# Agressive Behavior towards Wife



## jimithing2777 (Jun 25, 2012)

All,

We recently became proud parents of a Havenese puppy a few weekends ago. She was 9 weeks old when we wound up picking her up from the breeder. Since we've already gained so much knowledge from these forums I was hoping someone could help us out.

Up until the past few days our little pup has been behaving quite well with both myself and my wife. We knew when we looked in to this breed that they were well known for doing well with all people.

However, just recently our puppy has been displaying extremely aggressive / scary behaviors towards my wife. My wife is a teacher so she has had the pleasure of being able to stay home all day with the puppy since she has the summer off. We initially thought she would grow very close with my wife due to the amount of time she'd have with her over myself. Unfortunately, this has turned out to be quite the opposite. Anytime my wife tries to take the pup out for her 'potty time' she winds up attacking her feet / ankles. When she tries to get her to stop with a very firm 'NO' the dog will literally sit down, growl intensely, and bark at her in a very aggressive demeanor. Any attempt from my wife to pick the pup up to take back in is met with even more growling. This just recently started happening and didn't exist a few days ago. Occasionally she'll display this same behavior towards my wife while inside the house.

It's as if something switched on in the pups heads which makes her feel she can act this way towards my wife. It's truly testing our patience and we will attempt some personal training to see if it gets better but we are both close to our breaking point and considering returning her to the breeder.

Has anyone else experienced this? Is there something we can do? Any attempt at "NO" or "BAD GIRL", holding her mouth, etc. fails. She simply will continue to do it.

Please, any help will be greatly appreciated!


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Telling a puppy "no", "bad girl", or worse, holding her mouth shut are all doomed to failure. She has NO idea what "no" or "bad girl" mean, and holding her mouth shut or talking in a gruff tone of voice is simply scary for her. Think about it... would you do these things to an infant? Because that's what she is right now.

You need to find a POSITIVE trainer to come in, look at the dynamics of what is going on, and help you and especially your wife develop a better relationship with this little girl. It is NOT the puppy's fault at this age. If you feel that you need to send her back to the breeder, so be it, but if so, PLEASE do not get another puppy, because you don't yet have the skill set to raise one properly.

Yes, Havanese, in general have wonderful dispositions. There are exceptions, but if you got this puppy from a good breeder, and especially at the young age you got her, she should be abundantly trainable. But they ARE "soft" dogs, who can be easily intimidated by rough treatment. (even if it is verbal, not physical) Spend some money on working with a good trainer now, and you'll see the pay off in many years of life with a delightful companion!



jimithing2777 said:


> All,
> 
> We recently became proud parents of a Havenese puppy a few weekends ago. She was 9 weeks old when we wound up picking her up from the breeder. Since we've already gained so much knowledge from these forums I was hoping someone could help us out.
> 
> ...


----------



## jimithing2777 (Jun 25, 2012)

While I appreciate your response, I do not appreciate the unsolicited generalization that we are incapable of raising a puppy. I'm not quite sure how one could make such a baseless opinion without getting to know someone at a personal level, yet alone see them interacting with their pets.

Considering we were told by our veterinarian, breeder, and several other owners (some of which own their own Havanese) of these techniques I'm not sure what to tell you. We had not been performing any of these verbal commands *before* this behavior started.

I came here looking for help, which apparently is difficult to come by. We are looking for information as to 'why' she's acting like this suddenly (before saying "NO", etc.) and how to correct it outside of a personal trainer.


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

You are the one who said you were considering returning her to the breeder. I didn't suggest it. But what makes you think you would be any more successful with another puppy, if you can't figure out what is causing THIS puppy so much distress? Small puppies do NOT "just start" attacking people. I am also absolutely CERTAIN that you and your wife had no intention of precipitating this behavior, but you need some serious help, NOW, to figure out the cause and a good solution. 

