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Please help! Cane corso puppy very mean and aggressive

So my wife and I got a cane corso puppy about 2 weeks ago, she is now 9 weeks old. Sometimes she is a very sweet dog and other times she is crazy. I know puppy's usually bite until you set them straight but Maci goes crazy. It's like she has something wrong with her, if we pick her up she tries to attack us. This only happens about 50% of the time but yesterday she bit my wife and then she bit me several times and drew blood. We have tried everything that the internet says to do and she still isn't getting it. My wife has even talked about getting rid of her and I really don't want to do that because this is supposed to be my dog. We want her to protect us we don't want to be scared of our own dog. We have a shish tsu and a goldendoodle and they get along great with maci and maci loves them. I just don't understand why she is acting like this when all we do is give her love and take great care of her. We are the type of people that our dogs are our family, they are like our children so we like to get close, hug, and kiss them. When I get close to maci she growls real mean and eventually snaps at me. I think she may have a dominance issue and we have been doing everything that it says to do about it. Please help us figure this out if you have any experiences you would like to share or any tips for us that would be great!
 

Sadies Mom

Well-Known Member
She is only 9 weeks old and was taken from mom and siblings and into a new home with other dogs. Some dogs take a longer time to adjust to a new home and some dogs are not the hugging, kissing type. You need to teach her what you expect out of her. These dogs are hard headed dogs and will require a lot of structure and patience. The mature slowly but grow quickly. I had the same problem with Sadie for a long time, and there were many times I threatened her to take her to the pound:p. Her biting and scratching was so bad that I was asked if I cut my self. She just turned two and she is the most wonderful dog in the world. I am not saying it will take two years, but you need to keep in mind that these dogs are not labs or goldendoodles. Start obedience training immediately. Short sessions, several times a day. If she does not like to be picked up, don't pick her up. They all want some attention and anyway they can get it (good or bad), attention is attention. If she does things you do not agree with, ignore her, as long as what she is dong will not cause her harm. If you have not already, crate train her. They sure can be the Tasmanian Devil at times, but it will get better.
 

DennasMom

Well-Known Member
I double the not picking her up - at this age, you may need to (taking out to potty, for example) - but eventually, you won't be able to, so it's not a big deal.
If you do pick her up and she squirms, just wait it out. Use a towel or blanket for protection, if you need it. Don't squeeze or hurt her, just wait for one split second of calm on her part before you put her down. And be sure you're not hurting her or making her uncomfortable with how you are picking her up. It might be worth asking the vet about it, to make sure there's not a medical issue making it hurt when you pick her up.

You will need to be able to handle her all over though - so I would work on some calming exercises. Just petting all over, massaging the feet, ears, tail, etc. You want to instill calm as you do this and make it a pleasant experience for her. There are some books on TTouch that might help.

I would also suggest (just that, as I don't know all the details, so this is just a suggestion) that she might be over-stimulated and need more downtime and alone time in her crate (hopefully she has a crate or other "den" space that is her's alone). Having a shish tsu and goldendoodle in the house, I'm guessing there's a LOT of excitement in the house. She might just need a NAP. :)

Be calm, confident, and consistent.

When she bites, say "no" calmly, then stuff her mouth with a toy (plushy toys are good, or a rope toy). When she bites on the toy, say "yes!" in a happy voice.
Keep at it for another 4 months, and she should have it down! (Yes, it might take that long).

She's only been with you for 2 weeks and is still learning the rules - so be consistent with the rules, and she'll understand what's expected. Don't give up on her yet.

But - be realistic, too. There is a wide variety of personalities in the CC, but she might just not be an "in-your-face" kisser... and even if she does get to be that way, she might need some time to WANT to do that with these strange giant humans she now finds herself living with.

And be sure to get your wife on board - these are FAMILY dogs, and it will be important that everyone in the house is on the same page.

I'd also sign up for some puppy classes - you have other dogs, so you might not need the training aspect of the classes - but there's still benefits to getting out just you and the puppy for some bonding time and doing some socializing with other puppies in the same age group.

One last thought - check her food. If her tummy's upset over a new food or if she's sensitive to any wheat or grains in the food, that might be causing her extra stress and an/or unstable blood sugar which can lead to strange behavior. An upset tummy might also make picking her up uncomfortable... so just something to check.

And... we'd love to see some pictures of the pack, too! :)
 

joshuagough

Well-Known Member
Where did you get the dog?

Did you know what you were getting into with a Corso? Im not trying to be a butt but this dog isn't anything like your other two.

That can be a great thing or a nightmare if your not ready for it. It sounds like you have a high drive CC, pups arent aggressive.
 
