Lab/Rott Puppy is Aggressive

Question
QUESTION: Our Lab/Rott 7 and 1/2 month old puppy is becoming very aggressive with snapping and jumping at us (me, my husband and our 17 year old daughter).  Barking all the time if he wants something and doesn't get it. If I sit down and open my computer, he will jump up on the couch and bite at me. I had him in puppy training and was done at 6 months of age and was doing fine. Just in the last 2 weeks have we noticed how aggressive he is becoming. Not sure if I should find him a new home?  We had a golden retriever for 10 years and never had an issue like this.  We met both the parents and they were wonderful dogs, calm and sweet.

ANSWER: Continue working the obedience commands.  Give him a good walk on leash every day.  Your set the pace, determine where you go and limit the chances to stop and sniff.  Insist ona loose leash.  

Make him sit before opening a door or feeding him.  He sits quietly while you measure out the food and doesn't start to eat until you say ''Free dog!''.  

Young Labs, which I know best, and other puppies tend to very bad about biting. You see a litter of them, and all the ones that are awake are biting another one or themselves. I am not even sure they realize that when they are alone, if they quit biting, they would quit being bitten. At 3 to 4 months they are getting their adult teeth, and it seems they spend every waking moment biting or chewing. One thing you can do at that stage is to knot and wet a piece of cloth. Then freeze it. The cooling will soothe the gums. Only let the puppy have it when you are there to watch it. I maintain a Lab's favorite chew toy is another Lab. Otherwise they settle for any person they can. They keep hoping to find one that won't yelp, jerk their hand away, and leave.

You just have to keep on correcting them, hundreds of times, not dozens. Provide sturdy, safe toys such as Kongs and Nylabones. Avoid things they can chew pieces off and choke on them. Keep them away from electrical cords. Crates are essential for most young Labs and other dogs.


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QUESTION: We do take him for walks and have got him on a gentle leader and working on a loose leash.  All of his aggressive behavior is centered around food, people food, of which he does not get.  He has plenty of chew toys.  He has had his adult teeth a while now, and has been neutered since 5 1/2 months.  The barking and biting seems extreme.  If we are doing what you suggest, which we are, what do we do now?

Answer
As I explained above, you must never tolerate biting.  The moment teeth meet skin, he loses you company.  Each and every time.  At his age, it will take time, but he will eventually catch on.  

The above are fundamental techniques I suggest for almost all behavior problems and should help with barking too. The truth is, Labs usually don't bark that much and I don't have methods of controlling barking that I have been successful using. It isn't even in the manual for them. The manual does have a suggested reading list. One I have read is The Other End of the Leash by Patrica McConnell.

She suggests the first step is not to yell at the dog. After all, usually if one dog starts to bark, any others around will to. So yell at your dog when it barks and it is happy to have you bark with it. Quietly tell it enough and walk over to it with a treat, doesn't need to be very big. Let him know you have it and use it to lure him away from what he is barking at if anything, and praise him as he shifts his attention to the treat and away from barking. Once away from where he was barking, give him the treat.

Unlike much of my other advice, this is not something I have tried and found works. It does come from a reliable source and I would trust it more than something I found on a website I know little about. I just hope she isn't smart enough to figure out if she barks, she gets a treat plus your attention.