# 10 week old 'aggression'?



## guitarbloke (Jul 18, 2016)

Hi guys, 

Hope you don't mind but I'm copying this from my post on the puppy forum to see if you might have any training ideas. We're new puppy owners and are struggling a little with our new pup.
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Hollie's mouthing has been getting progressively worse over the past 2 weeks. 

She goes through moments where she's lovely and happy to be with us for a cuddle or play, but she very quickly turns to mouthing which gets harder and harder. She starts growling and sometimes snarling if we pull away. 

She'll also grab sleeves, jeans, any clothing and won't let go, growling and snarling at us. 

It's frightening Mrs Guitarbloke, and I must admit it makes me uncomfortable at times (though I try not to show it). We are covered in cuts and scratches at the moment. 

It might be partly because she hasn't been able to leave the house/garden for 3 weeks, other than a couple of puppy parties for an hour or so each. Her 2nd vaccinations were this week, so we'll be out walking next week. Maybe she's going stir crazy..? 

We've been to see 3 different trainers who have told us to stop play when she gets like this and ignore her for 30 seconds or so - impossible when she's latched onto a hand/foot! But Hollie doesn't seem to care if we stop play temporarily anyway, she continues the biting when we go back to her, no matter how many times we stop proceedings. We also constantly try to redirect her with chew toys to no avail.

I've also tried holding her muzzle as per someone's suggestion on the puppy forum - no effect, a gentle finger down her throat (I don't like this approach but it was suggested by a trainer) - no effect. Yelping and turning our backs - no effect. 

The growling and snarling is getting more frequent now. Today whilst I was at work she cornered Mrs Gb, snarling and trying to bite. Mrs Gb was terrified and had to throw a nearby towel over Hollie in order to escape to the kitchen and close the stairgate (which separates the living room from the kitchen). Hollie walked over to the stairgate, looked up at Mrs Gb who was in tears and immediately pooped on the floor. 

I've no idea what's going on, we've done nothing but try and keep Hollie amused, with games, toys (including tug toys to give her a tugging 'fix'), love and affection but she's getting more and more 'aggressive' towards us each day.

I know she's just a baby, but I'm struggling with the fact that the above behaviour is getting worse almost daily.

Does this definitely seem normal?


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## Kaja (Oct 1, 2016)

She is not just a baby! *sigh*

She is a puppy, a young dog. Her mom wouldn't let her do that twice. 

I know this sounds a bit smarty pants like but I tend to read and look at what (dog) moms do. We a humans tend too often to just say "Oh the pup is just a baby" etcpp but that's not the whole story (in my eyes). 

Too much cuddeling, too much here and there and not enough serious training right from the start can turn into big issues later on.

Even though Hollie needs attention (play time etc) she also needs quite time. Even though she needs love she also needs a "strong" hand.

When she was with her mom and sibling she had to get along and her mom told her when it's enough. Maybe you feel like a bad puppy parent because you think she is a baby which she isn't. She is a (dog) puppy.

Don't feel sorry for her but train her what's not acceptable. As long as she bites you oh well, but if she bites someone else because of you not stopping her that's even worse. No biting!


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## watsonmom (Sep 25, 2016)

Watson used to attack our pants and bite our hands and I used the methods from this video consistently and now he never does it with me or my family. One of my friends allowed him to mouth her hands and he still does and he's 64 pounds! They learn who sets limits and who doesn't. I also was told to leash him to keep him from attacking and jumping on me while I got his food ready in the morning. I tied his leash to the sofa leg for a few weeks when I'd get his food and he learned. I hope this helps! Hang in there. It got easier for me.


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## Kaja (Oct 1, 2016)

...

I never heard a person say that a pups mom abuses her puppies when she interrupts their bad behaviour. Never happened as far as I know. Everyone would say that is normal dog behaviour.

Humans sometimes talk too much instead of interrupting. And no I'm not talking about beating a little pup (mom doesn't do that!). 

There are really good dog trainers out there! Some of them did more than just going to a trainer training class. I would always chose a trainer who did a bit more than just attended class. But that's just me.

Good luck to Hollie and you!!


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## solinvictus (Oct 23, 2008)

No one on the other thread that said that Hollie is just a baby said not to train her. It was said that because she is a baby she doesn't know any better and she needs to be trained. No one said to accept inappropriate behaviors.


