# Agression Signs From My 11 week old Havanese - HELP!



## JWEX

I am a first time puppy owner who just got a havanese puppy. She's 11 weeks old and has been home for one week. After the first few days she started showing signs of aggression towards me. It started one day when we became locked in a staring contest and she immediately started barking and growling at me. Since then whenever we lock eyes she barks and growls and has lunged at me. She has even nipped at my leg/hands. The weird thing is that she never does this with my husband. 

When she barks/and bites, I immediately say "no" and will stand up to show her i am in charge but she doesn't stop. She will only stop when my husband tells her "no". 

Today a girlfriend of mine was over and she did the same thing to her. They locked eyes and she started growling/barking but was fine around her husband.

I really don't want an aggressive dog on my hands and would love some advice on how to correct this while she's young enough to learn. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!


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## juliav

Hi and welcome to the forum. :wave:

I am not sure what to make of this aggressive behavior, but know that you need to address this asap. I personally don't have any advice, except you should talk to a trainer or a behaviorist as soon as possible.


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## The Laughing Magpie

You need to take a class with your pup. Do not stare at your dog this is a sign of aggression to dogs even young puppies. No locking eyes. Border Collies do a crouch and stare that other dogs see as aggression. Staring at most dogs will make them look away...some will become aggressive.


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## Posh's Mom

not quite sure why you are having a stare down with your pup...

did your puppy come from a breeder that matched you and your pup based on personality traits you desired?

what is the history of your pup so far? hard to give any good suggestions at this point...more info?


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## ShirleyH

*Method*

This behavior should be immediately addressed as noted. When Keeper did this at age 12-13 weeks, our breeder advised turning him on his back and holding him down for a minute. This does work when the puppy understand he/she is not in charge.

Keeper is a sweet guy but will always have a stubborn personality. We love him dearly!

Good luck.

Shirley H.


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## Thumper

I would speak to a trainer about this, and I'd be careful with the staring matches she is a puppy and might think this is a game or play, you could try deepening your tone with her and see if that helps,

Kara


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## lfung5

Hmmmm. My guys stare at me all the time, but it's because they want food or affection.

My Fred used to beat up Bella when he was a pup. I did read something about making him more submissive by putting him on his back. He fought it at first. I also would pick him up by his armpits and let him hang helplessly. I read that too. God, it sounds kinda cruel now but he was a handful. He is a wonderful dog now. Be careful though. Someone told me I took the spirit out of him. He is so passive now that he gets picked on by every dog he meets. It's rather sad and sometimes I feel I'm to blame


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## mikeb

I am no expert but have been to lots of classes with the puppies I have had. I would never do a stare down with a 11 week old puppy. It may be quite scary to them at that age and do more damage than good. To me withholding attention for bad behavior and a treat and give attention when you see good behavior. I would say don't baby the puppy too much and dont let him sleep in bed with you. Enroll him in a puppy class soon, once his shots all set. That will help him know who is boss in a gentle rewarding way.

Like I said I'm not an expert but it is what I would do. George , my dog had no agression but did have some fear of big dogs and little children and was a little too hyper-friendly to people. Ignoring bad behavior and treating good behaviior did wondersalong with 3 obedience classes


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## Tom King

It's not aggression. It's fear. Staring into her eyes in a "contest" is a challenge and it worries her.


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## galaxie

Hmmm. Are you sure she's not trying to play? When Stella was little, we would have the same type of "stand offs", then chase each other around. She's your dog, so hopefully you will know the difference between her play growls and serious growls. Roscoe will do something similar and yap at the top of his lungs - this means "chase me! chase me! come get me! let's play! now! pay attention to me!" Just doggy play.

Does she show signs of affection to you? Do you play together, have fun, cuddle, etc.? If not, I would be worried. If her major interactions with you are this "aggressive" behavior, then I would guess it's actually fear/aggression. However, if it's a small part of how she interacts with you, I would say it's just a matter of training her out of the nipping/lunging part and encouraging puppy play that you are more comfortable with. I can understand that, as a first time dog owner, it may be tough for you to tell the difference, so you may consider a professional trainer, or even the opinion of a friend who has a lot of experience with dogs.

