th golden. I'd think after 4 goldens she'd have a pretty good idea as to whether the breed is right for her...


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

-ALBUS- said:


> Assuming you're replying to susankoleff11, she said this is her 5th golden. I'd think after 4 goldens she'd have a pretty good idea as to whether the breed is right for her...


I must of missed that part. As you can see by my initial response I think the breeder is wrong here.


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## mkuj (Jan 9, 2018)

Thank you for this post! Has your puppy settled down since you wrote this? We are going through this now with our 4 month old GR - our new pup is so different than our previous golden! I have called a behavior specialist for help. If I know it will end some day, we can get through it. My worry is that it won't end and she'll end up being a 65 pounds with adult teeth and still biting us!


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## David Pearson (Aug 30, 2018)

I like high energy. You just need to redirect that energy. 

Blondie was high energy, we use to do sprints together to release some of it, if was a weekend she would swim against the current up river to go fishing with me.


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