Need advice , my pup is getting aggressive ..

[molliesmaster]

I train dogs as a side gig, mostly retrievers, some bird dogs, and, unfortunately, some doodle type ridiculous types for obedience. I have been around dogs my entire life. I currently own 1 GSP(female), 1 GWP(female), and 1 Chesapeake bay retreiver(male) all living in my house with my 3 young children, ages 5, 2, and 9 months old.

99% of the time a dog that is aggressive, in this situation, has a false sense of his/her place in the house. More than likely, they have been coddled too much by their owners and given too much run of the place.

Steps I would take immediately:

1- Dog goes in a crate while you are at work. It's not cruel, he won't die. Put him in there, no more free range of an area.
2- No more treats or human food. He doesn't need them and obviously they are becoming an issue. I wouldn't even let him be in the kitchen while food is being prepared or around the table while I am eating. Again, put him in the crate.
3- The 24/7 feeding ends. Its not good for them anyway. You feed once a day, morning or evening, you decide. But here's the kicker, you are going to feed him by hand, literally holding out some of his food in the palm of your hand for him to eat it. Repeat until he has eaten his allotment for the day. IF the dog acts like an idiot, he sits and waits longer for his food. Acts aggressive, you pull your hand back and he waits some more. YOU are in control. This won't be a forever thing but it is a way to shift the dogs line of thinking. This tactic is used by a lot of trainers for multiple reasons.


From a mindset standpoint, that dog would not so much as take a leak in the yard without my permission. He would not be allowed to walk out of the door in front of me or my wife or anyone else. I would do my level best to make sure that dog knew he was the lowest rung in that house, lower than any other.


For your grandchildren's best interest, the dog should be crated when they are around. At least until you have addressed this aggressive behavior. IT is not worth the risk just because you like having Fido out and around.

Have zero tolerance for this behavior. He is a dog, treat him as such. I'm not saying you can't love him. I love my dogs more than most. But we can't allow them to think they are anymore than a dog. They are in service to us, not the other way around.

 

[huntsman22]

one word of advice.... BOOM!

 

[huntsman22]

hey, it's puppy time again....

 

[CRJR45]

Me proving I'm the bigger dog is not the issue , IOM , the issue is even if he learns I'm the alpha , what will he think when the grandkids are here ? Will he think he has to declare his dominance over them ? Thats what I'm trying to cure /stop / prevent , you know ?

 

[CRJR45]

I train dogs as a side gig, mostly retrievers, some bird dogs, and, unfortunately, some doodle type ridiculous types for obedience. I have been around dogs my entire life. I currently own 1 GSP(female), 1 GWP(female), and 1 Chesapeake bay retreiver(male) all living in my house with my 3 young children, ages 5, 2, and 9 months old.

99% of the time a dog that is aggressive, in this situation, has a false sense of his/her place in the house. More than likely, they have been coddled too much by their owners and given too much run of the place.

Steps I would take immediately:

1- Dog goes in a crate while you are at work. It's not cruel, he won't die. Put him in there, no more free range of an area.
2- No more treats or human food. He doesn't need them and obviously they are becoming an issue. I wouldn't even let him be in the kitchen while food is being prepared or around the table while I am eating. Again, put him in the crate.
3- The 24/7 feeding ends. Its not good for them anyway. You feed once a day, morning or evening, you decide. But here's the kicker, you are going to feed him by hand, literally holding out some of his food in the palm of your hand for him to eat it. Repeat until he has eaten his allotment for the day. IF the dog acts like an idiot, he sits and waits longer for his food. Acts aggressive, you pull your hand back and he waits some more. YOU are in control. This won't be a forever thing but it is a way to shift the dogs line of thinking. This tactic is used by a lot of trainers for multiple reasons.


From a mindset standpoint, that dog would not so much as take a leak in the yard without my permission. He would not be allowed to walk out of the door in front of me or my wife or anyone else. I would do my level best to make sure that dog knew he was the lowest rung in that house, lower than any other.


For your grandchildren's best interest, the dog should be crated when they are around. At least until you have addressed this aggressive behavior. IT is not worth the risk just because you like having Fido out and around.

Have zero tolerance for this behavior. He is a dog, treat him as such. I'm not saying you can't love him. I love my dogs more than most. But we can't allow them to think they are anymore than a dog. They are in service to us, not the other way around.

Thank you !

 

[KurtR]

I train dogs as a side gig, mostly retrievers, some bird dogs, and, unfortunately, some doodle type ridiculous types for obedience. I have been around dogs my entire life. I currently own 1 GSP(female), 1 GWP(female), and 1 Chesapeake bay retreiver(male) all living in my house with my 3 young children, ages 5, 2, and 9 months old.

99% of the time a dog that is aggressive, in this situation, has a false sense of his/her place in the house. More than likely, they have been coddled too much by their owners and given too much run of the place.

