# The terrible twos



## dogsnkiddos (Jul 22, 2008)

CuddleBug has entered his. He has been with us a year and more or less been pretty well behaved. He had to learn house and cat manners but otherwise had no major issues to tackle (just the run of the mill stuff). Until....the past month.

When guests enter the home the rule for Bug is he must sit and wait. A guest may or may not acknowledge him and they may or may not interact with him, but he MUST stay in his sit until released. He has been very consistent with this and we have been very consistent with how we do it (door knock, dog comes to door, sits 3 feet back, human greets guest, stands by dog when guest enters and oversees all following action). The last three guests have been family with whom Bug is well acquainted. The last three guests know the drill and automatically play their parts. The last three guests are those who will pet the dog. The last three guests have stood in front of the dog only to have the dog spring from his sit to jump on them AND to snap at their faces. In one instance I has standing with a hand on his shoulder while the human guest paused next to me, having not even acknowledged the dog, to get the same split second reaction. 


Tonight Bug was bouncing through the living room as Husband followed with a ball toward the back yard. Husband paused to place something on the coffee table as he passed. Bug bounced back and up at Husband and did the same snap at his face. 

He not only lost his play time at that moment, but he has earned a reset. Back to basics...leashed to one of us at all times or crated.... over and over repetitions of door entries, etc. I hate the punky years...especially when they are tinged with that aggression...and it IS aggression. His body language changes in that split second and I know the dance well. *sigh* Just when I was thinking his terrible twos might not be so bad.....


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

That would be very surprising if it really was aggression. Why would he be showing aggression to your husband and to people he knows well? 

When I adopted Rafi he did this exact same thing. When he was excited (such as the ball scenario you mentioned) he would leap into the air and snap in my face. He would also grab onto his leash and try to drag me down the street while growling. 

I'm sure it would have looked pretty scary to someone else but it looked like a high drive dog missing impulse control to me. I didn't take any privileges away from him (because it's highly unlikely he could understand that the snap was what lost him those privileges) but I did teach him to put a toy in his mouth when he's excited.

To this day (almost 6 years later) he gets a toy when he's super excited and he chomps really hard on that toy and jumps around and growls with that toy in his mouth. 

So...hopefully what you are seeing in Bug is a lack of impulse control. If you were seeing true aggression toward his people then I would say he has a screw loose.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

"when your dog isn't doing what you want you have to stop
and ask yourself what am i doing wrong". i read that somewhere.
terrible 2's and punky years don't exist. i think people use that
as an excuse when they don't train consistently, don't socialize
consistently, don't train correctly then it's the dog is going through 
some stage. people go through the stages, the lack of doing stages.


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## dogsnkiddos (Jul 22, 2008)

I agree Doddiedad-I think we gave him too much leeway- thus a return to more strict lifestyle. I disagree about not being punky years- I see no reason not to acknowledge that creatures other than humans have developmental stages. Rules challenging, sowing your oats and seeing how far you can push things- absolutely terrible twos.

The whole body language in this dog changes when he does this snap. If he were not prevented from making contact it would be a bite. The fur is up across his back, his body is stiff, his vocalizations change- all in that moment when he jumps. While Beast had some solid aggression I felt he was pretty predictable and I never felt I would be surprised if I got nailed (all the genetic handler aggression I'd been warned about for his lines never seemed like something we could not manage or train)- and I fully expected at some point I might be nailed. This Bug behavior seems/has been unpredictable. He tried it on my husband a week ago- Husband sitting on sofa, dog passed by then doubled back and jumped up at his head with a snap- minor contact because of swift movement.


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## dogsnkiddos (Jul 22, 2008)

Just to add- we did not take privileges away as a punishment.... we put him in a down stay and ran him through some paces inside...after a few weeks of this it was time to refocus on the basics especially more so at that moment. I will not allow that- it could put his life in danger! I can understand an exited driven dog...we had Beast, I get it...I have seen Bug in that mode...this is different.


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## angryrainbow (Jul 1, 2012)

Is he getting enough exercise?


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

Ok, do me a favor then and take him to the vet for a full work-up. Ask them to do blood work, a full physical and an eye exam. This is not normal behavior, even for a dog trying to climb rank (which doesn't normally happen like this). If he were disrespecting your leadership he wouldn't be trying to bite at a sudden movement. 

Anytime there is a sudden change in behavior (you say it's "unpredictable") then my first stop is always the vet. Many years ago I evaluated a gsd who had started jumping on people and snapping at them when they moved. It turned out that he had pannus and it wasn't being treated aggressively enough. The dog was slowly going blind and the world looked completely different and much scarier than it had looked so he snapped at literally anything that moved quickly into his sight range. 

I don't want to tell the rest of the story because it did not end well but they did not make the connection between his physical problem and his behavior until it really was too late.


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

No laser light games have been played with him?


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

Courtney said:


> No laser light games have been played with him?


I did think of this too. That would explain sudden hand movement but the OCD dogs I have met are usually focused on the floor or the ground or the walls, looking for reflections. 

To the OP: I have had two fear aggressive dogs. One I adopted at 5 months old, the other at 4.5 years. One was genetically fearful, the other came from an abuse/neglect situation. In both cases their fear aggressive behavior showed up within a few weeks to a few months of joining my home. Before they were fear aggressive they were fearful. As their confidence grew, the aggression started. 

