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Puppy aggression

Ken Smith Jr

Active Member
Thank you for the information it was very informative. I will implement. I am starting to understand Gabby more and more. She growls when afraid! As to tell me I don't want to do that. So I just wait and comfort her letting her know it is ok. And she growls when have to stop playing. So then I just stop playing. And tell her no more go to your place. She sits looks at me with her cute eyes and goes to her place.
 

DennasMom

Well-Known Member
I think it all comes down to communication... as mentioned earlier... Gabby is learning human vocabulary, and the humans (and kids) are learning Puppy vocabulary. It's a process.
Sounds like you're both learning. :) I learn more with every puppy we work with, too.

Since Gabby is reacting badly to being picked up, I'd be working a LOT on calm touching... playing with her feet, rubbing her belly (which she seems to like), pulling her ears (gently), then rubbing them (all my dogs LOVE to have ear rubs)... do all the things you might expect the vet to need to do at the next vet visit (i.e. pick up and look under her tail, rub the base of her tail, feel up along her spine, count her ribs, rub all her feet, play with her toes, look in her ears, open her mouth, check her teeth, etc, etc,) and do this as play time and relaxation time, so it's comfortable. Find her "limits"... and work up to them - don't shove her out of her comfort zone (and stop when she asks... i.e. with the growl) - work on expanding her trust and ability to remain calm when being poked and prodded.

Some of my favorite human vocabulary words to teach early are "gentle", "relax" and "wait".
If she already knows "place" you're doing a great job!
 

Nik

Well-Known Member
I think it all comes down to communication... as mentioned earlier... Gabby is learning human vocabulary, and the humans (and kids) are learning Puppy vocabulary. It's a process.
Sounds like you're both learning. :) I learn more with every puppy we work with, too.

Since Gabby is reacting badly to being picked up, I'd be working a LOT on calm touching... playing with her feet, rubbing her belly (which she seems to like), pulling her ears (gently), then rubbing them (all my dogs LOVE to have ear rubs)... do all the things you might expect the vet to need to do at the next vet visit (i.e. pick up and look under her tail, rub the base of her tail, feel up along her spine, count her ribs, rub all her feet, play with her toes, look in her ears, open her mouth, check her teeth, etc, etc,) and do this as play time and relaxation time, so it's comfortable. Find her "limits"... and work up to them - don't shove her out of her comfort zone (and stop when she asks... i.e. with the growl) - work on expanding her trust and ability to remain calm when being poked and prodded.

Some of my favorite human vocabulary words to teach early are "gentle", "relax" and "wait".
If she already knows "place" you're doing a great job!

Yes "gentle" and "relax" are two of my favorite words to teach the dogs.
 

Ken Smith Jr

Active Member
Thank you so much. I am realizing she is just like a kid. When she is hyper she actually needs some rest. So when she displays signs of being hyper. I did exactly like you suggested I speak calmly to her saying the entire time relax. Just relax. I rub her back, her ears, and her belly. She then calms down. I have her go to her crate and just relax a little more not for punishment but just so she understands rough playing is not acceptable. Yes she understands place and will go when I ask or when she knows I am upset. Today she did two unexpected things 1. She bit me hard unexpectedly and I said loudly being off guard no Gabby that hurt. She went to her place and looked at me with her pretty eyes. She just waited until I called her and she came over to me and just rub all over me as she was telling me she was sorry too.
2. I am sitting in this recliner chair I bring out the legs and Gabby freaks out she sits away from me growling. I tell her it is ok. She keeps growling until I drop the legs down. She will not come over to me until I get away from the recliner chair. Now I question was she growling out of fear or was growling cause she thought the chair was going to hurt me. lol I'm not sure but I think I have a very protective dog. Lol
 

Ken Smith Jr

Active Member
Gabby allows me to touch every part of her body without growling. I can even take something out of her mouth. I can also put my hand in her dog food and she will not bite me. She really loves the belly rubs. I will start brushing her teeth soon. Baths are getting better time we go which is weekly.
 

Bailey's Mom

Super Moderator
Super Moderator
It sounds like you have a great pup, and a great relationship. Sometimes the docs are wrong...I don't see an aggressive dog here, just a sweety that wants to please you and is learning what that takes.
 

Michele

Super Moderator
Staff member
I don't consider that rolling, Nik. I also don't think you're one of those people that do not allow their dogs to ever, and the key word here is ever, come to them and ask for affection. At least not from everything I've read. That's where I think some people take it a bit far. I think it's perfectly fine for my dogs to come to me for affection and attention. If I am unable to give it then they should respect that - and they do. The only time I think that there needs to be such a strict implementation of NILF is if you have a dog with zero manners, that hasn't been raised with any rules, or is overly assertive in their method of asking for affection, or if there are true aggression problems. That's not a puppy. Say please and learn to earn are really not much different from NILF and I feel it's better structured for a young puppy. There's a book by Kathy Sdao which is very good (don't let any mention of her faith dissuade you, it's incidental) called Plenty in Life is Free.

If there is true aggression, I would think you need a behaviorist, not NILIF.
 

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
If there is true aggression, I would think you need a behaviorist, not NILIF.

Of course. If you look back at many of my posts in the training and behavior section, I always recommend a consult with a certified behaviorist. I didn't mean to suggest otherwise.
 

DennasMom

Well-Known Member
It's hard to diagnose anything via text blocks on the internet... but... the more info that comes out... I'd say she's just a shy puppy that tends to react with her mouth too quickly (i.e. the hard bite). Her reaction was great - running for the rug and waiting for you to re-engage. That tells me she's still just learning how to interact with the world.

Denna used her mouth to "talk" to us until she was about 8 months old... she used it less and less each week, but it took a LONG time for her to give it up completely. She never bit hard, though, just nips and tugs... snagging clothes, etc. We did a LOT of "YIPE" and "OUCH" noises any time a single tooth touched skin or clothes. She still is very sensitive to hearing "yipe" and will stop everything to see if us humans are still ok (humans are sooooo fragile! HA!).

Vet's are great for medical questions, but behavior is often not their strong point.... I love my vets, but some of the ladies in the group baby talk waaaaay too much around nervous puppies. The puppies need a calm, firm tone to relax, not an ooie-gooey high pitched voice. I think Denna doesn't like the vet because she doesn't understand them... sometimes we get the one that's nervous around her (Denna does have big shiny teeth), and them being nervous makes Denna REALLY nervous... add to that the baby talk (which we don't do at home), and she freaks out... and then then vets think she's reactive and scary... nope... just confused!
 

Ken Smith Jr

Active Member
Hello everyone since getting Gabby when she was 7 weeks and 5 days old. She is growing nicely. She is eating great. She is gaining weight nicely. She is starting to bark and I believe she loves to hear herself bark. I don't think Gabby is aggressive. After spending an entire week with her day and night. We took her glamping (camping in our motorhome) with me and my wife. We realize Gabby barks when she is nervous or scared. Just like she used to growl. She now growls more during play time. She does not growl anymore when picked up (we are trying to pick her up less and less). When she growled before with being picked up her belly was distended and she was uncomfortable. I have her rest after eating now so she is not experiencing the bloated feeling.

I take her everywhere I go. She loves people and she is shy around other big dogs. I think Gabby is not aggressive at all. She responded nicely to proper correction especially YEAH THAT HURTS when she nips or bites. When she hears that her bite is not as hard. Which tells me she understands.