Post by mindierose on Sept 20, 2011 12:23:11 GMT -5
So we thought we were getting Molly at 3 months old, but we got her at 2 months because they thought she seemed ready to go home with us. She is a BIG girl, which we expected, and so sweet, for the most part . We have had her for just over 3 weeks now, and she has really become part of the family. She comes in the house a couple of times a day to visit, otherwise she prefers to be outside, tending to her domain. She really is a natural. She is great with all of the livestock. The kittens however, lol, well I just hope she doesn't love them to death. I have a GP book that I have read cover to cover, and I have done tons of research on the internet in preparation for having her. That being said, we have come across some issues.
1. She is quite food aggressive. This is either from a. Being an only pup, or b. My oldest dog, Cleo, who is a small breed mix, growled at her and bit her for trying to share food with her when we first got her home. Cleo is not food aggressive usually, just didn't want the new guy stealing her food. Since the day we got her, Molly growls ferociously at the other dogs while eating. She bares her teeth and will snap at them for coming near the food. I have sat there and made them eat peacefully together, which as resulted in Molly biting me. Not biting out of play, but growling, baring her teeth, then biting my hand, drawing blood even. She was just 2 months and a week at the time, and boy did she get scolded. I have not read anything about anything like this! I've never seen a puppy be aggressive toward people that way. She surely was not that way before she came here.
2. The biting thing continues to my husband. When she is in the house visiting and he tells her that it's time to go outside, she won't listen. He will walk over and go to pick her up, and she will snap at him, not in a playful way. Now, he is her buddy, so this isn't that she is scared of him. She sleeps on the front porch on her bed, and sees him off to work every morning, giving him kisses and love before he leaves.
3. She is MOUTHY. By that I mean she has major authority issues. Every time I tell her "NO" for anything, she immediately turns around and barks and barks in my face, telling ME off! It doesn't matter what it is, as soon as I begin scolding, she gives me a dirty look and barks at me like mad!
She also does the typical puppy biting/chewing thing, but I never allow it, and stop playing with her immediately when she starts it. After going through obedience classes with our old dog, we have learned how to discourage that rather well. She's learning. She now comes up to me and lays her head in my lap and snuggles. She will get excited and start mouthing my hands, and I immediately ball them up, fold my arms, and say "no bite!". She usually settles down right away, but still tries to "argue" about it by barking at me sometimes.
Any advice on these other issues? I cannot have an aggressive dog, but I really, REALLY want this to work with her. It scares the daylights out of me that she has already been so nippy, especially since I have so many little ones around. She also does the whole impulse biting when she gets hurt, which is constantly because she is SO darn sensitive all over. My little tiny dogs are not that sensitive. I swear EVERYTHING hurts her. Her ears and paws especially. If a kid trips on her while she is jumping on them playing outside, she immediately screams her head off and swings around to bite. UGH!
This stuff is just NOT in the book.
1. She is quite food aggressive. This is either from a. Being an only pup, or b. My oldest dog, Cleo, who is a small breed mix, growled at her and bit her for trying to share food with her when we first got her home. Cleo is not food aggressive usually, just didn't want the new guy stealing her food. Since the day we got her, Molly growls ferociously at the other dogs while eating. She bares her teeth and will snap at them for coming near the food. I have sat there and made them eat peacefully together, which as resulted in Molly biting me. Not biting out of play, but growling, baring her teeth, then biting my hand, drawing blood even. She was just 2 months and a week at the time, and boy did she get scolded. I have not read anything about anything like this! I've never seen a puppy be aggressive toward people that way. She surely was not that way before she came here.
2. The biting thing continues to my husband. When she is in the house visiting and he tells her that it's time to go outside, she won't listen. He will walk over and go to pick her up, and she will snap at him, not in a playful way. Now, he is her buddy, so this isn't that she is scared of him. She sleeps on the front porch on her bed, and sees him off to work every morning, giving him kisses and love before he leaves.
3. She is MOUTHY. By that I mean she has major authority issues. Every time I tell her "NO" for anything, she immediately turns around and barks and barks in my face, telling ME off! It doesn't matter what it is, as soon as I begin scolding, she gives me a dirty look and barks at me like mad!
She also does the typical puppy biting/chewing thing, but I never allow it, and stop playing with her immediately when she starts it. After going through obedience classes with our old dog, we have learned how to discourage that rather well. She's learning. She now comes up to me and lays her head in my lap and snuggles. She will get excited and start mouthing my hands, and I immediately ball them up, fold my arms, and say "no bite!". She usually settles down right away, but still tries to "argue" about it by barking at me sometimes.
Any advice on these other issues? I cannot have an aggressive dog, but I really, REALLY want this to work with her. It scares the daylights out of me that she has already been so nippy, especially since I have so many little ones around. She also does the whole impulse biting when she gets hurt, which is constantly because she is SO darn sensitive all over. My little tiny dogs are not that sensitive. I swear EVERYTHING hurts her. Her ears and paws especially. If a kid trips on her while she is jumping on them playing outside, she immediately screams her head off and swings around to bite. UGH!
This stuff is just NOT in the book.