# Pup food aggression and other unsettling signs



## doggal (Jan 29, 2010)

I've posted a few threads about my new puppy who is 11 weeks and I got her 8 days ago. From a reputable kennel, well socialized with kids, dogs and visitors.
In this past week I've witnessed some behaviors that I'm not liking. Lena was previously fine with her food - I always practice taking it away several times during meals and she had no reaction. Today however, she growled the "I mean business" growl and I could easily see her snapping or worse at someone other than me. Also, one of my cats was up on the counter eating, paying no attention to Lena and Lena's food dish was nearby. Lena barked a scary ferocious bark and lunged at the counter, and I've no doubt if she could have gotten to him it might have been vicious.
She also harasses my goats and has grabbed/bitten them.
She still barks at times at my mom and often doesn't want anything to do with her.
Also, she goes into her crate every night and still eight nights later is whining/barking, takes her 30-40 minutes to quiet down. She was crate trained at the breeder's and I also put her in for an hour and half during the day, so it's not like she's unused to it. I never had any puppy put up a fuss at night for more than 3 nights. 
Other things - she's quite aggressive with my cats and goats - not just the nipping thing.
I understand puppies go through stages and much can be corrected with training. But is this a dog I will be able to completely trust with my young nieces and nephews? That she is exhibiting this behavior so young - should I be worried?
Just have never dealt with any youngster like this and I've raised many a pup.


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## WiscTiger (Sep 25, 2002)

I have never been one to mess with the food of my puppies. But we do work at other times of the day to trade on high value item for another. Have you every watched a litter of 4 - 8 week old puppies eat, it is anything but calm. There is a lot of growling, grumbling, some pushing and snapping and biting. 

What line is your pup, working, showline???

Goats and cats are part of the herding thing. Apparently your pup doesn't want the cat on the counter and goat, oh my what fun to chase.

All of these issues can be worked on, but if you are all ready that concerned that your pup won't be safe, it might be best for all involved that you return the pup to the breeder and find a different pup.

Val


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## gsdlove212 (Feb 3, 2006)

Something I would try instead of taking the pups food away would be to hand feed it part or all of its meal. This teaches the pup that good things come from you...not to be "on guard" because someone might take its food away. If you want her to stop chasing/nipping your cats and goats, then I suggest not allowing it AT ALL. Distract her and do not let the intensity and drive build towards them.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

If you stay home, wait for your pup to do something wrong, then they do..................... don't be surprised.

If, instead, you are PROactive and come up with a training/socialization 'plan' you will be amazed how suddenly your puppy is set up to be a 'good dog' rather than you wandering around the house yard with zero management and ALLOWING her to be a 'bad dog'.

It's much easier to train our dogs by waiting until they are wrong wrong wrong and we correct them

But the SMART way most trainers now go is by using the HUMAN side of their brains to change up training completely entirely and wholely for the puppy.

It's based on us sitting down and coming up with a PLAN that's created to set our intelligent and energentic GSD puppies to SUCCEED over and over and over during the day. So they are praised.

PUPPY classes. WAY more exercise and socialization (did you bother to go to the sites I posted on your other thread?  (click here) 

What makes our breed the BEST at search and rescue/bomb/tracking/police/agility/guidedogs/herding/etc. is EXACTLY the same thing that makes raising the puppies WAY more challenging than other breeds.

You are not crazy. It is hard. But it's much harder if you are going thru the day just reacting and correcting. Rather than getting a handle on it and CREATING a motivating and learning environment that is full of a day with many 'good dogs' rather than no no no no no bad dog bad dog bad dog bad dog.

First you need to get that puppy AWAY from the goats/house/yard and go for a long car ride to somewhere new. Hiking for hours in the woods. Meeting hundreds of new people a month (here's my puppy at 15 weeks ( click here)  

If you are going out and you know she chases the goats (BTW, sounds like the BEST GAME EVER and it's clear to me why a bored puppy would do it) then have her on a long line so you can MANAGE her and tell her she's a good girl, hand her a treat, and PRAISE her when she comes to you when near the goats (leash makes sure she can't go far).

See the difference my MANAGEMENT plan gives you? You can YELL and have scared goats and a bad dog with your method. Or you can have a safe goat, good dog, and be TRAINING your puppy to come to you (use the treats) with distractions.

PUPPY CLASSES, exercise, management, playing with your puppy, EXERCISE, sitting down and THINKING up ways to have your puppy succeed in training and be good. Not waiting around and REACTING when you puppy does EXACTLY what all our dogs would do and something 'wrong' that then only gives us corrections and punishment in our training method. 

Stop messing with her food. Just stop. LEAVE HER ALONE. Clearly you are making the situation worse cause she USED to be ok. Instead why not just give 1/2 food in the bowl, and when she's eating put your hand down near the bowl and add some more food? Then again add MORE food. And again and again.

Once again, you will be GIVING her something she wants when your hand is near her. Not taking something away. Your GOAL is supposed to be that she's fine when hands are near or food so if you HAVE to take it away or be near her bowl she is ok. You goal should NOT be 'it's my world and my dog needs to know I'm boss so I can do anything I want whenever no matter what rules are rules I AM THE BOSS'

You will be the SAME boss when adding food and she allows it, but it's in a way she understands that isn't mucking her up and getting her panicked and later hating to eat when you are near.

Frankly, if she's too much dog for you, I'd do exactly what's been recommended:



> Quote:All of these issues can be worked on, but if you are all ready that concerned that your pup won't be safe, it might be best for all involved that you return the pup to the breeder and find a different pup.


Maybe stay away from GSD's while you gain the knowledge and experience to raise something a bit easier. Heck my first puppy was a yellow Lab and I thank goodness I started off so easy!


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## doggal (Jan 29, 2010)

I'm happy to admit when I'm wrong. My longtime practice of removing the food bowl a few times I guess wasn't right. 
I was just concerned that actually biting the animals (her chasing and nipping isn't a big deal) might be a worry.
As for taking long hikes, etc, yes, that is exactly what I do with my dogs. However, the snowy, frigid weather in my area this past week has made that difficult. 
I'm looking into puppy classes.
I'm on a learning curve here and am appreciative of the insight and help.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

> Quote: just concerned that actually biting the animals (her chasing and nipping isn't a big deal) might be a worry.


It IS a big deal, so you are right that you need to manage this (for the goats sakes).

But what we want to stress is that it's NORMAL and I know my dogs would do it. But when they are so young that the 'fun' is going to outweigh their 'obedience' we need to learn to manage this so it doesn't ramp up to an injured goat down the line.


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## doggal (Jan 29, 2010)

Gottcha


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