# Biting Leash and Growling



## Kevinmc23

I am having a dilemma with my 8 1/2 month old golden retriever. When on walks my dog will all of a sudden go into a fit of growling and biting her leash attempting to play tug of war. I have tried everything to get her to stop. Usually a spray bottle of water worked, but today when going in the park for a walk she went into a terrible fit of biting the leash. I tried everything including saying no, holding her mouth shut telling her no bite, spraying her, staying still and not moving, but nothing worked. Its very hard not to lose my patience with her because she is literally unwalkable when she starts biting the leash and growling. 

She jumps up at me but never tries to bite me fortunately, but the seemingly aggressive behavior of biting her leash and going crazy is really frustrating me. It seems to be trigger when she really wants to run free like in the snowy park today, where I will usually let her off leash, However, I didn't want to let her off leash when she started biting because I felt as if that would reward her behavior 

She did this a little as a younger puppy, but it seems like it has gotten worse recently within the last 2 months. I don't want to use anything mean like a shock collar, but I need some advice. It's hard to be calm with her despite all my efforts and I'm seeking some kind of fix to the situation.


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## rappwizard

Have you tried "left about turns?" This is where you turn left into your dog and change the lead behind your back so that your dog also goes behind you and remains on your left side.

My golden walks nicely on a loose lead but a few days ago when I was walking her, she was pulling me -- I think it was because it was the first day it was nice and brisk and she liked the cool weather. I remembered that one of my obedience instructors said the "left about turn" is a great way to get the dog to pay attention to you, and follow you, so I did that a few times with Mac. Problem solved. Here is a video that shows it: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIOJyK7ROIk

Another thing to try is just simple left turns and right turns. Mac also used to bite her leash when she was very young, and I put a thick film of bitter apple paste on the part of the leash. When she would start to act up, sometimes all I had to do would bring out the tube and wand it up and down the lead, and she would stop biting--I would get pretty theatrical with my demonstration. She did this as a young pup, but she's 20 months and doesn't do this anymore. Hope this helps somewhat.


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## Callee

I have the same issue,,if its dark I use a flashlight or laser pointer to make a dot on the ground so she gets after it instead. During the day nothing seems to work that well, sometimes I just stand still so she gets bored and wants to start walking again. Takes four or five times on somedays.She is seven months old.


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## Bogart

My first Golden did this and Bogart did it too as a young dog. You can try to hold the leash very short close to the collar so she doesn't have a chance to grab the leash oooorrr what really worked well was spraying the leash with Bitter apple. That only took a couple of tries and they stoped. Bogart as a young puppy also used to pull on ZsaZsa's leash and pulled her neck she went after him LOL and that stoped him from doing it to her LOL.
Just don't get mad and frustrated keep your cool at all times and that will bring her down to earth alot faster.
All the best,
Elke, ZsaZsa and Bogart


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## FlyingQuizini

Try spraying the leash with a taste deterrent like Bitter Apple or yellow listerine. Or, teach her to to carry a small toy, like a tennis ball. She can't mouth the leash if she's seriously thinking that her job is to carry the toy.


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## Finn's Fan

It's not aggression, it's pent-up energy. Have a toy or ball in your pocket, and use that to distract her before she's gotten into the "crazy and won't listen" phase. Either throw the ball to release some of her energy or let her carry it; praise her when she stops playing tug with the leash.


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## oktay

Puf does this when he gets excited. For example when he sees somebody and gets excited but we have to move on, he will start jumping up and down and grabbing the leash. This is play - a dominant way of it as far as I know - but it's not aggression. He also does the same when we are returning from a walk and about to enter the elevator. He does not want the fun to end. Understandable I say.


What works for me - since this usually happens inside the building - is to let him have the leash. I let go of the leash. As soon as I let go, it's not tug-of-war anymore and he loses interest immediately.


I think it would be worth a try outside as well. Just make sure you are grabbing him somewhere else (or are ready to grab him if he tries to run).


