# hyperactive & aggressive puppy!



## Sally_May09 (Jun 10, 2009)

Hi there,

We have a 10 week old cocker spaniel and can not let him outside for the next 10 days (when his vaccinations will finally be in effect!) The problem is he becomes extremely hyper and then very aggressive, biting my trousers heavily, lunging forward and going for my hands and darting all over the house like a crazy thing and will not listen to any tactic of addressing him. 

I am hoping this will subside once we can take him for walks and I know he is a puppy and to some degree this is normal puppy behaviour yet the level of aggression is concerning me. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how we A. drain his energy around the house (i play fetch but he gets bored) and B. deal with this eratic behaviour when it occurs?

Also, he gets particularly manic for about 10 mins before he eliminates (not when he wees) has anyone experienced this? Is is normal?

Many thanks for any advice in advance!


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## Guest (Jun 10, 2009)

This is perfectly normal puppy behaviour, I'm sorry but I am off to bed now.
There are a lot of threads on the forum that address this issue.


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## Colliepoodle (Oct 20, 2008)

He sounds pretty normal to me. Do you mean you don't let him in the garden?? Unless you have unvacc'd dogs on your land, then it's fine for him to go outside.


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## 3Wags (Jun 10, 2009)

Sally_May09 said:


> Hi there,
> 
> We have a 10 week old cocker spaniel and can not let him outside for the next 10 days (when his vaccinations will finally be in effect!) The problem is he becomes extremely hyper and then very aggressive, biting my trousers heavily, lunging forward and going for my hands and darting all over the house like a crazy thing and will not listen to any tactic of addressing him.
> 
> ...


This is fairly normal for puppy cockers! If he is mouthing, yelp "ow!" in a high-pitched voice and ignore (including cutting eye contact) for about 3 slow seconds then resume interaction as if nothing has happened. Don't tell him off! Also the 'stressed' behaviour prior to weeing is normal - do let him out in your garden (unless you're in a flat??). Ignoring completely until the puppy settles is also helpful when he goes all crazy. Meanwhile, get a trail lead so you can stop him if he is jumping at things you don't want him to. You can try inviting him into rooms he is allowed into and let him explore (without jumping on bed), and introduce toys to him so that he is mentally stimulated too. Also maybe you can use his favourite toy to teach him how to fetch as my cocker generally quite likes retrieving after i taught her how to! Hope that helps until you get to let him out. Good luck!


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## james1 (Sep 21, 2008)

it is very normal and will phase itself out but look at what food your giving him and make sure its a good one  there are lots of threads on this yes


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## james1 (Sep 21, 2008)

as for the above post, i think the memeber is trying to say let him get accustomed to your house, trying to over pet them (like a toy) just unnerves them ...... they are thinking whats going on!!! pet them when they come to you or are sleeping close, dont just think they are a bag of fun for you. Telling them off at that age is good to do but you have to let them say chew a rug and not the furniture/TV wires so get whats important in place first and let him have a little freedom - theres no point constantly correcting... you can do this when hes more able to understand commands.
do be consisyant though and keep to a firm but fair approach, you have to repeat and repeat ... i find the 4/5 time of asking at that age usually sinks in.
Your shouldnt need to drain the energy out of them, they are usually quite happy to entertain themselves ... as I say look at what your feeding him - a lot of energy bursts and bitings do decrease when they are on a good diet


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## goodvic2 (Nov 23, 2008)

Just a question to you puppy owners....

The social development of the dogs mind is at it's most crucial at between 4-6 weeks with other dogs and 4-12 weeks with humans. (although some argue that it is up to 16 weeks) After this point it is still possible for dogs to learn social skills, but according to the experts, if it is not done in this window you can really hinder their social behaviour.

My question is: Are puppy owners made aware of this when they buy a puppy? 

The reason I am interested is because the OP is basically not allowing the dog out until it is 12 weeks old. According to the experts, it has missed the socialisation period.

It seems to be quite common that people talk about the vaccination procedure, but not about the socialisation period. Am I missing something?

As I only have problematic rescue dogs, I only see the benefits of good socialisation and although agree it is important for the dog to be healthy, an un-socialised dog is more a problem.

Can anybody enlighten me?
x


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## EmzieAngel (Apr 22, 2009)

goodvic2 said:


> Just a question to you puppy owners....
> 
> The social development of the dogs mind is at it's most crucial at between 4-6 weeks with other dogs and 4-12 weeks with humans. (although some argue that it is up to 16 weeks) After this point it is still possible for dogs to learn social skills, but according to the experts, if it is not done in this window you can really hinder their social behaviour.
> 
> ...


I completely see where you're coming from, though I can't really say much on the matter. I got my pup at 10 weeks old and obviously I couldn't walk him for another 3 weeks or so because of vaccinations. However, I always took him out in my arms wherever I went so he could get used to noises and such. I've had no problems with my Lab, who will be a year old in about 2 weeks or so, until recently as he has developed a fear, which we are sorting out.

However, I'm not sure that all first time dog owners are aware about the socialisation period. I knew, even though he was my first puppy as I have lots of family and friends with dogs, but when I took him to the vets for his first vaccination, my vet also told us that it would be a good idea to take him out to get used to things.


