# 9 week old puppy aggression...



## lilygirl (Jun 10, 2013)

So this evening I decided to give my 9 week old female vizsla puppy a pigs ear while she was hanging out w/ my husband and I in the living room. Apparently she liked it a little too much as when I touched it she snarled at me and growled. I then pinned her like my vet showed me for 3 min(he has been teaching me how to imprint on her) put her back in her bed, gave her her pigs ear for a few min and then took it away to see what she would do. She then growled, snarled at me, and barked. I took it away from her and put her in her kennel and she proceeded to bark her head off until my husband came in and pinned her in her kennel(another thing my told me to do if she is barking in her kennel) and not a peep out of her now. Is this a normal thing w/ puppies? We have had her a little over a week and it concerns me.


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## GarysApollo (Nov 27, 2012)

I think you are going about fixing the problem the wrong way. 

I don't take advice from Vets they are good for health problems not training!

I don't like to pin a animal down, you can show leadership with out that. I also don't use a kennel as punishment that is suppose to be a safe place that she likes to be in.

The best way is to just keep taking it away and giving it back a second later this way she knows it's not being taken away. Praise any time she doesn't guard it. This is not aggression she is displaying resource guarding
she doesn't know any better you must show her how you want her to behave.


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## lilygirl (Jun 10, 2013)

She has been quite an aggressive girl from the get go(even before we started pinning her). We have had a few larger dogs over and she shows no fear. She is obsessed with our cat(who has been a total gentleman and just ignores her until she gets right in his face) and my husband fears for our cats safety. She is actually territorial of us when it comes to the cat. You would think it was the cat's 1st week here and not hers. Our cat has been with us since 2008. We specifically got a puppy so she can grow up with the cat and not hurt him. Any tips to help her with the cat???


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## lonestar (Jun 2, 2013)

Lily, you've had your dog all of of a week. Give it some time here, and go slow. I think your expectations are a bit unrealistic.

I agree 100% with everything Gary said, let me add that if you're having a problem with the pig ears, dont give them to her just yet. Start off with a ball for her to play with, which allows you and she to interact playfully. Pig ears=food=possessiveness, especially given her just out of the competitive pack situation.

The cat should be introduced slowly, after she gets a bit more used to the new environment. Look at it from her perspective: She's a baby, she's new to life and has no prior experience, AND she's just begun life with you in your totally new home. Go slowly, keep them separate for a bit, and help the puppy get acclimated to her new home, slowly introduce new things as she demonstrates her ability to tolerate new things. 

Work on acclimating her slowly to life with you and your routine, and engage in bonding exercises that facilitate the bond of trust that is primary with any type of training. And relax, this takes time, be patient and dont rush it.


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

Lily, all toys belong to you, pigs ears and all. It is up to you if you want to give or take the item from the dog. Any time!

At this point, the dog is too young to comprehend proper obedience training. It is acting on instinct, whatever it learned from the litter mates. Bond with her, for now. She must trust you and associate only good feelings with you. 

On possession, may be helpful to try this ebook "Mine" by Gene Donaldson 
http://www.dogwise.com/itemdetails.cfm?id=DTB740EBK

Also, please do not pin any dog... Very dangerous to attempt this form of barbaric discipline once the dog is older. More often than not people end up in hospital.


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## flxstr (Nov 19, 2012)

I took the "all toys and food" method to the extreme, and continuously would remove at anytime and food or toy object I wanted. And made sure my kids did the same.

Now I've got a 6 month old who will bring me her most favorite treats happily so I can hold them and she can chew at a better angle!

If they like it too much take it away and give them things to be less possessive over. Reintroduce pig ears a few months later when you've got your pack order and behavior expectations established.


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## Oquirrh the V (Jun 24, 2011)

Yep, I agree with everyone else. Take it easy and slow. I hold bones and bully sticks for Oquirrh, to teach him that he still gets the treat while I'm around. He now brings me his marrow bones when he can't reach the meat in the center, I scrap it out and he figures out that bringing it to me is a good thing.
As for the cat. Make sure the cat has a high place or separate room to get a break from the pup. The bond with the cat...and you will take time. Don't force the cat and dog to be together, let them work this out by themselves.
A vet tried pinning my boy when he was a pup and it was the first and last time its happened - I found a new vet. I wouldn't recommend pinning. Learn a new way to get your point across. These dogs are smart and deserve respect and strong leadership. Do lots more research. There are lots of positive, great ways to train a dog.


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## TAIsMom (Mar 7, 2013)

Lilly,

My experience with cats and dogs was a long time ago with my wiem puppy and my two older cats. One, a 10 year old mix and the second was a 9 year old Main ****. It did take a while ... not a week or even a month, but they did work out the pecking order in the household ... and it ended up that the 90 lb wiem was on the lowest end. He actually never liked other cats (always prey and caught a couple ... yikes!), but he protected his family and never actually treated them like cats. They were family. Give it some time and let them work it out ... especially if you haven't declawed your cats. One or two swipes and the respect will show up. Just keep bactine or some other antibacterial for the inevitable claw swipes and you'll be fine. If you aren't there then crate crate crate!

