New puppy aggression

[NarminM]

we got a new puppy (cockapoo) 10 days ago. At first he was just little fluff ball but then while settling in he started to show sudden bursts of aggression. That especially happens towards my husband but sometimes to me, too. Growling, freezing, jumping and biting. I have a 6 year old at home and this is not what we were expecting from getting a puppy. My son is already scared to death of the dog and my husband wants it to be gone.

You just have a very normal puppy. That is what many puppies do , some more than others but all are bitey and jumpy.

Usually it is when a puppy is overtired and needs some chill time or rest.

Do make sure your puppy is getting plenty of sleep and chill out time in the day.

How old is your puppy?

Hi. Sorry you are struggling. I'm sure someone here will be able to offer advice. I don't have experience of cockapoo's but I do have a 5 month old puppy.

You don't say how old your puppy is or whether you have had dogs before but I think possibly the first thing to try to establish is whether the pup is displaying actual aggression or just normal teething puppy exuberance. It doesn't quite sound normal but I don't know how much you are playing with the pup or whether it is able to go out for walks yet. Also sometimes young puppies can get very snappy when they are tired or overstimulated - does your pup have a crate, a bed or a quiet place to retreat to? Is the growling and biting happening at any particular time or just randomly? If you can figure out a pattern it may help you to determine the cause, e.g. is it hunger or tiredness, excess energy/excitement.

Hopefully someone who knows the breed can offer more help in a while.

It’s a puppy. You have a normal puppy.

It looks like aggression but it never is. You need to remember that the way dogs play with each other is very different to how a dog plays with a human and at only a few months old, your puppy hasn’t learnt that yet. The bites will hurt and the snapping will scare you - but that’s just how your puppy played with its littermates. The freezing and then jumping is likely him trying to get you to play with him - if you watch any adults dogs play, that’s what they do to start a game. Puppies don’t show aggression, 99% of the time, until they’ve hit puberty when their hormones kick in (9+ months).

You’ve got a mongrel mix of two VERY excitable and energetic breeds. He needs lots of attention, games and stimulation. How much are you giving him?

That being said, if you’ve only had him a few days and assuming he’s from a breeder, I would return him. This will get a lot worse before it’s gets better and (being frank) your child and your DP clearly isn’t up to having a puppy in the house. However…given it’s a cockerpoo, and you have a child at home, this likely isn’t an option (because I highly doubt it’s a responsible breeder you got him from) so you could look at Spaniel Aid.

Puppies are nasty little horrors. They don’t mature until they’re about 18 months. So you’ve potentially got another 15 months+ of this.

That's normal puppy behaviour. He's a cross between two intelligent, motivated working breeds, not a toy fluffball. You will need to start training him and continue for the next year at least.

Totally normal behaviour for a young puppy.

Have you had dogs before? What training and socialisation are you doing with him?

The biting is normal. I'd have a couple of toys at hand to offer an alternative.

Teach no as part of your training.

Most puppies grow out of it. My lab is 3 and still very mouthy 😩 but there's no aggression there. More if you have a limb close by he may pop it in his mouth for safe keeping!!

@autienotnaughty does your lab do the ‘suckle and drag”? Where he just suckles on it and licks around it with his tongue and then forgets it’s actually attached to you? My old one used to do it and it was so lovely (but slimy) - sort of miss it!

@Killingoffmyflowersonebyone exactly! I assume it's a sensory thing

It’s normal.

Exercise, is puppy getting enough?

Sleep, are you enforcing naps? Puppies are like toddlers, they get over stimulated easily, they need sleep and you need to put the routines in place for this to happen.

Playing, are you playing with him before he starts the behaviour demanding play?

When puppy bites, first move away. That needs to be the immediate reaction. Then offer something else. A chew toy, a tug toy, take outside for a run around, etc. Don’t make this redirection a reward for the biting, that’s why you move first.

If all of this doesn’t work, enforce a time out for biting. Put puppy in another room, wait for them to calm right down before you let them back in.

But also, this is what puppies are: really really hard work! Are you working with a trainer, do you really have the time, energy and emotional capacity to put in to this puppy? Puppies need training constantly for months and months. If the answer is no, this is the time to tell the breeder you have made a mistake, the longer you leave it the worse for everyone.

My big Pyrie male did this even when he was an adult. My partner went nuts about it and insisted it was dominance but to me it was just my boy being tactile and showing his love for me. He never hurt me.

My pup was exactly the same. It took some getting used to. I realise now it is entirely normal. My 8 month pup still bites now but it's gentle mouthing so nowhere near as bad. Sometimes he barks at me and seems angry so I just turn around and fold my arms, or leave the room.

Having a puppy, particularly an energetic one, is really hard and stressful work.

10 days. DAYS & DH wants it gone?????

FMD he's really not cut out for dog ownership, probably in the dogs best interest to rehome it. Poor (normal) little puppy.

Sounds like a perfectly normal little ball of fluff with sharp teeth!
I have had several dogs over the years and had totally forgotten how much they bite. We had a new puppy two years ago and we nicknamed her Sharkie. It takes time and a lot of patience but it will get better.

