# Help: 10 week old showing signs of aggression? Did I get a bad dog?!?



## Ecurt (Mar 12, 2013)

So my pup will be 10 weeks tomorrow, we have had him since he was 6 weeks. (I know now that that was too early). He has been growling and snapping at my daughters from time to time (3 and 6). It is over toys, bones, food or water. He does it if they grab his collar. He will do it to me as well sometimes, but I pin him down and say NO! I am teaching my kids to not take things from him, leave him alone when eating and drinking etc. But this is unacceptable in my home. I dont know what to do. I cant seem to find helpful information on it. I need to know exactly what I should do when he does this. Should I be pinning him down on the floor? (I am not hurting him at all) Is this as big a concern as I think it is? I plan on doing puppy classes that start at 10 weeks of age, and taking my 6 yr old with me. Can this behavior be stopped? Is it normal for puppies to act like this? His parents were both 95 lbs and I do not want a 95 lb dog who is aggressive at all. My 6 yr old is sweet as pie and the perfect dog in my opinion. She never, ever even growls at my kids. What do you think? Should I get professional help? Do you know what I should do when this happens? He is crate trained and does not have free reign in the house. He is supervised when out, but these things still manage to happen. We have a lot of people at home sometimes and it can get chaotic. HELP


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## Mary Beth (Apr 17, 2010)

I would talk to a trainer and have a home visit. With such a young pup, I wouldn't do the alpha rollover. I don't think the pup understands what he is doing wrong. He is just a baby himself. Also, I do think that your children should not bother the pup when he is eating, drinking, napping. If they are too young to understand, then the pup should be fed in his crate. Also, I would use a baby gate to have the pup in one room where he can eat, drink, nap, and the children can't bother him. I would also talk to the breeder. It is possible this pup may turn out to be a dog that will not do well with children. The pup is young and can be rehomed. You may want to conisder an older dog that you know does well with children.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

I would not keep this dog.


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

It can be very normal for pups to " talk back" when corrected. My puppy will bark at me when I tell him "No" it is normal. 

Without seeing your pup in action it is not possible to tell you if you are dealing with normal puppy jerkiness or true aggression. What I can say is that 10 week old pups rarely are truly aggressive. I can only go from from my experience raising multiple working line GSD. 

Everyone if them has been bratty, pushy, barky and a bit snappy at some point. 

It is all in how you handle it. If you get worked up, frustrated, angry, things get worse. Teach the kids how to redirect, correct if needed ( which should be a firm "no" followed by shoving a toy in his mouth) and how to stay calm. 

My pup hates for me to hold him by the collar. He will buck and fight. I stay calm, keep holding it and wait for him to give. Then it gets let go. 

Talk with a trainer, go to puppy classes, keep socializing and setting appropriate expectations and boundaries and things should be fine. 

That said, bratiness gets worse before better. Puppies get brattier and mouthier before they settle. Make sure everyone in the family is equipped to handle the terror that is a GSD puppy. 

Good luck!!


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## mego (Jan 27, 2013)

The pinning can increase his reactions like that. You put your hands on him, he may think its okay to put his teeth on you - at this point. He sounds like he doesnt realize you and your family are the ones giving him his bones, toys, water. NILIF is something you might want to look up Nothing in Life is Free


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## Muskeg (Jun 15, 2012)

Based on what you said this is not the right pup for you.

This pup is not going to turn into what you want no matter what you do and you are only going to end up trying to re-home an adolescent dog at some point. In my opinion. 

Sure, there's tons of stuff you can do but it takes work, time, and patience,and an inexperienced home with two young children is not the right place for it.


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## EmeryGSD (Mar 8, 2013)

Don't give up on him. He is still young and trainable. My girl was like this. Now she is nothing but sweet and 100% non aggressive!


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## Ecurt (Mar 12, 2013)

Thank you to everyone who responded. I really do not want to get rid of him. Should the breeder take him back? I paid a lot of money for this guy, and my kids ( 3,6,13,15) all love him. 

He does not do this all the time, but enough to concern me. He is very smart and wants to please me. So gdssar , I should be redirecting him and saying no? Should I have my 6 yr old working with him? I figured that would help the situation if he saw her as a leader. Or should I keep them separated? Thats almost impossible. My 3 yr old just screams and runs. I try to keep her separate. Of course he wants to chase her.


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## Jack's Dad (Jun 7, 2011)

Does your pup have a pedigree that you could post. I can't help with that but there are people on here who can and sometimes the pedigree can be an indicator of what is to come.

