# barking and baring teeth/biting 3 month old



## ShoBoudreau (Aug 5, 2013)

**You may have seen me ask questions before, but its like every couple weeks its something new with my pup. He is now 3 months old and is very playful and GREAT with other people and dogs, he just doesnt like ME. 

Im in the process of teaching him to " leave it " have been for a while as this one he just hasn't gotten down as easily as the others, or he is just a plain ass. 
Sometimes he leaves whatever he isnt supposed to be playing with alone, and other times he continues on and going for everything he can get his mouth on. When he doesnt " leave it " I go and try to grab whatever it is from him OR move him away... he does this "roll onto his side so I cant touch him, and snaps and bears teeth at me " I try being assertive and saying NO, but it doesnt faze him and he just bites me as I try to do anything.

He is not like this with my husband. 

I need to somehow show the pup that im also in charge along with my husband. Im on the verge of giving up. 


** As for the barking, he barks at EVERYTHING I do inside the house.. I cant even brush my hair without him barking. He barks at me eating, filling up his water, etc. ahhh how do I get him to stop!


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## Baillif (Jun 26, 2013)

Fairly high probability he just wants to play with you. Also fairly high probability he wants to play with you using his teeth. The barking is more likely than not done because he gets a rise out of you and this entertains him. You can ignore the barking, but if he nips to take it to the next level to try to get a rise out of you crate him for a short time till he calms down. Ignore him when he is in the crate until he calms down then let him out. Then play with him on your terms, because that is probably all he wants. You just have to make sure he learns that barking and biting is not the best way to have fun with you by making sure his end result of this behavior is boredom.

Swatting at the puppy or yelling at the puppy might work for very soft dogs (even then shouldn't be done for the sake of their confidence and your relationship) but for a dog like you have he will just think it is a fun game.


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## MadLab (Jan 7, 2013)

Sounds like great fun

Get a harness and put him on a bungee cord

That is a joke but hey it might work

If you start to act like he is not there he might get the message when you want to relax or do your business. Otherwise put him in a crate so it doesn't get to you so much.

As for biting, sometimes I think you need to embrace the biting. Get a mini tug and play with him for a few minutes at a time. Through giving the dog what it wants maybe you can figure out a way to switch it off when you want. Also these new toys with a treat inside or a kong with peanut butter inside will keep a pup occupied for a while. 

Leerburg Dog Training | Bite Tug


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## ShoBoudreau (Aug 5, 2013)

I play with him quite often, lots of tug and letting him win. He gets his outside time often and I let him roam and run around and do his thing with me near. Its When he gets rowdy and and I try to take things away he literally seems vicious. He looks like a wolf, no wagging of the tail, snapping his teeth, completely unplayful compared to how he would nip and bark at me if he wants me to throw his ball and im not paying attention.

I dont like to snap his nose or behind because it does absolutely nothing for me.. he just gets nippy right back ( completely opposite when my husband does it. * note - he LOVES my husband * ). 

iv tried ignoring him and walking out of the room to try isolation, it calms him down, but I think that he just assumes im giving in. 

Ill try the peanut butter kong. He is obsessed with peanut butter. 
thanks lol


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## MadLab (Jan 7, 2013)

Why do you always let him win. I have heard this philosophy before as many people say it.

To get the tug back sometimes you need to teach him he has to give it up. This is a important in your situation as you can't stop him biting and barking. Better to show the pup you loose sometimes. I'm sure it can handle it.



> I try being assertive and saying NO, but it doesnt faze him and he just bites me as I try to do anything.



When a pup comes up to my female she will put her mouth around it and give it a shake pretty roughly. The pup learns straight away not to mess with her.


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

ShoBoudreau said:


> **You may have seen me ask questions before, but its like every couple weeks its something new with my pup. He is now 3 months old ... or he is just a plain ass.
> Sometimes he leaves whatever he isnt supposed to be playing with alone, and other times he continues on and going for everything he can get his mouth on. When he doesnt " leave it " I go and try to grab whatever it is from him OR move him away... he does this "roll onto his side so I cant touch him, and snaps and bears teeth at me " I try being assertive and saying NO, but it doesnt faze him and he just bites me as I try to do anything.


Your puppy is a BABY!!!!! You are expecting a lot out of a baby. 

The rolling on the side and snapping/barking is NOT dominance. It is insecurity and fear. Your pup does not trust you. That is why he barks constantly at you. You scare him. 

