# Behavioural issues in 5-month old puppy



## Duggie's Mom (Jan 30, 2017)

Hi Everyone,

I am the proud owner of a 5-month (well, 5.5 month) old retriever. He came home in April only months after I lost my heart dog at the tender age of 6 to hemangiosarcoma. 

Our pup is so much fun. He has tons of energy, is affectionate, and is extremely gentle with our 6-month old son (yep, I have 2 babies right now :grin2. He does have a couple of issues we have been trying to resolve since we brought him home. First off, I have a lot of patience and I have no intention of ever rehoming him. My husband, on the other hand, has far less and expresses concern over our pup's "aggression" regularly. I don't believe our pup is aggressive in the least bit but I am a little worried about some of his behaviours...I'm trying to figure out what I/we are doing that may encourage him. I just want him to feel happy and safe in our home.

The first issue is resource guarding. I understand this is normal for a lot of puppies. We've been consistently working on this since he was 10 weeks old. He gets possessive over bones mostly but there are some toys as well. If I try to pet his head while he plays with the toy for example, he will give me a warning by growling. In the past, if I kept petting him he would bare his teeth and bite. What we've been doing is giving him the toy/bone, allowing him to chew it for some time. We'll then do an exchange - toy for treat and then return the toy to him. Once we've done that and try to reach for the item later he's fine. But, it still comes up every time we have a high-value treat for him. Shouldn't it go away over time? 

He also resource guards over holes that he digs in the backyard. This part has me the most concerned. My husband, father-in-law, dad and sister have tried to get him to stop digging once he's in a hole. Now, I'm sure they all haven't used the same approach but I think they've just been doing a firm "NO". They have all tried to remove him from the hole as he'll continue digging. Unfortunately each time he has bitten them when they do this and is drawing blood. He hasn't done this with me...mind you, I don't force him from the hole he's dug up. I usually try to coax him with something more interesting. Any suggestions on ways to stop this? :frown2:

Finally, last night my husband and I were headed to bed. Our pup was laying on his bed on the main floor and my husband called him to let him outside but he just wanted to sleep. So, my husband walked over to him and tried to push him by the butt (not hard at all!) a little bit to get him moving. Well...that resulted in some growling and not the friendly kind. After our puppy went outside to pee he came back and lay down on his bed. I went over to him, pet him and told him to come upstairs to sleep and there were no issues. Any idea what may have sparked his reaction to my husband?? He's never done that before and didn't do it with me. 

Our pup has been more difficult than other golden puppies I've had or grown up with. He has been to puppy class but didn't do too well - the trainer admitted he's very difficult to train. He jumps up on people even though he knows not too and was extremely mouthy. He still can be and I know he's teething but he's gotten better as seems to understand "off". The jumping and the mouthing I can handle...I'm more worried about the biting and growling but I'm not going to give up on him!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!


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## usually lurking (Apr 21, 2017)

I'd recommend that you get professional help in your home, so that someone can see your puppy in action and offer you proper advice for reshaping his behaviors. In the meantime, stop giving your dog the things he's possessive over. If it's something he's going to growl over, like a bone, take it away for good. Don't give him the opportunity to engage in an unwanted behavior. The other thing you can do is make sure that your puppy has to earn every single thing you give him. Make him sit or down for food, toys, etc. You control resources, not him. For the digging, get a long leash and only take your puppy out on the leash. If he's going to dig holes and be possessive, don't allow him an opportunity to dig.

Those are temporary fixes. You need a trainer/behaviorist in your home - not in a class - to see exactly what is triggering his behaviors and to help you learn how to manage him. I'm sure if you posted your location, someone could make a recommendation.


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

You are very right to be concerned about your dog's behavior. You don't say what kind of management system you have in place with your son and your puppy but I can't stress strongly enough that when your child becomes mobile you absolutely must have your puppy either crated or gated. All it would take is a second for your dog to find some 'prize' of any kind that you didn't know was on the ground and your child approach him. It wouldn't matter if you were in the same room, you wouldn't be able to move quickly enough. If your puppy has bitten to the point of drawing blood on a person you are in serious trouble.

Please have help from a professional ASAP. Here is a link to find someone who is certified and highly trained. There aren't a lot, this is where I would say driving several hours to find someone would be worth it. Member Directory « ACVB A standard dog trainer is most likely not going to be equipped to deal with such a serious problem. Make no mistake, a dog that is showing this kind of behavior over holes he's dug is a serious problem.

Please follow the advice of Usually Lurking. Do not give your dog access to ANYTHING that he is at risk to guard. Bones, toys etc. I would take up his bed and I would put up anything he guards. If he were my dog he would not be going unattended into the back yard any more to prevent him from digging. Take him out on leash or long line for this.

Until you can get professional help, have your puppy drag a 3 foot leash in the house at all times. For situations like what happened last night with your husband, use the leash to make the puppy obey commands, do not touch lay hands on him or his collar. The last thing you need is another bite. Have him drag a long line outside as well so if he starts misbehaving and doesn't come when called you can control him. Always have treats in your pocket or on the kitchen counter to reward good behavior.