Steps I would take immediately:

1- Dog goes in a crate while you are at work. It's not cruel, he won't die. Put him in there, no more free range of an area.
2- No more treats or human food. He doesn't need them and obviously they are becoming an issue. I wouldn't even let him be in the kitchen while food is being prepared or around the table while I am eating. Again, put him in the crate.
3- The 24/7 feeding ends. Its not good for them anyway. You feed once a day, morning or evening, you decide. But here's the kicker, you are going to feed him by hand, literally holding out some of his food in the palm of your hand for him to eat it. Repeat until he has eaten his allotment for the day. IF the dog acts like an idiot, he sits and waits longer for his food. Acts aggressive, you pull your hand back and he waits some more. YOU are in control. This won't be a forever thing but it is a way to shift the dogs line of thinking. This tactic is used by a lot of trainers for multiple reasons.


From a mindset standpoint, that dog would not so much as take a leak in the yard without my permission. He would not be allowed to walk out of the door in front of me or my wife or anyone else. I would do my level best to make sure that dog knew he was the lowest rung in that house, lower than any other.


For your grandchildren's best interest, the dog should be crated when they are around. At least until you have addressed this aggressive behavior. IT is not worth the risk just because you like having Fido out and around.

Have zero tolerance for this behavior. He is a dog, treat him as such. I'm not saying you can't love him. I love my dogs more than most. But we can't allow them to think they are anymore than a dog. They are in service to us, not the other way around.

save this and read it again and again.

 

[Billy Goat]

Me proving I'm the bigger dog is not the issue , IOM , the issue is even if he learns I'm the alpha , what will he think when the grandkids are here ? Will he think he has to declare his dominance over them ? Thats what I'm trying to cure /stop / prevent , you know ?

He needs to understand people are the alpha, it starts with you. Then you can work on him around others.

 

[Billy Goat]

save this and read it again and again.

This is what most people seem to forget.

Have zero tolerance for this behavior. He is a dog, treat him as such. I'm not saying you can't love him. I love my dogs more than most. But we can't allow them to think they are anymore than a dog. They are in service to us, not the other way around.

 

[swavescatter]

One thing that helped me in the past is actually making the dog submit. Couple smacks on the head immediately after bad behavior, but then grab the legs and turn their belly up exposed. Don't just beat a dog - they won't understand that always. Exposing their soft underbelly let's them know they're not the alpha.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

He wants to be the pack leader, you have to let him know that is not the case. I do agree with no more self feeding 24/7.

 

[bigeyedfish]

Weim's are a tough breed to figure out for me. Most of the ones I have been around are really soft thanks to a long history of showing. Every now and then, I'll be around one that comes from hunting lines and is much sharper and more committed to whatever they're doing. I like those better, but they don't submit as readily.

An ass whooping that interrupts the aggressive behavior can be helpful, but timing is important. In my experience, you have to catch him the second the behavior starts, and you need to win quickly. Growling around food makes that pretty easy.

He needs to lose the sense that anything belongs to him except his crate. Everything belongs to you. You're just sharing it with him. He'll figure it out if you're consistent.

Both of our dogs spend 99% of their time outdoors, only coming in if the weather is really terrible. Our shorthair is an old SOB at this point, so he has gotten a little crotchety with our 3 year old dog. He'll get pissed and go pout in his crate. He'll take naps in there or crawl in to stay warm if the wind is blowing hard. That is his space and the only thing nobody ever takes away from him.

The post at the top of this page is excellent. Follow that to a tee and you'll be on the right track.

 

[MallardSX2]

When he growls at you he should be upside down and getting beaten. You’re the pack leader, not him.

Currently, he own you. lol

 

[SWOHTR]

In my very limited experience I’ve noticed dogs respond to pain and/or volume.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Bite his ear.
Nothing will get a dog's attention for reprimand more than that

People think you are joking, but this is the way. My GSP starter feeling himself around a year old. I pinned his ass down on the ground and bit his ear. Did it again when he growled at one of my kids. After the second time he fell right in line at the bottom of the pack. I would pin him down occasionally and let me kids pet him or do whatever, just so he knew they owned him as well. Its been 9 years and he is phenomenal. I have young nieces and nephews that crawl all over him and pull his ears and tail and he just tolerates it. I always step in if the little ones get too aggressive, so the dog knows I have his back as well.

When dogs train other dogs, it is physical and can be brutal. They aren’t children, they need to know their place. Shock collars work wonders for immediate correction to unwanted behavior. If you get a handle on it early, you can spoil them a little bit and they are still good dogs.

 

[BigBird69]

Had the same issue with a dog.

Give him a nice bone. Let him chew on it for a minute then take it away. Make him wait a bit then give it back. Rinse and repeat.

He'll realize he's going to get it back eventually and won't put up a fight to keep it. Never had an issue since.

 

[jmez]

Good advice from molliemaster. I will say you are fighting a bit of an uphill battle. Aggression is not uncommon in Weims. I'm a veterinarian and they are on the watch list, they will bite. Looks like you got one with the tendency.

You could also go talk to a law enforcement K-9 guy. My brother runs a drug dog for highway patrol. Those guys deal with biters for a living. It has been mentioned once, most people won't be willing to use measures or extremes that those guy do. They are passionate about their dogs and most would be willing to give you advice.