Aaaargh! Sorry - I can't edit my original post from last night and I sound like a clueless twerp 😳I was tired and overthinking. And trying too hard to be helpful. This morning my brain is saying "normal puppy, novice owners". Sorry all 🤐

He's not being aggressive, he's being a puppy - and his behaviour is totally normal. If you work on his training, be consistent and have a lot of patience, he'll come through it (they all do) and will eventually end up as a lovely family dog.

However if you don't have support from your partner and have a terrified six year old in the house, it sounds like maybe you've not done your research and it could be the best option for the puppy to go back to the breeder so they can find it a more suitable or experienced home.

Wants “it” gone? FML

It’s normal puppy behaviour, pushing boundaries, asserting dominance but I agree get rid of the puppy now whilst it’s young and can find a lovely new home. Get him a stuffed toy.

How much research did you do before getting him? What did you really expect?

Totally normal behaviour, that’s why dogs need training.

i suggest if you can’t cope after 10 DAYS, you rehome responsibly and don’t ever get another dog

Ignore any silliness about dominance above - that's long been debunked. You just have a normal puppy. He's trying to play. The early puppy days are an absolute bastard and you can't really prepare for them, just endure them, especially if it's your first dog.

Puppies explore with their mouths, play with their mouths, and are teething, all at once - and they have super sharp teeth so it hurts. My pup is now four months and barely nips at all (only when very tired and I'm very close to his mouth!). So you have maybe about six weeks of this. Perhaps sit down with your OH and talk this through? Can you do another six weeks of gradually decreasing biteyness? Are you set up to manage the puppy properly, with an ex-pen and/or puppy-proof spaces? Is your DC (and their toys, and shoes, etc) separated from the puppy by babygates? Have you taught your DC how to behave with the puppy and what play is appropriate? Are you in this for the long-term together?

If all of the above is true, then you'll be fine. Sign up to the Dog Training Advice and Support on FB and read through their guides on puppies and on kids. Buy a range of things to redirect - if he's playing then a stuffed toy will help (and a cockerpoo will often have a retrieving instinct so you can get him used to carrying something around in his mouth). A tuggy toy will also be really good (get a long one so your fingers aren't near the shark teeth). Freeze carrots and ice cubes. Try a yak chew and other long-lasting chews that are safe for puppies (with supervision). A beef tendon is 'orrible but good for those back teeth coming through. I found my pup really liked hard plastic with sharp edges to chew on.

If you can see him with empathy, as a toddler who's wanting to play but also in pain a lot of the time, you'll get through this despite it all. This is a good book which might help: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Welcoming-Your-Puppy-Planet-Dog/dp/1608689212

Best of luck. It's bloody hard work but for me every second has been worth it.

How else did you expect your puppy to play?
Kids screech & shout, puppy growls & barks.
Kids grab with hands, puppy uses its mouth.

Kids get hyper when tired or overstimulated, so do puppies.
You guide your children towards aceptable behaviour, you need to do the same with puppy.

Don't forget, dogs are predators, their play is geared towards the chaise, catch and kill.

Puppies need lots of energetic play walks regularly feeding routine and calm. Has he got a crate so he can be left alone? I had one I put his bed in left door open he felt safe to go in and have quiet time when he needed that and they do. Get a clicker and whistle start training him use treat rewards you'll be surprised how quickly they pick it up. Have a vet check to be safe. Go puppy class most definitely no offence you sound inexperienced and you need it too your chosen breed is not for the faint hearted!. You need a lot of patience and you need to talk to your child and explain the puppy is playing and if he panics the pup will sense it and it could become a game to the pup he will do it more. Best thing is ignore and not respond no shouting no panic if it's hands he's nibbling close your hand to a gentle fist so nothing to bite mine used to still nibble knuckles but would soon stop. Good luck

Our PRT was the same. Took her to puppy socialisation classes. Was the most wonderful, reliable dog for 13 years.

Oh look, a clueless person with a child gets a cute fluffy poo cross and then doesn't know what to do with it
How very unusual.

Puppies are HARD, they look cute because they are arseholes and otherwise we wouldn't want one. You need firm but proper consistent training from day 1, buy a book and/or watch Youtube but ignore anything that talks about Dominance theory

Hoppinggreen · Today 12:31
Oh look, a clueless person with a child gets a cute fluffy poo cross and then doesn't know what to do with it
How very unusual.

Unneccesary.

No need to be mean - 10 days sounds like the perfect moment to be very regretful and overtired at the same time.
Mine wasn't my first puppy but I had forgotten how horrendous those evil creatures are, this tiny dog almost broke me.
Even when you make a lot of research, there's still a mismatch between expectations and reality.

Don't worry OP, your pup is normal, he's being a dickhead as all puppies are. They're cute because this is their only way to survive, otherwise no one in their right mind would have them. Think about it: Not even their mum wants them.

As someone suggested, make sure the puppy gets enough sleep. They sleep A LOT. But a bit like children, they're often reluctant to go to bed, don't hesitate to use a crate or a puppy pen for that. It was life-changing for me when my puppy was a terrorist.

Look up online, puppy biting, puppy blues and everything, you'll see you're absolutely not alone!

Exactly 💯