Research the protocol "Nothing In Life is Free" and start implementing this in your home. Your dog gets no privileges without earning them first. From food to petting to playing to going outside. 

If you took your puppy to one obedience class and stopped going, it's time to get back into class if you have any hope of keeping this dog. What kind of place were you going to that the trainer told you that your dog was difficult to train? I suggest you do a search in your area for an obedience club or a dog training club where the people are serious hobby trainer who are experienced with large breed sporting dogs. Your puppy needs to have a strong obedience foundation if you are going to work through this. Practicing on leash, multiple times a day is critical. He needs to be very clear about who is in charge at your house. This doesn't mean bullying him, it means he's on a leash and the person is calling the shots.

Your son is going to be very mobile soon and eventually will want to have friends over to play. You have a dog who you will not be able to trust AT ALL around children. How is your management style going of this puppy going to keep him or your guests safe in your home? I have been down this road and you need to respect your husband's view point that the dog is a potential danger. I wish you nothing but the best with this, it's every bit as serious as you are afraid of.


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

I forgot to ask, did your puppy come from a reputable breeder? If so, have you let the breeder know what is going on? He/she should know that this puppy has not been a good fit for a home with a small child and may have some helpful suggestions on management. If things don't go well with training, hopefully the breeder would be a safety net for the puppy and be able to take him back. It may be something to consider now in the hopes that an experienced trainer working with the puppy full time, someone who will be no nonsense, may be able to help this puppy become a good pet for a home without children or with a home that has a more firm structure in management.


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

I second what Usually Lurking and Nolefan have said: you should find a good trainer, someone specialized in aggression issues and up-to-date with modern training methods, to work with you in your home. If you would tell us roughly where you're located (city/state), you may get some recommendations.

Resource guarding that involves biting and drawing blood is NOT normal and it won't go away: if you keep doing what you're doing, it will get worse and the dog will end up really hurting someone. The way you've been approaching it - giving him stuff he will guard, petting his head until he growls, etc. - has actually been reinforcing the behaviour. As the other posters have said, just stop giving him stuff he will guard. No more bones, ever. If he has toys that he guards, get rid of them: put them in the garbage. If he starts guarding other stuff, get rid of that too. For the holes in the ground: don't let him dig them. Take him outside on leash, and if he starts digging, move him to a different place. He shouldn't be loose and in a position to dig a hole, ever, until you've addressed the problem with a good trainer. Otherwise, he's going to hurt someone. 

Nolefan's advice to have him wear and drag a short leash in the house is spot on. Use the leash to control him if he seems to be getting himself into a situation where he might guard. It will avoid further bites. Please also take her advice regarding the "nothing in life is free" system, and the use of treats. Your dog should be working for absolutely everything: for food, for freedom, for affection. He should be sitting or obeying a series of commands (sit-down-spin, etc.) before he gets fed. If he comes to you for affection, make him lie down, or sit, first. Right now, your dog is in charge. You need to change this, so that the humans are in charge. 

If your dog doesn't know his basic commands yet, get yourself into a good basic obedience training class. I hate that you were told your dog was "hard to train". It reflects very badly on the trainer, who should have been able to give you tools to train him. Dogs don't all learn in the same way. If you'd seen my first golden in puppy class, you'd have wondered - as I did - if it was even possible to do anything with a dog like that. She was a wild beast, ignoring every command, howling to get her freedom, challenging everything I wanted her to do, knocking furniture over and so on. She had to be corralled into a corner more than once, so I could catch her. But the trainer gave me the tools I needed to deal with her behaviour and create a learning system with her. We won her first (of three) provincial agility championships when she was three years old. She ended up winning the Canadian national agility championship when she was 7, and at the time of her death was one of the most successful golden retrievers ever in the history of Canadian agility. "Difficult to train" is a cop-out on the part of your trainer.

I'd also suggest using a crate or x-pen if you're not already doing so. You need a place to put the dog so that everyone, him included, will be safe when you have guests, especially young children.

You may feel the reactions here have been a bit over the top, but they're not. A dog that thinks it's ok to bite and draw blood is a problem in any household, and even more so when there's a young child. It can be dealt with, but you're going to need help, and it's going to require some hard work and consistency on your part. I wish you the best of luck with this, and I hope things work out for you and your pup.


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## Duggie's Mom (Jan 30, 2017)

Thank you all for your replies. I really appreciate each of your suggestions and intend to follow them. I've already contacted a behaviorist in our area that friends of ours have used in the past...our first meeting is 1.5 hours this Sunday. The behaviorist spent a good deal of time with me on the phone as well. I'm willing to do whatever it takes because my families safety is paramount - particularly the safety of my son...but also because as I said I have zero intentions of rehoming my puppy, he is part of our family. 

I spoke with my husband and perhaps misunderstood the biting while digging (not trying to minimize the situation) but apparently he has snapped rather than bite and draw blood. So my mistake there. Either way, I certainly understand that the resource guarding needs to be addressed. 

