# Baring Teeth?



## Chritty (Aug 17, 2014)

Sounds like he's teething and being bratty. I'm sure it will pass. In the meantime plenty of chew toys like you're already doing. Ice cubes were great for our pup. I even went as far as to put some baby bonjela on ice cubes to help soothe her.


----------



## Eclipse (Apr 21, 2014)

It sounds like he's going through the mouthy stage a lot of Goldens go through. If I squealed or let out a high pitched noise when my first Golden bit/gnawed, she would stop. 

This didn't work for my current dog. I did a combination of two thing for her. I redirected her biting towards balls and chew toys. If this didn't deter her, I _gently_ kept the clothing/leash/hand in her mouth with one hand. She thought "ugh this tastes bad" and voluntary dropped the item or backed away after a couple seconds. When she did this I praised her and either gave her a toy or some space to herself.


----------



## Anon-2130948gsoni (Apr 12, 2014)

As humans, we all think dogs know what "no" means...but as I remind myself on a daily basis, "No, what???" meaning that the word is pretty much useless unless I tell my dogs what I want instead in terms that they have been trained to understand.

So I try to remember to redirect the behavior I don't want with a sit, down, or get the ball, or some way that they're on to something else that we can both be fine with..


----------



## Lise123 (Jan 1, 2014)

When I read one of Patricia O'Connell's dog-training books, she mentioned that dogs hate being patted on the head. I don't know if this is actually true of every dog, but my dog definitely ducks my hand when I try to pat his head. (What can I say -- he's so pretty and I forget.) She uses this to her advantage to discourage unwanted behavior.

If your puppy was hyper and zooming around and drew back his lips to display his teeth, was it possible he was playing biteyface with you? My 11-month-old dog LOVES to play biteyface with other dogs, and it looks like he's trying to kill them (except his tail is wagging and he's clearly not upsetting the other dogs). Puppies sometimes have a hard time understanding that we do not play the same way with people that we do with other dogs. I am still reinforcing this with my dog.

Every dog is different, of course, but my dog was also a brat from time to time at that age. He would take forbidden items under our dining room table and guard them, then growl and snap at me if I reached in. Glorious times. But they grow out of their stinker behaviors with time and patience. If he's showing his teeth at you in a mean way, I would try telling him "No," in a firm but not mean way, and then crating him for a time-out. At that age, there's just so much they haven't figured out yet, and a brief separation from their beloved people seems pretty effective on their puppy brains.


----------



## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

Are you and your puppy enrolled in obedience class with a training club? If so, I would step up the on leash training sessions and make sure you are getting in a 5-10 minute session 2 or 3 times a day. (If not, it needs to be at the top of your list.) Just basic obedience where you are in charge and he is following directions. As mentioned, all dogs are individuals, but if you continue to see bratty behavior that is a red flag to you, get a referral from an experienced person at your club for a trainer who specializes in behavior and have them observe your puppy and you, in your home if possible and see what they suggest. People on this forum can give input, but there is nothing like a good trainer observing and working with you in person. Individual training sessions are not cheap, but they are worth every penny if your puppy. This is the age where they start exerting independence and if you're concerned then it's not a bad idea to get help in person. It may very well be play, but it may also be the start of some unacceptable behaviors. Even people with 30 years of dog experience take lessons from trainers to help their performance, we can all learn more about dog training and behavior. Something else to remember is that your puppy is growing up and like any adolescent their need for exercise to burn off energy is increasing. How much hard play is he getting? Do you have puppy play dates during the week? Are you teaching your puppy retrieving skills or other games? It is not too soon and retrieving is a great way of getting young dogs aerobic exercise which they need every day, not just leash walking.


----------



## Loukia (Sep 20, 2014)

My puppy was doing something similar between 2.5 and 4 months. He would get wild and bite us, growl, show his teeth (all while wagging his tail). He's 5 months now and doing this much less. Since he hasn't matured all that much, I think his improvement is a combination of our consistent reaction to his behavior and identifying these behaviors quickly and putting him in his crate before they get out of hand. We tried a firm "no" and we also tried standing completely still, ignoring him, trying to walk out of the room (after 4 pairs of ruined pants I stopped trying to walk away), etc. Unfortunately, our puppy took these behaviors as his cue to get more excited, bite harder, jump higher, bark louder and try to tear our clothing. It was almost like I could see him thinking "they don't see me down here... I must get their attention!"

