# Showing aggression, puppy crazy, or trying to help?



## Grangeristhename (Jan 20, 2011)

Hello all,
Granger is 8 months old and earlier today we took him to the beach for his second time. The first time he loved fetching the ball in the water, jumping over waves and swimming like there was no tomorrow. Today started off the same until my girlfriend and him were a little deep and a big wave came and trampled him. He seemed fine because he swam to the shore and hopped back in like normal. 
The problem came when I came close to him he started to jump on me like he was excited and then started mouthing pretty hard and then when I turned around to ignore him, he would jump on my back (his claws scratched my bare back) and I told him NO. He then started barking and running and jumping. I finally got him to settle down with some treats and commands (sit, stay, shake). Everything seemed to be fine but as I was going into the water (around where the wave hit him) he started to jump on me and bark and mouth again. I didn't know what to do because I was stuck in the middle of the water (around 1 foot deep) with him going crazy with jumping on me with his claws and mouthing me and biting my shorts (I had no treats and I can't tell him to sit and stay with waves coming). 
My question is, is Granger trying to protect me because of what happened with him and the waves when he went that deep? Is it puppy crazies because maybe he was tired from swimming? Or is he showing aggression?

Secondly, what do you guys do when you are in public/outside the home and they start jumping on you (even when you turn around) and mouthing and barking with no treats and no where to close the door between you two?

Thirdly (and not really relative) I thought Vizslas were velcro dogs. He doesn't seem to stick to me. When I play with him, he has a short attention span and walks away from me and tries to find some mischief. As they get older, do they become more velcro like? 
Thank you all in advanced. I just don't want Granger to have an aggressive personality toward me or ANYONE or any dog. He usually shows this behavior when I catch him digging or doing something mischevious and tell him NO.


----------



## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Well, it's pretty hard to say what got Granger so worked up, but I think it could have been a combination of fright and overstimulation. That big wave incident was, no doubt, a scary thing for an 8-month-old! He just didn't know what to do with his emotions. He's still just a baby, really.

He will outgrow the jumping thing, I think. Everyone says not to reward with any kind of attention (positive or negative), but when you are out in public, that would be pretty difficult to ignore.

About the "Velcro Dog" thing... In a way, I think it is dangerous to buy into that thinking. My boy, Willie, is a perfect example of what I mean. In the house, he is very much a Velcro dog! But when he's outside, not so much. Willie's original owners might have trusted him a little too much, and that might be how he got lost and ended up in the dog pound. I do know he was never leash trained. That is very obvious. So be careful and do not think that your dog would never stray far from you. Oh, yes he would... if the circumstances were very intriguing and stimulating. Next thing you know, your Velcro dog is a lost dog. :'(


----------



## AfroViz (Jun 26, 2011)

Definitely not aggression. Overstimulation (like *mswhipple* said) would be my guess. I have a pup who's a similar age and she gets pretty jazzed up about birds and frisbees. At a certain level of excitement the nipping-jumping-barking behavior kicks in if she feels like she's not getting her way, or not getting her way fast enough.

I address it by facing her, crossing my arms, and demanding that she SIT! I don't shout or get angry but the world stops until she obeys. When she's calm and compliant the game goes on. That's the reward. I, personally, wouldn't use treats while a pup is acting out.

Avery is getting the idea. I can very rarely hype her up enough to instigate a tantrum with a frisbee anymore (she knows it just makes the game stop). Hyperstimulation around birds is still a problem but I expect it to pass as she matures. Maturity and consistency is the cure for all ills


----------



## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

> address it by facing her, crossing my arms, and demanding that she SIT! I don't shout or get angry but the world stops until she obeys


.

In this training of my pups, it became part of the routine, while playing, to STOP and make them wait (sit) until I started the game again. I tried to do this BEFORE it gets crazy. Three minutes of play, then sit and wait. Then a "OK" and start the game again. This is a Alpha trait of the leader. You are in control of fun, food, and everything else.

As a pup, not all the "connections" are developed in their social makeup. This is where getting out and socializing in all possible conditions is important. At the same time it is desensitizing them to this big strange world.


On thing you might try. Always start a command with "Granger, (command)."
The word "NO" should be replaced by specific action. This is how a bird dog is trained. A Vizsla can learn a lot of words. Just make sure it is a word and not a sentence. "Granger - Down" in a strong confident tone (no anger) and not "Granger - I would like you to get down," or "Get down you ********** dog." 

Good luck.

redbirddog


----------



## sarahaf (Aug 17, 2009)

My bet is anxiety. Doesn't sound like aggression to me. Rosie does this thing where she jumps up and looks at us intently when she wants to be removed from a situation that frightens her (including being dropped off at daycare). She has also occasionally done that (including as a very young puppy) when she is tired or hot during a walk, almost seeming to implore us to bring her home. From your description of the jumping and clawing, it kind of sounds like a semi-panic. So on that point, I agree w/ Ms. Whipple. He was likely grasping for the safe person in the face of those scary waves. Just a guess, of course, but that's what I picture from your description.


----------