Almost ALL aggression is based on either fear or resource guarding. SOME of what you describe COULD also be instinctive herding behavior, and some of it could simply be rougher than normal, but still "puppy play". That doesn't mean you don't want to stop it, but the approach would be different in EACH of these cases. But there is NO way of knowing what is going on without a knowledgeable, positive based trainer watching to see what is going on when these incidents occur.

You have already said that holding her mouth, and saying "bad girl" or "no" isn't working. There is a really good reason for that, DESPITE what you have been told by well-meaning but poorly informed people. I've explained why they don't work. All I am suggesting is that you get the professional help you need NOW, BEFORE you seriously ingrain behavior patterns you don't want.


----------



## MarinaGirl (Mar 25, 2012)

When Emmie is doing something I don't want her to do I say "Ah-Ah" and then redirect her to something else, such as one of her favorite toys or a bully stick. 

Another strategy a trainer recommended was to act like a tree. For example, when she used to be nippy, I'd say "Eeekk" then step away from her or take my hand out of her mouth, go really still, and not look at her or make any noise. When I did this she would settle down quickly and then I would follow up with a treat. My puppy is food motivated so I always carry training treats in my pocket to reward good behavior right when it happens.


----------



## misstray (Feb 6, 2011)

It's hard to tell if what you are describing is aggressive behaviour or just puppy play.

When Brody was small he'd drive me nuts with attacking my feet and legs and the cuffs of my pants. And he bit hard! He also play growled and barked - he can be somewhat verbal. I'd either try to redirect him to something more appropriate like playing fetch and trying to tire him out or if he was really just not going to stop, I'd put him in his crate for a short cool-off period.

At the time, it didn't really seem like it was doing much. But, since he doesn't do these things anymore...I guess it, and time helped.

Basically he did these things when he was really hyper and tiring him out was my best bet.


----------



## psow9421 (Mar 24, 2010)

I am surprised to hear that you brought your Havanese puppy home at 9 weeks. I have eight Havanese Puppies right now that are 9 weeks old. I have told any interested buyers that I will not let them go till at least 11 to 12 weeks. I feel that the mom of the pups should have as much interaction with them as possible to teach them manners. Yes, my pups will bite at my ankles or anything they can get their little teeth on. They are teething plus that is how litter mates play! They will bite me because it is playing to them. If they hurt I will say a loud ouch! That will startled the pups. I then encourage kisses and say that word kisses over and over. They will learn I enjoy kisses alot more than biting. Occasionally I will get a growl and I will immediatly say no very sternly. They are testing their limits. You do have to show them who is boss. I would never hold a puppies mouth closed, they have no idea why you are doing that action. The puppy is not a bad puppy. The puppy needs stern but loving guidence
I have also introduced as many people as possibe to them to help socialize them. 
Be patient your puppy. 
Your puppy is still young and can be molded into a wonderful companion. Consult a trainer that is known to only take a positive approch.

I hope you have success,

Pam Sowa


----------



## jimithing2777 (Jun 25, 2012)

@Marina: We've actually been doing the 'tree' method as well with her. For the most part, it has worked for us. However, sometimes it will send her in to a bit of a 'fit' and cause her to get a bit rambunctious. Great advice though, so thank you!

@misstray: Thanks so much for sharing this. This actually sounds very close to what is occurring for us. I have hope that she simply is just going thru her typical 'puppy phase' and with time we can work on getting her thru these moments.

@pswow: We were a bit concerned as well upon getting her so young, so I guess we do need to take a step back and realize we shouldn't be so surprised by her behaviors. We've definitely been doing the loud 'OUCH!' when she bites and it has been working wonders for us. Her biting has been very good since doing this. We've tried the 'mouth holding' probably no more than 2-3 times. After feedback from yourself and others we have definitely stopped this method.

We have her signed up for her first class tomorrow, so we'll see if that hopefully can resolve some of our 'growling' issues. Thank you to everyone for the feedback..it is a bit comforting to hear others have gone through this.


