# 5 Month Aggression/Dominance issues



## guinness (Jun 15, 2011)

Hi All! I am new to the Forum as well as a new Golden owner. In the past I have had German Shepherds, but decided to get a Golden in March after my last dog past last May.

Georgia, is extremely intelligent and follows commands very well, both verbal and hand signals. However, a few issues have arisen that concern me very much. Ever since we got her at 9 weeks she has been very mouthy. But when she nips, she curls her lip up and shows all of her teeth. She also will jump and bit the small of your back, ankles, and anything else she can get her teeth on. She has now lost all of her baby teeth, but the behavior continues. As I thought this might be a teething stage. I have had a dog trainer come over and of course she acted like an angel. Then I went for another consultation and and got her a bit riled up. She started jumping and biting and curling her lip. The trainer couldn't believe the behavior. She said she has never seen anything like it before. I've tried avoidance, leaving the room, and yet she still come after me. If I take her to the park for lessons, she does fine, but then I get her to heal in a brisk walk, and then into a slow trot and then she'll start to run in front of me and jump and bite. Stopping does not help, nor does trying to focus her on another activity. She is very stubborn and now 40 pounds. I can't have a big dog act this way. I am constantly told of the Goldens good demeanor. I have yet to see it. My better half never got to enjoy her as a little puppy because of her aggressive behavior and is very upset by it.

Trying to correct her with a harder hand. (knee to chest when jumping, pointing and saying NO, holding mouth shut and saying no) only made her more aggressive. I know change her environment with her crate at home. This has been the only thing that seems to works at all. The downside is that I can't bring the crate on our walks or to the park.

I need to know if this is a stage or if I am in for years of torment. I have worked/trained with this dog more than my last 3 dogs combined. I am willing and want to put in the work to make her the fantastic dog that i believe she can be. I am just at a loss and need some advise.

Any advice is GREATLY appreciated. By the way, I love the forum and have learned a lot about the breed.

Thank you in advance.

JR


----------



## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

If your trainer has never seen anything like this before, FIND ANOTHER TRAINER. This is not unnusual behaviour but does need to be corrected with positive methods. 5 months can be a bratty stage and she will get better as she gets older but good trainining methods will greatly help along the way. 

Find another trainer. Where are you located? Maybe the board members can recommend a good trainer to go to.


----------



## HiTideGoldens (Dec 29, 2009)

mylissyk said:


> If your trainer has never seen anything like this before, FIND ANOTHER TRAINER.


That exact thought ran through my mind as I was reading the post! I would also get the word "aggressive" out of your head. It sounds to me like she's being a bratty puppy, not aggressive. People are very quick to call behaviors dominance and aggression (thanks to Cesar Milan) when the dogs aren't actually dominant or aggressive. A lot of us have gone through the same bratty behavior with our pups and come out on the other side with a wonderful companion.


----------



## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

Have you been in contact with your breeder? It would be interesting to see if she had some suggestions for you. What kind of excercise is Georgia getting and is it on a daily basis? I second mylissyk's recommendation of finding another trainer, getting a list of suggestions from here would be an excellent idea and maybe going on line to see if you have a large enough local golden retriever club to see if you could get some support ideas through their members? 

Thank you for having the good sense to realize that your sterner corrections were having the opposite effect of what you intended and halting your behavior. Please keep us posted on how things go with Georgia. Hang in there!


----------



## BriGuy (Aug 31, 2010)

Hi,

I would recommend trying to get a book called "Control Unleashed" from the library. It sounds like your dog could benefit from some of the relaxation exercises. I've used some of these techniques myself to help when my dog gets a little crazy on the leash.


----------



## Goldens R Great (Aug 19, 2010)

Your dog sounds like one of my goldens when she was that age! Constantly jumping up on me during walks and in the house, ripping my clothes, biting my hands and legs, etc. It was like having a baby alligator in the house! Her other favorite thing to do was she would wrinkle her nose, pull her upper lip back and show her teeth and hiss at me like a cat. She wasn’t aggressive – trust me she wasn’t – just an active feisty girl who had an owner that needed to find a trainer for her. I wasn’t used to a golden like her. My first golden wasn’t bitey at all so it was all new territory for me. Don’t despair. Patience is key. You might be thinking she’ll always be that way (I know I did!), but she won’t if you find a good trainer. I remember a few things my trainer told me to do – and maybe you’re already doing them – but it helped with my girl. It was very simple. Make her sit for everything – sit before she eats, sit before she gets a treat, sit before she gets on the furniture – if that is allowed, sit before she goes outside, sit before she comes back inside, etc. The trainer told me to make sure I always went through the doorway first. Also, the trainer told me to tether my dog to me inside the house. (Yes, the biting, jumping alligator.) I would attach a 6-foot rope to her collar and then tie it around my waist. It was easier to keep an eye on her that way and helped us bond. When she would start to act up (jumping and biting) the trainer told me to say “enough” in a firm voice and then make her sit. All of these things were a way for her to know I was in control, but in a calm and nonaggressive way. With time and patience she turned into an extremely well behaved dog and the biting and jumping on the walks (and in the house) eventually stopped. She never did stop the wrinkling of the nose/teeth showing/hissing thing though. She got so she would do it on command when I would point my finger at her and it actually became a source of amusement for us. It turned out to be absolutely harmless and I think she knew she could get a good laugh from everyone when she did it. She was a hoot.

