Bosten Terrior aggressive behavior

Question
Hi, I just got a Boston Terror a few weeks ago and it is still very young. I don't know if this is normal or why she is doing this but she jumps at us and trys to attack us. She will even jump at your face if she is close enough to it while she is in " kinda crazy" mode. IS this normal / I think it is. I need to know if this is normal? IF you have any advice on ways to control this and why shes doing it. THx

Answer
Hey, Marissa,

If she's a puppy, then yes, this is normal behavior. She's essentially trying to get you to play with her the way her litter mates played with her before she came to live with you.

As for controlling the behavior, I'd say it's more a matter of re-directing all that energy into a toy she can grab hold of with her teeth. If she gets into a state where she's way too wound up for you to be able to get her interested in a toy, she needs a time out. This basically means she needs to be put in her crate or gated area, without any anger or scolding, just simply as a matter of giving her a chance to cool her jets.

And please don't worry that because she uses her teeth to mouth you and play with that it means she's going to grow up to be a bad dog. The more a puppy learns how to use her teeth properly (by biting toys, and when she's more relaxed by mouthing your hands softly), the more well-balanced she'll be emotionally as an adult dog.

I hope this helps,

LCK

PS: Check out "How to Stop Puppy Bites" on my website.