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## BaileyBo

I am SO glad you asked this question as my golden does this as well. She's two years old and did this a lot when she was younger. However, she's started doing it again recently. Bailey usually starts doing it when I pull her away from something she was really interested in, if the leash gets tangled up around her, or if the walk is ending and shes not ready to go home yet. I will try the tennis ball idea. I'm sure people driving by think she's crazy...she can be pretty embarrassing somtimes! :doh:


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## Cathy's Gunner

Bitter apple on Gunner's leash helped. I really sprayed it good before we walked and 90% of the time he would spit out the leash once in his mouth. I agree about putting something in their mouth too. Sometimes I'd look for a stick and he would carry it on our whole walk. Got lots of smiles from people walking or driving by us.... good luck!


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## inge

I just inserted a small piece of chain link between the collar and the leash. My pup is just short of three months old, but this is what the trainer advised. She doesn't like the chain and stops immediately.


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## BaileyBo

When getting ready to walk Bailey today, I remember what I did in the past that worked. Similar to what Inge mentioned. I bought a chain leash. I got it when she was about a year old and it stopped her immediately. She would jump up the first couple times I used it to try to grab the leash but once she got a hold of the chain she stopped. From there on out she was good. I used it probably for 6+ months and then tried going back to the regular leash. She has been fine until the last few weeks. I used it today and she was much better. Twice she did the jump thing to grab it but then got the chain and stopped. Our walk was so much more enjoyable that yesterdays! So you might give a chain leash a try.


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## Merlins mom

Oh gosh I remember many frustrated walks when merlin was doing the same thing at about the same age. What I did was to stop moving and turn my back on him, totally ignoring the behavior. Sometimes I had to keep turning so that my back would continually facing him. It took a few weeks for it to finally sink in that it was very boring and mom wasn't interested at all. It was hard not to be frustrated, but it did work. 

It'll get better! Just try not to get mad and frustrated and be the most boring person ever! I also think the chain leash is a good idea. I wish I'd have thought of that way back when!


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## marleysmummy

Marley does this too and he can get a little rough sometimes, when he does this outside I tell him to sit which he does, still holding the leash though, and then I just repeat ENOUGH in a loud voice, usually 3 times is enough and he calms and drops.

If we are in the building on our way home then I will ask him if he's ready to be a 'good boy' and 'do his jobs', which is when I fold the leash up and he carries it in his mouth in the elevator, he sits perfect with it, and feel quite proud to be doing 'his good boy jobs'!!!


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## MillieSadie

Great ideas, thanks. I am having similar issues with Pudding


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## iamswiss

I started to use a chain leash with Bailey. Check also my post called "Feeling like giving up" I was describing almost the same thing, only that my Bailey doesn't bite only the leash she also jumps up on me and tries to bite.


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## Ranger

My brother's pup was biting the leash when he was younger but it was in a very relaxed manner. No jumping up or craziness, just mouthing it while he walked. So we taught him the commands "leave it" and "drop it" in the house with things other than the leash. Once he had that figured out, we did used the commands on a walk. Everytime he mouthed at the leash on a walk, the person walking him stopped and he was told to "leave it" or "drop" then given a treat for obeying. Then the walk continued on. It only took him a short amount of time to figure out not to do it. We didn't want to reprimand him at that stage as he was still learning about walks and didn't know that biting the leash was unacceptable behaviour.

Ranger only tried biting his leash once and it was when we were running in a park between trees (I don't know what I was trying to do but it involved a lot of zigzagging) and he went nuts. Jumping up at me and biting the leash which he had never done before (or since). I immediately stopped running and gave him a tap under his jaw with a firm "no". He stopped dead, I resumed running and even though he was still excited, he was able to control his behaviour.


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## kaysy

OK, didn't read all of this but, if you haven't tried it, try a HALTI. Everyone in our class that tried it said it's like having a different dog. I'm trying to use a regular collar on Marty when I walk him around home (rural area), but with the snow melting and all the smells and "stuff" to eat, he was pulling and just being a pain. Put the Halti on him this morning and he's like he's in a heel. REALLY makes a difference. He did the leash biting (still does a little), put the Halti on and he calms down. As a matter of fact months ago when we were having other issues, our trainer recommended leaving it on him all day (as long as we're here), it just has that calming effect.


