April 19, 2011
My 12 week GSD puppy growled and tried to bite me when I gave her a correction. She has never shown aggression before. What should I do?
Full Question:
Mr Frawley, I have a solid black female GSD 12 weeks old and I have ordered the videos you told me to for right now. I can't wait to get them. I had a problem just now and I need advice. I have been making her sit before she gets her food and she has been on leash all times in the house and outside. I am thinking that I am the alpha male so far until I get your videos that might teach me different including your podcasts. She has came to me every time I have called her name at least 30 times straight without doing anything at all, but just now I had to go to the bathroom the same time she did and she was off leash in the fenced in backyard. I told her to come and it was like I didn't exist I went outside and started to walk toward her and was telling her to come calmly she ran from me?? So I went back inside and grabbed the leash and it has a little choke chain that hasn't been used on her yet at all and I finally cornered her and put it on her and told her to come with just a small pull of the chain and she growled and turned and she tried to bite. She has never shown aggression or biting at all what happened or what should I do????? PLEASE HELP ME....... I will be ordering more stuff tomorrow.GREG
Ed's Answer:
It’s not possible for a 12 week old puppy to show true aggression, it sounds to me like she was fearful, confused and trying to defend herself.
You made a big mistake by allowing her off leash and EXPECTING her to come when you called with no means of backing it up. You would have been better off to get a handful of treats, kneel down and coax her to you and then make a huge reward and party when she got to you.
At 12 weeks old, you could have physically picked her up and made this a non event, but you chose to put a training collar on her (which she had never had one before ) and gave her a correction. She is not a trained dog and she doesn’t understand yet. This was your mistake.
Read the articles I sent to you in my previous emails, and keep your puppy on leash so you don’t have to put her in this position again. When the dvds arrive, study them and follow the training steps.
The good thing about dogs, is that they are very accepting of leadership if it’s offered to them fairly.
You made a big mistake by allowing her off leash and EXPECTING her to come when you called with no means of backing it up. You would have been better off to get a handful of treats, kneel down and coax her to you and then make a huge reward and party when she got to you.
At 12 weeks old, you could have physically picked her up and made this a non event, but you chose to put a training collar on her (which she had never had one before ) and gave her a correction. She is not a trained dog and she doesn’t understand yet. This was your mistake.
Read the articles I sent to you in my previous emails, and keep your puppy on leash so you don’t have to put her in this position again. When the dvds arrive, study them and follow the training steps.
The good thing about dogs, is that they are very accepting of leadership if it’s offered to them fairly.
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