Actually I've been thinking about getting a kitten, but I'm not sure how Tai would handle a small bundle of energy like that. 

J


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## TAIsMom (Mar 7, 2013)

Oh, just in case I didn't say it enough ... if you aren't there to supervise then CRATE! A 9 week old puppy can get very hurt by a cat if not supervised! Until they know that they're in it together don't leave them alone. I'm sure you wouldn't let a small pup have the run of the place, but I'd hate to give bad advice. I'd rather be more conservative until you see them snuggling. Then it's ok.


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## Nelly (Feb 7, 2013)

Re resource guarding (can't give much advice on the kitty, sorry).

This was something I really wanted to ensure was rock solid so I started it from day one. If Nelly had something she really loved, I would replace it with something of much higher value to her, praise her for letting me take whatever it was, and subsequently taught 'drop' at the same time. 

She now does the same as others have mentioned - she wants me to hold things for her to chew at a better angle. I can take anything from her but still always give her the command rather than just taking it and I always praise her for it.

I also still chuck something tasty in her food bowl while she's eating now and again or sometimes get my fingers right in there with a piece of salmon so that she knows me approaching her food bowl is great.

I completely agree with others about pinning, it's counter-productive. The head surgical vet at our first practice was struck off for repeatedly pinning adult dogs for anaesthesia... She also ended up in hospital.


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## born36 (Jun 28, 2011)

I get offended when owners call their 9 week old pup aggressive. 

Come on your pup is a baby and has been in your house for a week. It is a puppy of course it doesn't know the rules. Put yourself in their shoes. You and husband are huge creatures to her and here she is in a new place with a strange moving animal (your cat) and it is running on pure instinct. Her instincts tell her to growl and protect food, to chase a cat and see it off so that it doesn't hurt her. Then to top things off if she reacts and goes with her instincts which is all she knows she suddenly has to deal with these huge people grabbing her and pinning her down! Poor girl!

You must train her to act the way you want her to act. How else will she know? Training is not pinning her or flipping her. All that does is teach her that if she does certain things then she will be treated roughly. What happens then when a child or cat does or you even does something she doesn't like....well her reaction will be to try and flip you! Your pup is not aggressive but physical punishment could lead her down that path. 

Instead work on the leave it or drop commands. This takes time. Please remember she is a pup. Give her the time she deserves. Most Vs are sensitive and therefore train better through trust instead of physical punishment.


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## stryker (Dec 9, 2012)

You have unrealistic expectations from a puppy that has been alive 63 days. Oh yea If I were you I would be interviewing for a new vet


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## SkyyMax (Apr 5, 2012)

I agree with the above comments - physical punishment will not work, instead it will create more problems.

9 week old puppy is now totally dependent on you, set her up for success, be calm and patient, celebrate small victories. The training should be based on trust and respect, rather than harsh punishment and corrections.



Nelly said:


> If Nelly had something she really loved, I would replace it with something of much higher value to her, praise her for letting me take whatever it was, and subsequently taught 'drop' at the same time.


You will be surprised by how much progress you can make with tasty treats


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## flxstr (Nov 19, 2012)

Lilygirl - I hope you see these posts as what they're intended, actual wishes to help, not insulting or offensive.

Pinning - not going to help, at all. Once this pup trusts you, and happily flips on her back asking for you to pin her when playing, you'll know you've got her 100% trust and respect.

Resource guarding - Hand feed, as many people as you can, humans are good, they give things. Make "treats" a rewarding experience, so that human interaction is good, and even desired by the dog.


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## VMakes6 (Apr 12, 2013)

I don't have an answer for this or experience, but I like to read suggestions from the "pros" here on such posts  I do want to say that I completely agree with your concern. I know it was mentioned that it's a puppy thing and a suggested overreaction. Our puppy is just a few weeks older and we have not experienced this. Even with three busy little kids taking things from him constantly! I would panic if he growled or snarled at the kids. 
So even though this hasn't come up at our house yet, I do appreciate you expressing your concern and asking about this behavior so newbies like me can learn too!


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## Rudy (Oct 12, 2012)

A Vet : go figure taught you to pin a puppy :

He or She is a Moron 

I am too kind with these words 

With any action adding a forced fed reaction is a joke" 

Yes the mates must respect you and not fear you 

and understand your the Leader of the Wolf pack 

I pinned 100's never a dog

there are 100's of better choices to this application and far greater then this action that will in fact create more fear and reactions soon

The Vets a Tool 

You earn the Lead spot 


over some time spent and skills outside the box must sit in
never with a pin

Anyone wants a thrill pin Ring my Bell

I am willing

and I give more then I get ;D

Think, open your mind read and your actions can destroy a mate faster then any fix 

and send that Vet a WEEKEND PASS MCDONALDS PROCESSED GARBAGE FOR SHEEP ;D

You need real tools

were here to help and support

Real Life fun

not pin and a poke


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## luv2laugh (Oct 6, 2011)

I don't have a lot of time to respond, but I do have a lot of info. I apologize if it's too concise.

