# Aggressive 7 month old Golden



## Buddy'sDad (Jun 2, 2010)

Good afternoon, hopefully I'm doing this right. If so, I would like to get some help with my puppy Buddy. He is a 7 month old golden, weighing about 60 lbs. Over the last few weeks he has become very aggressive. It could be during times of play or on a walk. He will start growling and biting. It's definetly not teething. He completed puppy training about 2 months ago and knows his basic commands. At first I thought that Buddy was being agressive during playtime and didn't know the difference, but it can happen at any point. He will bite at your feet when you walk and when he really gets aggressive, he will growl, bark, and bite very hard. Our dog walker just emailed me with concerns with his behavior. I'm hoping that I can get some advise. 

Thanks, 

Scott


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## Lilliam (Apr 28, 2010)

Has he been neutered yet? This is the time when sexual maturity kicks in. I would also not play rough games with him during this transition time.
Have you taken him to the vet to rule out any physiological issues?


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

This age can be a trying time. Flora was a very naughty girl between 8-11 months of age, and there were times when she scared me (growling at my family members when they wanted her to move, snapping at me over a treasured item), but we worked with it, and at 18 months she's really great. 

Other people will chime in with advice, but I wanted to let you know that this is probably more bratty teenage puppy behavior than aggression.


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## HovawartMom (Aug 10, 2006)

I would get a trainer/behaviorist,ASAP!.
He's also,reaching the adolescent stage where they look for their place and see how far,they can push and get away,with it!.
I would start doing the NILIF:
Nothing in Life is Free 

Undesirable behavior can be caused by many things, including undetected illness. No behavior modification program should begin without first taking the dog to a veterinarian for a complete physical examination. While you're there, give your vet a printed copy of this page and ask if it would be an appropriate technique for you to try. The NILIF program is an accepted standard in dog training/behavior but it is not, and is not intended to be, a substitute for an in-person, professional evaluation of your dog's behavior. This technique is intended for dogs in good health and of sound mind and stable temperament. 


The NILIF program is remarkable because it's effective for such a wide variety of problems. A shy, timid dog becomes more relaxed knowing that he has nothing to worry about, his owner is in charge of all things. A dog that's pushing too hard to become "top dog" learns that the position is not available and that his life is far more enjoyable without the title. 

It is equally successful with dogs that fall anywhere between those two extremes. The program is not difficult to put into effect and it's not time consuming if the dog already knows a few basic obedience commands. I've never seen this technique fail to bring about a positive change in behavior, however, the change can be more profound in some dogs than others. Most owners use this program in conjunction with other behavior modification techniques such as coping with fear or treatment for aggression. It is a perfectly suitable technique for the dog with no major behavior problems that just needs some fine tuning. 

ATTENTION ON DEMAND
The program begins by eliminating attention on demand. When your dog comes to you and nudges your hand, saying "pet me! pet me!" ignore him. Don't tell him "no", don't push him away. Simply pretend you don't notice him. This has worked for him before, so don't be surprised if he tries harder to get your attention. When he figures out that this no longer works, he'll stop. In a pack situation, the top ranking dogs can demand attention from the lower ranking ones, not the other way around. When you give your dog attention on demand you're telling him that he has more status in the pack than you do. Timid dogs become stressed by having this power and may become clingy. They're never sure when you'll be in charge so they can't relax. What if something scary happens, like a stranger coming in the house? Who will handle that? The timid dog that is demanding of attention can be on edge a lot of the time because he has more responsibility than he can handle. 

Some dogs see their ability to demand attention as confirmation that they are the "alpha", then become difficult to handle when told to "sit" or "down" or some other demand is placed on them. It is not their leadership status that stresses them out, it's the lack of consistency. They may or may not actually be alpha material, but having no one in the pack that is clearly the leader is a bigger problem than having the dog assume that role full time. Dogs are happiest when the pack order is stable. Tension is created by a constant fluctuation of pack leadership.

EXTINCTION BURSTS
Your dog already knows that he can demand your attention and he knows what works to get that to happen. As of today, it no longer works, but he doesn't know that yet. We all try harder at something we know works when it stops working. If I gave you a twenty dollar bill every time you clapped your hands together, you'd clap a lot. But, if I suddenly stopped handing you money, even though you were still clapping, you'd clap more and clap louder. You might even get closer to me to make sure I was noticing that you were clapping. You might even shout at me "Hey! I'm clapping like crazy over here, where's the money?". If I didn't respond at all, in any way, you'd stop. It wasn't working anymore. That last try -- that loud, frequent clapping is an extinction burst. If, however, during that extinction burst, I gave you another twenty dollar bill you'd be right back in it. It would take a lot longer to get you to stop clapping because you just learned that if you try hard enough, it will work. 

When your dog learns that the behaviors that used to get him your attention don't work any more he's going to try harder and he's going to have an extinction burst. If you give him attention during that time you will have to work that much harder to get him turned around again. Telling him "no" or pushing him away is not the kind of attention he's after, but it's still attention. Completely ignoring him will work faster and better. 

