# *Unsure Puppy Pickup .. Advice?



## pandaparade (Dec 29, 2010)

My friend's boyfriend ended up getting a puppy for her Christmas present. He ended up rescuing the sibling. I know I know, bad decision, BUT I am worried about something else, tell me what you all think. These puppies were found on the road by a man who claims he does not want them any more now. Being puppies, they gave my friend and her boyfriend *the eyes* and they took them home. The puppies are together for now until next week. They are around 4-5 months old, but her puppy is throwing a bunch of problems at her already, and it kinda worries me. She knows nothing about dogs, and her dog has been humping the sibling ( I know this is a play thing ) but he won't stop. This creates a lot of snarling and fights. I am not in favor of letting dogs hump just because I know it can start a lot of fight with other dogs. I also don't like it because my own dog has a bad knee and I don't want a huge dog putting his weight on my dog’s hips like this. Anyways, so there’s that (they won't be living together so I don't see it as a problem, but just a second ago I get a call from her and she asked me if I could watch the puppy right now till next Sunday because the puppy just hurt his sibling pretty bad. She also said that when she went to pet her boyfriend's puppy, her puppy ran over to it and attacked....ughh..

This is pretty bad for such a young pup to be displaying this already.. it worries me. She has fallen in love with the puppy but.. I don't know guys, once that dog hits adolescence, this could be bad. He guards his food as well with the other puppy. I almost want to stick something in his bowl and see if he will react the same way. Any advice? She is upset because I didn't understand why she couldn't keep the puppy herself at least in the back yard for now. I did tell her I would watch him next week when they go out of town, but it's starting to worry me.

ETA: there is what I would call leash aggression as well when he is on leash.


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

It seems to me it's time for the siblings to be separated, if they can't be managed tohether the two of them should not be together. They are displaying inappropriate play behaviors and if left unchecked they may never be able to properly interact with other dogs (many dogs won't tolerate what these pups are doing)...tell her to stop allowing the humping.

Food guarding is a relatively common behavior. Many dogs will guard their food from other dogs, this does not necessarily mean they will guard their food (or whatever else) from their human. Working on trading things with the dog can help with this behavior but to be on the safe side for all parties involved I would suggest this pup eats in a crate or a room where no one can bother him. There is no reason to make eating more stressful by adding tons of distractions especially if he is already displaying guarding behavior.


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## Atila (Oct 15, 2011)

I hate humping, I hate people who allow their dogs to do it and my dog hates it. It's dominance positioning and she should bann it always. She should also control the way her pup plays so to show him who is the boss there. For instance, if her dog throws another one on the ground during the play, she should interfere and stop the play. He needs to learn how to play nicely. 
Food agression is something that can develop into some serious problems. Let her start by giving her dog bowl of food in front of him and keeping her hand in it. If he objects in any way and does not start eating without objection, she just takes the food away. When dog is calm again she starts over. In time she should just add extra 'annoyance' during the feeding, such as petting the dog, cleaninghis eyes, touching his tail and/or genitals, moving his paws, coming from the back etc. Dog must not object to these distractions in any way. He can stop eating and even move few paces away in a calm, relaxed way to start feeding when 'cued'.

I'm of opinion that positive training methods are a saver when dealing with agressive behaviors. Her dog might have some prior trauma that manifests itself in his overprotective behavior, but with lots of patience and will she should show him that in their relationship she is the protector, feeder etc. in one word - the owner.


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## swolek (Mar 31, 2011)

Well, some dogs are just kinda nuts as adolescents (especially hormonal, intact ones) but I, too, would be hesitant about having siblings together (although it sounds like they won't be most of the time?). Bambi really concerned me as a puppy...she was extremely mouthy, growly, and rough. She was also afraid of basically everything outside (she wouldn't pee if a leaf blew by, for example). She was difficult to train and a destructive chewer.

Bambi matured into an awesome, calm dog. She's obedient, gentle, and easy-going. She was just an insane puppy is all .


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

pandaparade said:


> She knows nothing about dogs, and her dog has been humping the sibling ( I know this is a play thing ) but he won't stop. This creates a lot of snarling and fights. Anyways, so there’s that (they won't be living together so I don't see it as a problem, but just a second ago I get a call from her and she asked me if I could watch the puppy right now till next Sunday because the puppy just hurt his sibling pretty bad. She also said that when she went to pet her boyfriend's puppy, her puppy ran over to it and attacked....ughh..
> 
> This is pretty bad for such a young pup to be displaying this already.. it worries me. She has fallen in love with the puppy but.. I don't know guys, once that dog hits adolescence, this could be bad. He guards his food as well with the other puppy. I almost want to stick something in his bowl and see if he will react the same way. Any advice? She is upset because I didn't understand why she couldn't keep the puppy herself at least in the back yard for now. I did tell her I would watch him next week when they go out of town, but it's starting to worry me.
> 
> ETA: there is what I would call leash aggression as well when he is on leash.