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## Kaja (Oct 1, 2016)

At the end of the first post in this thread it says "I know she's just a baby, but I'm struggling with the fact that the above behaviour is getting worse almost daily."

I didn't say that you guys see things differently! But I know some people do.


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## Aislinn (Nov 13, 2010)

This is puppy behavior and she's acting like a puppy does. Some do it more than others. If you're wife is afraid of her then I worry a little. If she's getting her second set of shots I'm guessing she's about nine or ten weeks old? Are you crate training her? Have your wife keep some toys in her pocket, in an apron, whatever works and when the puppy starts mouthing her your wife redirects her to a toy.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

My arms and my moms arms were covered in scratches from Chloe at this age. Finally at four months it started to subside. One of the worst things was we would leave the door open when warm weather hit so she could go in and out. She would run in and directly jump up on me and just go to town. We got to a point we out a baby gate up so she want allowed into the family room unless she sat and we would open the gate and tell her to stay. Then she could come in.

It does get better. But it isn't any fun if your wife is afraid. Your wife and the pup should probably work on some bonding games. Does your wife do any training with the puppy? It's also important to keep some notes and see if there is a common thing that happens before the biting starts. Is there a trigger. If you can figure that out it is half the battle. A good trainer so you can realize this is normal puppy behavior. But it shouldn't be ignored and you need to figure out ways to channel your puppies biting until she is out of this phase.


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## Kaja (Oct 1, 2016)

_But it isn't any fun if your wife is afraid. Your wife and the pup should probably work on some bonding games. Does your wife do any training with the puppy?

_If your wife starts to be afraid Hollie will know and not accept her as her leader. She really needs to step up and do training. The sooner she gets back her confidence the better it is for herself and Hollie.

Look for the training method that really makes the most sense to you and stick with it. Don't do this three days and that four days and something else another three days. I would not give Hollie a toy the moment she wants to bite. It might redirect her but doesn't tell her it's not okay to bite._
_
I like umbilical training because it makes sense to me - and I do understand (and am totally fine) if others say "No not for me!" 
We're all different and have different ways_




_


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

I would venture to say that Hollie needs some 'brain games', she needs something to do that tires her out mentally. Simple games such as hiding a treat under a towel, or inside a small box, let her 'find it' and figure out how to get it out or tossing a few treats in the grass, letting her use her nose to search them out or rolling around one of those 'treat balls' using both physical and mental energy. Perhaps an introduction to novel items, things she can climb over, crawl under, jump/step/walk through like a hula hoop or even a short tunnel, different sizes of cardboard boxes, things she can do 'by herself'. 
She is not too young to _begin _to learn basic skills, 'watch' (make eye contact with you), to sit, then down, even 'tricks' such as shake a paw, touch - her nose to the palm of your hand, to go an lay on bed/mat, take it/leave it/ drop it. Though you have keep your expectations realistic, the goal is to provide her opportunity for 'mental exercise', she may not even be 'good' at any of the skills, or games, right away, but that is okay, she will learn to think and use her brain.


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## Piper_the_goldenpuppy (Aug 26, 2016)

I already posted on your last thread, but just want to remind you that you've only had Hollie for a couple of weeks. She doesn't know proper behavior yet. Expecting her to have perfect behavior is like expecting a 2-3 year old child to be able to read. But she won't hurt either of you. Scratches and bruises are normal. If she really wanted to bite, one of you would be in the ER. Goldens aren't easy puppies. This isn't aggression though. Having the attitude that you have an aggressive dog might set you up for failure and possibly taint your interactions with her. Find a trainer you connect with and stick with them, and have them come to your house every week for a couple of weeks. This will help you get over your fears, and work on consistent training methods. 

I think redirecting with a toy is perfectly appropriate. Goldens are mouthy and like to chew. Teaching a dog what is appropriate to chew and what isn't is very important, especially from a young age. It also helps with bite inhibition. I usually let my puppies mouth on me a little bit for the first couple of weeks, and stop them if the mouthing gets too hard--with a firm OUCH, and then "NO BITE," and stop playing with them. They learn that when they get too excited or bite too hard...thats the problem. Dogs do this among each other too. Then after a few weeks I phase out the mouthing. Time out if they are getting too riled up. 