At the time, I was worried and feeling a bit overwhelmed with his behavior. I felt like I had two puppies... the sweet one that let me pet him and snuggle on him and the viper that would try to kill my pants. Someone on this forum likened this type of behavior to an overtired toddler. They suggested putting the dog in a place where he/she could relax. It was so true! When ever he behaved this way, I would quietly walk him to his crate and place him in and say "rest time". Within minutes he was always sound asleep. _(I'm sure to be very quiet and calm so that he doesn't view his crate as punishment and instead just sees it as a place for him to take a quiet break.)_ 

After doing this for awhile, I started to notice that he would act up at certain times of the day. Instead of waiting for him to act up, I generally put him in his crate around that time of day and give him a break. Nine times out of ten he falls asleep almost immediately. Once he's asleep I open the crate door and he comes out when he wakes up. That said, he's still only 5 months and he can get unexpectedly wild and biting with the best of them. Just today he got himself completely out of control and jumped up and bit a hole in my daughter's (new  shirt). In the crate he went and within 4 minutes he was flipped upside down sleeping. All of this considered, it doesn't always work... sometimes he goes in his crate and barks and digs and causes all sorts of noise, but I wait him out and pretend not to hear or see him. If he doesn't fall asleep, once he settles down he gets another chance to behave.


----------



## goldenenthusiast (Jul 28, 2014)

nolefan said:


> Are you and your puppy enrolled in obedience class with a training club? If so, I would step up the on leash training sessions and make sure you are getting in a 5-10 minute session 2 or 3 times a day. (If not, it needs to be at the top of your list.) Just basic obedience where you are in charge and he is following directions. As mentioned, all dogs are individuals, but if you continue to see bratty behavior that is a red flag to you, get a referral from an experienced person at your club for a trainer who specializes in behavior and have them observe your puppy and you, in your home if possible and see what they suggest. People on this forum can give input, but there is nothing like a good trainer observing and working with you in person. Individual training sessions are not cheap, but they are worth every penny if your puppy. This is the age where they start exerting independence and if you're concerned then it's not a bad idea to get help in person. It may very well be play, but it may also be the start of some unacceptable behaviors. Even people with 30 years of dog experience take lessons from trainers to help their performance, we can all learn more about dog training and behavior. Something else to remember is that your puppy is growing up and like any adolescent their need for exercise to burn off energy is increasing. How much hard play is he getting? Do you have puppy play dates during the week? Are you teaching your puppy retrieving skills or other games? It is not too soon and retrieving is a great way of getting young dogs aerobic exercise which they need every day, not just leash walking.


My puppy has graduated puppy class already and has done very well. I practice sit, down, wait, drop it with him every day, at home, and outside in a high distraction environment. He sits better and more focused than all the adult dogs in our neighborhood. For hard play, I bring him to a neighborhood park every day that is frequented by dogs. Some days he'll get a lot of hard play, ie) 20 min of full-out-non-stop wrestling or chasing. Other times there will be no one there. So it depends.

His next class starts beginning of January. As far as private lessons, this behavior only manifests at very odd times, unpredictable. It's not a consistent thing I can figure out. So how can I get the trainer to understand what his needs are?


----------



## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

It sounds like typical 4 month old puppy sass. He's playing and hasn't figured out yet that you AREN'T playing. Just be consistent and redirect and this will pass.


----------



## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

silverdoe said:


> My puppy has graduated puppy class already and has done very well. I practice sit, down, wait, drop it with him every day, at home, and outside in a high distraction environment. He sits better and more focused than all the adult dogs in our neighborhood. For hard play, I bring him to a neighborhood park every day that is frequented by dogs. Some days he'll get a lot of hard play, ie) 20 min of full-out-non-stop wrestling or chasing. Other times there will be no one there. So it depends.
> 
> His next class starts beginning of January. As far as private lessons, this behavior only manifests at very odd times, unpredictable. It's not a consistent thing I can figure out. So how can I get the trainer to understand what his needs are?


In light of your daily work and him getting good exercise, you might just want to take foster mom's advice and just keep doing what you're doing, daily work both mentally and physically and keep being consistent about your expectations and redirecting... you might want to read up more on canine body language and try to be observant about what is happening so when these episodes occur you have a better feeling about whether he is playing or whether he is trying out his big boy pants on you. Try this website: Calming Signals - The Art of Survival - Turid Rugaas - International Dog Trainer and see if it's interesting to you, you might want to read her book etc.