To make you feel better, about 30 minutes ago Stella was chasing me around the house, wrestling, biting (play, not serious), growling, jumping, and lunging - now she's snuggled up beside me with her face on the side of my laptop and her paw buried under my leg


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## sashamom

I agree with Tom she thinks you are being aggressive with her and she may be frightened. I would stop the stare down and start teaching her some very easy commands, then give her lots of love and treats. If you are frustrated with her and nervous about her behavior she will pick up on that. Linda


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## SOPHIES-MOM

It sounds like she's afraid of women, but why?


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## pjewel

I can't imagine why you would have a staring contest with an 11 week old puppy. I'm assuming it's because you're a first time owner and that someone gave you bad advice. You don't want to frighten your dog. Your relationship should be warm and loving and all about nurturing.

You have found a wonderful resource here to help you with anything that concerns you about raising your puppy. I do think if you can get local help with training it might serve you both well.


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## iluvhavs

I agree with all this advise. Sounds like she is frightened because of the threat she perceives from the "stare down". That's a very agressive thing to do to a dog. 

Why not start off on a good foot. Offer her treats if she approaches you without growling. No staring, just call her name and if she comes closer hold out a treat. You can stare at the treat, or the floor. The idea is to build a bond based on trust. Not a sense of fear. Offer a treat and if she looks in your direction when you say her name...treat. Say her name again, when she looks.... treat. Soon she'll associate you saying her name with a good thing...a treat. Not a scary look.


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## davetgabby

JWEX said:


> I am a first time puppy owner who just got a havanese puppy. She's 11 weeks old and has been home for one week. After the first few days she started showing signs of aggression towards me. It started one day when we became locked in a staring contest and she immediately started barking and growling at me. Since then whenever we lock eyes she barks and growls and has lunged at me. She has even nipped at my leg/hands. The weird thing is that she never does this with my husband.
> 
> When she barks/and bites, I immediately say "no" and will stand up to show her i am in charge but she doesn't stop. She will only stop when my husband tells her "no".
> 
> Today a girlfriend of mine was over and she did the same thing to her. They locked eyes and she started growling/barking but was fine around her husband.
> 
> I really don't want an aggressive dog on my hands and would love some advice on how to correct this while she's young enough to learn. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!
> 
> Thanks!


Welcome to the forum.


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## JWEX

*Great Advice*

Thanks all. This is really great advice. I think some people may have misunderstood me on here. I didn't intentionally have a stare down with my puppy. I've read many places not to look away when a dog is looking you in the eye. So I just stared back and that's when the trouble started. She is also super affectionate with me.

She's been nipping like crazy. I read somewhere to hold her snout when she's nipping. Is that something we should do to deter the behavior? Like I said, I am a clueless first time dog owner and I don't want to do anything to upset her. But I also don't want her to think she can get away with anything and rule my household


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## Narwyn

JWEX said:


> She's been nipping like crazy. I read somewhere to hold her snout when she's nipping. Is that something we should do to deter the behavior? Like I said, I am a clueless first time dog owner and I don't want to do anything to upset her. But I also don't want her to think she can get away with anything and rule my household


When she nips you, yelp like a puppy. It doesn't have to be loud, just a YIP! - they have learned from their litter mates that this means that hurts, stop! So they will, but often only for a second. You then have a moment or two to place a toy in their mouth and continue with appropriate play. She is teething right now and chewing feels good, so she is going to keep mouthing for awhile. It will take a few more weeks before they have the mental where-with-all to really know it's not ok. For now, go for empathy, and if it gets out of control, you have the power to walk away from the play time.

Definitely find a good puppy class. In addition to training your pup, they will teach a "clueless first time owner" how to meaningfully interact with their dog in a way that will benefit you both.

Good luck!


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## davetgabby

JWEX said:


> I am a first time puppy owner who just got a havanese puppy. She's 11 weeks old and has been home for one week. After the first few days she started showing signs of aggression towards me. It started one day when we became locked in a staring contest and she immediately started barking and growling at me. Since then whenever we lock eyes she barks and growls and has lunged at me. She has even nipped at my leg/hands. The weird thing is that she never does this with my husband.
> 
> When she barks/and bites, I immediately say "no" and will stand up to show her i am in charge but she doesn't stop. She will only stop when my husband tells her "no".
> 
> Today a girlfriend of mine was over and she did the same thing to her. They locked eyes and she started growling/barking but was fine around her husband.
> 
> I really don't want an aggressive dog on my hands and would love some advice on how to correct this while she's young enough to learn. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!
> 
> Thanks!


