puppy agression

[SkunkOnTheFly]

Witten is 13 weeks as of today. We brought him home a few days ago and he's done great with our pit bull and black lab/shar pei mix. We visited family today and they have a boxer that is a bit smaller than him and he attacked her. And I don't mean playful or trying to herd type attack. He literally was snarling, grabbing her forcefully a day shaking her hard until she was yelping. I had to scruff him and smack his nose to get him off of her. He is also very treat/food aggressive which I am working on. He was a straight outside dog, but had lots of brother and sisters and his mom up until 2 days ago.

 

He has been sleeping with me and I also noticed if one of my other dogs comes in the bedroom he growls and barks at them. I believe THAT is more protective since I'm sleeping...but he's the newest of the bunch so it's weird that he has taken such a dominant role at 13 weeks. He is also already humping my other male dog a lot even though my other male is neutered.

 

I'm trying to work with him as much as possible but he could care less about learning anything right now. He outright ignores me unless it's "no" which he will stop what he is doing usually. He refuses to even turn his head to his name..even trying to make it fun/a game, using treats or excitement. He has lots of outside time and play time...lots of bones and toys to chew but he's more content eating my couch, shoes, etc even with a toy right next to him. He's still at the age where he gets tired easily so we usually play u til he falls asleep.

 

Thoughts??

[Shetlander]

Wow, there is a lot here and I need to hit the hay, so just a few preliminary thoughts.

 

He is not being protective in bed. He is resource guarding. Don't allow that to continue. I would have him start sleeping in a crate, pronto.

 

At his age, Quinn had the attention span of a strobe light and was into all kinds of mischief. Keep redirecting him to approved toys and chew objects. When you can't supervise him, put him in his crate with a toy.

 

Since you have only had him two days, he may not know his name and he isn't fully bonded. Give him time to settle in. Make training sessions fun and short. Leave him wanting more. Be consistent in your expectations of him.

 

The boxer puppy interaction doesn't sound good. You want to keep him from practicing bad behaviors. If you see bullying behaviors, stop him right away, removing him from play if necessary. Same with humping your dog. Don't allow it, even if your dog is tolerating it.

 

Hopefully others will jump in with their thoughts.

[SkunkOnTheFly]

He doesn't chase them away if we aren't in bed though? He snuggles with them in bed or on the couch IF we aren't in bed/on the couch. If me or my daughter are behind him he freaks out on the others. He will literally stand on top of my daughter and "guard" he. He is attached to my hip as well and won't stray from me even to play outside. But then actually calling him to come or listen he just acts like I'm not there. At first I thought he was deaf because I would literally do the excited voice and call him and clap and be wouldn't even look my way. But just other little stuff like draws closing he will perk his ears up.

[SkunkOnTheFly]

And as I said he has no problem hearing the word no lol

[gcv-border]

He doesn't chase them away if we aren't in bed though? He snuggles with them in bed or on the couch IF we aren't in bed/on the couch. If me or my daughter are behind him he freaks out on the others. He will literally stand on top of my daughter and "guard" he.

He sounds like a handful. There is a lot going on there, but Shetlander has given good advice.

 

He is resource guarding, not being protective. Basically he is saying "This is mine. Stay away." Probably very much like what he had to do with his littermates. Basically nothing should be 'his'.

 

Crates are an invaluable tool, when used appropriately, for dealing with puppy misbehaviors. Search these boards for "crate training" to read through any one of multiple threads dealing with that topic. One main point for your little guy - if he is hyped up and not listening to you, he may be overly tired (like a cranky toddler). PIck him up (without saying no or anything punitive) and pop him in the crate. Just be matter of fact about it. He may very likely lie down and go to sleep within minutes. He does not need to "play till he falls asleep". He needs to learn some impulse control. By playing with him so much, you are building up his endurance. He WILL have more energy than you.

 

I would also crate him at night - in your bedroom. He doesn't need to sleep with you if he is displaying the inappropriate behaviors you describe.

 

If he is displaying bad behavior such as unwanted aggressive play with the boxer, I would give him a time-out. (I used this technique for training my pup not to chase the cat.) I would say "No cat" - not loud, not mean, just matter-of-fact tone of voice. Followed by picking him up and putting him in a small half-bath and closing the door. Wait about a minute. Open the door and see what he does. If he goes back to the attack play, say "No" (matter-of-fact tone of voice), pick him up and put him back in a time-out place. I prefer not to use a crate since I don't want my dogs to associate a crate with punishment. One minute in time-out, let him out and see what he does. Generally, they don't like being by themselves. Rinse and repeat. If he doesn't show improved behavior after 4 or 5 times, he may be too tired and need a nap in a crate. Put him in the crate with a few treats and let him sleep it off - hopefully.