I wish you all the best with Georgia.


----------



## Jige (Mar 17, 2011)

What kind of exercise regimen do you have for Georgia? I think she is need of a job. I have alwayed believed a tired pup is a happy pup and that makes me happy.


----------



## guinness (Jun 15, 2011)

*Georgia Thanks you and so do I*

Thank you everyone for your support. As far as exercise goes, Georgia usually goes on 2-3 walks a day about a mile and a half each walk. We also go to the dog park when we can. I live in West Central Florida, St. Petersburg to be exact and it is very warm already this summer (heat indexes up at around 105-110 and its only June) I don't want to give the young pup heat stroke. We go as early as possible and as late as possible.
We play games and do lessons inside every day.

Can anyone recommend a good trainer in my area? My vet recommended one and I told her my issues with Georgia prior to and when she was at the house, and she proceeded to give me a leash lesson 101. I've had many dogs in the past and quite frankly the visit from her was insulting. Hence, she is not my trainer. 

I am looking to also put Georgia in an agility class. I visited the dog club and all of the dogs were having a blast. Has anyone ever done RALLY or agility training with their Goldens? I'd be interested to hear some stories on both how the dog and the owner like the classes.

Thank you everyone for your input. I will keep up the good fight with Georgia. I am sure we will make it through this challenging period together

I am attaching a recent picture. She looks like an angel, but I swear she's Satan's Spawn. Just kidding. I love her!


----------



## nixietink (Apr 3, 2008)

guinness said:


> I am attaching a recent picture. She looks like an angel, but I swear she's Satan's Spawn. Just kidding. I love her!


She is adorable! How could that cute little face be so evil?! I had to ask myself that everyday for the first 6 months or so of Vito's life. Sometimes I still ask myself that. 

Rally and agility are great for dogs, real confidence boosters. Plus it may help build the relationship between you and Georgia. 

I would also look into another trainer for the landshark behavior. Here is a list of CCPDT certified trainers in Florida. Good luck!!

Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers®


----------



## MyBuddy22 (Oct 29, 2010)

this sounds like a golden retriever puppy to me. Atleast, Bauer used to show his teeth a lot as if he is so fierce. He doesn't anymore to me. He will to his friends (dogs) in play. I def think the advice on the forums is great, exercise and an activity. I am thinking about signing Bauer up for agility myself.


----------



## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

guinness said:


> Georgia usually goes on 2-3 walks a day about a mile and a half each walk. We also go to the dog park when we can..... We play games and do lessons inside every day.


(Please believe me when I say I am not criticizing you, I lived most of my life in Florida, (a year in Tampa) and I know the humidity combined with heat is brutal. It is tough to get outside and do anything, even before sunrise you sweat standing still.)

I know dogs are like people, all individuals. I'm thinking a big piece of the puzzle may be that she needs more physical outlet on a daily basis, harder play than just the walks. My last golden, Duncan, needed much more excersise than what you've laid out here. Those walks would really be the absolute minimum for him, even combined with indoor playing. Especially if Georgia's alone and sleeping the whole time you're at work. It can be downright challenging to come up with enough free time during the average day to fulfill all your other responsibilities and still manage to wear out a high energy puppy. At least that's how I've often felt. 

I was just trying to come up with something to try while you're working on getting a new trainer scheduled and waiting for the next round of pre-agility classes to begin. I really feel for you, I know it's frustrating.


----------



## a4amazing (Jun 24, 2011)

I have a 12 week old golden and he is mouthing everything as well. We are all trying to be consistant with teaching him not to do it, but.... He is a ninja and grabs everything. He will pounce like a cat as well. I have been researching his behavior and it seems fairly normal for goldens. (I was concerned for a while that he was abnormal lol) Keep on top of him, lots of walks, play and exercise seems to help ours. "A tired puppy is a good puppy" is our house motto. We have a lot of toys that we try to redirect him with as well. And if hes being very obnoxious, I will get his treats and do some training with him learning to sit and take the treat nice and easy. (hes still learing the "easy" command) He is doing better as time goes on. I wish you the best of luck! Keep posting his progress!


----------



## ozzy'smom (Jun 18, 2011)

I have a 13 week old and we have the exact same issues. I have to say, seeing that lip curl back when he bites is a bit distressing at times. I'm trying to be even more vigilent about exercise and consistent about dealing with the biting. We start our "puppy class" in 2 weeks as well. Any idea of when this behavior might lessen? In some ways it's better than it was a few weeks ago but other times it seems worse.


----------