I'm concerned with a breeder who lets the pups go that young. Makes me wonder what else they may have taken shortcuts on.

Everyone loves puppies and doesn't want to get rid of them but you have very young children. 

The puppy is so young it's hard to say what is right.


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

It is tough with young kids. They do not have the capacity to understand that their behavior can be the cause of a puppies bad behavior. 

I would have the 3yo feed the dog and maybe help with brushing and stuff, but other than that not too much exposure during the obnoxious puppy behavior. Your 6yo should be old enough to understand how to respond to bad behavior. Teach him/her to stay still when the puppy acts up/grabs clothes/barks/growls and have him/her call for a parent to step in. 

Kids are amazingly exciting for young dogs, they screech, run, tug, drag, flop and behave like the greatest live action toy. To a pup they are endless fun. To a child, endless bites and scary. 

A tired pup is a good pup. You and your spouse should be tiring the puppy out with lots of play, mental exersise, and stimulation before allowing them be around the kids. 

A fun game the whole family can play is the recall roundabout. Put the pup on a very long leash and have the family stand in a circle and call the pup and treat when the pup comes. It's fun. 

You and your spouse need to make sure the pup understands that the baby human demands respect. He should learn to give him/her a few feet distance. That means, during all interaction, you guys are there. And if the pup gets overwhelming, bitey over stimulated, you two jump in, correct with a "no" and with your body ( to back him off) and then reward with a treat or toy. 

Your puppy is 10 weeks old. He is learning. He is trying to figure out his place. You have very young kids. Kids, by nature are in your face, loud, annoying and, yeah kids. Teach the pup respect, the kids respect and you will be rewarded with a dog that loves your kids 

One more thing. Don't allow your kids, of any age, to bug the puppy when eating,drinking, or sleeping. Everyone needs to learn boundaries. The pup needs to learn that the kids bring good things, not bother, teasing or over exuberant play. It's a two way street. 


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

OMG folks this is a puppy. This is not a temperament issue it is a training issue. 

Keep the 3 year old away from the puppy. She is too young to know how to deal. 6 year old should only be around puppy when she is supervised closely. If you can't keep kids and puppy separate, then re home the puppy. 

You can send him to me, I'll take him.


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

What does the breeder say?

It is very odd to see resource guarding in a puppy that young. THere is a very good book on resource guarding called, "Mine!" For now you can put him in his crate when he's got a high value resource like a bone and be sure to do a lot of trading up, teaching him that when he gives you something he gets something better in return. 

Until you can get the resource guarding under control I would keep him separate from your kids. Just keep him leashed to you at all times when he's out of his crate so that you can control him. 

Do NOT pin him on the floor--that can escalate the behavior and it's really not very effective at anything except making the dog think you're unpredictable and scary. 

I think you also need to start Nothing in Life is Free right away, even if he's just sitting for everything and make sure everyone in the family is on the same page with training. 

And make sure he is getting lots of exercise and multiple, short training sessions every day.


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

No offense, but a 10 week old puppy is too young to for NILIF. He is a BABY. Thus is not a dominance issue. It's a BABY issue. Babies will be babies. Lets not treat them all as dominant 2yo GSD. He is a baby. Give him a chance to learn first. 


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

gsdsar said:


> No offense, but a 10 week old puppy is too young to for NILIF. He is a BABY. Thus is not a dominance issue. It's a BABY issue. Babies will be babies. Lets not treat them all as dominant 2yo GSD. He is a baby. Give him a chance to learn first.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


:thumbup: Not only a baby but one that was taken from his family at 6 weeks. He doesn't know how to act. He is scared. He talks and bites, its his only way to try to communicate.


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## Capone22 (Sep 16, 2012)

It may be rare but there are
Puppies with serious temperament issues. It could be nothing more than a feisty puppy talking or it could be a potential serious problem as he grows. Now is the time to find a really good trainer that is highly recommended and has a lot experience with German shepherds. Get someone in to actually take a look at him and see his behavior first hand, instead of relying on guesses from the board. When it comes to large dogs and kids, I say play it safe. Get help now so that it doesn't become a bigger problem later. 


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## Capone22 (Sep 16, 2012)

gsdsar said:


> No offense, but a 10 week old puppy is too young to for NILIF. He is a BABY. Thus is not a dominance issue. It's a BABY issue. Babies will be babies. Lets not treat them all as dominant 2yo GSD. He is a baby. Give him a chance to learn first.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I don't see anything wrong with having a puppy work for attention or food. Even at 10 weeks he can sit before eating, sit before pets, before going out the door etc. 


