We have had Dexter for nearly 3 weeks now, he is an excitable puppy and if i didn't have children I wouldn't be so concerned. He has taken to growling when I move him or take things off him that the kids have left out (sometimes unavoidable) and he is barking at me like he is annoyed with me sometimes when I am stood above him and making him sit for example. It's the growling that's bothering me he most and he is curling his lips up slightly too occasionally. Unsure what to do! Any advice would be appreciated. Thankyou
Hi Amanda and welcome to the forum. At 12 weeks, it's highly unlikely that your puppy is aggressive. Have a look around the puppy boards and see how many other people are in exactly the same situation as you. It's perfectly normal behaviour for a puppy to bark, bite and growl, trying to encourage you to play. For taking things off him, management is key, but when that fails (as it inevitably will, especially with children around), you should start training a "leave it" cue. Until that is strong enough, try swapping what he has taken for a treat or a toy he is allowed to play with. Eventually, he will grow out of taking the toys he's not allowed. Try to remain calm and patient - he doesn't understand that he shouldn't have these things, and if grabbing them gets him attention (even if that is you shouting at him), then he's going to continue doing it. Most Labradors love to carry things in their mouths, so get him a toy he's allowed to do that with, and when he picks up something he shouldn't have, either ignore him (if it's not something important or dangerous to him) or swap it for that toy. If you're standing over him, he could also be scared - this is a very threatening position to a little puppy, so try not to do it. You don't want to scare him, as this could lead to problems further down the line.
No, he's not aggressive - believe it or not it's usually his way of playing. Don't take anything off him without swapping - or he will start to guard things, which is not good. Swap for a lovely treat or special toy. Here is a great article to help you - http://www.thelabradorsite.com/labrador-puppies-biting/#aggressive-puppy ...
Jesse is 4 month today. He steals things when he gets the chance. I usually swap it out for his favorite tread and distract him with one of his toys. He started to bark and growl a little when he wants attention or when he is tired. He turns from a sweet puppy to a croco pup lol.
Thankyou for your replies I do feel a lot better now, I will definitely swap his toys rather than just remove them, he is so cuddly most of the time it's just an occasional growl or snarl, he looks awful when he does it! I make sure he had time away from the children to make sure he doesnt get over tired and has a little peace as they are two boys 3 and 4 and drive me round the twist I'm sure Dexter feels the same lol thanks again x
When they are playing they do the snarl thing. This photo is totally play!! (Gypsy, guide dog puppy and Tatze, my pet Lab - 15 months old at the time) Not that you want them to do snarly play with you, of course, it should be reserved for dogs they know well. But, at his age, he still needs to learn that ...