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## mleclair

Wow! This post is what I was looking for. Thanks for all the advices. My 4 month old golden does the same thing, but usually during our potty sessions since we are still working on housebreaking her. She'll bite the leash, growl, and jump up on me. Very frustrating.


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## rachelh2000

This is EXACTLY the same problem I'm going through with Trinity right now. She turned 1 today and her attacks on the leash have escalated to the point where I am extremely frustrated. I'm going to get a chain leash as soon as possible. Thanks for all the suggestions!


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## jackie_hubert

Cosmo is a notorious leash biter. Seems that anxiety - excitement, thrust, being tired, being uncomfortable, frustrated - beyond threshold causes this. Hence the many puppies and teenagers doing this. 

Please be very careful that you get chain that is strong enough to hold a full grown dog back but not big enough to get the canines caught in the chain. You can buy appropriate chain leashes at pet supply stores but it's cheaper to go to the hardware store. I went to home depot and Rona but neither had chain strong yet small enough to be safe.

And yes, harness is the best option for these dogs, the tugging on the collar seems to make frustrated dogs more frustrated.


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## jluke

*My 5 month old GR jumps, bites leash and plays tug of war, too*

To address this problem, last evening, the trainer at our "puppy kindergarten" suggested that I switch from a regular collar to a Gentle Harness (not sure that's the exact name, but it's made by the same company that produces Gentle Leaders) which fits around Maisie's shoulders and runs a single strap under her chest. The leash attaches in front in the center of her chest so it doesn't affect her posture. 

It worked like a charm when I started with it today. Somehow it changes the dynamics of loose leash walking. I'd previously soaked her leash in Bitter Apple which she actually seemd to like (!), so that didn't work. Today, she did still jump once or twice, but I followed the suggestion to step on her leash which prevented her from jumping. Maisie was baffled by this change and just gave up trying -- so we walked on.

The trainer uses strictly positive reinforcement methods, pricipally "clicker" training, so I felt comfortable with her approach. She mentioned that if I wanted to try soaking the leash again, that dilute cayenne pepper or Tabasco nearly always works.


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## Charlie1

Charlie does the same thing. He is 1.5 years old, and has done it from day one. I know the reasons behind it though. If the walk is not long enough, or if it is too fast. (meaning I am running behind in the a.m., and this walk cannot be our usual leisurely walk). When this happens, I stop and wait. I wait for the signs that he has calmed down. Then we resume our walk.


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## Leo's Family

Leo does this as well. One trainer said that he was just playing. But it isn't how he usually plays, even when playing tug of war, because he would have his snarl face on. Another trainer said it was because of anxiety. Something in the area was making him anxious and he was having a fit. Using a harness instead of a collar has been working since yet another trainer said that pulling on a dogs neck can make them anxious. Another thing we do is tie Leo's favorite stuffed toy to the end of the leash, close to his mouth. This way we don't have to keep picking it up when he drops it, also because a stuffed toy is easier to carry over a ball for a long walk. And by tying it to the end of the leash it acts like a gentle leader in a way, because if he pulls, the toy in his mouth tugs on his muzzle, so he always slows down as not to drop Reginald (his stuffed octopus). 

This behavior is VERY frustrating I know! Just try to stay calm and do whatever fits your little precious the best.

Good luck!