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## Capone22 (Sep 16, 2012)

shepherdmom said:


> OMG folks this is a puppy. This is not a temperament issue it is a training issue.
> 
> Keep the 3 year old away from the puppy. She is too young to know how to deal. 6 year old should only be around puppy when she is supervised closely. If you can't keep kids and puppy separate, then re home the puppy.
> 
> You can send him to me, I'll take him.


You can't possibly KNOW this for sure. I'm sorry but I've seen many puppies taken from a litter early with zero food aggression/resource guarding/ issues wih you grabbing their collar. 

Sure, maybe it's nothing. But she has two very small children in the house and to blow it off with such little knowledge about the individual puppy, breeder, owner etc. is irresponsible advice. 

OP where are you located? Maybe someone could refer you to a good trainer/behaviorist. 


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## argo daisynina dvora (Oct 22, 2011)

Sent you a message, check your inbox.


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## mego (Jan 27, 2013)

gsdsar said:


> No offense, but a 10 week old puppy is too young to for NILIF. He is a BABY. Thus is not a dominance issue. It's a BABY issue. Babies will be babies. Lets not treat them all as dominant 2yo GSD. He is a baby. Give him a chance to learn first.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Oh gah I cant believe I missed the 10 weeks part, my bad.


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

Capone22. I respectfully disagree. Asking a 10 week old puppy to respond to NILiF is like asking asking a 5 yo human to understand Congress. 

They do not have the full capacity to understand yet. We need, as owners and caretakers, to teach them how to learn, how to be independent and dependant at the same time, how to respect and enjoy their human family, 

It is NOT all about teaching who is boss. This is a baby baby. They should not be expected to have the mental ability and understanding as an older dog.

Personally I feel a bit sad for the puppy that gets thrown in to a dictatorship without being allowed to learn and grow and make mistakes and have fun, and bite and chew and be rotten. 

Do we "ground" 4 yo humans because they talk back? NO. Babies are babies no matter the species. Patience, redirection and control of the environment are best. 


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## AngelaA6 (Jan 20, 2013)

> Asking a 10 week old puppy to respond to NILiF is like asking asking a 5 yo human to understand Congress.
> 
> They do not have the full capacity to understand yet. We need, as owners and caretakers, to teach them how to learn, how to be independent and dependant at the same time, how to respect and enjoy their human family,
> 
> ...


Don't puppy's have a grace period with their dog packs when they're this young? Like can't they get away with just about anything with an older dog?


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## argo daisynina dvora (Oct 22, 2011)

Also, other than the pm info, you can ask holly rose and she will help you. She is a dog trainer and behaviorist. Her email is [email protected]
She is great at helping or directing you to someone who can help.


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

Capone22 said:


> You can't possibly KNOW this for sure. I'm sorry but I've seen many puppies taken from a litter early with zero food aggression/resource guarding/ issues wih you grabbing their collar.
> 
> Sure, maybe it's nothing. But she has two very small children in the house and to blow it off with such little knowledge about the individual puppy, breeder, owner etc. is irresponsible advice.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Oh for goodness sake.  I can and do know that a 10 week old puppy is to young to be labeled aggressive and resource guarding. 10 weeks is barely old enough to be away from mama. This sounds like one very scared baby and if he is being exposed to a screaming running 3 year old and god knows what from the 6 year old. The adult that is supposed to protect him is trying instead to dominance roll him, I'm horrified, I was trying to be polite but really?!!


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

AngelaA6 said:


> Don't puppy's have a grace period with their dog packs when they're this young? Like can't they get away with just about anything with an older dog?


I call it a puppy license. I don't know what the real term is... But Wiggles just lost hers and she is aprox 9 months. Ivan didn't loose his until about a year. Buddy and Tasha were either more patient with Ivan or Wiggles is older than the vet guessed.


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

I did not mean to imply that this pup is bad or aggressive. I'm actually one of those positive reinforcement people.  I have raised quite a few puppies, including fosters, and mine have all had basic obedience by 10 weeks. That's how I use NILIF, as a fun game. They do something for me, they get something they want from me. It works great to interrupt the regular puppy biting too--you ask for an incompatible behavior (like sit) and then give them their favorite toy to bite instead. :laugh: This is actually how I teach basic obedience--I incorporate it into every aspect of our daily routine so that it's fun and helps improve our bond as well. 

