Puppies can play rough. Puppy play consists of chasing, pouncing, barking, growling and biting. Many pet owners mistake normal play behavior as aggression or laugh off behavior that is a warning sign for truly aggressive behavior. In normal play,a puppy may bow lower its head and raise its hind end , present its front and side to the owner, wag its tail, dart back and forth, emit high pitched barks and growls, and spontaneously attack people or objects.
Generally, its ears will be up and its mouth will be open and relaxed. The ears are more likely to be pinned back. Instead of a lowering of the head and raising of the back legs in a play bow, the puppy is likely to be standing rigidly. Puppies less than 12 weeks of age that react to pain or fear by growling or snapping are responding abnormally.
Puppies in a dog pack would be attacked if they responded aggressively to correction by an adult dog. The younger a dog is when it shows serious aggressive behaviors, such as growling or snapping when handled, the more likely it will bite and injure humans in the future. Punishment methods of training have been shown to worsen aggression. The more skilled and reward-based training, the more well adjusted and friendly the dog will be.
Bad training creates bad dogs. Most dog owners spend way to much time correcting behaviors they perceive as wrong and far too little time teaching the puppy what they want it to do instead. Puppy Play or Aggression? Book Appointment. Printer Version. Normal Puppy Play vs. Always have a toy on hand that the puppy can transfer its attention to. In other words, when puppy is excited and attacking your feet or hands, redirect him toward a toy.
Speak up and step out. This is what littermates do and how they teach each other not to play too roughly. A hard bite gets a yelp and a withdrawal from play. Interrupt problem behaviors. You can interrupt problem behaviors by startling the puppy, not punishing it. Then you have about two seconds to entice the puppy to do something else instead. Be careful not to scare timid puppies, though, as a shaker can may frighten your pet too much.
