# Bella (9 weeks old) got aggressive with me



## niall (Jul 27, 2009)

hi all,

im reading as much as i can about agression in puppies because we are raising a puppy for the first time and im not sure whether Bella is aggressive or just testing us.

she is 9 weeks old and we took her out the other day to a grassy area where we knew no other dogs would be (vaccinations and all that). we went to the centre of the grass and let her off the leash. she saw a car go past and ran to catch it so i had to run after her and stop her.i had to do this 3 times and on the 3rd time she started to growl and show her teeth.i went to put her collar back on and she turn around and tried to bite me several times, growling. i had to hold her down (i know some people dont agree with that but if i let her go a car could hit her) and get very loud before she stopped.she walked home fine on the lead.

in general at home she is all mouth.we cant just pet her.she always turns to our hands with her mouth open and her teeth showing a bit.i hope she is just playing but its trying when she wont listen to us to stop.

please advise me, maybe its normal, maybe not.but this weekend, she has gotten worse for certain.the day before the car chasing episode, she got very aggressive when i tried to take something from her that she shouldnt be chewing.

i dont want to hit her and i dont want her being afraid of us. 
this smiley says it all


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## sabby (Apr 23, 2009)

Don't hit her.....EVAR!!

Google.... Nothing in life is free...N.I.L.I.F.
DW used it on me.... seems to work 

I think some boundries need to be set.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Please don't label your puppy aggressive. Would you label a 3 month old baby who cries and problem child? It's the same thing developmentally.

You have a totally normal puppy. The only way they play with and communicate with their littermates is with their mouth/teeth. You just need to be consistent and give her a toy or bone in place of your skin every single time she puts her mouth on you. She will learn and eventually grow out of it with proper redirection.

She is way too young to be allowed off leash in an unfenced area, as you saw, she will run and can be injured in a lot ways. Recall, calling her back and having her return to you, is something that will take many months to learn, and many more months to perfect.

Do a search on the board for puppy aggression, you will find lots and lots of similar posts with very good advice and suggestions. They are little land sharks until they are taught not to be.


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## mdoats (Jun 7, 2007)

Golden puppies mouth a LOT. The best way to respond is to make a loud noise (OUCH or EH, EH) stop interacting with the puppy EVERY SINGLE TIME his teethes touch your skin. Puppies want to interact with you, so by stopping the play, petting, etc. you are taking away what they want. They learn that if they want to keep playing they can't bite you. It takes time and it takes a LOT of patience.

I'd also suggest that a puppy that small should never be off leash in a public place. Even if you drop the leash to let him play, leave the collar and leash on so you can grab him more easily if he starts to wander off.


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## ardita (Jul 14, 2009)

I am also new with the puppy. He is 3 months now and we have him since he was 8 weeks. He was very very mouthy, I couldn't get close to him or play with him not even for once without him biting me. I just screamed OUCH when he did that (not even so loud) and stopped playing, walked away from him and ignored him for a while ( couple of minutes ) or when the bite wasn't so hard I just said NO and gave him a toy to chew instead. He has learned in just one month, now I try to put my hand in his mouth sometimes and he just ignores it or even licks it !!! I'm sure your pup will outgrow that habit you just have to work with him for a while


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

All the advice given above is spot on. Please remember that your pup is just a tiny baby, not capable of being labeled aggressive. He's playing with you like he would littermates. You need to show him and help him learn what's appropriate. Please don't EVER hit your pup... no matter what the age. As soon as possible I'd find a puppy kindergarten class for the two of you, and also recommend getting a good puppy development and training book. I'm sure some of the trainers here will have good suggestions.


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

Hi. Well I always play the devil's advocate don't I?
I have some questions first. How long have you had the puppy? Where did you get the puppy from? Assuming you got her from a breeder (who owned the mother), have you discussed this behavior with the breeder? What did they say?
Okay, the mouthing stuff as far as not being able to pet her without her mouthing you, that is 100% normal. Put a toy in her mouth and then pet her. 
As far as the other stuff -- biting when caught, restrained, etc -- in a 9 week old puppy? Well, let's just say, the aforementioned breeder better be telling me some real convincing stuff to make me keep that puppy. Sorry but this is NOT normal or desirable for a golden and I would rather march that puppy back to where it came from NOW before you're super attached than put up with months or years. Just my opinion here!
Also, why did you let her escape and chase after a car not once, not twice, but three times? I understand the first time, honestly I wouldn't expect a puppy that age to notice much less chase a moving object that far away (how far away was it?). But after that, you need to be proactive in preventing a repeat of the situation. Don't ASK for bad behavior. 
Also please be advised that it is VERY EASY to teach puppies keep away. As in, don't let mom catch you, keep away from your people! NOT GOOD. Do not chase after them if they wander too far, have something inappropriate to chew on, etc. Instead walk calmly after them, throw a toy, always LURE them TO YOU at least the last foot so they come TO YOU rather than you catching them. Unless they are chewing on something poisonous, do not make a big deal out of getting it out of their mouth. Puppies learn very quickly to escape when they have a prized object. This is not a good habit at all. 
Best of luck.