Other people on this forum who have especially bitey dogs have trained them to always get a toy before they can be pet. That is another thing you can do. Piper was a bit of a cat, and used to attack me during belly rubs, so I stuffed something in her mouth to chew on if she was wanting to attack me. 

Teaching them what they can chew is really important, because its completely natural for a golden to want to chew--and puppies need to. Piper now leaves shoes and pretty much everything in my house alone, although she still is interested in socks and dryer sheets  

She's not too young to start to learn "leave it" and also "drop it." Leave it is very easy to train, and once she knows it, you can apply it to things she shouldn't be doing. 

With consistency, firmness, love, and time, it will get better. I promise.


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## LittleRedDawg (Oct 5, 2011)

Scratches and bruises and blood are NOT normal. GB has already heard my thoughts on the matter but for the benefit of this thread... puppy owners do. not. have. to. live. like. that. There are a lot of people on this forum with a warped perspective on the matter. Many pups will eventually grow out of it, but the rest become dangerous as they get older and will get rehomed or euthanized because of their behavior.

I have a 10 week old and no bites, scratches, blood, bruises, etc. I raised a pup last year, same story.

Decide it's going to happen and do it. I don't mind gentle nibbling on my hands, but biting is not allowed. Ever.


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## Aislinn (Nov 13, 2010)

Do a google search on - redirecting to teach a puppy not to bite - and you will find pages of information on redirecting and how to teach your puppy not to bite you. He's not being aggressive, he's trying to play. Right now he only knows how to play as he would with another puppy or a dog. Watch two puppies play. They bite and jump on each other. He needs to learn the rules for how to play with a person and that means not biting on and jumping on them. It's a process and it takes time and patience. You will find over time it will get less and less as he learns your expectations and rules. Puppies are cute and adorable and sometimes hard to live with until they learn how we want them to behave. I'd also invest in a crate.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

LittleRedDawg said:


> Scratches and bruises and blood are NOT normal. GB has already heard my thoughts on the matter but for the benefit of this thread... puppy owners do. not. have. to. live. like. that. There are a lot of people on this forum with a warped perspective on the matter. Many pups will eventually grow out of it, but the rest become dangerous as they get older and will get rehomed or euthanized because of their behavior.
> 
> I have a 10 week old and no bites, scratches, blood, bruises, etc. I raised a pup last year, same story.
> 
> Decide it's going to happen and do it. I don't mind gentle nibbling on my hands, but biting is not allowed. Ever.



Yes it is normal. You may have had the perfect puppies and your very lucky. It's not like we just let her do what she wanted.


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## LittleRedDawg (Oct 5, 2011)

No perfect puppies at my house, and I've had lots of pups. I just taught them to keep their teeth off.

The one I raised last year I affectionately called the Puppy Monster. The pro I sent her to for field trial work called her Tara the Terrorist - not affectionately. I guarantee she was not a perfect puppy. She's a high drive b* who still occasionally throws some wicked temper tantrums at 14 months and is occasionally too much dog for me - and you can see from my sig line I have some upper level competition dogs. She was more dog as a pup than most of you will ever see (which is a good thing). I did get occasionally scratches from nails and teeth, but they were very few and far between.

Decide what you're going to allow and set your standard. It is perfectly doable.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Well we taught ours to not bite also. But they are babies and it takes awhile for them to learn that. It's not like everyone is just letting their puppies bite and not do anything. We were constantly giving ours toys in their mouth, giving them a short timeout and all the things your supposed to do. It just takes time to learn the correct behavior.


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## Parker16 (May 30, 2016)

I agree with Cpc. It took time but we did the redirection, 30 sec time outs (in the bathroom NOT in the crate and this was the most effective as well), stuffing toys in his mouth, giving chew toys during teething etc. It worked because by the 4 month mark he stopped going for us and even during those times when he had the urge to chew or nibble he would re-direct himself to a toy! I found that quite amazing actually  It's just consistent training on our part to get to that point. 



Cpc1972 said:


> Well we taught ours to not bite also. But they are babies and it takes awhile for them to learn that. It's not like everyone is just letting their puppies bite and not do anything. We were constantly giving ours toys in their mouth, giving them a short timeout and all the things your supposed to do. It just takes time to learn the correct behavior.


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## Aislinn (Nov 13, 2010)

Sadly, scratches and bruises can be normal for people who do not have experience in raising puppies. I've had Dobermans and German Shepherds, have a 13 week old working line GSD puppy right now. If you think a Golden can be difficult in mouthing, try a working breed who are not bred to have a 'soft' mouth. 