I've trained a lot of bird dogs. No real experience with aggression. Not a tendency in any of the breeds I've worked with. With the grandkids I would do one of two things, crate the dog when they are around, the entire time, or get a new dog.

IMO, it isn't worth the risk. It isn't something you will ever "train" out of that dog. It is in his DNA. You may be able to control it with you. Your wife and your grandkids aren't you. Therein lies the problem. My brothers dog is very well behaved, when he's there. It bit the shit out of one of my employees, and his partner once when he was out of town Occasionally it bites the shit out of him. That is a different level of drive than you are dealing with but it is the same type of drive. Even the most well trained by professionals wear muzzles if they aren't working. There's a reason for that.

No dog is 100% trained, ever. I've been behind National Championship winning all age dogs. I've watched the same dogs run off and not listen. I've watched them knock and chase birds into the next county. None of them ever get turned loose without an electric collar when not competing. They all screw up, they all don't listen at times. Correct the behavior and move on.

I've yet to see a dog that is 100% "trained, broke, etc" that never needs correction or reinforcement. The potential consequence of the behavior you are dealing with isn't worth the risk IMO. The dog will eventually fail, and it isn't going to be with you.

Sent from my moto g power 5G - 2023 using Tapatalk

 

[COJoe]

Any growls would be met with a firm grab to his scruff and a pin to the ground.

I have used this response to a smaller Sheba Inu who we got about 11 months old, who growled out me while I was taking her food away when we got her, I rolled her over quite violently and smothered her with my body while being face to face with her and yelling at her, she never did it again. Same thing with my current 95 lb. yellow lab. Started with her as a puppy when she growled with food one day and now it's done only in extreme discipline moments. I actually roll them over on their backs, once again, not gently at all nor is it easy with a bigger dog but I will do it. My wife is surprised at it but does understand why it needs done. It's a constant struggle if your wife does the opposite of what you do though, especially in regard to stupid treats all the time. She needs to be onboard completely or something bad will happen and I do not let my dogs hang out in our kitchen, at all...

Maybe it's one thing we can learn from watching wolves and how the alpha male shows dominance.

 

[CRJR45]

I have used this response to a smaller Sheba Inu who we got about 11 months old, who growled out me while I was taking her food away when we got her, I rolled her over quite violently and smothered her with my body while being face to face with her and yelling at her, she never did it again. Same thing with my current 95 lb. yellow lab. Started with her as a puppy when she growled with food one day and now it's done only in extreme discipline moments. I actually roll them over on their backs, once again, not gently at all nor is it easy with a bigger dog but I will do it. My wife is surprised at it but does understand why it needs done. It's a constant struggle if your wife does the opposite of what you do though, especially in regard to stupid treats all the time. She needs to be onboard completely or something bad will happen and I do not let my dogs hang out in our kitchen, at all...

Maybe it's one thing we can learn from watching wolves and how the alpha male shows dominance.

My wife is much stricter than I am , and I'm the one giving him treats , I'll stop that.

 

[LongWayAround]

We neutered my dog (Labrador) when he was about two with similar issues. It did not fix the problem. If anything, it got worse. I tried the whole ass whooping thing and that also made it worse. I also fully blame my lady for coddling him too much when I was away.

He's 11 now and generally a great dog. We just know that he's a ****** and we don't fully trust him. Hopefully, the next one goes better. Hah

 

[KurtR]

Good advice from molliemaster. I will say you are fighting a bit of an uphill battle. Aggression is not uncommon in Weims. I'm a veterinarian and they are on the watch list, they will bite. Looks like you got one with the tendency.

You could also go talk to a law enforcement K-9 guy. My brother runs a drug dog for highway patrol. Those guys deal with biters for a living. It has been mentioned once, most people won't be willing to use measures or extremes that those guy do. They are passionate about their dogs and most would be willing to give you advice.

I've trained a lot of bird dogs. No real experience with aggression. Not a tendency in any of the breeds I've worked with. With the grandkids I would do one of two things, crate the dog when they are around, the entire time, or get a new dog.

IMO, it isn't worth the risk. It isn't something you will ever "train" out of that dog. It is in his DNA. You may be able to control it with you. Your wife and your grandkids aren't you. Therein lies the problem. My brothers dog is very well behaved, when he's there. It bit the shit out of one of my employees, and his partner once when he was out of town Occasionally it bites the shit out of him. That is a different level of drive than you are dealing with but it is the same type of drive. Even the most well trained by professionals wear muzzles if they aren't working. There's a reason for that.

No dog is 100% trained, ever. I've been behind National Championship winning all age dogs. I've watched the same dogs run off and not listen. I've watched them knock and chase birds into the next county. None of them ever get turned loose without an electric collar when not competing. They all screw up, they all don't listen at times. Correct the behavior and move on.

I've yet to see a dog that is 100% "trained, broke, etc" that never needs correction or reinforcement. The potential consequence of the behavior you are dealing with isn't worth the risk IMO. The dog will eventually fail, and it isn't going to be with you.

Sent from my moto g power 5G - 2023 using Tapatalk

Yep I have seen some of the best retrievers in the country do stuff they havent done since they were puppies. Dogs doing dog shit. Right when you say never they prove you wrong.