If a dog of any age is growling over food, toys and bones, it is still called resource guarding and it still needs to be addressed with counter conditioning, trading up so that the pup learns that when he gives something up he gets something better in return. That's also part of teaching him that you a fair leader--you don't just arbitrarily take things from him. Your kids have to learn this too so that he gets the same treatment from everyone in the family. It's really a very easy thing to deal with in a young puppy and once he understands that people don't take high value things away from him he will stop doing it. 

Puppy licenses are fine but that doesn't mean you overlook behaviors you don't want in a dog and don't do any training. It means you don't punish a gsd puppy for being a gsd puppy and you don't expect a pup to understand things without teaching him first (rewarding behaviors you want and either ignoring or teaching alternate behaviors with the undesirable stuff).

In terms of the puppy license and older dogs, that really depends on the puppy's behavior and the older dog in question. My dogs have always been very tolerant but if a puppy is really being obnoxious they will gently remind them of their manners.


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## robinhuerta (Apr 21, 2007)

I just skimmed through this thread....and I find myself a little disturbed....
*resource guarding* for a 10 wk old puppy? seriously?
Just "skimming" through the thread....this sounds like a untrained, very energized, nervous, confused, puppy.....who is living in a household of over stimulus, and no proper guidance.
Puppy aggression, as in biting, barking, growling is all normal behavior for any puppy and their pack......hence, the reason they beat the dickens out of each other until they are all separated.
SEPARATE the puppy from the small children and give him/her their own "safe place".
TEACH the toddlers how to properly handle, play and *respect* the puppy.....

Puppies show signs of "defense" when they are uncertain, scared and confused..(part of their flight/fight programming)....otherwise they are generally in "prey & play" mode.....which also can be rough on small children.
If the puppy is too much to handle...I would suggest rehoming the puppy back to the breeder, or finding another responsible home for it......I say this for the benefit of ALL involved.
JMO....


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## Neko (Dec 13, 2012)

He is just a baby! he is just being possessive and protective because there is so many pack members and he does not know his place. I would start puppy classes =) 

When they first start eating without mom, often from the same large container, they fight for food. Well he has all of your kids that he is considering pack members and trying to protect whats his. 

Start hand feeding to show him that you guys "give" and not take. 

It's sad that everyone are saying that he is not the right dog. Our pup is a total shark, acts crazy, and his dad/mom were the same as pups and now look at them? there are babies rolling on those dogs and they are IPO stars. Just takes time and training. He does not know right from wrong or where his place is in the pack.


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## ZAYDA (Apr 22, 2010)

robinhuerta said:


> I just skimmed through this thread....and I find myself a little disturbed....
> *resource guarding* for a 10 wk old puppy? seriously?
> Just "skimming" through the thread....this sounds like a untrained, very energized, nervous, confused, puppy.....who is living in a household of over stimulus, and no proper guidance.
> Puppy aggression, as in biting, barking, growling is all normal behavior for any puppy and their pack......hence, the reason they beat the dickens out of each other until they are all separated.
> ...


Funny, As I read these post's I came across this one. I was just going to say ditto because they hit it on the head. Then I saw it was my breeder where I am getting my puppy from.


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## mandiah89 (Jan 18, 2013)

does not sound like the best situation for this pup right now... OP mentioned that it is impossible to separate the young kids from the pup and the kids are too young to know how to react with a pup.. with the 3 year old child screaming and running away that is only building prey drive against the child (IMHO). If you intend to keep the pup no more rolling over and dominating him you are only enforcing dominance and the pup will be scared and confused, feed in the crate only same with bones, treats toys ect. keep the kids away from him until the pup is properly trained and the kids taught how to properly treat the dog and teach them to give him space while he is eat ect... Also he is definitely not to young to start NILF even just making him sit, or giving eye contact is still working for it... Best of luck


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## sitstay (Jan 20, 2003)

I think if this puppy was removed from his litter at 6 weeks he hasn't really had a chance to figure out what is an inappropriate reaction. So much of that time between 6 and 8 weeks is spent learning how to interact with littermates and people.

So this puppy is now in a household with few boundaries (i.e., the young children have access to him and his stuff and he has access to them) and no experience to draw from. He is confused and overwhelmed because he doesn't come with the "human approved, correct response" hardwired into his little furry head. What he does come hardwired with is not winning him any friends in his new home and the "training" being done is making this worse.

I think the behaviors he is showing are resource guarding, or at the least the beginnings of resource guarding. He has all the classic markers for it-removed from litter too early, plopped down into the middle of a home where he never knows if someone is going to mess with his stuff, grab at him or pin him down and try and dominate him. Continuing down this path will lead to a sorry end, that is for sure.

