# Help puppy baring teeth



## madcow (Apr 2, 2011)

My little monster is fantastic. But of late we are snarling and baring her teeth especially at me 
She is quite intelligent. She now sits on command, leaves and gives you her paw.
She is coming at me whilst on the sofa . My instant reaction is to put her on the floor.
I need to get rid of this behaviour before she starts to go out on walks. Also she is snarling at out older dog trying to gain leadership I suppose! Do I intervene or let my older dog deal with it?
Thanks for reading this.


----------



## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

If she is not old enough to go out yet, I doubt this snarling is aggressive. Sometimes a dog can look really fierce when in fact it is just trying to initiate a game.

How does your older react?


----------



## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

She was taken from her litter too young to learn bite inhibition properly, one of the reasons you were advised not to take a pup from the breeder that you did. Unfortunately, that means you will have a lot of *teaching* to do, and may end up with scratches and bites from her playing as she would normally play with her littermates and mum. She is not trying to assert any form of dominance, she is playing as a puppy would, so please put any ideas like that to the back of the darkest cupboard in your mind and close the door on it.

Edited to add, apols as reading that back sounds a bit harsh, I was just posting quickly inbetween doing *stuff*, but it is, unfortunately, one of the things that you have to accept taking on such a young pup. One thing that wasn't mentioned on the other thread, or was only briefly touched on, was health testing. There are a couple of genetic conditions staffies can develop, you'll find more info about them here:

http://www.staffords.co.uk/


----------



## edidasa (May 7, 2011)

there must be a reason the dog snarles at you. being picked up, food, toy? holding her too long? 

a young puppy? just do what you want with him/her and then associate with food/toy something she likes. 

don't react to her 'snarling' or her stupid behavior. the more you react, the more you encourage it.

it could also be frustration - where's my food? reward? or i need to do something, i'm getting mighty bored.....?


----------



## madcow (Apr 2, 2011)

She has loads of toys on the floor. Megga chew stuff and softies and balls and our old dog keeps her well entertained bless.
We do not hold her for long periods. She snarls on the sofa whilst I am doing nothing. She runs at me.
My older dog tells her off when needs must, but when she snarls at her do I stop it or do I let her tell her off?


----------



## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

madcow said:


> My little monster is fantastic. But of late we are snarling and baring her teeth especially at me
> She is quite intelligent. She now sits on command, leaves and gives you her paw.
> She is coming at me whilst on the sofa . My instant reaction is to put her on the floor.
> I need to get rid of this behaviour before she starts to go out on walks. Also she is snarling at out older dog trying to gain leadership I suppose! Do I intervene or let my older dog deal with it?
> Thanks for reading this.


Pups bark,bite,chase,play games and mount one another in the litter, canine socialisation is round about 3 to 7 weeks. In the litter, one pup bites another, sometimes too hard, the pup yelps and the offending pup should back off, or if he doesnt mum would step in and discipline the pup to let him know he has gone to far. If she was away from mum too early then they miss out on the vital lesson. Like wise if they get too big for the paws and be pushy with the mum the mum would also put them in their place.

What does your older dog do, when she gets pushy? If she gives her a growl,
or whips her head round and "air snaps" then she is likely telling her enough.
If your other dog is a calm non reactive stable dog and this is all she does, and if the pups taking the reprimand and backing off. Then personally I would let her get on with it, its what mum would do to discipline them and it will teach the pup boundaries. Likewise if your older dog, gets up and walks away and ignores her, or turns away, and if she carries on walks off, then again I wouldnt worry. Its a message to tell her, that the behaviour isnt going to be tolerated. Only if the older dog over reacts, or the pup doesnt take any notice whatsoever and carries on I would then intervene.

Any attention you give her for the snarling can be seen by her as rewards, the main reason she is probably doing it is to get a reaction and attention.
They can also get hyped up to the point they cant wind down and switch off and then the manic behaviour like nipping and biting gets worse as they become more hyped and loose control. When she rushes at you or snarls, fold your arms turn your back, say OFF as your doing it and stay turned away, even just walk off and totally ignore her. If she persists then put her out to calm down, let her out, totally ignore her for a further few minutes, and then if she is calm, get her to sit, treat and give her attention then. attention for calm behaviour you want, No attention whatsoever for behaviour you dont want.

When she is calm, instigate a game with a ragger or toy, the minute she starts to get hyper or nippy, game ceases, with the word STOP. Ignore her let her calm, then resume the game, again calm reasonable behaviour= play
start to get hyper and mouthy or snarly, the minute it starts = game ceases.

You said she sits on command, I would build this to a sit wait, to give inpulse control more. get her to sit, and at the moment if you are treating immediately for the sit, make a pause with a wait command before she gets the treat. You can then build up on the wait so she waits longer before the treat comes, I usually re-inforce all my commands with a hand signal too. With time and practice, Ive now found that if mine start to do loony tunes and start to get hyper and do wall of death round the living room, I can stand stock still say wait whilst doing the hand signal and (arm ourstretched hand up and palm out) and they will stop in mid flight. So something maybe worth teaching.

Hope these may be some ideas you can use.


----------



## l2ahanna (May 22, 2011)

Or dog did the same, but only growling towards us, without teeth. We putted him on the floor. But later it became worse, he just became "mad" when you wanted to take him off. That was the moment we said: no dog on the couch anymore. And that has worked out fine! He is perfectly fine sleeping on the floor. In the weekends he is allowed to come on the bed with me, but only on command. I am not saying you should immediately forbid your dog entry to the couch, but I would not let him run all over you with not-acceptable behavior, the floor is just fine for a dog!

Edit: I forgot to say that I definitely think it has to with leadership. Thats why i think this the right moment to correct your dog and make sure she is anything but the leader in the house. I know its very cosy with her on the couch, just like I also feel often the strong need to ask our dog next to me again, but the peckingorder will be more clear if you are the one sitting on the couch and she just lays below you on the ground. Good Luck!


----------