----------



## mamacjt (Aug 23, 2011)

I remember when my dog was little, he was much more aggressive, mouthy and naughty when he was overtired (just like a small child). Sometimes, when that happened, I would just capture him and hold him in my arms until he settled down and eventually he'd fall asleep for a little nap. When he woke up, he'd be his nice self again. And he was almost 12 weeks when I brought him home from the breeders. I think yours is just going through a puppy phase and treating you as she treated her siblings and is surprised that you don't react the same way. lol


----------



## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi Jim. What Karen stated was exactly correct. I don't like commenting on it totally without seeing what's going on. The advice you rec'd from your breeder is dangerous. Quite possibly your pup is seeking attention and this is how they get it. Everything you do when you react to this is reinforcing the puppy . That is, it is likely to increase the behavior. Your best bet being you are at a boiling point , is to definitely get a trainer. Yes puppy classes can help ,but I might be inclined to seek some one on one with a trainer in your home. This is quite typical puppy behavior , but can border on leading to real aggression., especially if you use aversive methods such as you described. Here' s a good article on this, and I hope the trainer can help you out. If you need help finding a good trainer, let me know. http://www.clickertraining.com/node/3249


----------



## Alexa (Jun 17, 2007)

We had a short phase with Marley acting pretty rambunctiously when he was little (we got him at just over 8 weeks), but it passed. What worked with him then and still works with him now is that I do the yelping sound a puppy makes when they are hurt...that was a familiar sound to him from his litter mates. Try that and see if he responds to that in a pinch. I was worried there for a bit, but it was totally just puppy play and he really is the sweetest dog I could ever wish for. So don't give up!

On a little side note...somehow the way you write makes me think you haven't quite really connected or committed to the puppy yet...e.g. referring to her with no name, just "the puppy". Maybe your expectations were different from what you are having to deal with right now, but like someone else said, she is a BABY right now, whatever she does isn't from being mean spirited, she is just learning and figuring things out. It's a huge change for her, too, being away from her furry family and being thrown into a new environment. So give her some slack, lots of kisses and cuddles and listen to the trainer (who hopefully has experience with Havs)

Good Luck!

Alexa


----------



## jimithing2777 (Jun 25, 2012)

@dave: Thanks for the link, we'll definitely make sure to take a look.

Also, I want to take a moment to reassure that we are by no means not committed yet. I've refrained from using her name as I want to avoid any sort of issues in case our breeder frequents the forum as I've already dropped some details as to what she's told us to do (which apparently was not the best!).

We truly love her to pieces and treat her just like our own children. It pains us greatly to see her acting the way she does, which is why I'm here seeking some help. Trust me, the last thing we want to do is return her to the breeder. We've made sure to be very affectionate with her. The verbal "NO" and "BAD" along with the mouth holding was in response to what we were told by those we respected (vet, breeder, etc.). This was not something we were originally doing till just a day or so ago.

It's just hard when your wife calls you at work and she's crying telling you she's at her breaking point due to the growling / barking at her. I love our new addition, but unfortunately the safety of family does come first.


----------



## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

If it were my puppy I would get down to his level and start ruff housing and play like I was a litter mate. I would then find toys like a rope and play tug a war but I wouldn't let the puppy get over aggressive. If the growling got worse I would stop and turn my back . If the pup still was biting and acting aggressive I would put him in time out. I sometimes wounder if people get confused about how puppies normally act. I would divert the biting stage by throwing a ball or toy that usually worked. We had a woman a while back who thought her puppy was to aggressive because she drew blood on her hand. I had that happen a lot. If It got to much I would just stop playing. Neither of mine play that way with me anymore but the two of them play together really hard making lots of noises. Hope you guys can get threw the puppy stage.


----------



## marlowe'sgirl (Jun 17, 2010)

jimithing2777 said:


> . When she tries to get her to stop with a very firm 'NO' the dog will literally sit down, growl intensely, and bark at her in a very aggressive demeanor. Any attempt at "NO" or "BAD GIRL", holding her mouth, etc. fails. She simply will continue to do it.


