Dog starting to show aggression

mom2raven

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So Pete (14 weeks) has started growling at everything.
I am not sure at what point it is ok to admit that he isn't a good fit.
I am trying really hard. I think if it were just me to consider he would be perfect. But my children come first and my cats are very dear to me.
He has bit two of my kids more than puppy nipping and today he growled at a neighbor child simply for walking by. And at me for taking the stick while we played fetch.
 

nerdrock

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I don't want this to come off wrong, so please don't take my questions the wrong way. 

Have you ever had a puppy before? If so, how long ago was that? I only ask because it's extremely rare for a puppy to be truly aggressive. 

Have you started any obedience training with him at all, outside of the home with a trainer? If not, start on that right away. They will be able to tell you if it's a puppy stage, testing or true aggression. It's hard for us to tell without actually seeing it. 

If you have any fear of him, what he may do to your family, etc then it's probably best to rehome him as soon as possible. In my experience, most people don't get over something that has happened and end up resenting or fearing the animal. I'm not saying that's what will happen with you, just something that I have found to be true for the most part - whether the owners realize it or not. 

Did you get him from a registered breeder? Did you sign any contracts? If so, check them over before you do anything. Most reputable breeders will take a puppy back if it's not a good fit for the family and usually will give a full or partial refund. Most breeders also usually state in their contracts what should happen to the puppy if you are no longer able to care for it. 
 
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mom2raven

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The trainer I am working with is also my mother. She is worried that the aggressive type behavior is part of his personaility. She says she has seen some disturbing tendencies in him. He has potential but also has some concerns.

I actually got him from a give away add.
 

nerdrock

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How long ago did you get him?

Can you describe, in detail, what you, your kids and Pete were doing during, before and after each instance?

You mentioned in another thread that one of your children tries to get him excited and getting in his face - this definitely needs to stop or you are going to end up with a fear biter,  and depending on how you handle the situation you are going to end up with a fear biter that doesn't give a warning (growl, movement away, etc). Does he have a safe space where he can go to get away from everything that's going on? Are you crate training him? If you aren't crate training him I'd highly suggest you do. Most dogs, after the initial training period, love their crates and will instinctively go there to sleep or if they need a break from what's going on. One thing to keep in mind is to NEVER reach into a dog's crate to pull him out, grab at him, etc. If you want the dog to get out of the crate, lure him out. 

IMO you are dealing with a dominant, but otherwise normal, puppy that can be worked with if he can have his own "safe" space. 
 
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mom2raven

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Pete sleeps in his crate and when we leave him at home for any reason he is in a safe room with a crate.
Yesterday we had a good day, worked on socialization (people) and went on a nice walk.
Today we worked on some dog socialization (my moms dogs).

We were outside. He growled at a neighbors 3 year old who was only walking by. We live in an apartment and therefore Pete is always leashed when we are outside at home. After he growled i picked him up and held him for a moment and he growled at me! He then growled at my daughter who said his name and talked to him.
And a short while later I was playing fetch with him (long lead, we have a huge backyard area here) and he growled when I took the stick. He usually loves fetch.

The only other growl behaviors I have seen is when he has a bone.

I have had him for 3 weeks.
 