Welcome to the fourm. Your dog is in a critical fear imprint stage of her life. Staring at a dog especially at this stage can have long lasting effects. Staring is considered a challenge to dogs. You have probably started off on the wrong food somewhere but this will only make things worse. Please get this "be the boss" attitude, out of your mind. Dogs need leadership , not intimidation. I strongly suggest getting some professional help , before it's too late. http://www.dogstardaily.com/blogs/how-rule-your-dog039s-world


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## Ninja

Maybe it's an issue with women? When I first got my dog, I didn't no anything at all about the starring thing and I always looked away. This hasn't made him think he is in charge or anything. I made an effort to develop a bond with my dog by little training here and there. And simple things like asking him to sit before he gets food or anything like that. I'm no expert and my dog is not perfect, in fact I still can't figure some things out...but I think you should maybe try and start training her a little so you begin to develop a bond. I think simply teaching her to sit or come for now will do. Always have yummy treats handy because this helped their motivation. She's only 11 weeks and you have plentyy of time to turn this around. Enjoy your little one and :welcome: to the forum!!


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## JWEX

davetgabby said:


> Welcome to the fourm. Your dog is in a critical fear imprint stage of her life. Staring at a dog especially at this stage can have long lasting effects. Staring is considered a challenge to dogs. You have probably started off on the wrong food somewhere but this will only make things worse. Please get this "be the boss" attitude, out of your mind. Dogs need leadership , not intimidation. I strongly suggest getting some professional help , before it's too late. http://www.dogstardaily.com/blogs/how-rule-your-dog039s-world


Please don't misunderstand me. I don't make a regular habit of staring at my puppy! Nor do I have a "be the boss" attitude. I am just looking for constructive advice on how to train my first puppy. Telling me that i have forever damaged my sweet puppy after owning her for just one week isn't really so helpful.

Thank you to those of you who gave great advice and helpful tips. She's learning to sit which is really exciting  Any other advice is greatly appreciated.


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## galaxie

Honestly, by the sounds of your newer description, to me it sounds like puppy play. My dogs still play like this - especially Stella who bounces up and down and tries to nip at my clothes while we are playing, or to get me to play, lol. For some people, this would be inappropriate behavior, but I think it's fun! She really only acts like that with Tim and me; we've done a lot of training and she is a princess around everyone else.

I think what Dave is getting at is that no matter the temperament of your puppy, classes are *always* a great idea. Both Roscoe and Stella have gone through intermediate obedience classes and novice rally classes. It's a really great chance to bond with your puppy while having fun and learning lots of cool stuff. Also gives the dogs are great opportunity to socialize. Normally, you wouldn't start your puppy in the obedience classes until they're around 6 months old - so in the meantime, it would be a good idea to seek out a puppy socialization class. They're a lot of fun!

Edited to add: I think he got the "be the boss" thing from the comment somewhere about pinning puppy on its back when it gets too rambunctious to show that you're the "alpha." I caught Tim trying this tactic on Roscoe when he was a pup and I FREAKED - this is not the attitude anyone wants with their dog. You want your dog to love and respect you and look at you like a fair and balanced leader, not a bossy alpha dog.


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## SOPHIES-MOM

Since you are a new puppy owner, do know that they all nip and bite in play, especially when they are teething. This stage does pass. Sophie is in it now and I ignore her and hand her her bully stick. Aggressive biting is much different.


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## iluvhavs

Welcome to the forum! You should try to find a puppy socialization class in your area. They are great places to start working with your little pup. You'll learn some great techniques that will carry you through years of dog ownership.

The chewing thing is a teething thing. She's a dog and dogs love to chew. You need to teach her what's OK to chew and what's not. So the advise of yelping when her teeth touch your skin is a very good one. I would make a little hurt sound and pull away. As soon as Lucy realized she did the worng gthing, she owuld come forward and lick me to make up. Then I'd immediately give her a teething ring, or other chew. You can find some great teething chews at Petsmart or Petco. Like this: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3540881

Remember, potty training comes next! that's the real challenge. LOL


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## motherslittlehelper

Welcome to the forum! When we brought Augie home, we were new to puppies as well. There is a lot to learn, we found out, and at first it can be a bit overwhelming!  I would agree with others who have suggested puppy classes (as soon as your puppy has had all the shots - or when your vet gives clearance), followed by obedience classes. They are so important, in my opinion, if you have a good trainer available. We did puppy classes and a bit of obedience when Augie was smaller. We didn't do any more formal classes again until this fall and he so enjoys them. Augie was quite the biter/nipper when he came to live. I wasn't sure we were going to get him over that, but one day I realized that it was finally getting better. The forum is a great place to ask questions and learn. Just enjoy that little character, because puppyhood doesn't last long.