Karen stated that Havanese can be 'soft' dogs and I definitely found this to be the case. My Hav was overly sensitive to correction when he was a pup. I couldn't even take an angry/upset tone with him. He'd shut down even at the dog park when other people were yelling at their dogs, thinking that he did something wrong (to be fair, he also came when they called their dogs - it's his world and we're just living in it). My 'harshest' punishment was just ignoring my pup or a quick "tsk". These dogs are very people oriented and pick up on your slightest behavior.

Puppy classes & positive reinforcement were paramount to my awesome Hav today. I was very new to dog owning, and these classes taught me what was normal puppy behavior, how to respond to right and wrong behavior, and how if the puppy was screwing up - it's not because they're being naughty but because it's my failure to communicate properly and they don't understand what I want. With the exception of a few 'teenage' months (8-9 months old when our relationship was further complication by blowing coat), my Hav has been nothing but eager to please and hangs on nearly every word/gesture.

As someone else said, pups can get reactive when they are tired. Are you crate training or using an expen? Whenever I got overwhelmed and he got too crazy, I would put my puppy in his crate for a nap. It allowed us both to settle down. Puppies need a lot of sleep. Our play sessions were always kept short (15-30 mins at a time) and were punctuated with rest in his crate.


----------



## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

I'm sorry for your struggles... I have to say when I got my pup my biggest hope was that I didn't screw her up! LOL Her breeder gave her a fantastic start in life and I just tired to follow suit ... I hope you can get a trainer in asap to help you and that you can learn some helpful information here on the forum on how to raise your pup!!


----------



## Alcibides (Feb 14, 2012)

Hey Jim. There's little to add to all the great advice that's been launched here on the one hand, on the other, I feel your wife's angst and wanted to add my own experience in this realm. First of all, I think she should not worry so much that the puppy has chosen her to act out with. She may be the person with whom your dog feels most connected (free to be meish or looking for her help). We're still working on the nipping thing with Lucky (who also came home at 9 weeks) but I've noticed that I'm the one who gets nipped most (and at almost 6 months-that's not very often) BUT I've come to realize that most of the times he's nipped, he was trying to communicate with me. Barking and a nip to get attention (I have to go out-stop talking and get the leash, I don't know what's expected of me here, I'm afraid) can be irritating ("Stop that bad dog") but if she takes a breath and a moment to think, what's the puppy trying to tell me, your wife might discover that the puppy is frustrated and trying to speak to her, thinking she of all of you might understand. ALSO, am sure it's been said (has anyone mentioned) Run Like Hell behavior? Folks on the forum (us too) love the wild Havanese growl and dart and run and knock themselves out behavior that really to the uninitiated can be terrifying-like a wild little wolf. My grandson (7) observed it the other day and asked if anyone had told us about it before we got Lucky. He was incredulous when I said Yeah isn't it great? Maybe your puppy isn't comfortable outside or ready for the expectation of potty outdoors? Pad training may be easier at first (such disagreement on this point). Maybe outdoors reminds her of puppy play, but the worst is to get mad yourself (and it's hard not to when you're a)expecting the puppy to go potty and there's no chance; and b) trying to control an apparently wild animal on a leash. I think when you get the mad, the puppy imitates and it all gets worse. So along with the rest (trainer etc. etc.) I would suggest patience and trust. Patience is hard but probably good for us as well as the pup, and trust that this baby behavior will pass. I used to be a jealous wreck when folks on the forum said their Hav was asleep under the chair as they worked on the computer because I could hear Lucky barking from his x pen in the kitchen as I tried to work. Now he's asleep three feet away and I'm on the forum instead of doing my writing BUT look at the change. He's becoming a model citizen along with all his adorableness. It all unfolds and the day will come soon I'll bet you a nickel when you remember the wildness with fond or not so fond recollection. Or not. I'm hoping I'm right on that and wishing you great luck and confidence. The baby thing (last point I promise) is a bit confusing. The dog, like a human baby, is just learning the ropes but unlike a human baby where you negotiate a way to be together, you are in charge with a dog and you decide how you want things to be. The dog will be reassured (not diminished) by your taking charge.At least that's been true for us. Good luck.These are the most delightful dogs. Enjoy.