Those of us who were active in raising puppies and dogs growing up or who have had adult experiences learned how and what to do. But not everyone has that background. How many times do we see 'first time dog owner' here? Many grew up with their mother did all the training and they were in school. They remember the adult dog but not all the work Mom did to train the puppy while they were not at home. 


Give someone like this a mini land shark and they can be overwhelmed and have bruises and scratches and be at a loss of how to stop the behavior. People look at a litter of puppies and tend to pick one of two kinds, the scared little one in the back or the one who is out front and the 'happiest', not understanding the first time dog owner really needs the dog in the middle of these two types, not the shyest or the most outgoing.


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## Piper_the_goldenpuppy (Aug 26, 2016)

I think I agree with both camps (scratches OK and scratches not), and I think that people here aren't necessarily coming from that different of a stance. 

I just mean that its not "aggression," that puppies want to play with their mouths, and that its not a cause for concern that a puppy is going to have a temperament problem necessarily. A scratch from a puppy biting too hard is not the same a deep puncture wound from an intended bite. I think if left to their own devices, puppies will play this way. Especially a Golden on the confident, high energy, driven, possibly not getting enough exercise part of the spectrum. 

New owners don't always know how to effectively redirect and set boundaries with puppies, and so there might be some scratches while they are figuring that out. We don't have the luxury of a thick fur coat shielding us from bites, like dogs do. It doesn't go away if someone is afraid of their dog and isn't addressing the issues when they happen and that can reinforce the behavior. It doesn't have to be acceptable in a household, but it will happen -- especially if owners aren't constantly vigilant about watching their puppy, supervising play and redirection and structuring training. 

I'm a firm believer personally that any time my puppy is out of the crate (at least when she was young), I'm watching her with 100% of my attention, and engaging with her also. "Leave it" is also the first thing I teach after sit/down. They can't sneak up on you if you are watching them like a hawk, and shouldn't be given the opportunity to fail if possible. My first goldens were adult recuses, but my first puppy was very fieldy and mental at times, and Piper was easier. I didn't have any scratches from her (or maybe just one), but I did have some from my last puppy, Mae, who was much more energetic and confident with a propensity to create her own games if bored. I learned a lot from Mae about how to set boundaries, so I think it was more from my learning from previous experiences than just having a dog who isn't primarily from field lines. 

My perspective is that if you are new and feeling overwhelmed or even afraid, something about training is not going well, and the import of direct, supervised help from a trainer can not be understated.


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## Kaja (Oct 1, 2016)

_I'm a firm believer personally that any time my puppy is out of the crate (at least when she was young), I'm watching her with 100% of my attention,_

I'm not sure if I get this the way you mean it.

Does that mean your puppy spend quite some time in a crate and when he was out you supervised him with 100% attention?
Does that mean that if you couldn't pay 100% attention the pup had to go back into the crate?

I would find that very sad. But still interesting.


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

LittleRedDawg said:


> Scratches and bruises and blood are NOT normal.(...) puppy owners do. not. have. to. live. like. that.


I agree 100% with this, but I also understand that first-time puppy owners might feel a bit out of their depth. Goldens as a breed have a reputation as being "perfect" family dogs, and not everyone is prepared for the mouthiness of a retriever, or for the amount of human input a puppy actually needs to grow into that "perfect" dog.

Having raised several puppies of different breeds, with the last three (two goldens and a poodle) being from very high-drive, energetic working lines, I agree with LittleRedDawg that it can be done without the bruises and scratches, but it involves a lot of time, training and structure that many families may not be able, or in a position, to provide. The approach that has worked best for us is to start training basic commands as soon as the pup comes home, so that you establish a "diversion" behaviour. Eight-week old pups are like sponges: they learn very quickly. Also, training establishes the human's authority and sets up the relationship on the right foot. Playing and cuddling are fine, but they're no substitute for training.

Some breeders let families choose their own pups, and I think this, too, can lead to problems, in that some people may end up with a dog that's just too much for them. People are drawn naturally to the confident dog that marches up to them and engages them, when in fact a more laid-back, pliable personality might be a better "fit". The breeder has lived with the pups for 7 or 8 weeks, full-time, and knows them better than anyone. My pups have always been chosen for me by the breeder, and I like it that way.