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## Colliepoodle (Oct 20, 2008)

goodvic2 said:


> Just a question to you puppy owners....
> 
> The social development of the dogs mind is at it's most crucial at between 4-6 weeks with other dogs and 4-12 weeks with humans. (although some argue that it is up to 16 weeks) After this point it is still possible for dogs to learn social skills, but according to the experts, if it is not done in this window you can really hinder their social behaviour.
> 
> ...


I don't think puppy owners are made anywhere NEAR aware enough of the importance of socialisation. I think most people have a vague idea that the puppy should meet lots of new people (I've seen loads of people at the school gates with pups in arms, meeting and greeting) but after that, it seems to drop off a bit. They do a couple of school runs and seem to think that's it.

Before I got my latest pup I read up on the different socialisation windows and consequently bombarded my pup with new and positive experiences but not everyone is that interested, frankly.


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## Guest (Jun 12, 2009)

It has always amazed me, how many people start to take their puppies out but avoid all contact with other dogs for fear of injury etc. I always encourage people with small puppies to let them come and say hello to Alfie. I don't know why they themselves do not ask if it is ok to let their puppies greet other dogs.
They only have to ask other owners if their dogs are ok


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## goodvic2 (Nov 23, 2008)

It just seems crazy to me. If only people knew of the problems they could face with having poorly unsocialised dogs, they wouldn;t do it.

Maybe they should come and spend a couple of hours with my guys? Should be enough to encourage them!


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## Birdie Wife (Mar 30, 2009)

I'm in just the same boat as you, Sally - our cocker pup is nearly 12 weeks and has her mad bouts of energy, especially in the first hour after she's woken up and in the evening before her last meal. We have quite a big garden that she can run around in though, play fetch and generally run around a bit. She is a bundle of energy (working strain) and really hard work sometimes, but I find that she is picking up some commands now (keeping it all fun!) like sit, down, paw, come - trying these for jsut a couple of minutes at a time before meal times and after play seems to calm her down a bit. We do get so frustrated with her sometimes, when she bites and we try to ignore her but she often nips even harder to get attention and it's painful! So when it just gets too much she has to go in her puppy crate for five minutes for a 'time out' - this saves being tempted to outbursts of anger which benefit no-one, least of all the pup. She then comes out, we do a few simple commands and she's rewarded for good behaviour.

Hope some of this helps, we're still feeling our way a bit and making mistakes but we have a routine now which is helping, and she's able to meet other dogs that are up-to-date with their jabs. Happily, she's a confident wee pup and happy to meet and greet (but we only allow a meeting when she's calm).


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## dohaspecial (Jun 2, 2009)

i have to say it is something that gets overlooked i think. i have been focusing on so many other aspects of everyday life and training that i only just realised we have had him 2 weeks and he hasnt had any proper contact with other dogs. i was particularly worried about his safety mainly as i thought he would be quite cocky and possibly wind up the other dogs. so this weekend we took him to the beach with 2 friends dogs and he loved it! they are big dogs and at first he was intimidated but by the end of it he was runnign rings round them and instigating the play. just wanted to pass on my experience to say that although i was worried for his safety it was very valuable trip and somethign i will be repeating regularly as he really responded positively.


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## Sally_May09 (Jun 10, 2009)

Hi All,

Just wanted to say thank you for all the advice. We had tried some of these things before and there is definitely an element of him taking notice if he is not too hyper but taking no notice when he is off the charts as it were!! Still, I think we were just expecting results too quickly. Thankfully he can now go out (phew!!) which is a relief as being able to give him exercise is a big plus and definitely leads to a more contented dog 

Just in regard to the other discussion about socialisation periods. We were not told when we bought the puppy (by breeder or vet) however, thankfully we did a lot of reading before we even bought the puppy so were already aware of how desperately important this time is.

In fact, he is off to puppy school tonight to meet lots of other puppys and (hopefully!) learn some valuable socialising skills, plus we will learn more too!!

Many thanks again
Sally


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## Dundee (Oct 20, 2008)

> It seems to be quite common that people talk about the vaccination procedure, but not about the socialisation period. Am I missing something?


I couldn't agree more. Good breeders will inform puppy owners, but good breeders are far and few between. Personally, I think the dangers from undersocialisation are actually greater than the dangers of taking out unvaccinated puppies. I take mine out before their vaccinations are complete. Initially they are carried, but it is SO important.

The other thing is that there seems to be a misunderstanding about what socialisation is. It is not just social interaction with other dogs and humans, although this is very important, but it is getting them used to different situations, towns, roads, cars, farm animals, horses etc. In fact, any situation that the may encounter during their life.


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## Sally_May09 (Jun 10, 2009)

I'm not so sure. In all the books and online info we read prior to getting him socialisation refered to all areas - people, dogs, other animals, noises - as you said all the things that will be part of his day to day life. So I think if people take it upon themselves to ensure they check these things out, they will find the advice and understanding they need. I think the biggest issue is when people have not even heard of it....