----------



## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

9-12 week old puppies are a handful and quite nippy at the age, as some others have stated, it might not be aggression towards your wife, but rough play. I did get Gucci young, too. I remember her being quite nippy and even growling at the kids when they would try to pick her up, she didn't want to be picked up and that was just something we had to work on. Even now, she hates the kids picking her up and will only allow me or my DH too without her huff and puff or sigh of disapproval (towards the kids) Eventually, she did learn not to growl and she'd be picked up regardless of her protest..Gucci still has this grumble that some might construe as a growl, but it is a grumble, I know she's not the only havanese that grumbles, but now she huffs and sighs more when she's annoyed with something.

have you or your wife touched her while she's eating? I know that helps raise them to be less likely to be food aggressive/protective aggressive, or so they say.

I know puppies can be frustrating, between the nipping and housebreaking and teething, it can be quite a handful at times, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and if you feel it is more aggression than rough play, call in a trainer or puppy training classes can be really helpful depending on the teacher, Id' do a little local research and find out where the best classes are in your area.

:welcome: 

Kara


----------



## jimithing2777 (Jun 25, 2012)

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this thread. It is great to hear that others have experienced the same thing to a degree.

Sadie has actually been doing *very* well over the past few days (knock on wood). Honestly, she's been so perfect in every way other than the aggressiveness at times towards the wife (only when outside on the leash).

I don't want to jinx anything, but she's been doing amazing with her pottying. From the day we took her home we've been doing the 'bell method'. We will knock the bells around and say 'Potty' a few times and then open our sliding door for her. Over the past week she's been actually hitting the bells herself, and I'd say 80% of the time she *does* go potty (a few times she just wants to play ). However, no matter what we make sure to take her out even if it is just play so she learns.

We actually keep our kitchen gated off during the day when we are home with her and this is her 'play' area. During the night we crate her and keep her in our bedroom. We tried the first few nights to crate her in the kitchen and she would cry and bark the entire night. To keep our sanity we tried bringing her in the bedroom and WOW, she slept like a baby! So, if our sanity means keeping her in our bedroom we are absolutely fine with that!

She'll actually sleep from about 10:30 till 4:00-5:00am where we'll take her out for her ritual poop+pee. Then, off to sleep again for an hour or two till I have to get up for work.

She's been amazing in these areas...it's just this little growling we are trying to work thru. And, with the advice of everyone I think we can do it! Thank you all again so much. Tonight is her first puppy class so we'll see how Sadie does!


----------



## lise (Sep 1, 2006)

*great*



jimithing2777 said:


> Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this thread. It is great to hear that others have experienced the same thing to a degree.
> 
> Sadie has actually been doing *very* well over the past few days (knock on wood). Honestly, she's been so perfect in every way other than the aggressiveness at times towards the wife (only when outside on the leash).
> 
> ...


I'm betting that with what you just typed, the 3 of you will be just fine! My saga begins on Friday when I pick up my 10 1/2 week old.....Wish me luck!


----------



## mamacjt (Aug 23, 2011)

Sadie......what a cute name!!


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

jimithing2777 said:


> She's been amazing in these areas...it's just this little growling we are trying to work thru. And, with the advice of everyone I think we can do it! Thank you all again so much. Tonight is her first puppy class so we'll see how Sadie does!


Hope everything goes well in class, and if that's not enough, ask the trainer to come to your home and see what's going on.

In the mean time... I don't know if you've been told the "RULES" around here, but WE. MUST. HAVE. PICTURES!!!


----------



## lanabanana (Jul 2, 2011)

Your description of your first nights with Sadie barking/crying in her crate in the kitchen brought me back to this time last year, when we had a 12 wk old puppy. We tried the sleeping in the expen in the kitchen thing and ended up spending two nights on the floor in the kitchen with her! We finally put her in a crate right next to our bed and everyone got more sleep. Everything got better two months later when we got her a brother. They sleep together in a crate and though we tried to get them to begin sleeping in bed with us recently, they prefer together in their crate.