Quit trying to make him perfect at 12 weeks. Walk him, throw toys, play with him, laugh with him. Enjoy him. Take a deep breath. He won't get stuff perfect for a while. Expectations on a baby should be very very low. 

Start with just dropping food as you walk. Make yourself a treat dispenser. If the pup makes eye contact. Praise and treat. ONLY. Make the pup crave being around you. Then and only then ask more. 



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## MadLab (Jan 7, 2013)

Gsdsar, what do you think of the pup biting the owner. Is this another sign of the pup being afraid?

It doesn't sound insecure or fearful to me


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

MadLab said:


> Gsdsar, what do you think of the pup biting the owner. Is this another sign of the pup being afraid?
> 
> It doesn't sound insecure or fearful to me


I responding specifically to the "drop on its side and strike out" mention. The dropping on the side is not a sign of a confident dog. It is a very submissive position. If the OP then aporoaches and is frustrated and annoyed, the pup is striking out of fear. He is already "submitting" and she charges in. It's scary. Plus a pup that follows someone around barking is not being" aggressive". That's anxiety, mistrust. 


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## MadLab (Jan 7, 2013)

A dog or pup can roll side ways pretending to submit to get it's own way. Not saying this is the case but i think you are reading too much into the act. 

The dog doesn't sound anxious to me. It sounds like a naughty little thing.

A pup who doesn't trust some one stays away from them. This pup is doing the opposite from the sound of the posts.


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

MadLab said:


> A dog or pup can roll side ways pretending to submit to get it's own way. Not saying this is the case but i think you are reading too much into the act.
> 
> The dog doesn't sound anxious to me. It sounds like a naughty little thing.


I think we should agree to disagree. The culmination of everything the OP posted, leads me to believe the pup does not trust her. She is obviously frustrated and in a state of annoyance when dealing with a BABY dog. It's no wonder, IMHO, the pup is lashing out. To me that is insecurity. :shrug: 


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## Baillif (Jun 26, 2013)

The letting the pup win is a confidence building thing, usually with sport bitework in mind, but if you want to use the tug as a reward you can go that route too. 

Some puppies have a tendency to get discouraged if they aren't having an effect on you, or if you make them miss the bite too many times in a row, they also have a tendency to require a softer object to play tug with at first because when they smash it in their mouths they have more an effect on it and are encouraged to keep at it. 

I usually let my pups win, but they have to win it by countering or fighting hard. If they front bite, or screw around I'll yank it away. It keeps em honest. The way we play even if the pup wins he comes right back at me with it to keep it going, and doesn't get possessive of it.


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## ShoBoudreau (Aug 5, 2013)

I feel like the dog trusts me? for example lets say that there is the garbage truck driving by loudly, and my pup is sniffing by a tree near by.. as soon as he hears the garbage truck he runs and sits by my side. When he is sleeping, either he is in the kitchen on the floor or right next to me with his head resting on me. 

Maybe he doesnt? I dont hit him, sometimes ill close his mouth when he bites hard, but I praise him for his kisses afterwards. 
I dont understand, he NEVER bites my husband and my husband spanks him, but he is terrified of me when im the one who praises him and gives him treats and spends all day with him playing? He is taking advantage of me I think. 

I also think the reason he props down and lays on his side is because when he does that he is able to bite me and im not able to pick him up to put him in time out. it actually just happened a few minutes ago. I gave him some treats for being good this morning.. when I was done giving the treats he started nipping at me, I told him no, he started nipping at me harder so I went to go pick him up to put him in time out for a minute he laid down and attacked anything that got near him. I took some pictures. 


I let him win tug most of the time TO build confidence. I dont always let him win though. and even if he doesn't win, once i put the tug down he picks it back up and gives it to me. We let him sleep in a dog bed in the bathroom with it open to our room because he deserved it for being good not pottying in the house anymore ( besides his grass matt ). 

I really dont think I expect too much out of him. I just want him to be nice, he IS MEAN.


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## ShoBoudreau (Aug 5, 2013)

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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

He's 12 weeks old, right?

He's a baby. He may be a bully. He may not yet know how to play WITH HUMANS so is doing the best he can with no language and way to communicate. He's speaking Russian, you are speaking Italian, and the communication block PLUS a 'baby' mind isn't helping the situation leading to frustration on both sides.

Calm, thinking, having a plan and being proactive are key. To TEACH him a new way to play with you. That doesn't hurt you.

