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 Help! I'm afraid of my puppy!
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| Author | Topic: Help! I'm afraid of my puppy! |
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amanda9989 New Member  Posts: 6 |
posted 12-08-2003 06:06 PM
 
I recently purchased a APBT. I did a lot of research before choosing a breed. All I heard about these dogs is that they are wonderful with people, rarely bite, great dispositions, etc, but that they do tend to be aggressive towards other dogs. I don't have any other dogs so as long as there wasn't a tendency towards human aggression, I was happy and they seemed to have so many wonderful qualities! I wanted a running partner, and family friend. Well, my baby is only 8 weeks old. I've had her for a couple of weeks now and I'm scared of her. Of course, right now she is too small to hurt me, but i have never had a puppy that growls and bites like she does. if i pat her side, she growls visciously and tries to bite. Sometimes she is the sweetest thing in the world and she will lay on me and sleep for hours, but if I do something she does not like, she lets me know in no uncertain terms that she won't put up with it. I've tried to be really firm with her that I am boss, I've tried a muzzle squeeze, alpha roll over, i've tried putting her down and refusing to play with her. But I have these problems every single time I try to play with her for more than ten minutes. I have children and I really cannot have a mean dog. But I have so much time (and money) invested in this puppy. And besides, if she really is going to have a poor temperment, then I can't in good good conscience give her to another family. What should I do? [This message has been edited by amanda9989 (edited 12-08-2003).] IP: Logged |
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neek Member  Posts: 291 |
posted 12-08-2003 07:24 PM
I would be worried too!! Your puppy should not be showing that much aggression while you are playing with her especially at that age. It's normal for any puppy to growl to a certain degree but loud, snappy growling or a curled lip means the pup is not playing anymore. I think you have chosen the aggresser of the litter. I would contact the breeder and ask to swap for another more placid pup, especially since you have children. These sort of pups rarely become anything but guard dogs later on, not the much valued pet you were hoping for. Sorry to put a damper on your new pup but shewill surely do damage to your children should she latch on to their hands even playfully. [This message has been edited by neek (edited 12-08-2003).] IP: Logged |
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neek Member Posts: 291 |
posted 12-08-2003 07:26 PM
Oh yeah, the same goes for any breed of dog, not just pitbulls, but a pit can do exceedingly more damage than most other breeds.  IP: Logged |
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Berriano Member Posts: 47 |
posted 12-08-2003 07:31 PM
try socialization and as soon as possible, obedience classes. there are even "puppy bootcamps" that you can send pups away to for a week or so at a time, and they start the pups out for you. these "bootcamps" dont have an age limit, but they really help. i sent my pup to one rather than kenneling him when i took a week's vacation, and he loved the place. his training progressed really well, his socialization got a bit better, and he showed more respect toward people in general. it's worth a try IP: Logged |
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amanda9989 New Member Posts: 6 |
posted 12-08-2003 09:38 PM
well that's definately not what i wanted to hear. and it's what i was afraid of. i wish there was something i could do to change her temperment. i'm not going to give up on her just yet but i'm so worried she'll hurt the kids or even me when i least expect it. she's been very sick since i got her and i just now got her healthy and i'm really attached to her from all the nursing. the breeder won't take her back even if i wanted him to, and i don't. he wasn't a real breeder, all the puppies were in sad shape and like i said, she's been horribly sick and almost died. so i can't give her back to the "breeder" i'm really in a pickle. IP: Logged |
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kricks Member Posts: 43 |
posted 12-08-2003 09:55 PM
Have you considered that your pup may still be in pain from her illnesses? Alot of times dogs will lash out if they are in pain or ill. It makes a little sense if you think about it. You mentioned that your pup doesn't like to play after more than 10 minutes. maybe it is getting tired due to some kind of illness or is in pain after playing that long. You may also want to think about where yo uare touching the dog when it lashes out. I it in the same place every time it snaps at you? Might be worth a visit to the Vet Good luck IP: Logged |
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goob Member Posts: 552 |
posted 12-08-2003 10:25 PM
Are you sure that she's acting out of aggression? The reason I ask is that you say she's 8 weeks old now, and you've had her for a couple of weeks... the time spent with the litter between being weaned and 8 weeks or so is important for pups because they learn what type of biting, growling, etc is acceptable. Since your pup missed out on this, it's possible that she's just being a sassy little pup, not being mean, but also not realizing that her behavior is inappropriate. You might try "yelping" a loud "OUCH!" when she bites you, then leaving her alone for a while. It takes time and consistency for these type of things to work though, and if the problem is lack of bite inhibition, you may not see "real" results for several weeks to a couple months. If you can find a behaviorist, it would be a good idea to let them see how she's acting, as they should be able to tell you whether it's just rough, uncontrolled play, or real aggression. Hope things work out, and be sure to let us know how she's doing. IP: Logged |
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PitNest Member Posts: 26 |
posted 12-08-2003 11:09 PM
I must say I'm thinking the same thing as Goob. I've seen many pitty pups that are playful in this way. To many people, especially people who have their guard up because of the dogs reputation, the growls can seem to be more than they are. My male acted this way as an 8 week old pup but is now one of the most docile dogs I know. However, when we play even now days he can sound very intimidating or show teeth but if you actually let him grab you he puts almost no pressure on you at all. To him it's just fun but he knows when too much is too much. If he thinks he's hurt me he'll start franticly wagging his tail and his ears drop back like he thinks he's in trouble. I would keep a watchful eye on your pup but I would't jump the gun. I also had a siberian husky that was sick when I first got her. She was also VERY grumpy at first. After she got well she started enjoying life and was a pleasent dog to be around. BUT NOT LIKE MY PIT!!! He's like my kid. I have to spell OUTSIDE around him when Im talking to other people so he doesnt pretty much put himself through the door in order to get out!! Gotta love em'!!! Trae [This message has been edited by PitNest (edited 12-08-2003).] IP: Logged |