I will admit it was hard to read the posts but not because I don't agree...it's just obviously a scary thing. Plus, I am so attached to my puppy already. He is so sweet and cuddly 99% of the time but again I get that 1% of the time could potentially have serious consequences if not dealt with. 

We did get him from a reputable breeder (we did a ton of research before getting our pup after our Duggie passed away at such a young age). I have spoken with her about some of his behavioral issues and she's been really helpful/available. There were 12 in the litter so part of me wonders if it is because he had to fight for toys/food within the litter but I'm just guessing. 

The behaviorist was encouraging and said that our pup is still young and trainable so I'm really hopeful things will work out. He said that it was encouraging that when we do an exchange for a high-value toy for a treat after a growl that he never resource guards that particular toy ever again. Trying to stay positive. 

Thank you again for taking the time to respond and provide suggestions, I really appreciate it.


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

I mean this in the most encouraging way... while every puppy is different and it's impossible to assess this situation via the internet and from only your perspective I think this issue can be turned around IMHO. 

Most, not all! But most resource guarding begins because of something you and your family are doing.. or not doing. From the puppies perspective he is doing his best to communicate and hasn't been heard. He has figured out a way to get your attention and have his way.

A well bred golden puppy doesn't usually start out being protective, it's a learned behavior. So... work with the trainer that can see both sides of the situation, follow the advice you have been given on the forum to keep everyone safe. 

You and your pup can learn to understand each other better and grow from all this. If it truly is a flaw in the personality/temperament then you guys can learn how to encourage new and better coping skills for your pup to ensure a happy life together.

Can't wait to get updates!


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## Duggie's Mom (Jan 30, 2017)

puddles everywhere said:


> I mean this in the most encouraging way... while every puppy is different and it's impossible to assess this situation via the internet and from only your perspective I think this issue can be turned around IMHO.
> 
> Most, not all! But most resource guarding begins because of something you and your family are doing.. or not doing. From the puppies perspective he is doing his best to communicate and hasn't been heard. He has figured out a way to get your attention and have his way.
> 
> ...


Thank you so much for your encouragement - I really needed that and appreciate it. 

I was really happy after meeting with our trainer yesterday morning. He spent a great deal of time watching Teddy and any interactions he had with us and our baby boy. He felt that our pup wasn't aggressive in any way and that getting rid of the resource guarding would just require extra training on our part. He gave us several training exercises to work on including "move" which basically teaches Teddy to move to another area if we ask him too (good for time with baby and useful to get him to stop with the digging). We are also going to work on "drop" more but using a variety of treats mixing it with higher value ones, but not revealing what that treat is until he drops it. The trainer also suggested more crate time - he doesn't think Teddy is getting enough nap time in and will also be a useful tool for calming him down since he's a fairly hyperactive little one. There are a lot more details in each of the exercises but would take a fair bit of typing out  

The trainer was very encouraged by the fact that Teddy only resource guarded brand new toys and once a treat exchange was made he would no longer resource guard that toy at any point. After working on "drop" with his regular toys he suggested adding several new toys over the next while. 

He was fairly confident that Teddy's issues, though needing to be dealt with, were minor in comparison to many puppies/dogs he's worked with. He was also shocked to see how incredibly gentle our puppy was with our son - again - I totally understand the need to be careful but I wanted the trainer to see that interaction.

Over the last few days though I feel like Teddy has turned a corner. He has started to bring his toys and bones to me to share/hold on to. My husband has also spent quite a bit more time with him this week and really upping the positive reinforcement. Teddy seems a great deal more affectionate and happier. Again, we'll definitely work hard on the training but I think we are headed in the right direction  

Will keep you updated. Thanks again to everyone for all their replies!


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

Thanks for updating us - so glad that you were able to find a trainer you have confidence in. I hope you will keep posting your experience here, it may really be a help to someone in the future with similar issues. Fingers crossed for forward progress


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## Duggie's Mom (Jan 30, 2017)

nolefan said:


> Thanks for updating us - so glad that you were able to find a trainer you have confidence in. I hope you will keep posting your experience here, it may really be a help to someone in the future with similar issues. Fingers crossed for forward progress


Thank you so much! I will definitely post on our progress. If all goes well I'll try to write more about the training suggestions in detail  

The trainer was amazing. I couldn't believe how well/quickly Teddy listened to him either. He's in Ontario, Canada so not sure he's useful to many folks on here or not but he's written many articles for magazines, journals on training and is head of a professional dog trainer association here. He's all about positive reinforcement as well which I love. I think I felt really good about his reaction to Teddy mainly because I know he often works with pretty difficult/more complex cases. 

He also didn't feel Teddy needed additional sessions with him but would be available for follow-up calls/emails for no additional cost. Most of the other behaviorists I talked too wanted payment upfront for 4 sessions at once!


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

Don't forget to enroll in a group obedience class (no petsmart/petco classes), you will be surprised at how much that helps as well. Thanks for the update and so happy to hear things are going well.


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