Puppy attacking and biting

[zoomiecraziness]

My puppy is 10 weeks today. Occasionally when he gets over stimulated he goes beserk. I just took him into the garden to do his business and he managed to dig a bulb out of the garden, he was eating it so I tried to remove it from him mouth because I know they can be poisonous. He totally attacked me biting my hand and legs as hard as he could and growling. My hands and legs are bleeding, I struggled to get back to the house.
He's never been this bad before. How to I handle this and prevent it happening again?

Oh dear...it's not going to help to say he's only little...as ours is 13 wks and I know how much it can hurt. Have lots of distractions - chews and treats - as a form of distraction. Licking and sniffing are tiring and soothing for them...so crumble treats up and use a licki mat...
I hope this helps

It sounds like he might have been resource guarding? I think trainers often say it's better to do a swap rather than attempt.to get something out your dog's mouth? So maybe another time 'swap' for a treat?

I had to get rid of all my bulbs as our puppy wanted to eat them!

You are right it is when he gets tired and over aroused that you tend to get nipping and zoomie behaviour. So try to encourage rest and maybe a calm timeout as soon or before thing escalate.

It is a good idea to teach a drop command from an early age. drop some great food on the floor say drop as the dog eats the food. Do it frequently throughout the day when the puppy is not holding anything. When the behaviour to pick up the food on the drop command is pretty solid then you can try when they have something in their mouth eg the bulbs!

To make your life easy through this stage I would go through the house and garden and puppy proof it so you can relax and avoid the situation you described.

Take him out for a wee on the lead to also keep this activity calm and focussed.

it is not resource guarding by the way just an over excited puppy and this too shall pass.

I think because of the age everyone will say absolutely not, can’t possibly be, but imo, I’d say that is resource guarding.

Puppies often show working instincts as young as 6 - 8 weeks and we know that even young puppies have different personalities; some shy, some confident etc.
So I’ve never quite understood why the notion of aggression in young pups is always so firmly disagreed with.

What breed is it?
If it’s a retriever or a spaniel resource guarding is a known genetic issue in some lines.

Try and always swap with your puppy if they have something they shouldn't in their mouth! I throw treats a little way in front of my pup so he has to drop the thing, get up and move to pick them up. Also try not to chase them if they have something as this makes it into a game.

I don't have bulbs in my garden so I don't know how poisonous they are (he loved helping himself to my fruit bushes though ) but on the very rare occasion now when he has something I can't let him swallow in his mouth (like a rusty split peg he dug up in the garden the other day) he won't run away and clamp down as he knows I won't wrestle it off of him and he'll get a treat if he gives it up. You need to practise swapping for treats with non dangerous items so when it matters he will give the object up.

I don't know how long you've had him but the first couple of weeks with our puppy were a bit of an eye opener in terms of realising how much stuff he would just pick up and eat. You will settle in and naturally puppy proof your garden as you realise what he can and can't handle!

Ooh, ouch! I sympathise, puppy teeth are sharp and they bloody hurt!

I would also agree it's resource guarding - it absolutely can start at a very young age, despite what people may say. I would try swapping for a treat or toy - then eventually you add the word "swap" or "drop" and he should start doing it freely - although mine is nearly three and I sometimes still need bribes in my pocket

Remember to make sure your pup has lots of rest - they need about 18 hours of sleep a day (including their overnight) and should only really be awake for a couple of hours maximum before having a nap.

Thanks everyone, lots of useful advice. We've had him 2 weeks. We're learning every day!

He's being lovely and very well behaved today

Vanillaandhoney if a dog has resource guarding there is no way on earth that you can swop the item for another. Resource guarding is a major behavioural issue that often needs a behavourist to sort it out. If it is not treated correctly can have very catastrophic consequences.

OP your dog does not have resource guarding

OP do not teach a drop to a dog or puppy when it has an item already in its mouth (well you can but it will take you ages and build up frustration in the dog) Teach the drop without items as described up thread.

If you have a resource guarding dog you would never work with teaching a swop,more likely to teach a hand touch, a "lets go" to move the dog to a new location, without force, retrieve and drop. Also hugely important would be looking at general anxiety and stress levels in the dog.

Ours thought it was a game so we’d make sure we didn’t chase or turn it into a game but would do something more interesting that would make her forget about the thing she’d found, socks usually, so run away with a toy from her so she’d chase.

It’s a good idea to always run away from rather than chase! She or he will follow you. You might have to dance like a loon a bit.

Try and encourage them to sleep and to chew good things. Lots of chews on rotation. Ours liked frozen tea towels and almost empty yoghurt pots and fresh and frozen carrots and broccoli. Anything brought out of the fridge or freezer with a ‘ta da!’.