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## sareza (Apr 9, 2009)

Hi there,

We had similar issues with our puppy, Sadie, who is 13 weeks. She was biting hard constantly, growling, snapping, and humping me and my children. At 9 weeks, I could honestly say we had all had enough and believe me we were doing all those things that people kindly advise like ignoring her, putting her in her crate for a time-out, doing the high pitched "ouch", without any success. 

Our breeder suggested taking her back for about a week to evaluate her, and to place her with the older dogs to show Sadie her place in the pack. When she returned to us, she was honestly a different dog. She is still very much a puppy, but things were much less intense when she came back. If there wasn't a change I don't think we could have kept her. 

Are you able to contact your breeder for help? I know the "break" really helped us, not only did it re-program Sadie, but it gave us a chance to catch our breath for a few days. I do understand what you are going through and we too kept hearing how she was "just a puppy" and "that's what they do", but I knew this was so much more than we had bargained for....our first experience with puppyhood was not at all pleasant, but... it did get better. You need to find what works for you and your family.

Good luck!


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## Nicole74 (May 30, 2009)

sareza said:


> Hi there,
> 
> We had similar issues with our puppy, Sadie, who is 13 weeks. She was biting hard constantly, growling, snapping, and humping me and my children. At 9 weeks, I could honestly say we had all had enough and believe me we were doing all those things that people kindly advise like ignoring her, putting her in her crate for a time-out, doing the high pitched "ouch", without any success.
> 
> ...


I agree with Sareza. I would contact the breeder and ask them for help. It really can make a huge difference. Some goldens mouth more then others and I was told by my vet to eliminate the mouthing all together.

Our Bailey is wonderful, but we do the "Nothing in life is Free". Bailey learned to trust and respect us quickly by this method. I know there are people on this board who can help you much more then I. You may even want to talk to a behavior specialist about your pup.

I do believe that at times there can be aggressive puppies, even at this early age. I've experienced it myself and had a puppy who most likely had a genetic disorder. I did return her to the breeders and went out and got another puppy. The last pup I had was viciously attacking me several times a day at 7 weeks.


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## Hiker (Mar 29, 2009)

I'm trying not to be judgemental or confrontive, but how can you even think that a 9 week old pup has aggression issues? She's a baby, and this is the time for you to help mold her personality. You are in charge here; teach her love, respect, obedience, etc. Enjoy her and make sure she enjoys you. At 9 weeks have fun with each other and don't get caught up in trying to psyche out her puppy behaviors. They all bite and growl, its how they play.


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

Hiker said:


> I'm trying not to be judgemental or confrontive, but how can you even think that a 9 week old pup has aggression issues? She's a baby, and this is the time for you to help mold her personality. You are in charge here; teach her love, respect, obedience, etc. Enjoy her and make sure she enjoys you. At 9 weeks have fun with each other and don't get caught up in trying to psyche out her puppy behaviors. They all bite and growl, its how they play.


I'm not trying to be judgmental or confrontational either, but there really IS such a thing as an aggressive puppy; even as young as 7+ weeks. Yes, all puppies bite and growl, but there's a very real difference between normal puppy biting/growling and aggressive behavior. It's tricky to diagnose one over the other based simply on someone's description over the Internet. Blanket statements about how puppies aren't "aggressive" at that age may only delay posters from getting professional help that could make the difference between a pup keeping his home (or in extreme cases, his life) or not.

I think rather than say with any degree of certainty that a behavior IS or ISN'T aggression, perhaps it's best to suggest that a poster seek local help to determine the difference if they aren't sure.

Just my opinion of course, but it always concerns me to read replies suggesting that young puppies aren't "aggressive."

IMO, if it's making you uncomfortable and you aren't sure, enlist the help of somone who can see the pup in action and help you. Yes, puppies are bitey, growly and can be bratty pains-in-the-butt sometimes... but that's still different than aggression.