I also agree that while I love vets for medical info, I think their knowledge on training and behavioral methods varies significantly. I wouldn't follow the advice your veterinarian gave you in regards to the pinning. 

It sounds like you have a spunky girl with perhaps an alpha personality. I recommend the book, "My Smart Puppy" by Brian Kilcommons and Sarah Wilson. There is a game called the "my game" or "mine." I think it will work perfectly for your pup. They give you a lot of suggestions for training games based on the personality of your pup. The my game taught our boy Oso to sit down whenever we stepped in front of something in a positive fun way. We were then able to step in front of the cats and have him sit.

I also recommend hand feeding her, making sure you walk through the door first, trading toys for treats (teaching basic drop it). So, when she is eating a less coveted toy, you wave a treat in front of her nose when she drops the toy, you give her the treat and say thank you or whatever your command is. As a pup, Oso learned "thank you" instead of drop it. Whenever we said thank you, he would drop the toy for a treat or as we faded treats a little praise. 

Your little girl is resource guarding. You want her to know that good things happen when you take away a toy/treat. She will get it back and she will be rewarded. You want to start with things which are not that exciting (piece of paper, straw, anything) and then move up to more and more coveted items. By taking things away you are only reinforcing to her that she needs to guard it. you could start with the pigs ear, when you walk by, you drop a treat next to the pigs ear, do this a few times so that she knows when you approach as she's getting the ear, she gets a treat. Then you walk over and crouch to give treat, continue until she expects treat. Then touch pigs ear and treat. Then block pigs ear then treat, then finally take away pigs ear, treat and give back. finally, take away and treat. We also used to make oso wait for his water. We'd put it down, have him sit, wait for us to put it down and only when we said 'ok' could he get his water (maybe a second later). This was the same for any coveted toy. 

my smart puppy has a method to teach sit, but you could use youtube, Ian Dunbar's free e-book (which is very good) "AFter you get your puppy," etc. i actually highly recommend his book for how to do crate training. 

I'd also keep her leash on at all times while she is out of the crate, so you can safely and quickly control her if needed.

CATS
- We set up a safe room for the cats. It has a baby gate, so they can jump over and the dog can't get in. They are allowed on the furniture, the dog is not. (now he is. as a puppy, he wasn't). 
- We fed them on alternate sides of the gate. We fed them at the same time. Treat for dog, treat for cat, treat for dog, treat for cat. 
- oso would point at the cats before chasing. if he got in point position, we immediately broke it, saying "you want to say hi to the cat?" in a happy voice. Step between him and the cat and pet them at the same time. if he did successfully chase we would step on his leash to stop him and play "my game" OR have him sit, treat, then get between him and the cat and pet at the same time. 
- Cats always got hierarchy. one of our cats tried to bat at him not out of self defense. We just made the no noise, picked him up, put him in the other room and closed the door. later we opened it. repeat if he did again, but he didn't. 

i guess I did spend time to respond after all. let me know if you have any further questions.


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## Ollywebb1 (Feb 6, 2013)

I've heard of the 'alpha roll' which is a legitimate disciplining technique and it is well documented that mothers of young pups use this to keep them in line. But 3 minutes sounds very extreme and as many have suggested will end in tears! It can be used as a quick 'oi I'm in charge, do as your told' but I think it's a very archaic way of doing things and is only done for a split second. Anything more will initiate 'fight or flight' response and since you're preventing 'flight' there's only one option left!

If you have chosen this breed then you will have almost certainly done your research and this forum is always gonna be a good resource for you to continue learning, as many of us are.

I agree with luv2laugh, it's all about earning respect and in my limited experience its quite often simple things that will help. Things like walking through doors first, hand feeding, you eating before the dog, etc etc helps them learn their place in the pack and start to trust and respect you = no growling.

But don't worry you've got loads of time and I'm sure there will be greater challenges to come


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## lilygirl (Jun 10, 2013)

Hey all thanks for the tips. We are trying the pigs ear as we speak & I have taken it away a few times & given Lily a treat in return. She has done much better with that. At one point she was trying to chew on something of mine & I took it away from her & gave her the pigs ear and said yours. Yay success!!!


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## GarysApollo (Nov 27, 2012)

Ask questions there is always some one here that will be glad to give some advice.


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## Rudy (Oct 12, 2012)

Pigs ears add in attention spans as well  ;D

feed the need


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## TAIsMom (Mar 7, 2013)

Lilygirl,

I'd love to see some pictures of your pup when you get a chance. I miss that tiny phase! So many wrinkles! ;D

J


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