nerdrock

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Pete sleeps in his crate and when we leave him at home for any reason he is in a safe room with a crate.  How often do you go out? Do you put him in his crate at all when you're home? Is it in a place where he can easy access it or does he have to go through closed doors? How quiet is it where his crate is and is he bothered at all while he's in there (people reaching in, high traffic area, etc)?
Yesterday we had a good day, worked on socialization (people) and went on a nice walk.
Today we worked on some dog socialization (my moms dogs).
We were outside. He growled at a neighbors 3 year old who was only walking by. We live in an apartment and therefore Pete is always leashed when we are outside at home. After he growled i picked him up and held him for a moment and he growled at me! He then growled at my daughter who said his name and talked to him. Depending on how often he has been bothered (faces shoved in his, teasing, etc at his previous home and yours) he may now see small children as a threat and is now warning before they even get close. Socialize with older children and move down to younger ones as he gets more comfortable with it. Have younger kids toss treats to him when he behaves well around them (being quiet, etc). You need to go slowly with this though and learn his body language.
And a short while later I was playing fetch with him (long lead, we have a huge backyard area here) and he growled when I took the stick. He usually loves fetch.
The only other growl behaviors I have seen is when he has a bone. He's possessive of his bone, this is pretty normal with dogs. A lot of people will grab at the bone/food and think that their dog shouldn't give a warning (growl), IMO I would rather have a dog that gave a warning so I could access the situation and see what we can work with. I never give my dogs high value items (bones, etc) when there is a chance that something will bother them or take it away from them. Think of it this way - would you like someone reaching onto your plate while you were eating or snacking and just randomly taking it away from you, eventually you'd get annoyed and become possessive about what you had. 
I have had him for 3 weeks. He's still getting used to you and your home. There's a training practice called something like "The Two Week Shutdown", you can read about it here: http://www.squidoo.com/TwoWeekShutdown#module20977592  I would start this and then NILIF (Nothing In Life Is Free) as soon as possible. You can read about NILIF training here: http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm
My responses are in bold. 
 

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Dogs are pack animals.  Because he is new to your pack he is trying to establish his place.  He is not sure if he is supposed to be the alpha dog.  Picking him up when he growls is not sending him a clear message.  Do not be aggressive with him. You need to show him you are the one who is in charge.  Say "NO". Have dominant posture and confidence. 

IF you feel like you need to find a new home for him, do it soon.  The few people who do want a dog, want a puppy.  They fear an older dog will already be set in its ways, and harder to break of any bad habits, plus puppies are cute.  
Either way, its not going to be easy.  I wish you luck.
 

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One of my main concerns is where did the parents come from. If they were pet store pups or even just bred to get puppies to sell not much went into what type dog it would make.

If this continues and with that breed you are looking at many many years of this.  Can your mom take him and train him and either rehome to an adult only family or give back once hes more adjusted? not the best solution but options are imited here
 
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mom2raven

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I have no idea what his parents are like. I am his second home. I got him through a giveaway add, his first owner had been promoted at work and was going to start traveling.
 

mani

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I have no idea what his parents are like. I am his second home. I got him through a giveaway add, his first owner had been promoted at work and was going to start traveling.
Are you absolutely sure that was the reason he was given away? He may have had issues then and they just didn't want to deal with it.  Many people want the cute puppy without any idea of what it entails.

All puppies need guidance and training, the more and the earlier the better.
 

denice

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I would be careful about picking him up when he growls at something.  It will take work to curb the behavior and the tendancies to aggression may very well be in his genes. Only you can make the decision about whether to work with him or to rehome him hopefully to a home with someone who has experience with dogs who exhibit problem behaviors. Whichever you choose the sooner the better because the longer the negative behavior continues the more difficult it will be to modify;
 

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At 14 weeks you can not say the animal is aggressive. He is still learning, testing boundaries and understanding how things work. Since you are his second home, you probably have no idea at what age he was removed from his mother. So, you got him 3 weeks ago and he's 14 weeks so he was 11 when you got him and this is his second home. Safe to say he did not learn all the vital social skills needed from his mother and siblings before being given away. Not his fault and it's your responsibility to teach him now.

The major red flags I see from your post are in the interactions with your children. You must teach your children the proper way to socialize with the dog. Training isn't just for the dog, it's for you and the family as well. In fact, most of the work is training the people how to interact with the dog. I'm going to climb on my soapbox for just a moment and say that at this age, your dog is being taught how to interact by you and if you allow interactions of getting in his face, using hands to excite him, etc, you are teaching him to behave that way as well. Dogs are allowed to have limits and to tell you what those limits are, it's how you interpret those limits and manage them that will set the course for the rest of this dogs life. If you set him up to be aggressive, he'll be aggressive. If you learn how to train this dog correctly, he'll be a wonderful companion for you and your family.

I understand that your mother is your trainer, is she a certified dog trainer? Or, has she just trained her dog? I can't tell you enough how important training with a certified trainer is. You must get this guy around other dogs, in a safe training environment and teach not only the dog, but your entire family how to live together.
 
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