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## sareza (Apr 9, 2009)

Hiker said:


> I'm trying not to be judgemental or confrontive, but how can you even think that a 9 week old pup has aggression issues? She's a baby, and this is the time for you to help mold her personality. You are in charge here; teach her love, respect, obedience, etc. Enjoy her and make sure she enjoys you. At 9 weeks have fun with each other and don't get caught up in trying to psyche out her puppy behaviors. They all bite and growl, its how they play.


Why do we become so defensive when members express their frustrations with a puppy that is behaving inappropriately? Of course all puppies bite and growl but when members post that a puppy's behaviour is more "aggressive" than what is typical, there are always those who feel the need to say it couldn't be so. Whether or not we would like to admit that a golden can be flawed in any way, I can certainly vouch that not every puppy is the same and yes, a golden puppy can exhibit aggressive traits. In my case, behaviour modification was successful, but this is not always the situation. Not every puppy is the right match for every family. I just wanted to say that when you are dealing with intense behaviour that is above and beyond typical, it is not helpful to hear that "that's just puppy play".


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## Hiker (Mar 29, 2009)

Sorry, and I didn't mean to step on anyone's toes. But, I gotta tell ya, I believe its a self fulfilled prophecy. If you treat a puppy as an aggressive puppy, you will get an aggressive puppy. 

I am not defensive about Goldens, or any breed; and I also understand that there are some bizzare behaviors in any species. However, I still believe that a 9 week old puppy is a baby and that its owner has the ability and responsibility to influence behavior.


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

Hiker said:


> Sorry, and I didn't mean to step on anyone's toes. But, I gotta tell ya, I believe its a self fulfilled prophecy. If you treat a puppy as an aggressive puppy, you will get an aggressive puppy.
> 
> I am not defensive about Goldens, or any breed; and I also understand that there are some bizzare behaviors in any species. However, I still believe that a 9 week old puppy is a baby and that its owner has the ability and responsibility to influence behavior.


I'm not sure what you mean: "If you treat a puppy like an aggressive puppy, you will get an aggressive puppy." Will you please explain so I can better understand?

And I fully agree that puppies are babies and we need to influence behavior. I just also happen to believe that there are some cases where behavior mod will only go so far and may not be able to get past things like genetics or certain physical problems. Let's say you have a fear-aggressive pup who, you find out, came from fearful parents. All the behavior mod in the world will still only take you so far b/c you're battling genetics.

I used to believe the saying, "There are no bad dogs, only bad owners." I don't believe that anymore. I've worked with some WONDERFUL owners who have busted their butts with their dogs, yet still, a certain degree of unpredictable (maybe "random" is a better word; we can identify obscure triggers) aggression remains.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Hiker said:


> Sorry, and I didn't mean to step on anyone's toes. But, I gotta tell ya, I believe its a self fulfilled prophecy. If you treat a puppy as an aggressive puppy, you will get an aggressive puppy.
> 
> I am not defensive about Goldens, or any breed; and I also understand that there are some bizzare behaviors in any species. However, I still believe that a 9 week old puppy is a baby and that its owner has the ability and responsibility to influence behavior.


I think, except for maybe a rare exception, that hiker is right about golden babies this young. The Golden Retriever News that just came out has a wise and insightful article about the teamwork it takes to bring home a plump, friendly golden puppy named Karma from a family in NYC back to the breeder in California( via a very good dog person who does the extraction of the pup). The NYC family lobbied for the pup, but then commenced complaining about her "viciousness and aggression" immediately. Of course, when the writer and her friend go to pick up this terrible cujo pup, they find a sweet normal flufflball of the best breeding and temperament. The New Yorkers simply expected a puppy to be like a stuffed animal. . . I'm not saying that is the case in this thread or with other breeds etc, but i believe it is usually the case with complaints that 7- 10 week old goldens are VICIOUS that the pup is normal and the folks have unrealistic expectations/ inaccurate interpretations. I also agree with Hiker that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy all too fast.


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## LizShort (May 19, 2009)

I am going to put my 2 kibble in here. Jake WAS aggressive. He was almost vicious when I brought him home. He attacked me three times and growled, not in a playful way, many many more times. I was told that there was no such thing as an aggressive puppy as well. WRONG!!! Having had goldens for many years, it was a definite puzzlement to me. 

DO NOT let her behavior now, impede how you feel about her. Hard, I know... Getting her back to the breeder... *GREAT idea*. NILF (Nothing In Life is Free) *GREAT idea*. Watch Ceasar Milan. Your pup is a dog first and comes hardwired with specific ingrained wolf/dog like manners. This does not change. Pack leader.... you are the pack leader. You must show your baby where she belongs. 