My pups are now so easy and such a welcome addition to our home, that I've blocked out those very hard first few weeks. I call 2011 "The Summer of the Puppies" as they took ALL of our time and attention. Our golf games suffered because of it, but it's been SO worth it. Take heart that with plenty of time and attention, your issues will smooth out. We've all been through it and feel your pain. 

Alanna


----------



## BennyBoy (Apr 25, 2012)

misstray said:


> It's hard to tell if what you are describing is aggressive behaviour or just puppy play.
> 
> When Brody was small he'd drive me nuts with attacking my feet and legs and the cuffs of my pants. And he bit hard! He also play growled and barked - he can be somewhat verbal.


Same here! Benny is 4 months old and can be very rough with his puppy play. Mostly he pulls this crap with me, since he wants my attention. I don't stand for it - play or not - I will usually bring him outside and throw his ball around or if I can not play right then, I put him in his crate.


----------



## BennyBoy (Apr 25, 2012)

psow9421 said:


> I am surprised to hear that you brought your Havanese puppy home at 9 weeks. I have eight Havanese Puppies right now that are 9 weeks old. I have told any interested buyers that I will not let them go till at least 11 to 12 weeks.


 I disagree here. We got a puppy at 13 weeks who we ended up having to give back because of severe fear aggression. We did nothing to cause this, so I will never get another puppy unless I can get them at 8 weeks.


----------



## BennyBoy (Apr 25, 2012)

davetgabby said:


> Quite possibly your pup is seeking attention and this is how they get it.


I agree. Benny is 4 months now and he is getting better, but around 10-12 weeks he was terrible - couldn't take a step without him hanging off my pant leg. He will growl and nip at my feet every step of the way. All for attention. He is getting better


----------



## BennyBoy (Apr 25, 2012)

jimithing2777 said:


> It's just hard when your wife calls you at work and she's crying telling you she's at her breaking point due to the growling / barking at her. I love our new addition, but unfortunately the safety of family does come first.


 Your wife needs to assert herself as the boss of that pup! These may be small dogs, but they are still dogs, and they need to understand that they can not push you around.


----------



## BennyBoy (Apr 25, 2012)

marlowe'sgirl said:


> Karen stated that Havanese can be 'soft' dogs and I definitely found this to be the case. My Hav was overly sensitive to correction when he was a pup.


Not the case with my boy. At our first visit to the vet (an awesome vet, so don't bother telling me I got bad advice) she said I better let this one know who's boss since he was "Feisty". Here he was 3lbs of fur and growling at the vet - please!


----------



## BennyBoy (Apr 25, 2012)

Thumper said:


> have you or your wife touched her while she's eating? I know that helps raise them to be less likely to be food aggressive/protective aggressive, or so they say.


 I agree with this. With 3 kids and lots of kids running through our house each day, I had to ensure that our dog not be aggressive, so I have no kids feed Benny and then sit right next to him while he ate. A few times I had them take the bowl away and then give it back. I was so nervous doing this - I stood at the ready listening closely for the growl! Benny did great though. He never growled and just waited until the kids gave the food back.

We had a bad experience with a rescue puppy who we had to give back, so there was no way I was going to have that issue again.

BTW, what Benny does in terms of growling and nipping is nothing serious - we had serious with the other dog and it looks VERY different!


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

BennyBoy said:


> I disagree here. We got a puppy at 13 weeks who we ended up having to give back because of severe fear aggression. We did nothing to cause this, so I will never get another puppy unless I can get them at 8 weeks.


Was the 13 week old puppy the rescue puppy? Or have you given two back? Assuming these are the same puppy you are talking about, I suspect that the problem behavior was much more related to the puppy being a rescue than the age of the puppy.