Regarding the problem raised in this thread, I already responded to the OP on his other thread; I've pasted my response below:

_Train her to do stuff. Train her to sit, lie down, stand, spin, take a bow, etc. Whenever she starts biting, start a training session - this will redirect her energy into something positive. Use a treat-based training method. To train a sit: lure her into a sitting position using a treat, then reward. Do this about 10 times. Then put a verbal command ("sit") on it. Repeat many times, combining the lure and the command, and reward each time. Then stop luring, and just give the verbal command. Repeat for all the other commands.

There's no need to be afraid of her. She's a tiny puppy - most of us have probably owned cats who are bigger than her. If she gets out of control, pick her up calmly and put her in her crate. If you don't have a crate, get one. Leave her there until she calms down.

My pup was an absolute crocodile when he came home. The thing that worked best for us was the training: it redirected his energy and tired him out mentally. We would do many short training sessions per day - just a few minutes at a time, maybe 10 times a day. By the time he was 12 weeks old, he was responding reliably to verbal commands, and if he started biting us, we simply had to say "sit", and he would stop biting and sit down. Every time he started biting, we went straight into a training session. Eventually we could tell when he was starting to get "over the top", and could initiate training before the biting started.

It sounds like you have an energetic, confident pup. She'll need consistency and exercise, both physical and mental, especially in the early months.

She's cornering you and growling because you're not doing anything to stop her. Pups are brats - they're like small children. Give them an inch and they'll take a mile. You're the adults here: you get to decide what is and is not acceptable, not her. If you don't want her to grab your clothing, pick her up and put her in her crate every time she does it. If you don't want her to back you into corners and snarl, don't let her: pick her up and put her in the crate. If you don't want to pick her up, keep a leash or cord attached to her collar all the time in the house, and use that to control her. There's no reason to be afraid of her. She's a baby.

Once you have a consistent structure in place, she'll soon learn that biting and snarling mean loss of freedom. The worst thing you can do here is let her dictate what she wants to do. She had to learn to march to your tune, not vice-versa.

As for the peeing and pooping in the house, again, she's a baby. She has no control over her muscles yet. She'll become clean in the house at around 6 months of age.

Good luck!_


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Kaja said:


> _I'm a firm believer personally that any time my puppy is out of the crate (at least when she was young), I'm watching her with 100% of my attention,_
> 
> I'm not sure if I get this the way you mean it.
> 
> ...


We didn't crate but if we couldn't supervise 100% ours was in the kitchen with the baby gate up. For instance we were painting when we brought her home so she had to stay in her area. It doesn't have to be a crate but you need s safe place for the puppy when your showering, doing housework, or you have to leave. Now whether that is a xpen, a small gated area, or a crate that is all personal preference.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Heck we weren't first time puppy owners and we still got scratched and bruised. Was it because we hadn't had a puppy in almost ten years? Maybe. If we went out to get another 8 week old puppy now would we have learned better ways to handle it since it's so soon after Chloe. Maybe?

Kaja I think you are going to find a golden puppy is a lot different then your past puppies. But it is good you are hear learning way in advance.


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## Kaja (Oct 1, 2016)

Agreed!

I used to make it safe for my kids when they were little, same for the pup. But never a crate.


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## Kaja (Oct 1, 2016)

_Kaja I think you are going to find a golden puppy is a lot different then your past puppies. But it is good you are hear learning way in advance._

Uhm what?
Do you know my past puppies? Do you think that shpherds are easy pups? I am open to everything that's being said on here but I don't think that I don't know nothing.
I chose the GR for a reason and yes I do my homework...especially since the pup is not coming home in two weeks but in 7 month.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Kaja said:


> _Kaja I think you are going to find a golden puppy is a lot different then your past puppies. But it is good you are hear learning way in advance._
> 
> Uhm what?
> Do you know my past puppies? Do you think that shpherds are easy pups? I am open to everything that's being said on here but I don't think that I don't know nothing.
> I chose the GR for a reason and yes I do my homework...especially since the pup is not coming home in two weeks but in 7 month.


No. Goldens are just different then shepards. That's what I mean.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

What I really meant was just keep a open mind about training. What worked for a Shepard may or may not work with a golden. You may find you will have to do things a little different because they are just different in their personalities.


