Quote: Anne Schloesing

Hi David,
Could that result in a already psychotic dog? Essentially this is what I am affraid I could be looking at... Anne

Dogs don't become psychotic, but people usually create the behavior. Why did you ignore David's questions that he asked you about the puppy?

Do you use crate? Why is this puppy not on the leash 24/7? I agree with David, it sounds like this puppy is having too much freedom.

This dog is not displaying ANY abnormal behavior.

A dog will snarl and growl when protecting resources, you need to teach it that you are the pack leader, and that growling is not rewarded. This is a pretty minor behavioral problem if you handle it correctly. My GSD had an issue with lunging when another dog got too close to her bone. By teaching her that I would protect her bone from the other dogs, this behavior was resolved. However, you must first establish a bond with this dog. How long have you had him? Why should he trust you to be fair and not to steal?

You should read the articles linked earlier, they'll help you a lot.

You have a lot of experience with dogs, you just don't have experience with this type of dog. It's sort of a different ballgame. I am confident that you can handle it, and that in a few weeks you'll see a tremendous improvement, if you stick to your guns. But you have to realize that this is normal behavior, be confident, and deal with it. If you're afraid of the dog you need to get over that.

In my previous post I numbered all of my questions. As Linsay points out, we might be able to help you better if you answer a few of those, so we have a better picture of your strengths and weaknesses.

 Quote: Lynne Barrows

Tell your daughter to keep a towel with her when she's playing w/ the puppy. Also, don't leave your puppy and your daughter alone together.

It depends on how old is her daughter. If she is way to young, I do not think she should be doing anything to correct the puppy. Parents' responsibility is to teach the dog that her kid has a higher rank than this puppy.

 Quote: Lynne Barrows

If the pup is really getting crazy, try to redirect him and then put him in his crate for a bit to give everyone a break.

I wouldn't use crate since this puppy is a puppy. What I would do is restrain a puppy down to the floor until it calms down and then let it go.

Dear Anne: I understand your shock. I had similar experience with my new dog Cody when he was littler. What I did is keep him tethered to me. When he played too rough I said no and if he was a distance from me I would say no and give him a little squirt from my water bottle. He has no toys, they are all mine, so he cant get at any or fight with my other dog Bindi for them. I never feed my dogs meaty bones unless they are in their crate. I call them out of their crate with a treat and then lock the door, and get the meaty bone later.
Like eveyone shared before, I do not let Cody have unlimited access to family members, especially children. Cody can be sweet when calmed down, but I want to avoid problems in the future. Sometimes kids do not realize they are playing past the point of play with a puppy and then problems begin.
Go back to the beginning and begin to establish yourself as pack leader. Make sure everything he gets has to come through you. Do not just leave out, or put his food on the floor. ONly love him when he is calm and submissive. It takes alot of work, but sometimes the best dogs have the most drive and as pups have no idea how to control it. I would not allow him to have full reign of the house either, just as carol said. It is hard work, but you will be rewarded. Now my wild animal Cody will stop playing when I say enough, (remember he is 4 months not weeks) will sit quietly (because he knows he gets no treats unless he does) comes when I call him and is learning to sit. I thought he was a hopless case too, but with careful handling you can have a great dog.
I am sure you will get wonderful advice from the trainers here. I am not a trainer, but have learned from them and Ed and have gotten Ed's videos, they are a great help. Remember some dogs are dominant dogs from the start, we just have to remind them we are in control, but do it carefully.
Keep us posted. I sometimes get discouraged myself. My Cody is a jack russel mix and now his favorite thing to do is to eat everything, dirt, rocks, and to jump straight up in the air when he wants something. He is very intense. My hands were battle scared for a while, but he is bitting less and less. Things will improve.
Good luck,
May God bless you

I was reading my post, and I said I don't use crate. My bad, I do use crate, but not for punishment.

 Quote: Lindsay Janes

 Quote: Lynne Barrows

If the pup is really getting crazy, try to redirect him and then put him in his crate for a bit to give everyone a break.

I wouldn't use crate since this puppy is a puppy. What I would do is restrain a puppy down to the floor until it calms down and then let it go.

Lindsay,

I agree with this, however, crate training is a necessity IMHO. But NOT for punishment. Crates should never be used as punishment, but rather a safe place for the dog to be while the handler is busy and cannot watch the dog. It also creates a safe place for the dog to go when they are tired and want their own space.

Ooops, you posted before I did, I knew you used crates, so please disregard.....

 Quote: Lindsay Janes

I was reading my post, and I said I don't use crate. My bad, I do use crate, but not for punishment.

Lindsey, I didn't mean as punishment; I meant redirect to something appropriate and than after a short time put the pup in the crate...
(my inexperience shining through! I'll do more reading and less posting.. )

We have gotten a bit off topic (although crating is part of it), so let's redirect back to helping with aggressive puppy issues.

Crates can be great for people who really aren't sure what to do with a behavior or who have a high drive dog that just needs to chill but doesn't know any commands. The dog is put in his crate and that gives the owner/trainer enough time to think of a way to "set-up" the dog so that he won't win or in the case of a puppy control the situation so it just plain doesn't happen. For more experienced people who can deal with the situation right then and there the crate isn't needed but new people sometimes need a little extra time to think about a behavior that just happened in order to be ready to correct it properly the next time or make sure it doesn't get a chance to happen.

You said you grab him by his collar and shake him? Try his scruff. I don't know if he was with mom long enough but that's how she would have corrected him. You can also simply lift him by his scruff until he settles down. He won't be able to bite you if you hold him away from your body. Some pups scream bloody murder when you grab their scruff. There not hurt, just protesting.