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## KYatsko

Our Golden (female, now 15 mos. old) has done this since about 6 months of age. She stopped for 2-3 months, but has recently started again. A trainer, 6 months ago, said to grab both sides of the collar, make her sit (with a stern command) and pull my wrists in under her jaw in between them, so she can't bite me - but her mouth is long enough that my wrists get bruised or nipped. The "sit" lasts a nanosecond, she instantly pops up and is biting at/grabbing the leash handle in my hand, trying to frantically play tug (but it's much more aggressive than her normal tug play) - really seems like she just wants to take the leash and run. Holding her down via the sides of the collar only makes her more aggressive - she escalates to snarling and short, loud barks of frustration. She has, in the past two weeks, recently started escalating and is no longer careful to not get my wrist/hand as she's going for the leash. If I make her sit, she rears up on her hind legs, snarling (sounds scary to others), or throws herself to the side or on her back and then tries to nip at my shoes/the leash/my jeans. This wrestling sometimes goes on 10 minutes. The trainer said to not continue the walk until she is collected enough to follow a couple of commands (down, sit, down, stand - reward). She'll do those, and then go back to it as soon as we start to walk. It makes my husband and I both dread walking her. Bitter Yuck and Bitter Apple were not deterrents when she was a puppy (I can try again). We are desperate. I feel like I can't hire a dog walker or board her with behavior like this. Any other ideas? Do I need a different trainer, or is it bad enough to get an animal behaviorist? Or do they eventually grow out of this? Thanks, in advance.


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## gdgli

Kevinmc23 said:


> I am having a dilemma with my 8 1/2 month old golden retriever. When on walks my dog will all of a sudden go into a fit of growling and biting her leash attempting to play tug of war. I have tried everything to get her to stop. Usually a spray bottle of water worked, but today when going in the park for a walk she went into a terrible fit of biting the leash. I tried everything including saying no, holding her mouth shut telling her no bite, spraying her, staying still and not moving, but nothing worked. Its very hard not to lose my patience with her because she is literally unwalkable when she starts biting the leash and growling.
> 
> She jumps up at me but never tries to bite me fortunately, but the seemingly aggressive behavior of biting her leash and going crazy is really frustrating me. It seems to be trigger when she really wants to run free like in the snowy park today, where I will usually let her off leash, However, I didn't want to let her off leash when she started biting because I felt as if that would reward her behavior
> 
> She did this a little as a younger puppy, but it seems like it has gotten worse recently within the last 2 months. I don't want to use anything mean like a shock collar, but I need some advice. It's hard to be calm with her despite all my efforts and I'm seeking some kind of fix to the situation.


I have a feeling that you may have inadvertently reinforced this behavior.
How did you leash condition this dog? Is it possible that your dog thinks this is play?


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## ceegee

gdgli said:


> I have a feeling that you may have inadvertently reinforced this behavior.
> How did you leash condition this dog? Is it possible that your dog thinks this is play?


I'm with gdgli here: this sounds like a human problem, not a dog problem.

Your dog is doing this because she can, or because she thinks it's a game, or because she thinks it will get her what she wants.

I have a friend who was training his young dog for agility. One of the first official trials he entered was at an indoor facility normally used for horses. Half way round one of his runs, the dog stopped following and ran off into a corner to sniff and explore. On leaving the ring, my friend was philosophical: Well, he said, I guess I know what I have to do now. I have to make myself more interesting than horse poop.

This, to me, kind of sums up the whole dog-human relationship thing. To get your dog to do the stuff you want, instead of the stuff she wants, you need to make yourself more interesting. When my dog was younger (he's 16 months now), I used to feed his evening meal to him during our walks. I would fill my pockets with kibble, then set off and use the kibble as treats as we walked. If he walked nicely without pulling, he got kibble. If he walked beside me and looked up at me, he got kibble. If he pulled or bit the leash, I immediately did a u-turn, kept walking and rewarded him with kibble as soon as he stopped biting or pulling. He's a golden retriever: he loves food. So food immediately made me more interesting than biting the leash. I also kept the walks upbeat: we walked quickly, I talked to him, we interspersed walking with short jogs, or short training sessions (sit, down, heel, look at me). 

Since you're at the stage where you have to decondition the bad behaviour instead of teach the right behaviour, you might want to start with very high-value treats: cheese, cooked chicken, bits of hot dogs, whatever works. Reward every time he walks beside you or looks up at you. Get his attention by talking, praising. Walk quickly. If he bites the leash, don't stop. Simply do a u-turn, keep moving and reward as soon as he catches up and looks at you. It's super important to be upbeat and happy. It might take a couple of sessions before he starts to understand, but such is the nature of deconditioning. A couple of months of this, and you should be good to go.