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amanda9989 New Member Posts: 6 |
posted 12-09-2003 06:36 AM
Thanks for the input. First of all, yes she was VERY sick when I got her. She had coccidea, almost died from that. Then we got her over that and her health just generally crashed. She was horribly anemic, couldn't even walk without falling over she was so weak and her gums and tongue were white. Her body temperature wouldn't stay up, and she had a skin infection all over her body. I spent a lot of time and money at the vet and he says she is much better now, the anemia is better, body temperature better, she still has some sores that are healing but that's better too. she hasn't had any shots yet because she has been too ill for them but when i took her in two days ago he said that if she stays healthy for a week now that she's finished with the antibiotics, that we can give her the shots. My point is that I don't really think this is a result of her being sick because she didn't act this way when she was sick and she seems to feel great now. She runs and plays and does all the normal stuff so i honestly don't think that's the problem, though I did consider it. I did, however, think that the problem could be bite inhibition. I read about bite inhibition training and I've been doing exactly that... when she bites too hard, I yell "OUCH" and then move away and won't play with her for a couple of minutes. I really hope that is the problem and that i'm just scared because i've never had a pit bull before. I'm definately not going to do anything drastic, she's just a baby and can't hurt me or the kids right now and hopefully i can have it taken care of by the time she is old enough to cause damage. I work from home, so i'm able to spend all day with her. it just seems really snappy to me. it doesn't seem like rough playing. she'll be rough playing, biting, etc, but then i do something she doesn't like, it doesn't hurt her but she just doesn't like it, and she just snaps. it's always really sudden too, when i'm not expecting it. she'll be really sweet and then all of a sudden she snaps and it's not a quick growl, it goes on and on and sounds ferocious. but, as much as i've read up on this breed, i'm still ignorant of it because i've never been around one. i'll see if i can find someone near me who does. i'd drive up to two hours, maybe three, to talk to someone who is familiar with pitties. I'm in Arkansas... anyone in Arkansas or a surrounding state who'd be interested in meeting her? IP: Logged |
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benny boy Member Posts: 392 |
posted 12-09-2003 06:57 AM
i had that same problem with my first pit. i got him when he was 5 weeks old, then he got parvo and stayed at the vet for a week. when i brought him home he was ready to play, but sometimes he would growl really mean, he'de growl when we were playing sometimes but that was different. when he would do it in an unpleasent manner his lip would twitch and curl up a bit. i would just say NO in a mean voice really loud so that it would scare him, and i'de swat his behind, not to hurt him. just so he'de know i was done playing and wasn't going to be submisive. however, later i learned that you're not supposed to spank puppies because they won't trust you, i read that somewhere. but he was fine, we were best buds after that. IP: Logged |
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goob Member Posts: 552 |
posted 12-09-2003 11:30 AM
Here are two links you can use to find trainers in your state: http://www.ccpdt.org/CPDTDIR.htm http://www.apdt.com/trainers-and-owners/trainer-search/trainer-search.php IP: Logged |
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Samsintentions Member Posts: 944 |
posted 12-10-2003 08:08 AM
Go back and talk to your breeder. Ask what kind of socializtion your puppy had. SHe could have been abused before you got her and had to defend herself. I would be very concerned if I were you. THis is not normal at all. IP: Logged |
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Mason New Member Posts: 1 |
posted 12-12-2003 10:24 PM
My Friend could no longer Keep her APBT and I badly wanted a dog so I took him at 9 weeks old. I knew nothing about Pitbulls except that they had a bad reputation. At the time I did not care, all I cared about was wanting a dog. When I got him I began to wonder if maybe it wasnt such a good idea. ALl I could think about was what if He turned mean like people say they do. I knew nothing about his background so that was even worse. Then I really got nervous when he started to growl when I went to pick him up under the arms or from the back. This was no playfull growl. It really scared me. All I thought about was, "could I ever leave him alone in a room with my nephew or any other kid or animal"? What if I get so attached and then he ends up with a bad temperment and I have to get rid of him? This went on for a while and then at 5 months I took him to obiediance class. This is a must. He is now 8 months old and the best pet anyone could ask for. All he wants to do is be around kids. My suggestion to you is take him to puppy school, socialize him and if your really that concerned about his temperment take him to a pet behavioralist. They do exist. Pit Bulls need lots of love and affection and lots of your time. I also suggest you read and really learn about the breed. I own about 5 books on pitbulls that really helped me. Knowledge of APBT is a must if you own one. GIve it time and let him no you are boss! My trainer suggested using a time out. So if my dog goes to bite during our play time I say ouch and immedietly take him to the bathroom and lock him in there for 30 seconds and no longer. YOu should only use timeouts for one specific behavior. Good luck IP: Logged |
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Freedom Member Posts: 62 |
posted 12-13-2003 10:49 AM
"could I ever leave him alone in a room with my nephew or any other kid or animal"?
IP: Logged |
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mrcurt New Member Posts: 4 |
posted 12-29-2003 04:40 PM
why squeeze the muzzle?this usually makes them mad anyway. IP: Logged |
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