If you start really feeling certain that he is giving you attitude then you might try reading up a bit on the "Nothing in Life is Free" protocol and trying to set more strict boundaries about the fact that he is a dog and not your human child. It is not hard to do this when you've started the obedience foundation already. Best of luck with your pup


----------



## goldenenthusiast (Jul 28, 2014)

nolefan said:


> In light of your daily work and him getting good exercise, you might just want to take foster mom's advice and just keep doing what you're doing, daily work both mentally and physically and keep being consistent about your expectations and redirecting... you might want to read up more on canine body language and try to be observant about what is happening so when these episodes occur you have a better feeling about whether he is playing or whether he is trying out his big boy pants on you. Try this website: Calming Signals - The Art of Survival - Turid Rugaas - International Dog Trainer and see if it's interesting to you, you might want to read her book etc.
> 
> If you start really feeling certain that he is giving you attitude then you might try reading up a bit on the "Nothing in Life is Free" protocol and trying to set more strict boundaries about the fact that he is a dog and not your human child. It is not hard to do this when you've started the obedience foundation already. Best of luck with your pup


Thanks for those two articles. I read Nothing in Life is Free suggestions and I actually do those things with him! He must sit and wait until I say "okay" for his meals. He does this very well. He must sit before all treats, before I hand him a new toy, etc. So I feel pretty good about that. I think I will decide to add in sit before coming out of his pen in the morning (he usually bursts out and starts attacking his toys).

As for the Calming Signals, he definitely yawns, turns his head away, etc. I didn't know they were calming signals. The article doesn't mention - how do you respond to those signals?


----------



## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

silverdoe said:


> ....he definitely yawns, turns his head away, etc. I didn't know they were calming signals. The article doesn't mention - how do you respond to those signals?



I would get the book she wrote (you could check the library) for more information. [ame]http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_12?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=calming+signals+by+turid+rugaas&sprefix=calming+sign%2Caps%2C188[/ame]

From the linked page:
"Threatening signals (to walk straight at, reach for the dog, bending over the dog, staring into the dog´s eyes, fast movements, and so on) will always cause the dog to use a calming signal. There are about 30 different calming signals, so even when many dogs will yawn, other dogs may use another calming signal." 

I read your post from tonight on the other thread. I think you need to start documenting all of these odd episodes when they happen so that you have something concrete in hand to discuss with the vet and with a trainer or behaviorist should you choose to go that route.

Have you been in contact with your puppy's breeder? A good breeder will want to know what is going on and can be a good source of support and knowledge. Is he or she close enough for a visit? 

When is your next appointment with the vet? Might be good to schedule one.

ETA: I realize I didn't really answer your question about how to respond to his signals... I'm not sure, maybe slowing down and trying to see that if he is developing some anxiety or is more sensitive that even though what you're doing is not unreasonable, it may be contributing to him feeling anxious. I would document all of this.


----------



## Marcus (Aug 24, 2014)

nolefan said:


> "Threatening signals (to walk straight at, reach for the dog, bending over the dog, staring into the dog´s eyes, fast movements, and so on) will always cause the dog to use a calming signal. There are about 30 different calming signals, so even when many dogs will yawn, other dogs may use another calming signal."


Jinkies, sounds like we should never go near our animals unless they are first wraped in cotten wool hahaha


----------



## goldenenthusiast (Jul 28, 2014)

nolefan said:


> I would get the book she wrote (you could check the library) for more information. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...+by+turid+rugaas&sprefix=calming+sign,aps,188
> 
> From the linked page:
> "Threatening signals (to walk straight at, reach for the dog, bending over the dog, staring into the dog´s eyes, fast movements, and so on) will always cause the dog to use a calming signal. There are about 30 different calming signals, so even when many dogs will yawn, other dogs may use another calming signal."
> ...


Thank you, I posted a video in the other thread. I didn't mean to start two threads about similar things, but the second incident really freaked me out and caused me to post another thread about it. I don't know if these are related.


----------



## Louise341 (May 27, 2021)

goldenenthusiast said:


> Lately in the last two weeks or so, I notice a worrying behavior in my 4 month old. He is extremely mouthy right now, and whenever we deny him from biting something with a stern "NO," he starts opening his mouth wider, getting an angry expression on his face, and starting to bare his teeth.
> 
> He hasn't quite bared them all the way as in the photos of aggressive dogs I see, but his mouth kind of hangs wide open, and his lip will curl slightly. Then the expression will be gone.... then it will come back again a second later.
> 
> ...


----------



## Louise341 (May 27, 2021)

Hi I know this is an old thread but we have been having the same issue with our 5 month old girl. Am hoping that this is now a distant memory for you and this behaviour isn't an issue now!


----------

