Dominance or normal puppy behavior?

[Penturner]

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I am always disappointed when someone (and nearly everyone does it) see someone get a puppy all stirred up , growling and snarling and thinking it is a good way to have their puppy learn to behave. It is so cute. it's not all that cute when the puppy is 25 or 30 pounds and much bigger teeth. It is so true that most dog behaviors would never be a problem if owners did nto think the puppies where so cute and could do no wrong.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I am always disappointed when someone (and nearly everyone does it) see someone get a puppy all stirred up , growling and snarling and thinking it is a good way to have their puppy learn to behave. It is so cute. it's not all that cute when the puppy is 25 or 30 pounds and much bigger teeth. It is so true that most dog behaviors would never be a problem if owners did nto think the puppies where so cute and could do no wrong.

Oh believe me, we've already realized that Kane is alot more dominant than Jax and as such he is not allowed to get away with a single thing. He tried it with me. I'd take him out (without a leash) when he was 8 weeks old and he thought it was fun to run and get under a vehicle where I couldn't get him, as soon as he finished his business. Now he's leashed, every single time and he must heel on the leash. Corrections are swift and consistent. I won't have a 100 lb. dog that I can't control. Jax learned and so can Kane.

 

[redhen]

its a dominance thing.. Kane is young and still learning. Testing the waters..so to speak...
and Jax tolerates it now because he KNOWS that Kane is a pup....(pups smell different than adult dogs... and dogs know the difference)
Also..yes, stop it when you see it...you are the pack lader...noone should be dominating anyone in front of you... thats bad manners (almost disrespect..) in the doggie world.

so..just correct him...he'll learn quickly.

 

[SillyChicken]

It most certainly is a dominance thing. I raise Italian mastiffs and you most certainly DO have to start modifying behavior at an early age. Puppies establish pack orders within the litters as soon as they can start interacting. This is one of the reasons puppies should stay within litters for the typical 8 wks. They learn acceptable social dog behaviors.
Try not to confuse human emotion with "puppy play" they play with natural instinstincs and learn pack hierarchy in the litter and then the pack. Now, he may not really know what he's doing when real little, but he will grow into knowing what that means. They are signals that come naturally to dogs. Things like shoulder pushing, resting their head on another dogs back and shoulders, leaning into them and shoving them aside, humping. You don't want a 10lb dog doing this anymore than you want a 160lb dog displaying any dominant positioning in your home, without correcting it as the Alpha, as all the humans should be.

The level of assertion on the puppy has to be weighed against the puppies temperment. If he's really soft, more than likely he won't via for position very hard, if at all. But if you have a hard dog, like a pup I had, flipping her on the back and holding her until she submitted was the piviting point in our relationship. (I should tell you that the puppy darn near bit my ear lobe off when I fed her her first meal at our home, one immediate correction was all it took, I can take her food, toys or anything out of her mouth no question). She is an extrememly hard dog, but will do what I tell her with no quesiton.

 

[walkswithdog]

Either way it's behavior that is undesireable. If he thinks it's PLAY and he does that to the WRONG dog - it will rip him to pieces for the percieved insult. If it's play and you find it unattractive and I do, I teach them not to. If it's dominance based then of course you have to stop it. Whatever the reason, it's unacceptable and best stopped early.

Exactly like jumping up, mouthing too hard, if you don't want that, or anything else you don't want a 100 lb dog doing, just as everyone else said. Puppyhood is when it's easiest to prevent unwanted adult behavior.

And it kills me when people permit a puppy behaviors they will never accept in the adult dog. Then that dog gets turned in to animal control at two years because it "jumps on people," and "knocked down Grandma or the two year old". Duh.

 

[gritsar]

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I understand what you're saying. Jax was a bit older (13 weeks) when we got him and had very little human interaction before we got him. It was harder to train him than it's been with Kane. I'm very vigilant about correcting behaviors I don't want to have to deal with when he's older. He's a very strong-willed little booger.

 

[scbatz33]

On a side note: SillyChicken, do you have any photos of you mastiffs?

Oh, and I'm with what they said - you don't like the behavior, you stop the behavior. It's how they learn.

 

[Brindlebtch]

What posts #13, 14, & 15 said. Agreed. Normal. Put him right under your thumb for the first year.

 

[gritsar]

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Heya Brindle! Have missed you!

How 'bout under my foot, which is where "The Hoover" is right now.
Betcha can guess why I call him the hoover.

 

[Brindlebtch]

Because he barkuums.

Doggy vacuum.