Key for me is to really exercise my puppies. Not what I think is enough in the yard house. But what REALLY is enough so I can see the difference in my pups behavior.

One of the MANY reasons alot of us sign up and attend puppy classes is because it's a HUGE help in this situation. Both physically and mentally wears out the pup with alot less thought and energy from us. And the fact it also gives the necessary socialization most of us ignore until too late is a bonus.

This is what I was doing to wear my pup out at 12 weeks old, 2 to 3 times a week:





 




 
Hopefully you are crate training. Not as a punishment but it can give you a time out if your puppy goes into wackjob mode and you feel yourself getting angry and frustrated. Just go grab that yummy treat and tear over to the crate with the puppy following you, toss in the treat, puppy follows, and you can get a breather to get ready for the next round.

You start up engagement training yet? Clicker training?

Love this ---> http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...191183-top-training-expectations-puppies.html


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Not sure what you were trying to link/post but I can't get them to open.



ShoBoudreau said:


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> 
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> 
> ...


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## ShoBoudreau (Aug 5, 2013)

I take him out every day for an hour and run around and we will play chase, or ill throw his ball ( sometimes he comes back haha ). He does usually lay down and nap for a while afterwards. We have taken him for hikes before and he loves the hike, but gets so sick in the car. 

We tried to crate him when he was younger, but he was just non stop crying. tried putting treats in there but he knew it was a trick and just sat staring at the crate. 

Should we try crating him again? Just for during those times in the day? He is so good at night with sleeping in his puppy bed in the bathroom.


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## ShoBoudreau (Aug 5, 2013)

these are a few pictures I was posting to show how vicious he looks. It doesnt look like he is submitting and afraid. He looks like a little ass that wont let me put him in time out.

The last picture is showing how I think that if he didnt trust me, he wouldnt be willing to sleep on me. But I really dont know anymore.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

All our puppies look and sound HORRIFYING when they play! And all mine could/would bite and hurt me until I bled.

But all that sound and all that blood never meant my dog hated me or was aggressively attacking me. It only meant they were playing with me LIKE A DOG and didn't realize that my lack of a thick coat of fur meant OUCH and the blood.

Watch this pup/dog playing, trust me, the puppy IS biting the older dog:





 
A 12 week old puppy just doesn't KNOW. So we need to manage the situation while we teach them. 

Have you been practicing engagement? This is a LEARNED skill for handler and dog


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## ShoBoudreau (Aug 5, 2013)

I have tried engagement.. he has selective hearing and just doesnt care about the treats as soon as he has to listen.

If I take him off the leash outside ( there is a huge field ) he just runs. Wont come to me unless I act like im running away, and definitely wont come for any good treats. 

I would love for him to listen and come to me especially act like that puppy in the video with its trainer. Im willing to take any advise and try whatever I can. The dog just doesnt listen. :help:

I do the NILIF thing. Making him stay before he eats, sit before he goes outside or inside.. he does stay, unless he cant see me anymore. I practiced that a lot with him today and he just gets frustrated. 

As for the puppy biting its dad.. our dog does play like that. All the time, but those pictures I showed are the complete opposite. I wish someone would see so they could understand. I know he is too young to be in that " alpha " stage, but there is a huge difference between this and him playfully biting too hard.


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

Forget about obedience training for a moment, getting him to comply. Not suggesting training goes by the way side and puppy gets to act as he wishes. But bring this pup with you when you run errands, get the mail, put laundry away, let him be a tag-a-long in your every day life. Take a casual walk with him, explore together. Don't gush over him but let him know when he's being a good boy, give him a treat now and again. Find what makes him tick and use to your advantage. Once you have this pups attention and he wants to be around you things get much easier...a bond is starting to form. Perhaps a group training class? This is good for obedience but also bonding.

I'm also a huge fan of crate training. A dog needs to accept down time (at least mine does) there doesn't need to be constant stimulation...crate, take it easy for a moment. I don't even put toys in the crate.


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## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

I think MaggieRoseLee is right. It's hard to tell from just still photos but he maybe playing rougher with you because you are his 'best bud' and that's why he snuggles and sleeps with you too.

The other thing is consistency (like engagement) takes time to become established. How long it takes depends on several variables you, your dog, how consistent are you and your family members?

Also you said you practiced a lot, maybe it was too much for him still being so young?

IMHO there's too much to unpack here on the internet....

Really, if you can afford it going to a trainer who can watch you two interact in real time would be your best bet. Feeling frustrated isn't good for you or your puppy.




