# Biting, growling, leash grabbing



## Golden123456 (Sep 1, 2014)

(I posted this in the puppy forum, but am reposting here in hope of receiving advice v just views.)

I've often read, but never posted, to this forum. I have an 11 month old unaltered male GR puppy. His mother is half field, half show; his father is field. I met both parents when I picked up my pup. They were sweet dogs. The mother is also the mother of my brother's GR, who is a sweetheart.

I am posting because I need kind advice as to whether it is in my pup's interest to be returned to the breeder for rehoming.

I am not a novice dog owner. Our previous dog was part border collie, part australian shepherd. Smart as a whip, neurotic as all get out, amazingly loyal, patience out the wazoo, but not always great with other dogs.

Our GR is amazing with other dog - everyone is his best friend. He is is super silly and fun, hikes well off leash, knows to sit before going through doors and before being fed, how to walk nicely on a loose leash (but see below), etc. I got him at 7 weeks and socialized him well from day one. I got him to volunteer with, so I have made a point of taking him to every kind of environment so he hears, smells and sees people of all ages and walks of life. I had a trainer come to our house when we first got him to advise re training the puppy and us (we have two boys), have taken him to puppy kindergarten (was best in class), and have taken him through his CGC (we missed the test). 

All sounds great, except that I don't trust him at all not to bite.

From day one, he was nippy. Ok. I had a border mix, I know nippy! I tried everything - bitter apple, hot sauce, giving a yelp, isolating, giving toy instead, etc. I had a behaviorist work with him one on one. 

The nips turned to erratic outbursts. While walking on leash, he would suddenly grab the leash and growl. When corrected, he'd either try to bite the hand (succeeding numerous times) or continue to bite the leash. I have read on this forum and been told this is a dominant, pent up energy, play move more than aggression.

Mind you, he gets more exercise than the average pet. He gets daily off leash hikes for an hour (where he swims and plays with other dogs), about 4-5 20-30 minute on-leash walks, plus playing in the yard with another dog for another 20 minutes. We also do short spurts of obedience training about 5 days a week.

These leash pulls occur at random and at any time, whether before or after long walks. They occur with me, our dog walker, my children, etc.

I mentioned socializing my dog. I have two children on various teams. I take the dog wherever we go, including fields for games. Well, I was taking. I don't know if I'd trust to take him any more because he has snapped at several small children who were petting him nicely (not crazy). I'm very lucky he hasn't made skin contact with them.

I have spoken to a lead trainer for a service dog org. She says some dogs just don't learn bite inhibition and that perhaps I should get him a muzzle.

At this point, I have to crate or isolate my puppy whenever kids are in the house because he will jump and nip at them. I have to keep him inside if they are outside.

I left my dog with the breeder for a month. The breeder worked very hard on the no skin contact ever rule. I have had my puppy back for a little more than a week and he is already regressing. The breeder's recommendations are being followed (a note to say the puppy was never on leash at the breeder's home because he lives on a farm). 

This whole thing is breaking my heart. We are not wild around our puppy. I work from home, so he has become my shadow. I love him, but it is killing me (a) to have to crate or separate rate him inside because I can't trust him around children, and (b) to have to repeatedly correct him every single walk. It's exhausting.

We waited almost a year after our 14yo mix died before we go this pup. We got a GR because we wanted a dog for our active family whom we could train to take every where and join us for our volunteer work. Instead, despite our efforts, the breeder's efforts and the efforts of experts, and repeated training classes (he bit me on two occasions during the CGC class, which is why we didn't test...he would start to pant - the whole thing was clearly too stressful for him), nothing is improving.

I love this puppy. I think he is an awesome dog who makes for an incredible off-leash hiking companion. He's my buddy. But I love him enough to recognize that he might be happier and better suited to life on a farm. I've never given a dog up / back to a breeder before, however. I don't know if I'm throwing in the towel too soon, but I also don't know if I have the patience, heart or resources to do much more.

