Aggression and Biting

gigimarie

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Hello. Looking for some advice. My male puppy is 41/2 months old. We got him at two months old. He initially had Giardia which was treated and resolved. We are still working on potty training. He has frequent accidents which the vet said is normal for this age. He is crate trained and spends a fair amount of time in the crate mostly due to house training issues. We keep increasing his time out of the crate and spend a fair amount of time outside when the weather is good. Lately, he has been biting a lot and growling at the kids. He chews anything he can find. I thought at first he was just teething and that this is normal puppy behavior but now I feel it may be aggression. He growled at my 10 year son tonight and bit him when he tried to put him in his crate. He did not break the skin thank goodness. He constantly nips at my 4 year olds fingers and toes and bit him as well yesterday. He also nips at me and my husband. I don't allow my four year old to be alone with him and remove him when he bites. I also have a squirt bottle with water that I use when he becomes aggressive. He stops when he sees the bottle but his biting is pretty constant. He is very playful and likes when the kids chase him and play fetch. He has made some progress with commands. He comes when he is called, pees on command, and sits when given the command. He can be very sweet and loves when my 10 year old rubs his belly. We are home most of the time, as I am home with the kids remote learning. I am admittedly a novice. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thought about taking him for training. However, it's a little difficult with Covid restrictions and no one to watch the kids. Thanks in advance for any advice.
 

FroxerMom

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My Frenchie will be 4 years old next month and we adopted her when she was a year old. She is VERY mouthy and nips at my almost 8 year old daughter often while overly excited and playing. A stern "NO!" then offering something she CAN chew on, usually stops it. I would definitely continue to supervise your dog when he is around any of your children at all times, like you already are doing. Some of it can be puppy behavior and simply not knowing what is appropriate yet, and it sounds like he is responsive to some training. Instead of a squirt bottle, maybe try redirection and positive reinforcement with a high value food treat. If he nips at the kids, say "NO!" and immediately distract him and offer a bone or something he is allowed to chew. Once he does focus on the bone, then offer praise and a treat. I just want to add a general safety message that I'm sure you already are aware of... please also never allow kids to lay on dogs, "ride" dogs, hug dogs around the neck, or approach dogs from behind. All of those actions invite a dogs' natural instinct to snap/bite/nip. Good luck!
 

davidh

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Some of the growling and biting is puppy play. But when they growl or bite when you take a toy away, or put them in their crate, that is different and should be handled with a stern NO!!! I have even grabbed their face and look them in the eye and said NO!!! Don't let him get away with it. It usually takes awhile, but persistence is key and eventually he will get the idea that it is not acceptable behavior. He is a child and is testing you, just like your kids will. He needs to learn his limits.
 
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