ShoBoudreau said:


> I have tried engagement.. he has selective hearing and just doesnt care about the treats as soon as he has to listen.
> 
> If I take him off the leash outside ( there is a huge field ) he just runs. Wont come to me unless I act like im running away, and definitely wont come for any good treats.
> 
> ...


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## ShoBoudreau (Aug 5, 2013)

Thanks. I'll keep trying. I'll look into crating him again.

As for the letting him be a tag-a -long, he definitely is already. Although we try to not take him to run errands with us because he gets car sick so fast and throws up on everything, we do take him with us to get the mail since its walking distance along with everything else you had mentioned. 

Any more suggestions on how to at least get him to come to me when I call? Even if I have a treat he doesn't and I know he isnt deaf because he hears me call his name.


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## LookingforLuke (Feb 20, 2013)

From what you've said, it sounds like your puppy trusts you. IMO, I think the issue is that he needs to learn boundaries with you and learn to respect you more. Yes, he's still young but if you feel he's overstepping his boundaries or getting out of line you need to step in and be the firm pack leader. Right now, he's viewing you as a play/litter mate instead of the leader. Don't let him dictate when it's play time. Other people have recommend crate training and I completely agree with that as well. 

I can't tell you what to do and everyone has a different method on how to handle these things but I would recommend scruffing him. Grab him by his scruff and raise him off the floor until he starts yelping (you want it to hurt him). I feel scruffing a puppy is body language that they understand (rather than spanking). Of course, the other half of it is redirecting the puppy to what they can or should be playing with instead and giving lots of praise and love afterwards. I think he just needs to be shown what's allowed and what isn't and it's up to you to teach him. 

Personally, I've had a tremendous amount of success scruffing Luke when needed. He responds right away to it and he absolutely understands that what he's doing is not allowed. Just for example, I've had to scruff him when he would try to chase or play too roughly with the cats. Bad behaviors need to be nipped when they're young or else it can be a real problem as they get older.


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## ShoBoudreau (Aug 5, 2013)

Ill try scruffing him and see if it works!!
It will be sad to see him yelp but I think he has taken advantage of the fact that im not in control. I feel he can sense that. 

Some people will read this and say that " scruffing " will REALLY make him not trust me, but I believe there is a difference with beating a dog, and redirecting his bad behavior to good behavior.


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## LookingforLuke (Feb 20, 2013)

By any chance, are you clicker training him? You can use the clicker to mark when he comes and give him a high value treat. I know you said he doesn't respond to treats but try a really high value treat to pique his interest - bits of roasted chicken, cold cuts, cheese, cut up pieces of hot dogs, licks of peanut butter, etc. If he doesn't respond to "come" or whichever word you've been using, try a different word to start fresh. If treats don't work you can try a ball, favorite toy or a tug rope.

Be consistent, use the same word every time and give lots of praise and a treat every time he comes. Never get mad when he comes or for coming late. You want it to be a really happy, positive association with him going to you. The more exciting you make it the more excited he'll be to go to you whenever called.

Also, start training inside first. Simply, there are less distractions than being outside and the distance is shorter. Start out with short distances and then work your way up (and outside). At the beginning you might want to "call him over" when he's already on his way to you. With any training, make it as easy as possible for him to learn. I could see him running over for meal time or to go outside, those would be perfect opportunities. 

One trick I used when Luke was young (and I still do actually) is crouching when calling. I think the body language of crouching down resembles a play crouch and the pup gets excited and runs over. I would crouch down, call him and open my arms wide as he would run over to me. Maybe you'll have similar luck? 

Regarding outside, if he doesn't respond or listen to you when he's outside I wouldn't give him the freedom of being off-leash until he's earned it. I really think when you get through to him and he starts to view you as his leader you'll start to see the difference in everything in your relationship with him. He'll be more obedient and less rebellious.


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## Baillif (Jun 26, 2013)

Those pictures of your "vicious puppy" are cute. A puppy will make those faces when playing. That is normal it isn't vicious even though it may look like it. It isn't coming from a place of anger he is just doing his thing. I have pictures of my puppy doing that kind of thing at 7 weeks old. Don't read too much into it.


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## Baillif (Jun 26, 2013)

Puppy vicious face is normal.


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## ShoBoudreau (Aug 5, 2013)

Thank you all for your suggestions. 
Ill try them all! 
I just want the best for him and our relationship. 
Gibson says " hi and give me belly rubs please! " 


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