 

He sounds like a busy, energetic little pup that just needs to learn impulse control and some boundaries.

 

Good Luck.

[GentleLake]

If me or my daughter are behind him he freaks out on the others. He will literally stand on top of my daughter and "guard" he. He is attached to my hip as well and won't stray from me even to play outside. But then actually calling him to come or listen he just acts like I'm not there. At first I thought he was deaf because I would literally do the excited voice and call him and clap and be wouldn't even look my way. But just other little stuff like draws closing he will perk his ears up.

 

You're not listening.

 

Liz, and now Jovi, are right. He's not being protective, he's guarding his resources -- you and your daughter.

 

He hasn't been with you long enough to know his name or for you to even think he'd understand a recall. And he's not sufficiently bonded to you yet that you're a high enough value reward for him to pay attention to.

 

It would also be a good idea for you to find some very high value food rewards to help him put 2 + 2 together . . . i.e. that you're the source of really wonderful things and therefore worth paying attention to.

 

If you don't have one yet, get a crate for him now! He needs times out when he's behaving inappropriately so that he can begin to understand what behavior is and isn't appreciated by you.

 

It does sound like he's going to be a real handful. It might be a good idea to look into a puppy kindergarten class with a good positive reinforcement trainer sooner rather than later so you can get some help finding ways to channel his behavior before it becomes too firmly ingrained.

[Shetlander]

And as I said he has no problem hearing the word no lol

No is probably the only "command" he has learned so far. I agree with gcv-border that playing with him until he drops is not the best approach and could certainly lead to an over tired, cranky puppy who won't "hear" or care what you are telling him to do or not do.

 

From what you describe, he is currently resource guarding people. Please don't find it cute or believe he is being protective. He is laying claim and if he is doing this at his age, after only a few days in your house, then this is a behavior you want to nip in the bud. RG can escalate to really ugly levels if left unchecked. The good news is he seems to highly value humans so he will be motivated to earn your approval and attention by learning and following your rules (which should include no RG).

 

He may have spent his first 13 weeks where he needed to lay claim to getting human attention. And that may be why he is resource guarding right out the gate with your grown dogs. But he is very young and you can change this pattern. Just don't fall prey to the common misperception that he is being protective of YOU, for your safety. He is guarding what he wants to be HIS, for his interests. It isn't for him to say who can approach you. That is your call.

 

I would take a zero tolerance approach to resource guarding, which means all the adult humans in his life need to get on board with that. With three dogs,a little girl and a baby on the way, you want a harmonious pack, not one run by an adorable, resource guarding, smarty pants pup. It starts out out as something puzzling, funny, cute or even impressive but in the long run it can be big trouble.

 

Not trying to be doom and gloom. At this point an ounce of prevention will bring you several pounds of cure. Good luck and have fun.

[SkunkOnTheFly]

Thanks everyone! He does nap a lot during the day. And the play aggression was right after an hour nap. My aunt freaked so I had to remove him from the situation completely.

 

I will definitely start crating him after I get one! I've been pushing him off the bed when he starts his nastiness towards the other dogs (don't worry the bed is just a mattress on the floor so he can't get hurt).

 

And he suddenly knows his name and come, haha. Like..almost perfectly. It was kind of weird to say his name, have him look then have him come when I say come. And he's been doing it all day now! Maybe he just needed to absorb lol idk.

 

I guess I've read SO much about how they need lots of stimulation or they get a bit devious that I've been trying too hard to keep him occupied. Thanks for reminding me he's still a dog and has to learn boundaries!

 

And I apologize if anyone believes I wasn't listening. It was the first response and I wanted to make sure I didn't misrepresent what was going on so I was just explaining better..

[Gloria Atwater]

Here is a thing to remember:

Border collies do NOT need a lot of stimulation. If you raise a pup to go-go-play-play-go ... that's what you'll have all his life. Don't train your dog into hyperactivity.

What they DO need are things that engage their brains. If they're not in a working home, that means training, games, tricks and things like that. Teaching a pup the "house rules" is where it first begins.

As for his current behavior, I'd say NO sleeping with the humans - unless you invite him up and then only once in a while. He is guarding you and your daughter and if that's not stopped, you're going to be faced with the heartache of owning an aggressive dog. He will not cease this behavior if you don't train it out of him. It will not go away on its own.