Your friend won't want to hear this, but if she has never owned a dog and 'knows nothing about dogs' then she really probably needs to find a more experienced home for this puppy. This puppy is already showing dominance, aggression, and various other behaviors that are going to take an experienced owner to handle and correct. If she is not very familiar with dogs, I can see this not ending well at all for both her and the puppy. 

My neighbor got her first puppy ever and it was an extremely dominant, food aggressive, troubled puppy. She had never owned a dog and knew nothing about dog behavior. By the time the dog passes away at age 6 (unknown reasons) it had bit every member of her family repeatedly and pretty much controlled the household. It had also attacked most of the dogs in the neighborhood. Everyone in her family was scared to put a leash on it or handle it without flinching because you were never sure what it was going to do. 

It would be more fair to both the puppy and your friend to find a very experienced dog owner for the puppy. Then let your friend get a nice, easy going, friendly puppy that is easy to raise and train as her very first dog. It will be hard for her to give the puppy up at first but better for them both in the long run and when you are talking possibly 10-15 years with a dog, you have to think of the long term.


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## leilaquinn (Sep 7, 2011)

Atila said:


> I hate humping, I hate people who allow their dogs to do it and my dog hates it. It's dominance positioning and she should bann it always. .


I agree with the rest of your post, and in the case of this puppy it sounds like the humping may indeed be dominance based, but the idea that ALL humping is, is outdated, in my opinion. I think some hyper dogs, adolecents in particular, are prone to humping simply due to over excitement. I used to see it in daycare situations where the stimulus was just too high. For instance, a year old lab who used to hump all her favorite dogs and then proceed to lay on he back and wiggle at them, she was in no way dominant, just super playful and excitable. I do think MOST dogs find it rude (not all, my dog seems to LIKE to be humped, at least by female dogs, i don't think a boy dog has ever tried, he playbows and gets happier, but he is a weirdo and super tolerant) and and it can be an easy fight trigger so I always discourage it, mostly because I don't want my dog to think new dogs will tolerate it just because his best friend lady pit bull doesn't mind.


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## Jack Monzon (Jul 25, 2010)

I've heard mixed things on humping; I don't know what to think. My dog won't let other dogs hump him, but he tries to hump them. I gauge whether to break it up by the reaction of the other dog and the owner


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## xchairity_casex (Oct 8, 2011)

if the other puppy is growling over its sibling humping i think we can safely say its more of a dominace behavior but regardless of if its dominace or not the puppy should not be allowed to do it as obviously its causeing trouble. even if seh took the sibling away i still cannot imagine this ending well for either of them :/ simply becuase she is inexperienced.
my first BT puppy began showing severe food aggression at around 3 months old from the very first day i had brought him home i taught him the wait command with his food bowl and he learned very very quickly and very well while he ate his food after he bagn showing the severe aggression over it i would hold the bowl and feed him only with my hands he had no issues with this BUT the second a piece of food hit the floor or heh ad somthing in his mouth if you went near him he would attack full blown grab you and shake to kill. i was very inexperinced at that time though i had been doing NILIF training from 7 weeks old every single day of his life he never got a toy,treat, nothing without earning it i was all posative training no corrections at all i never told him no but would use distraction training and posative reinforcment. it was to the point by 4 months old that if you walking into the same room were he had even a hunk of dirty ice from outside you could be 10 feet away from him he would run at you to grab you. broke my heart but i had to give him back to the breeders who ended up being bitten by him again and again hes about 2 years old now living with the breeders father who has trained and worked with cane corsos apperantly he is still severly aggressive but after that i did everything i could to re-search dog behavior,training,ect everyday i researched and read and watched dogs behaviors to learn.
Guinness is still aggressive BUT he is being managed by someone who KNOWS how to deal with him and personally i dont think anyone should even own a dog anymore unless they have SOME basic knowledge about dog behavior AND training since that incedent i have a new respect for dogs in general and dont belive any dog should go to any owner i used to feel it was ok for a person to give there 10 year old kid a dog to care for by themselves i sued to think it was ok for a couple whod never owned a dog before to "take the next step" in there relationship and go out to buy a puppy i dont feel like that anymore i feel people should sit down and do a whole lot of reading before even thinking about getting a dog first. i was one of those morons who thought learning JUST about doing training was good enough well it wasnt.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

I think your friend needs a good trainer, or a home where someone knows what they are doing with a dog that is already showing aggressive tendencies. she needs to get a handle on it now.


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