I understand that you have a lot of experience with dogs but every dog is different. Please have Bug checked out by a vet.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I evaluated Bug when he was in the shelter. I found a confident, drivey, happy dog with no fear. I would find it odd that after a year of being in the home he suddenly developed fear aggression. He was neutered either at the shelter or before so it's not hormonal.

If his hackles are raised and he's tense, I doubt it's just a new way of showing frustration. Jax jumps towards my face, body slamming me and screaming when she's frustrated but her body is not tense nor are her hackles raised. Could this be a way of demanding attention? It's an aggressive act but is it truly aggression? Or a teenager screaming in your face to get attention but is all talk?

Even if it is frustration or a belligerent teen, I would think it would be handled similar to what dNk is describing. Training, supervision and impulse control work.


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## nhstadt (Aug 20, 2012)

I am having a similar problem with a similar type of dog- 2 y/o fixed, rescue with no previous issues with people in the year plus I've had him....

Any luck with your problem yet?


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## Lawz67 (Aug 23, 2021)

BowWowMeow said:


> That would be very surprising if it really was aggression. Why would he be showing aggression to your husband and to people he knows well?
> 
> When I adopted Rafi he did this exact same thing. When he was excited (such as the ball scenario you mentioned) he would leap into the air and snap in my face. He would also grab onto his leash and try to drag me down the street while growling.
> 
> ...


We have same scenario with my husband at home . Dog gets into a state when he sees him in the morning and afternoons. Launches on him and mouths him , sometimes barking loudly and lunging at him too . My husband is terrified on him . Not sure if we can deal with it anymore as it seems like it’s escalating . He’s quite a stubborn dog who needs a firm hand and just don’t want it to escalate to the point my husband gets really bitten properly. He is currently permanently leashed in the house and makes not contact with my husband at all. Which I think makes things worse. Considering rehoming sadly


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## Lawz67 (Aug 23, 2021)

dogsnkiddos said:


> I agree Doddiedad-I think we gave him too much leeway- thus a return to more strict lifestyle. I disagree about not being punky years- I see no reason not to acknowledge that creatures other than humans have developmental stages. Rules challenging, sowing your oats and seeing how far you can push things- absolutely terrible twos.
> 
> The whole body language in this dog changes when he does this snap. If he were not prevented from making contact it would be a bite. The fur is up across his back, his body is stiff, his vocalizations change- all in that moment when he jumps. While Beast had some solid aggression I felt he was pretty predictable and I never felt I would be surprised if I got nailed (all the genetic handler aggression I'd been warned about for his lines never seemed like something we could not manage or train)- and I fully expected at some point I might be nailed. This Bug behavior seems/has been unpredictable. He tried it on my husband a week ago- Husband sitting on sofa, dog passed by then doubled back and jumped up at his head with a snap- minor contact because of swift movement.


We have same issue at home . Only with my husband it’s been going on for some time now - months but is definitely escalating now. My husband wants the dogs gone as he feels he is nervous in his own home . He cannot be around my husband free at moment we have him leashed indoors or crated or locked in the yard whilst my hubby is home. It’s labour intensive and not feeling it’s solving the issue. Trainer said to work in place command with him and teach dog that he can only be around my husband when he behaves . He’s a stubborn dog and needs a firm hand . He respects my trainer but my corrections don’t help much . At my wits end now. He’s 21 months . You talk about taking away priveledges, couch etc . I understand the theory of it but how will this stop him lunging and obsessing over my husband . Help!!


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## herojig (Apr 3, 2013)

Lawz67 said:


> We have same scenario with my husband at home . Dog gets into a state when he sees him in the morning and afternoons. Launches on him and mouths him , sometimes barking loudly and lunging at him too . My husband is terrified on him . Not sure if we can deal with it anymore as it seems like it’s escalating . He’s quite a stubborn dog who needs a firm hand and just don’t want it to escalate to the point my husband gets really bitten properly. He is currently permanently leashed in the house and makes not contact with my husband at all. Which I think makes things worse. Considering rehoming sadly


Yes, as others have mentioned: impulse control. That's what Bug needs to master. (ha) My Bernie has the same issue when we go for our morning walk. He starts bunny hopping, twirling, and goes for the lead or the hand or whatever is in the way of him getting out. we have been working on it, and it's getting better. here is what I do:

1) show no emotion
2) matter of factly only give him his lead to take to the gate when HE shows no emotion and is sitting. I don't care if it takes all morning.
3. trade him a kibble for the lead, with the command TRADE.
4. only clip the lead if he is stable and sitting.
5. Open the gate and immediately make him SIT, for a kibble. Then we WALK.

Some variation of that may help in ur situation. I would not rehome a dog for being excited and happy to see you. It's what untrained dogs do.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

8 year old thread but a good read. I wonder how it all worked out for several of the posters here. Most of them are gone and a 15,000 post member was banned for some reason


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## herojig (Apr 3, 2013)

WNGD said:


> 8 year old thread but a good read. I wonder how it all worked out for several of the posters here. Most of them are gone and a 15,000 post member was banned for some reason


Ha! Thx! I have to train myself to look at dates... I'm hopeless in that regard. If only I could teach one of the dogs to read. But yes, I hope the ghost of Bug is resting in peace, along with any humans that passed.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I really miss dogsnkiddos. Just a wonderful human being.


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