If you have encountered this problem and handled it, I would sure appreciate your advice.

Thank you.

PS - Before you say it's an unaltered thing, I should add that he does not exhibit any humping behavior. My mix was neutered at 9 weeks (SPCA adoption), and from day one he marked more, humped more and was more dog aggressive than this puppy.


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## JanetBionda (Jul 21, 2014)

Sorry for what you're going through. Just a few suggestions. Have his thyroid tested. Look for a physical problem before labelling it a behavioural problem. Physical to rule out pain. Try an easy leader or front clip halter. Work on redirect with treat and look at you. Their are some great Zac George videos on training that may help.


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## samralf (Aug 11, 2012)

I have returned a puppy two times. It was the same breeder both times. The first puppy was too much for me to handle. She was a high drive german shepherd that needed a job. The second time the puppy was perfect for us but her prey drive was way too high and she kept trying to kill my sheltie. This was a four month old puppy!! On the advice of a trainer, we sent her back. So my advice to you is to get the opinion of a certified trainer. If the pup is to much for you to handle or would be better off in a working home then return him. Your not doing the puppy any favors by keeping him because you don't want to look bad for "giving up your puppy". Sometimes the best thing you can do is find another home that would be better for the puppy. Good luck with your decision!


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Golden*

Golden

Please take him to the vet for a physical-could be something physical.
Thyroid test would be a good idea, too.
The jumping and growling (assuming it's playful) is very normal at his age.


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## Leslie B (Mar 17, 2011)

You would not be giving up on the dog at all!!! Some times the fit is just wrong. Because you love the dog you want to believe that he is best served living with you. Ask the breeder if she believes the dog would be better served in a working home without small children. If she says yes then you have your answer. 

I know that the dogs respond to a change in ownership much easier than the owners do. Be brave and do what is his best interest.

Good luck.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

I had to rehome a dog even though I adored her, bc I live in a high activity multiple dog household, but she at once loved to play hard and had terrible elbow dysplasia on both sides. The orthopedist did a skillful surgery that worked, but he also really laid down the law that her whole life she would have to be left behind at home while we went on hikes and adventures, so I rehomed her to my favorite boss who had just lost his 15 year old golden and his wife in the same time period. Lots of tears, lots of pondering. . . but best, best decision. She is his whole world, and she gets to go to his classes when he teaches history, and be on a boarding school campus as a social butterfly petted and loved on all day. She is so better off as his number one dog than my number 6 dog. In this way, I learned a good lesson that we want to feel like every dog's best home, but sometimes the fit is wrong. I think you could return the pup to his breeder with a clear conscience. On the other hand, you could structure the pup's life around a huge off leash hike daily, an obedience training session, a moderate to low protein food, and us a crate or expen until he is a little older and earns his house priveleges to wonder around.


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## EmmaUK (Jan 19, 2014)

Hi,
we have a similar problem with our 1yr old girl, she's always been mouthy and over excitable, she loves other people and dogs. She tends to get excited when getting petted by kids and can grab hold of there clothes and hold on to them, or jump up to play with them, its not nasty just a pain. However she has developed the same problem as yours where at the end of a walk she sometimes grabs the leash and can go into a frenzy, jumping, snarling, nipping at me, this lasts for 30secs then shes back to being a sweet girl.
We've started enforcing some dominance around the house, going through doors first, ignoring her greeting until Im ready, strict meal times etc, also we've started putting the leash on halfway through a walk for a few minutes so the leash isnt a signal that its end of play, also more strict on leash walks and things are improving!
I wonder if yours is tired? Ours has always got a little ratty when overtired, she's a different dog after a nap.
we also find a tin with small stones in to rattle tends to stop her and make her think, sometimes we only need to get the tin out and she stops misbehaving. 
Most dogs who go to rescue are this age, a bit like us parents who want to send their teenage kids to rescue!
best of luck


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