YOU HAVE THE POWER
As the human and as his owner you have control of all things that are wonderful in his life. This is the backbone of the NILIF program. You control all of the resources. Playing, attention, food, walks, going in and out of the door, going for a ride in the car, going to the dog park. Anything and everything that your dog wants comes from you. If he's been getting most of these things for free there is no real reason for him to respect your leadership or your ownership of these things. Again, a timid dog is going to be stressed by this situation, a pushy dog is going to be difficult to handle. Both of them would prefer to have you in charge. 

To implement the NILIF program you simply have to have your dog earn his use of your resources. He's hungry? No problem, he simply has to sit before his bowl is put down. He wants to play fetch? Great! He has to "down" before you throw the ball. Want to go for a walk or a ride? He has to sit to get his lead snapped on and has to sit while the front door is opened. He has to sit and wait while the car door is opened and listen for the word (I use "OK") that means "get into the car". When you return he has to wait for the word that means "get out of the car" even if the door is wide open. Don't be too hard on him. He's already learned that he can make all of these decisions on his own. He has a strong history of being in control of when he gets these resources. Enforce the new rules, but keep in mind that he's only doing what he's been taught to do and he's going to need some time to get the hang of it all.

You're going to have to pay attention to things that you probably haven't noticed before. If you feed your dog from your plate do you just toss him a green bean? No more. He has to earn it. You don't have to use standard obedience commands, any kind of action will do. If your dog knows "shake" or "spin around" or "speak" use those commands. Does your dog sleep on your bed? Teach him that he has to wait for you to say "OK" to get on the bed and he has to get down when you say "off". Teach him to go to his bed, or other designated spot, on command. When he goes to his spot and lays down tell him "stay" and then release him with a treat reward. Having a particular spot where he stays is very helpful for when you have guests or otherwise need him out of the way for a while. It also teaches him that free run of the house is a resource that you control. There are probably many things that your dog sees as valuable resources that I haven't mentioned here.

The NILIF program should not be a long, drawn out process. All you need to do is enforce a simple command before allowing him access to what he wants. Dinner, for example, should be a two or three second encounter that consists of nothing more than saying "sit", then "good dog!", then putting the bowl down and walking away. 

ATTENTION AND PLAY
Now that your dog is no longer calling the shots you will have to make an extra effort to provide him with attention and play time. Call him to you, have him "sit" and then lavish him with as much attention as you want. Have him go get his favorite toy and play as long as you both have the energy. The difference is that now you will be the one initiating the attention and beginning the play time. He's going to depend on you now, a lot more than before, to see that he gets what he needs. What he needs most is quality time with you. This would be a good time to enroll in a group obedience class. If his basic obedience is top notch, see about joining an agility class or fly ball team. 

NILIF DOES *NOT* MEAN THAT YOU HAVE TO RESTRICT THE AMOUNT OF ATTENTION YOU GIVE TO YOUR DOG. The NILIF concept speaks to who initiates the attention (you!), not the amount of attention. Go ahead and call your dog to you 100 times a day for hugs and kisses!! You can demand his attention, he can no longer demand yours! 

Within a day or two your dog will see you in a whole new light and will be eager to learn more. Use this time to teach new things, such as 'roll over' or learn the specific names of different toys. 

If you have a shy dog, you'll see a more relaxed dog. There is no longer any reason to worry about much of anything. He now has complete faith in you as his protector and guide. If you have a pushy dog he'll be glad that the fight for leadership is over and his new role is that of devoted and adored pet. 



©1999 Deb McKean


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## Buddy'sDad (Jun 2, 2010)

He was neutered in early April. A week after he was neutered, he was electricuted and treated. He was released with no issue. We try and only play fetch with him, nothing like tug-of-war.


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## goldensrbest (Dec 20, 2007)

How was he electricuted?


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## Retrievers Rock (Apr 4, 2010)

He was electrocuted?


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## Retrievers Rock (Apr 4, 2010)

goldensrbest said:


> How was he electricuted?


LOL... I'm not the only one that saw that, I see.


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## Katie and Paddy's Mum (Mar 31, 2010)

I too would rule out any underlying physical/psychological conditions given that he has been neutered. Keep in mind that even though he has been neutered, those hormones will still circulate for about 6-9 months afterwards, so neutering is not always a fail-safe.
Paddy too was aggressive around the same age - never with us or with any other human, but mostly with other dogs. He was so unpredictable and it caused so much stress in our household. I never even knew that Goldens could be aggressive. Anyhow, even though Paddy was young we insisted on a full blood panel including thyroid testing. Our vet scoffed at us, saying that thyroid disease does not affect puppies, but since it was our dime he agreed. To make a long story short Paddy was suffering from hypothyroidism which can cause aggression in a dog. Paddy had no other symptoms at all (in fact he was very thin and very hyper - not your typical diagnosis!). Anyhow, within about 6 months or so of thyroid treatment we found ourselves with a very balanced Golden. Don't get me wrong, we still did a lot of training and always approached other dogs with care - but his internal body chemistry was out of whack and aggression is how it manifested itself.
What I am trying to say is that you would be wise to rule out any underlying medical issues in addition to working with a good trainer. 
Also I find having the bloodpanel done, even if it turns out not to be the thyroid - it gives you a good baseline for comparison throughout life. 