Putting her on her side, is the best way to lay her down. Of course you don't want to do this a lot and you don't want to do this at the slightest provocation. When you put her down, it doesn't have to be rough. It does need to be firm. When she is down, wait for her to look away from you, extend her neck and sigh. At that point, get up and walk away. DO NOT PRAISE HER!!! Wait for her to go someplace settled. THEN heap on the praise.

Be aloof. Do not go and immediately reach to cuddle and rub up on her when you get home. Wait for her to get calm and not beg for your attention. At that point, feel free to pet her and praise her. You are the one who decides when and where. 

Be as calm as possible around her. She will feed on uncertainty. Think about something you know you are good at when you are around her. You can do this kind of attitude. She will respond.

I agree... hitting is not necessary. Have I done so? Yes. At some point, most of us do. It isn't necessary, and yet if it is the only way to get the attention... I have only popped Jake twice. Once when he was trying to kill the cat (yes, he was litterally trying to kill her) and once when drew blood intentionally. 

Jake is now 3 months old. He still chases the cats, but they have clawed the crap out of his nose and he no longer gets that close to them. They love him and torment the crap out of him now. It's very funny to watch. He still mouths me, but he doesn't bite. 

I have also been training him. He sits, downs, touches, waits (the best one for feeding time and what really got him to realize I was in charge), stays for 20 seconds, recalls with perfect precision from a stay. 

He is the love of my life. It took some work, but we got through it. He's on my bed right now looking at me waiting for me to get off the computer and take a shower. He knows the shower is next and he loves to climb in with me... he's such a goof.


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## Hiker (Mar 29, 2009)

FlyingQuizini said:


> I'm not sure what you mean: "If you treat a puppy like an aggressive puppy, you will get an aggressive puppy." Will you please explain so I can better understand?
> 
> I believe that reacting to a nine week old as though it is aggressive can cause it to become aggressive. Why not focus on the positive and fun aspects of owning a puppy. You can correct negative behaviors without allowing those behaviors to become the pup's identity. If you expect poor behavior, you'll probably get poor behavior.
> 
> This my opinion. I don't expect everyone to agree.


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

I have to say that if the poster is holding back from hitting, it shows a lack of understanding on how to live with a dog. 

I recommend the human attend/audit obedience classes to get a foundation on positive reinforcement and what is expected behavior from young dogs. I understand the puppy is too young to attend.

I, too, have a hard time thinking this puppy is agressive. The pup was in a situation that had no boundaries: able to run free without recall training. Then the harshest treatment of all (in the puppy's mind) was inflicted: being caught and held. The owner allowed this to escalate THREE times so the puppy thought it was winning. Naturally it struggled the only way it knew how to get free and resume having fun.

I don't see this as 'inborn' aggression. This is a puppy trying to have it's way. They ALL DO IT at some point. There are very few puppies born with absolutely NO OPINION on what they want.

This situation should never have come up. The puppy should have been on leash. Period. People need to set up their pups for success. This situation was doomed to failure from the start and then got reinforced 2 more times. Never reward the behavior you DON'T want, in this case giving the puppy freedom again.

I'm not trashing the owner. She can't know what she doesn't know. But she needs to learn so she can be fair to the puppy as it matures and put her pup in situations that will lead to successes.

I have to say, Liz, that our Penny was the pup from h*ll. Well documented in threads on this board. I NEVER HIT HER nor DID I EVER WANT TO HIT HER. I realize you said "most" of us do at some point. I don't think you'll find ANY on this board. I wouldn't reassure any puppy owner that the feeling is natural in any way. All it indicates is frustration brought on by lack of knowledge and skills.


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## niall (Jul 27, 2009)

hi everyone,thanks for all the feedback.we are learning as we go so we dont always know whats right or wrong in puppy behaviour. Bella has been improving in leaps and bounds since then.i think we were letting her away with too much and she started to test us but is learning her place these days.
her vaccination period is almost complete so she will be better socialised soon which im sure will help even more.
thanks again.


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## snappyweather (Mar 4, 2007)

Based on your experience you've set it up so she thinks she is the boss. You first of all, chased her instead of calling her back to you, and or walking away from her. She was the leader you were the follower. The issues at home are probably as well because she thinks she's the boss.

If you lead the dog will follow. If you don't lead, the dog will.




niall said:


> hi all,
> 
> im reading as much as i can about agression in puppies because we are raising a puppy for the first time and im not sure whether Bella is aggressive or just testing us.
> 
> ...


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