Get a crate SOON. This week. Wire is good, so are plastic ones. Teach him to go in it. Feed him his meals in there. Give him treats in there. Throw his toys in there. You can crate him near you in the bedroom, but again - NO sleeping with the humans. Make him earn it.

He's being a pushy little rascal and someone needs to educate him on his limits. If he's already humping your neutered male, it may only get worse as he matures. That's the most rude, nasty dog behavior out there, so when he does it, give him a big NO, scoop him up and put him away somewhere. If he were to try that on another dog later, it could end up in a dogfight and vet bills.

The time to stop him being a rude, unpleasant dog is now while he's merely a bratly puppy. Make him earn his privileges. Don't let his cuteness and charm cause you to let things slide. Work with him, play with him, train with him, teach him tricks, name his toys, teach him to fetch, hide things and teach him to find them - the more you do with him, the more he'll bond in a healthy, positive way and the happier he'll be. It's his mind that needs work more than his body.

Best of luck!

~ Gloria

[CMP]

Border Collies are like any other breed/race. They vary. But they do tend to be dogs who need to be kept interested.

 

For some that can be lying in front of a window every afternoon for an hour watching birds at the feeder and cats stalking them. For others it might be chewing something. For others, they must do something physical even if it is just throwing a ball in the air themselves or chasing an empty pop bottle.

 

Puppies often test limits. It is how they learn. Your job is to show them the limits. Kindest thing you can do for a dog is make the basic rules clear. I don't mean training, I mean teaching. Like one does with a child. They are not being bad at this age, they are learning by pressing against the fences.

 

Kind boundary setting that is nonetheless absolute is in order, imo.

 

Also yes, yes, yes to the crate. Run, do not walk.

[Sue R]

All great advice!

[Beach BCs]

Don't get into the habit of "entertaining" your puppy. I made that mistake once. When I decided to bring another puppy home about a year and a half later, I quickly discovered I could not keep up that level of entertainment. New lesson: teaching them to settle, entertain themselves quietly and that I can occasionally have dinner in peace. Honestly, everyone is much happier.

[Maralynn]

Don't get into the habit of "entertaining" your puppy. I made that mistake once. When I decided to bring another puppy home about a year and a half later, I quickly discovered I could not keep up that level of entertainment. New lesson: teaching them to settle, entertain themselves quietly and that I can occasionally have dinner in peace. Honestly, everyone is much happier.

Yes - this!

 

My pup was usually out for an hour or so then crated with a chew for 1-2 hours throughout the day. He was happy and busy doing stuff with me when out and about and happy and calm when in the crate.

 

I just spent a training weekend where the accommodations were a bunkhouse with a dozen other handlers and their dogs (who where crated when not going in and out of the building but still there and making normal dog noises). There's something really nice about a 7 m/o youngster who happily and quietly curls up in his crate and chews his nylabone in that type of environment.

[moosikins]

Callie guards "special" things, bully sticks, and food occasionally but we've noticed that as she gets older, she does it less and less frequently. The most useful solution we heard about when we were frantically doing research about our "aggressive" puppy is to immediately punish the behavior by removing the thing they're growling about...In our case, as soon as she growled, she lost her food until she calmed down or got the toy taken away until she looked more relaxed.

 

I think in your case, it would make sense to make him sleep in a crate or on the floor - he loses your undivided attention and cuddling if he doesn't chill out. It'll make sense to him eventually...growl and end up dumped on the floor. Share attention with the other dog(s) and continue to be snuggled...

 

Yelling and scaring her really didn't work for us. Someone suggested we startle Callie when she growled over her food to establish our dominance, and all that resulted in was a meltdown complete with snarling, growling, and then cowering in a corner of the kitchen with demon eyes for a while before she got over it. No lasting effects, but we won't be doing that again...

[CMP]

Yeah, when a dog growls over something at me, I simply don't make a big deal of it. If I was just walking by, I say something like, "never mind that" (a phrase they know) but I don't much care about a warning growl. I am okay with a dog letting me know something is important to them - as long as THEY don't make any more of deal of it than a growl.

 

If I was trying to get it, it's different. I reach down, push a shoulder away with one hand and take the thing with the other. Very matter of fact. A bunch of minutes later they get it back and we see how it goes.

 

I don't encourage resource guarding, but I do allow for some small lee-way. They *are* dogs.