We took our cocker out in a carrying (not carrier!! to clarify) bag before he could go on the floor to at least get started on the noises and outdoor elements of life movement around him prior to him setting foot (or in his case paw!) out of the house. 

Puppy school a start btw! In terms of other dogs (who he is currently very unsure) it helped his confidence and along with asking owners if we can meet their dogs on every walk from day 1 I'm sure he will come along quickly 

On the plus side, noises don't seem to faze him at all!! Including two thunder storms since we got him - hoorah!!


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## staflove (Sep 4, 2008)

The critical period of development in a puppy is 7 -12 weeks they must see other dogs be around people with hats on walking sticks busy roads so they are not scared of anything, cos if not thats when you get trouble coming your way, some may agree and some may not agree but if your puippy as had there first injection there is no reson why you can not let your pup go for a small walk, but not in dog parks or were there is a lot of dogs in the area a nice quite area not much happening the dog should be fine, we as humans somthimes rap them up in cotton wool and reasure the dog by stroking them that everything is ok.

If there is a loud bang outside and the pup gets scared ignor dont go picking the dog up cos you just said that everytime theres a bang there is somthing to be scared about thats when anxiety and seperation anxeity kick in dogs should see the world from been a pup nothing should faze them if done right


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## Sally_May09 (Jun 10, 2009)

Exactly! These are all the things we have been doing - thankfully as a result of the books we read and their advice. He is already pretty independent of us because we gave him very short time periods alone (5mins then 10 etc) from the day we bought him home so now he is less than fased to be left for an hour or two and his lack of fear over noise is mainly due to us exposing him to outdoor noises little and often from the off. As with all pups, he is so cute getting him to meet varied people is easy as they tend to want to meet him first! 

As for the vaccination discussion, well, as you said everyone has a different opinion, we decided not to put him on the ground, but that did not stop us taking him everywhere!

I think what it comes down to is the people on here clearly care about doing the right things by their dog and want to ensure they find the best info and understand the reasons behind various opinions in order to make informed decisions. The sad truth is the significant number of dog owners who don't educate themselves at all before getting a puppy or dog; would never think you even need to check a book, forum or website in regard to learning about your four legged new friend. Then, of course, the problems start. Sigh.

Thank goodness this forum shows there are many owners out there who take dog ownership seriously and will continue to strive to learn more!


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## winnieknapp82 (Jun 28, 2009)

I get the feeling you must have been spoiling your dog and unwittingly teaching your dog to disobey you but I say to you that obedience is a dogs natural instinct. Wrong dog training can definitely have bad effects on dog's natural instincts to get in line and respect the leader of the pack which manifests in dog's disobedience, aggression and over all bad behavior.

One of the important lessons in advocate is: Always eat your own meal first before you feed your dog and, make sure your dog can see you eating before they get theirs!

The reason why is simple. Your dog is a pack animal and all packs have leaders. Deliberately eating your meals first in the sight of your dog helps establish you as the pack leader and the one to be obeyed in your dogs mind!

A lot of my customers have found this simple tip to be so effective, however its just one part of my entire dog training system and works in harmony with the rest of what I teach.


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

winnieknapp82 said:


> I get the feeling you must have been spoiling your dog and unwittingly teaching your dog to disobey you but I say to you that obedience is a dogs natural instinct. Wrong dog training can definitely have bad effects on dog's natural instincts to get in line and respect the leader of the pack which manifests in dog's disobedience, aggression and over all bad behavior.
> 
> One of the important lessons in advocate is: Always eat your own meal first before you feed your dog and, make sure your dog can see you eating before they get theirs!
> 
> ...


Is your training based around the dominance theory?


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## Colliepoodle (Oct 20, 2008)

winnieknapp82 said:


> I get the feeling you must have been spoiling your dog and unwittingly teaching your dog to disobey you but I say to you that obedience is a dogs natural instinct. Wrong dog training can definitely have bad effects on dog's natural instincts to get in line and respect the leader of the pack which manifests in dog's disobedience, aggression and over all bad behavior.
> 
> One of the important lessons in advocate is: Always eat your own meal first before you feed your dog and, make sure your dog can see you eating before they get theirs!
> 
> ...


Outdated rubbish.


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## Blitz (Feb 12, 2009)

winnieknapp82 said:


> I get the feeling you must have been spoiling your dog and unwittingly teaching your dog to disobey you but I say to you that obedience is a dogs natural instinct. Wrong dog training can definitely have bad effects on dog's natural instincts to get in line and respect the leader of the pack which manifests in dog's disobedience, aggression and over all bad behavior.
> 
> One of the important lessons in advocate is: Always eat your own meal first before you feed your dog and, make sure your dog can see you eating before they get theirs!
> 
> ...


not something I have ever agreed with, thank goodness that most trainers realise it is rubbish nowadays.

Why does the pup have to stay in the house. if you dont have a garden then put him in the car and get out where you wont meet other dogs and go for a walk. If you have a garden then play with him in it. At one time some areas were recommending the 2nd vaccination at 16 or even 18 weeks which was ridiculous and I was encouraging people to get their dogs out regardless. The risk of the dog getting ill was far less than the risk of it having an awful temperament due to not being socialised.


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