Spray bottles, holding her muzzle, yelling and being impatient will only make her dislike her leash even more, and are more likely to reinforce the bad behaviour than to stop it. She needs to associate the leash with positive things. It's your job to make walking into a positive, interesting, learning experience. Right now, she seems to perceive it as restrictive and not fun.

Best of luck, hope you find a solution.


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## puddles everywhere

Good advice from ceegee. Walks are boring, they should be used more for training & discipline than exercise. Discipline doesn't mean negotiating with your puppy. Squirting, holding their mouth or fussing at them is seen as participating in their game, what you want is to get control of the game. I used the kibble to reward activities on the walk... learning to spin, focus, sitting, going through my legs, teaching speak. Get creative and make it fun. If you still don't feel in control of the walk, go to the dollar store and get a chain leash (with leather handle). The biting will stop instantly without retaliation.

Getting my current pup to engage was so hard I actually encouraged the tug with the leash. We would stop for a game of tug then let her carry her end of the leash. My idea of a game of tug is she holds on and I bounce her up and down. Then I stop and we continue. She may start the game but I end it. To avoid lunging to get the leash I held it in both hands and gave her a command to take it... we would tug for a minute then move on, another two feet  We also took along an empty water bottle, then a tug toy as she really wanted something in her mouth. Can't bite the leash if you have something else in the mouth. This was our training, teaching her to engage with me but under my rules not hers.

It will get better with some work and maturity. Just remember that walks are not a good form of exercise.


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## Anele

If you do a search on my name, you will see this was an issue we dealt with, too. However, our dog did mouth us (with intensity!!!) and it was horribly frustrating. But we completely solved our problem, and he is now the absolute dog of my dreams.

I think the solution will depend on the root of the problem. For us-- it was arousal. Many people say that it is excess energy, but I say... it depends. _ Energy_ level vs. _arousal_ level can be very different! Our dog's arousal level would get higher when he was overtired, so he would actually become more problematic (like a cranky toddler). So the first step is, figure out the reason behind this.

Now, if it's overarousal like our dog, this is what we did.

First, we stopped walking him completely, or only short enough walks where he could be successful and not engage in this behavior. Not being able to walk your dog certainly won't last forever, but it's an important step in preventing your dog from practicing the behavior.

Next, I taught him to jump on me on command, and then reward him. This was a very useful tool when I'd see him start to get "the look" of arousal. I'd have him jump on me, and he'd be able to get his frustration out in a very controlled way. He would always settle down.

Finally, we started taking him to conformation class. This class has amazing benefits. He learned to walk on leash around other dogs, stand near dogs, and be approached by a stranger and be handled. The dogs are all generally very well-behaved so he was not encouraged to act out. While he was waiting for his turn, if my daughter (she handles him) saw him getting aroused, she'd have him jump on her-- and he would be able to calm himself.

Once we taught him to jump on us, he never bit the leash or us again. Ever. For awhile we had to use the preventive "jump on us" tool when he got the look, but even that isn't an issue anymore.

Came back to add... whatever training method you use, at least in my limited experience, I say it's always better to help the dog be more confident vs. less. My dog is VERY confident (to the point where we laugh about it) but it has helped him be a truly bomb-proof dog.


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## BaileyzMom

Anele said:


> For us-- it was arousal. Many people say that it is excess energy, but I say... it depends. _ Energy_ level vs. _arousal_ level can be very different! Our dog's arousal level would get higher when he was overtired, so he would actually become more problematic (like a cranky toddler). So the first step is, figure out the reason behind this.


Yes. This. Bailey was like a cranky toddler from DAY ONE. For months on end, between about 7 and 8 pm was the witching hour. She couldn't put herself down for a nap and would throw a fit every evening. Walks and potty breaks were leash biting, jumping, tug of war nightmares. It was all over arousal. Getting her more exercised to bring her overall energy level down was a challenge but helped. The problem with over-arousal is there is this invisible threshold that you can't see until you've allowed the dog to cross it. REACTING made it worse. It was giving her attention. 

