Puppy plays a bit too rough

**Bubmum** · 07-05-2010 15:56

We have 4 month old staffy/kelpie puppies, and one of them appears to be quite vicious. Fred is constantly trying to boss Ginger, and he has attacked her a couple of times, in almost a frenzied attack. It's like watching a dog go crazy at dog fights.
We have a dog yard with a kennel we put them in at night, and she got out, and when we put her back in, he attacked her. Reared up, trying to get at her throat, savage attack.
I am worried that as he gets older, he is going to be more and more vicious. He hasn't acted this way towards us humans yet (just spends a ridiculous amount of time barking at the cats). Ginger is more boisterous with us..she jumps on DD when she is excited.
Will he calm down? I don't know what to expect.

**Bubmum** · 07-05-2010 21:14

*bump*

Or otherwise I am going to have to say I hate him, just to get a glut of responses, har de ha ha

**~Candy~** · 07-05-2010 21:29

You need to sort these two out and they need you to be more dominant. Don't put up with bad behaviour such as jumping...teach your dd to turn her back when this happens and to sternly say NO! DOWN!
When Fred gets bossy with Ginger, he needs to be told 'NO' and distracted.
Make sure they have their own food and water dishes, toys and their own beds so they aren't fighting over everything as they would as pups fighting over their mum's nipple.
You being the 'dominant' one is like being the mother or the leader of the pack and this is what dogs need in an owner. ATM it seems like Fred is trying to be the dominant one and you need to put him back in his place.

**Bubmum** · 07-05-2010 21:38

It's my Dad's dogs, so yeah, he can work it out, with me nagging. He had to spend all day at home with them yapping at the cats, and actually put some work into them, praise the Lord.
I have taught DD to put her hand out and say No, don't, and this has calmed that situation down a fair bit, although when we come home, she still gets very exciteable.
We do tell Fred No, but it is really hard to get in and seperate 2 dogs in the middle of a full on dog fight. I feed them seperately, one in the fenced in pen, one outside. Do you think we should split them up at night? They seem to sleep quite nicely together in their doggy house. Is this just a ruse? Are they just pretending to be nice to one another? I cottoned on fairly early to his boss dog's ways, and while he doesn't boss us...he does yap at the cats (she will stop), and give Ginger a hard time.

**moochymoo** · 07-05-2010 21:52

Or otherwise I am going to have to say I hate him, just to get a glut of responses, har de ha ha

This is quite a complex problem that will soon manifest itself into an issue you will find hard to control. It will not just be about dominating him, this can often make these sorts of personalities in dogs much worse.
I would seek professsional help from a behaviourist, they are beyond basic puppy preschool and 4 months is terribly young to be dispalying such agressive behaviour.
There will always be a heirarchy with 2 dogs, with one being more submissive than the other. But trying to rip her throat out is a little more than displaying normal puppy dominance!
Good luck in sorting it out early, rather than later

**~Candy~** · 07-05-2010 21:58

I do think Fred's behaviour depends on how long he was with his mum for.
He may have had to fight for a teat and that is something he thinks he still needs to do.
I have a huge dog (bull arab) she was part of a litter of 17 and they all had to fight for a feed and this is what she did untill she was about 6 months ( I got her at 3 months...she slowly learned that she didn't need to fight for her food anymore).
At this young stage, they should be sepreated at feed time, but definatley still sleep together

Fred certainly needs some human dominance.

**Bubmum** · 07-05-2010 22:07

OMG! Now I am freaked out. I don't worry about him at the moment, more, the dog he is becoming. And you are saying that , yes, it is going to get worse, that it isn't normal.
I don't want him to end up in a bad situation (unhouseable and dangerous). I think we need Caesar to come and visit.

**moochymoo** · 07-05-2010 22:34

OMG! Now I am freaked out. I don't worry about him at the moment, more, the dog he is becoming. And you are saying that , yes, it is going to get worse, that it isn't normal.
I don't want him to end up in a bad situation (unhouseable and dangerous). I think we need Caesar to come and visit.

He is still a youngster and will respond well to training and a behaviourists advice. But seek professional advice, often dominating these types of dogs can make it much worse. The way we train dogs and understand their behaviour now has changed a lot and the old style puppy training of a dominant puppy - grabbing it by the scruff, rolling it on its back and dominating it - is not recommended anymore.
Im sure he is not a psychopath!

He just needs some redirection and an understanding of why he is behaving like this. But better to nip it in the bud now that let it get too out of hand, when before you know it, he is a powerful, 6 month old with adult teeth and a chip on his shoulder!
And yes i would be worried about his behaviour around people and children if it continues into adulthood.