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## Kaja (Oct 1, 2016)

Got your point. Thanks for clarifying!

I will stick to how I'll train my pup.

Yes you're right, GR and Shepherds are different. And I will not suppress (?) their GR or GS personalitties. They are suppose to shine! That's why I chose those breeds in the first place.
But they all have one thing in common and that is being a dog. Dogs have rules and GR rules are no different from GS rules, especially when they're young.

To me there is no reason to train them differently. But for sure they have different needs and it's on me to support thoses needs. 

It doesn't matter if a GR or a GS bites. Or think he's the king of the castle. At the end of the day both will have to learn who's boss. Lol


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

I think your misunderstanding. Of course it's not ok to bite. And yes they both need rules. And yes the same rules apply. But for instance Goldens are people pleasers. So the way you go about training those rules may be different then a different breed. Some Goldens can be sensitive. Some breeds need a firmer hand to understand the rules. The rules are the same but how you teach those rules with different breeds may be different. But as long as you know what the differences are your dog will shine. We didn't need to be firm with Jake to teach him but Chloe responds better with us being a little stronger with her. And just because a golden is mouthy doesn't mean the owner is letting them get away with it.


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## Kaja (Oct 1, 2016)

omg

I just realized I kinda hi-jacked this thread! I am sorry. Shouldn't have so I aplogize!

Cpc1972
So we're pretty much on the same page


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## Piper_the_goldenpuppy (Aug 26, 2016)

Kaja said:


> _I'm a firm believer personally that any time my puppy is out of the crate (at least when she was young), I'm watching her with 100% of my attention,_
> 
> I'm not sure if I get this the way you mean it.
> 
> ...


No, my Piper didn't live in a crate as a puppy. But if she was out, she had my full attention, as much as I could provide. I have a small apartment and there's far too much for a puppy to get into. Piper _*really*_ struggled with potty training, so if she was out, she was in my immediate vicinity, and yes, I watched her like a hawk. If I lived in a larger place, I actually probably would have umbilical trained her, but she prefered to be right by me anyway. I wouldn't, for example, be working from home and not paying attention to her, and if I was doing something where I couldn't respond to her fast enough (i.e., doing the dishes), I'd give her a toy to keep her occupied, or stick her in her crate for a minute, or gate her off in her kitchen, which was like an x-pen for her. 

If she was in one of her moods and was wanting to attack my ankles when I had something I need to do, or I was worried she would run off and relieve herself, I absolutely put her in her crate or in the kitchen for the 15 minutes it took for me to do something that required my full attention. Usually, I timed things I needed to do when she was sleeping anyway, which as you know, puppies do a lot of. 

I also was off work for the first month she was home, and otherwise only work about 8 days a month, so I'm home all the time. She gets 2+ hours of exercise from me a day, and was for the most part, out of her crate unless it was night time. Now she's only in her crate if I'm gone, and hopefully in the next few months won't even need that. I think she's got a pretty good life.


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## TanyaB (Jan 22, 2016)

I haven't read all the posts so this has probably been discussed.

I had a lab pit mix rescue. She had been bought as a pet store lab, and taken to the humane society for biting. We adopted her and by golly, her biting was unbelievable. We almost returned her, but knew she would be put down if she was relinquished for biting a second time so we sought help. This is what we ended up doing with her:

I tied her leash to a table leg, in a room I knew she was completely safe. I would play with her until she bit me. At first I couldn't even touch her without her mouthing me. But the second she bit me, I would yelp like a puppy, and leave the room so she would learn that biting lost her the chance to play. She would howl and cry and moan. At this point you can not return, you are just rewarding the howling behavior. Over a few hours (we had to do it fast because I couldn't be near her without being bitten, and I was so close to giving her back) she would play longer and longer before biting. By the end of the night I could force my arm in her mouth and she would turn away. She never bit again. EVER - even when my toddler puller her tail a few years later (we trained the dog to accept having her body parts mauled but also trained the toddler to not grab the dog - but sometimes a tail grab would happen before we could stop it). 

Another thing we did was for the first month or so we would only feed her by hand. We trained her to value us. We were the only way she got food, and without us it wouldn't happen, so we made her work for every single scrap. It was hard on us, and I was sure it was making my puppy miserable, but you know what, it actually saved her life, and she had an amazing life, because she was such a pleasure to be around that we could take her anywhere.


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