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Hector

Well-Known Member
The biting is because the puppy has poor bite inhibition. You have to teach bite inhibition. The pup is biting as hard as she would another littermate. Human skin is easier to puncture than a dog's. The dog is acting aggressive when you pick it up because it is probably at a time where she is riled up. Start using a mark and reward system and enforcing rules. These rules have to be taught with patience and consistency. Train calmness and work on body handling exercises. Here are some videos

biting
[video=youtube;c77--cCHPyU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c77--cCHPyU[/video]

body handling
[video=youtube;cwxWlIhkX6I]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwxWlIhkX6I[/video]
[video=youtube;oagptaabnGQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oagptaabnGQ[/video]
 

irina

Well-Known Member
Sounds exactly like Ajax used to be at that age. He has gotten much better now at 7 months, but keeps testing his limits every day. Consistency is the key, but I know exactly how you feel. He is not the cuddly kissy type either. As said above, start puppy classes ASAP and at home training. Our trainer taught us the "puppy hug" that worked very well when Ajax got into his crazy spells. The dog is in standing position. You would be on your knees. Put one hand under her belly, one over her chest, and hold the puppy close to you without hurting, but strongly enough to keep her from escaping. She will most likely struggle at first. You have to keep holding until she calms down, you feel her relax and maybe sigh. Then give a sit command, help her sit if she does not know the command yet, pat and praise her, then release. Something to try... Keep us posted of your progress.
 
Thanks everyone for the suggestions, experiences, and tips. I will definitely put them all to use. I have a trainer coming over tomorrow night so I will keep you guys posted on that also. I put some pictures of our pack on my profile if any of you are interested. Again thank you so much and I will keep you all posted :)
 

cayeesmom

Well-Known Member
joshuagough; Did you know what you were getting into with a Corso? Im not trying to be a butt but this dog isn't anything like your other two. That can be a great thing or a nightmare if your not ready for it. It sounds like you have a high drive CC said:
Agree with Josh, pups at that age are not aggressive, Possibly a dominate pup with a high drive. Nothing like a goldendoodle
 

Siloh

Well-Known Member
Several posters already covered what I'd like to say, but I'll say it anyway in my own way.

A) Hugs, kisses, and affection.
These behaviors are very human. I won't let 90% of dogs lick me because the majority of the time they are not being "loving," they're being invasive and disrespecting my space, which to many dogs says you are weak or a peer. I am not a peer. I am a human.

These are the things you gain when you achieve a calm, balanced, attentive, respectful dog. It is likely your new CC is not like a King Charles Spaniel, a pug, or another dog breed bred almost exclusively for companionship. These dogs are easier to keep submissive and respectful with limited discipline and exercise. Your dog is a working dog.

The best way to show affection for a rambunctious puppy who is testing the limits is to stimulate and challenge him. This is a double win, maybe triple, because you are earning respect (and thus trust) as well as giving affection in the sense that you are fulfilling a basic need for your puppy (working, meeting challenges).

B) Mouthing, biting, attacking, growling.
Mouthing is a major problem I've been having with my puppy. He isn't aggressive, but he does to over the line when he is too excited or too tired (usually the latter). I have spent hours reading and watching various methods of breaking this habit. Just these past few days, his issues have dramatically lessened, but it took a combination of many methods at different times to figure out what works when. Mostly, positive reinforcement for good behavior (sniffing, a lick--and I am saying EVERY time the pup sniffs instead of mouthing skin gets calm praise or a toy or food along with his cue word), stern "No" or comparable cue word for negative behavior ("Hey!") for undesirable behavior followed by abruptly going limp or making the affected extremity immobile (lifeless). When she releases the extremity, simply ignore her by standing up and looking around the room and not moving your position, preferably in a relaxed but solid stance (arms crossed, legs shoulder length apart, or a similarly empowered resting pose). When the puppy sits or relaxes, offer a hand calmly and see if she sniffs or bites, then react with appropriate reinforcement. I will accept a single lick if my pup is sitting with his head down or otherwise is very relaxed. I am wary of licking, particularly several licks or excited state licking, because I have heard an alpha will lick a dog after biting it to heal the pack energy. I have also suspected seeing this in action between a dominant dog in a pack and its inferiors.

Sometimes if I am having trouble controlling my puppy's excited state or if I am having problems with multiple of my pack's members I will turn this rowdy-and-rough "play session" into a training exercise by getting out food or taking the you being focused on and working on following commands (I am using operant conditioning/positive reinforcement methods). This is another of the many double-wins in enriching your dog's life, because it productively focuses their attention while redirecting their energy. This also separates for me if my pup is truly energetic or cranky and tired, because this will not hold his attention or much improve his behavior if he is actually just exhausted and overstimulated. After about 15 minutes of fun training, all my dogs are in a more calm state due to the energy learning and performing takes (they also bond during these exercises, so any bickering is stopped because they are focused on the same goals and in the same state of mind).

It is important, I think particularly with a powerful breed, that an owner is constantly conditioning for calm-is-stasis. It is good for the dog (who doesn't like feeling relaxed and fulfilled?) and for the owner, neighborhood, community, etc. I find it's easy to get a normally calm dog excited circumstantially than to get a normally excited dog circumstantially calm, and I also find that my circumstances usually call for a calm state dog. Because of this, absolutely everything my pup wants from me come with three conditions on his part: relaxed submissive state, sitting, and calm and focused eye contact. Food, going through doors, being given a toy directly (even to play tug), walking... These conditions apply. Even my presence and attention requires at least a calm state if not sitting and eye contact.

I don't know if this sounds like help or a tirade, but I think it is effective and healthy.

Good luck!