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## davetgabby

JWEX said:


> Please don't misunderstand me. I don't make a regular habit of staring at my puppy! Nor do I have a "be the boss" attitude. I am just looking for constructive advice on how to train my first puppy. Telling me that i have forever damaged my sweet puppy after owning her for just one week isn't really so helpful.
> 
> Thank you to those of you who gave great advice and helpful tips. She's learning to sit which is really exciting  Any other advice is greatly appreciated.


This is what you said ," It started one day when we became locked in a staring contest and she immediately started barking and growling at

me. Since then whenever we lock eyes she barks and growls and has lunged at me.

Today a girlfriend of mine was over and she did the same thing to her. They locked eyes and she started

growling/barking." Sorry my advice stands, the same as the others are saying , get some training help from a professional.


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## lfung5

Glad she is learning to sit. You should try to teach her more commands. Don't underestimate her. Scudder learned the dog door, sit, stay, come, touch, roll over, lie down his first couple days with me!


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## Ellie NY

One of the things I did with Eli to demonstrate leadership and develop trust was to pick him up, place him on his back, and gently pet his stomach, paws, chin, etc... When you have a dominant dog this might help because he/she increases trust by exposing the most vulnerable part of their body. I think it's much preferrable to trying to "hold them down" because it rewards the dog for submitting rather than punishing them. Not of caution: Eli is a fool for belly rubs! He wants them all the time and will lie very passively allowing us to touch any part of him until our hands get tired. 

To Linda's point, I don't know if this creates a passive dog. I do notice that he demonstrates some passive qualities with larger dogs. At some point I think it hit him that he's not as big as he thought and will show his belly to larger dogs, although he's very friendly and, generally, not fearful. I don't honestly know that this behaviors is related to our doggy "massages". Check with a knowledgeable trainer just in case.

She may not get on her back right away so - if you decide to use this technique - practice this a couple of times every day. She may not let you put her on her back or jump up quickly. You may have to work up to it by scratching her ears and back while in a sitting position and gently rolling her over. Good luck and welcome!


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## RikiDaisyDixie

*I had puppy counseling and I'm glad I did*

I grew up with German Shepherds, and then cats. So then I get this adorable little puppy with more spunk than I had ever seen. I hired a trainer to come to the house to help me learn crate training and more. Riki would bark like mad at any dog he saw that wasn't a havanese. The trainer helped me so much.

I wouldn't advise the putting the dog on the back thing. There are kinder ways to be alpha, and your dog will love you for it. My dog trainer and I became great friends...and I recommend her to many of my friends...


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## JWEX

Thanks again all! Since I last posted our puppy has become much better! She's starting to realize that her teething toys are for teething and is starting to get the potty training thing. It really helped when we started teaching her how to sit and how to come. The advice here was really helpful- we're starting to get the hang of it!


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## Ninja

That's great to hear things are getting better!!!


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## lfung5

That's awesome. See.....you didn't ruin her


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## pjewel

Happy to hear about the progress. Just try to relax and you and your puppy will teach each other many things.


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## Thumper

yeah, the thing about the internet and writing is that sometimes things get mis-conveyed or things aren't described in the way you mean to, I do this all the time and I am mis interpreted, I have really bad communication skills to begin with, lol

Honestly, I probably couldn't take my eyes off Gucci when she was a puppy because she was so darn cute and I had to make sure I caught her before she peed on the floor...ound: It does sound like play, and I have actually even done this stare play thing with tug of war but NOT when she was a puppy, like maybe a few times this last year, I'm totally guilty of that, but I think it was just 'play' for us too because our relationship and rules are pretty set in stone at this point and she knows better.

But you do have to be careful with what you do when they are pups and some games are bad (like tug of war) for puppies....

Kara


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