There is a lot of debate on the "best" age to get a puppy. Certainly, if the puppy is not being raised well, the sooner you get them, the sooner you can start to correct things. But I HOPE people are doing their best to get puppies from experienced, good breeders who are doing all they should to socialize and properly train the puppies. (these are also the ones more likely to want to hold on to the puppies a little longer) In this case, my personal opinion is that the puppies benefit from being with their mother and siblings (probably even more important than the mom) for a few more weeks.


----------



## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

Well said Karen. We are one of the few that got our pup at 14 weeks and while some may think it was "old" we were VERY fortunate that her breeder had done SO much to start her out fantastically and because she had been with her dog family for so long, we never. NEVER had a single issue with biting or nipping and she was already sleeping through the night. It just happened that we found her at 14 weeks, her breeder probably would have let her go at 10 weeks, but she as waiting for the right family for Tillie and because she knew she was going to be on the small side, was holding out for a PET home, not a show/breeding home. 
I think it is 90% how they are raised during those early weeks, not exactly the age that they are brought home that determines some aspects of thier personalities...


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

TilliesMom said:


> Well said Karen. We are one of the few that got our pup at 14 weeks and while some may think it was "old" we were VERY fortunate that her breeder had done SO much to start her out fantastically and because she had been with her dog family for so long, we never. NEVER had a single issue with biting or nipping and she was already sleeping through the night. It just happened that we found her at 14 weeks, her breeder probably would have let her go at 10 weeks, but she as waiting for the right family for Tillie and because she knew she was going to be on the small side, was holding out for a PET home, not a show/breeding home.
> I think it is 90% how they are raised during those early weeks, not exactly the age that they are brought home that determines some aspects of thier personalities...


Kodi wasn't quite as old as Tillie, but on the older "end", at about 11 weeks, if I remember correctly. Like Tillie, as you know,:biggrin1: Kodi came from a breeder who does an outstanding job getting their puppies off on the right foot. Like you, we had absolutely NO nipping behavior, he was WELL started on hi potty training, and he also slept through the night from the very beginning.

I would want to feel very confident in the breeder to leave the puppy there that long, but from the Kings, wouldn't hesitate for a moment. And for first-time puppy owners, hopefully they ARE buying from a good breeder, because they are going to need to go back to that breeder for advice in the weeks to come. Better to let the knowledgeable breeder give them those extra couple of weeks then get overwhelmed by normal "infant" puppy behavior by taking a puppy on the young side, and getting overwhelmed with the multiple night time wake-up calls, and the absolutely normal, but tiresome nippiness.


----------



## JazzFest13 (Mar 12, 2012)

I've trained larger breed puppies most of my life, and this would not fly with me and a rottweiler puppy. Redirection is the best method. Have your wife teach her commands (sit, down, paw, etc.) with treats. Most dogs, including Havs, are food motivated. 9 weeks is not too young to be training her. Then, it's cause and effect. Once your Hav understands that listening to your wife means yummy treats, she will be far more motivated to do everything in her power to get those treats. When she acts up and bites or growls, your wife will need to redirect; a 'sit' command followed by praise and a treat (after the sit is given) will eventually lead to a more obedient dog. 

Its generally not a good idea to fight aggression with aggression. Keep the atmosphere happy, treat often when she's doing the right things, and redirect.


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

JazzFest13 said:


> I've trained larger breed puppies most of my life, and this would not fly with me and a rottweiler puppy. Redirection is the best method. Have your wife teach her commands (sit, down, paw, etc.) with treats. Most dogs, including Havs, are food motivated. 9 weeks is not too young to be training her. Then, it's cause and effect. Once your Hav understands that listening to your wife means yummy treats, she will be far more motivated to do everything in her power to get those treats. When she acts up and bites or growls, your wife will need to redirect; a 'sit' command followed by praise and a treat (after the sit is given) will eventually lead to a more obedient dog.
> 
> Its generally not a good idea to fight aggression with aggression. Keep the atmosphere happy, treat often when she's doing the right things, and redirect.


Well said. But I still think that in this case, these people need a good, positive trainer to help them.


----------