So what worked for us? I had to learn her triggers, her threshold, had to learn to speak Bailey. LOL. TREATS. She is HIGHLY food motivated. I just started keeping treats in my pocket and every time she was on the leash outside I came up with some easy task/command for her to accomplish and get a treat for, which completely occupied her and kept her mind off the need to throw a leash fit. (At one point I swear she would fake needing to go out just so she could play the leash biting "game.") I did this solid for about a week and then started phasing out the easy treat work. Now, at 14 months, she only does it in a situation that she is being restrained with the leash and has to stay in one spot. For example, we had to wait longer than usual at the vets office in the waiting room and there was another dog she wanted a meet and greet with. But, I'm always prepared with treats. Sometimes, the "treat" is her very own dog food  

Good luck!! I'm convinced now that she is 14 months that a good trainer is one that actually knows Goldens LOL.... I am finding they are a whole different game. some of the "usual" techniques just aren't going to work with theese really intelligent playful dogs.


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## CedarFurbaby

BaileyzMom said:


> Yes. This. Bailey was like a cranky toddler from DAY ONE. For months on end, between about 7 and 8 pm was the witching hour. She couldn't put herself down for a nap and would throw a fit every evening. Walks and potty breaks were leash biting, jumping, tug of war nightmares. It was all over arousal. Getting her more exercised to bring her overall energy level down was a challenge but helped. The problem with over-arousal is there is this invisible threshold that you can't see until you've allowed the dog to cross it. REACTING made it worse. It was giving her attention.
> 
> So what worked for us? I had to learn her triggers, her threshold, had to learn to speak Bailey. LOL. TREATS. She is HIGHLY food motivated. I just started keeping treats in my pocket and every time she was on the leash outside I came up with some easy task/command for her to accomplish and get a treat for, which completely occupied her and kept her mind off the need to throw a leash fit.


I always thought of Cedar like that, not being able to put himself down for a nap, and he was like that from day one (1 year old now). He's better at it now though but will need a quiet space. That makes so much sense, learning the triggers and threshold. Too much running on leash seems to not end well, too much tug of war also. I feel like there is a point where I would look at Cedar and know that giving him commands wasn't going to work anymore because he wasn't listening and he doesn't see the treat. Maybe it's like a balance? How good he is at the command vs how out of control he is at the time.


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## dana c

*5 Month old Golden Retriever*

Hello everyone,

We have a 5 going on 6 months Golden named Jack. He is overall a very smart, well house mannered dog. However he is starting on walks to just lay down, eat grass or sticks, roll around and then when we try to move him he kind of gets a bit aggressive and stubborn. He could do this for as long as we let him.We know that he needs exercise so we go on about 5 to 6 walks daily all in which are at least 15-20 mins. It seems that he just gets in these moods that he does not want to listen or be told what to do. It is the biting and look in his face that worries me. Does anyone know why he would be acting this way? Could it be that he needs to be neutered to calm him down? or this normal puppy behavior?


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## nolefan

dana c said:


> ...We know that he needs exercise so we go on about 5 to 6 walks daily all in which are at least 15-20 mins. It seems that he just gets in these moods that he does not want to listen or be told what to do. It is the biting and look in his face that worries me. Does anyone know why he would be acting this way? Could it be that he needs to be neutered to calm him down? or this normal puppy behavior?


5 walks a day for 15 minutes each, I'm guessing all in your neighborhood where he sees and smells the same things walk after walk after walk? If this is the case, I'd probably lay down and refuse to walk too. Bleck, boring.

He needs training walks with treats and commands for training obedience work and he also needs some hiking in the woods, exploring, retrieving, swimming, puppy play dates with a nice similar size young dog for wrestling and playing chase. A 15 minute leash walk around the block is not exercise for an active, intelligent sporting breed dog. It's exercise for an 80 year old grandmother, not your dog. Read through some of the previous posts on this page, Ceegee has a good one, and start using your time in bigger chunks so that you go to other places for longer trips, try 2 or 3 times a day for longer times to tire him out and training when he's not so wound up.


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