Poor little guy! But if the OP is open to making some changes in how they live with him, I bet he'll respond nicely. The kids need to leave him alone. The OP needs to counter condition so that he learns how to be easy with all those situations (the bowls, the collar grabbing, the toys, etc.) that experience has taught him are unpleasant. He didn't know the correct response to begin with and everything after that has only convinced him that there is a reason to distrust and guard against the people he lives with.

OP, maybe investing in a good trainer to come in and work with you for an hour would be a good idea. They could show you how to use counter conditioning to reinforce the behaviors you want, and they can certainly show you a better way to deal with his naughty stuff than alpha rolling him. They can also help you encourage positive interactions between the children and the puppy.

I would not bring a 6 year old child to puppy class. I can't imagine how you would be able to supervise your child and handle the puppy at the same time, and puppy class should be the puppy's time. Which doesn't mean that you couldn't go home and teach your 6 year some of the things you're learning in class! That would be a great idea. But the puppy needs your undivided attention in class.
Sheilah


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## Msmaria (Mar 2, 2013)

I have a 11 week old pup. Also came to us at 6 weeks. 3 weeks ago started taking away my other dogs toys and acting protective. He has just had his 3 rd obedience class and also doing some NILF. Nothing hardcore just that he can't have a toy without sitting and being given the command to have it. Waiting for food command. He has changed for the better. I really do think obedience classes help alot (so does this site) and so does the understanding that he can't be a brat and get what he wants. Of course before getting this pup, I had no idea what NILF was. But it does seem to be helping. My sons girlfriends daughter came over the other day ( toddler 1 1/2 ) and Dex just ran along side her no biting at all. Of course I watched her like a hawk and if I saw him getting too excited I commanded him to down and stay.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Ecurt said:


> My 3 yr old just screams and runs. I try to keep her separate. Of course he wants to chase her.


Screaming and running is pretty much guaranteed to flip that little "prey drive" switch in a puppy's brain, so he's behaving exactly as I'd expect. 

Sheilah's post is great - in addition to training the puppy how you want him to behave you need to teach the kids how to behave around the puppy too. Is he crate trained? If not that would be a place to start, so he has a place of his own where he's not bothered, and a place for you to put him when everyone needs a break and for when you can't supervise as closely as you need to. 

I disagree with a 10 week old puppy being too young for NILIF - I always start from the time I bring home a new puppy, in the way that BowWowMeow describes. That was 9 weeks for Dena & Keefer and 10 weeks for Halo. NILIF is infinitely adaptable, so what I expect is based on the age and ability of the dog, and difficulty is increased gradually, as appropriate. A 10 week old puppy is certainly capable of a sit before putting the food bowl down, or eye contact before before letting him have a treat. I don't expect complex behaviors of a young puppy, I just start reinforcing the behavior I like.


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## Muskeg (Jun 15, 2012)

Nothing is "wrong" with this pup. But I believe this pup in in the wrong situation. Many people have zero tolerance for what they (correctly or not) label as "aggression". It sounds like the OP does not want to deal with these behaviors and that the pup is in the wrong home.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I would:

A. Invest in a puppy play yard. Set it up in the living room. The toys in the yard are the puppies. The children do not bother the puppy in the play yard. 

B. Start training classes. Lots of other people have land-shark stages and you can get a lot of help with normal puppy problems in a good puppy class.

C. Teach the GENTLE command. You really need to work with this pup anyway. Keep training sessions frequent, short, and start with something fun and end with something fun. Start with a treat in the palm of your hand, and tell the dog GENTLE, and let him take it gently out of your hand. Usually they will take it gently when offered in an open palm. An open palm does not give a target like holding it between thumb and index finger. You can have blood doing that. Close your hand into a fist if he grabs. Wait and tell him again, GENTLE. 

Pretty soon he should get it that the treat comes when he is careful. And tell him Good Gentle, Good boy. Now make it tougher, make him work to get the treat out of your hand, but he has to be gentle. Hand is partially closed now. 

When that is good start holding it between your finger and thumb, offering up your fingers to the dreaded jaws and teeth. Keep reminding. Keep telling him Good Gentle after he does it. 

When he is taking the treat out of your fingers like it is a piece of popcorn he doesn't want to crush, you are ready to use the Gentle Command on other things. Gentle on my fingers. Gentle with the baby. 

I also use Careful. It reminds the rambunctious pup not to knock people down to get where he is going.


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