Good luck on your journey and know I feel for you and the stress this causes.


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## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

What part of the state are you in and we can help you find a professional. With what you are describing...it really could be rough play or it could be something else. Only a professional will be able to assist you. If you think it is aggression, techinically speaking, only a veterinarian (and ideally a veterinary behaviorist) can diagnose and create a treatment plan.


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## Buddy'sDad (Jun 2, 2010)

He pulled a plug out of a socket. The room is being remodeled and he was able to pull the socket out of the wall, hence electricuting him. Before we go down the path of a bad dog owner, I will put it to rest right away. The dog has been treated with the utmost care and love. He has been to dog training and gets a lot of attention. He is at home by himself during the day, but we have a dog walker who comes mid-day to walk him and play with him for 45 minutes. He then gets a good walk in the morning and at night along with playtime and attention at night. He is brushed almost every day, if not every other.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Random accidents can happy to puppies and kids no matter how careful we are. That must have been awful.

Just like it's great for teenage kids to stay busy with sports teams and practice, a teenage golden feeling macho can use quiet a bit of hard exercise off leash- an hour long hike etc. Since I live with four goldens, we start the day with a two hour hike 7 days a week because I want calm house manners. The hike is their time to play, sprint, chase. I know that's not realistic for everyone, but the adage that a tired puppy is a good puppy holds some truth. 

If your pup growls, freeze in place and pointedly look away. Act vaguely disgusted, ignore the pup for a minute or two, then resume as normal. You don't want him to find this behavior at all rewarding- no attention, even negative, should result from shennanigans.

If you think he is going to bite, then bets are off and you should find a CPDT(Certified Professional Dog Trainer) who uses positive methods. 

Ask him to sit or down before his meals, and before he gets something he wants.

I agree with the person who said it can be hard to distinguish between rough play and aggression. Is he a fearful dog- fear aggression is more common than assertive aggression in a dog who showed no signs of it before. Does he playbow or give any kind of signals when biting feet etc?


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## Buddy'sDad (Jun 2, 2010)

I appreciate everyone's advise. I live in Pottstown PA. A few other things. I do training with Buddy almost everyday and he is not aggressive towards other animals.


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

I'm sure others have suggested this already, but be sure there is not a medical reason for his behavior. Thyroid, Lyme Disease, etc.


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

I'm going to add this...I can see how a dog can electrocute themselves by accident. Every time I vacuum my Tucker pulls out his pillow. He humps the darn thing and starts to bit it. He will do this over the cord. I get so upset every single time because I can see and accident waiting to happen. So...I sometimes have to close him off to the room I'm vacuuming in.


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## Retrievers Rock (Apr 4, 2010)

Buddy'sDad said:


> He pulled a plug out of a socket. The room is being remodeled and he was able to pull the socket out of the wall, hence electricuting him. Before we go down the path of a bad dog owner, I will put it to rest right away. The dog has been treated with the utmost care and love. He has been to dog training and gets a lot of attention. He is at home by himself during the day, but we have a dog walker who comes mid-day to walk him and play with him for 45 minutes. He then gets a good walk in the morning and at night along with playtime and attention at night. He is brushed almost every day, if not every other.


I only asked because it seemed so random, after saying that he had been neutered.

I had a Sheltie that chewed through the wire leading from our A/C compressor, to our house. It hit him so hard, he pooped where he stood. I consider myself a pretty good dog owner. He wasn't a puppy, and I had no inclination that he would ever do something like that.


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## Phillyfisher (Jan 9, 2008)

Buddy's Dad- check your PM- I have a very good trainer for you-

We went thru a tough patch with Tucker at about the same age, although he was not neutered at the time NILIF helped us get thru it. You have gotten a lot of great advice here already. No need to repeat.


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## ~d~ (May 31, 2010)

puppy adolescence...good times. :no: (not really)
Hang in there. You've been given a lot of great ideas and resources. 

We're getting through it by going from puppy class into beginner obedience, doubling down on NILF and extra (new) exercise/activities. 
(swimming and flirt-pole) 
Chasing a toy tied to a flirt pole in the back yard is a quick way to burn off some of their energy, and it's fun. _and not just for American Pit Bull Terriers, my Golden loves it too. _
Keeping their bodies and minds working = tired, happy puppy; and my worn out pup has less time and energy to devour my furniture _that I guess he just now realized he'd forgotten to destroy while he was teething. _

Hope the cause is nothing physical and if it's just Buddy being a teenager testing his limits, I'm sure you and Buddy will get through this fine.


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