13 Week Old Dog Acts Crazy on leash

[amomschoice]

I have a 13 week old Beagle Labrador mix I adopted at 11 weeks old. I'm having issues with him getting aggressive when he cannot get his way at times. He starts tugging on the leash then leaps up trying to bite my pants sometimes succeding. It happens when I'm trying to turn another direction. I've been using clicker training with him to learn to sit, stay etc... He has a sweet outlook most of the time except for nipping at times. Its like it get possessed. He's usually happy go lucky. I use a cane. I don't want the behavior to continue. He didn't have a collar on until I adopted him, which he hated so I transferred to a harness, which he tolerates. I'm working on clicker training with it.

[emmabeth]

He is thirteen weeks...

This is a bit like saying ' I my toddler takes Higher Maths at university, but spends most of the lectures screaming, picking his nose and filling his nappy...'

At your puppies age he can't concentrate long, when he gets bored, frustrated, confused, over excited, he is going to behave like a baby and fall back on instinctive behaviours that have previously gotten results (because for the majority of his life, these things HAVE worked), and those behaviours are biting stuff, growling yapping nipping etc.

Your job is to keep his lessons SO easy, you set him up for success, that he CANNOT get things wrong, failure must not be an option - then he won't practice the behaviours you do not like, so he will grow out of them.

In practical terms that means keeping leash walks to a couple of minutes, with lots and lots of rewards - do several a day but you should be just trundling around the back yard or around your front door and the street outside, and always quit BEFORE he starts acting out, that way you leave him wanting more, not thinking 'damn but this walking on a leash is hard work/boring/frustrating, i don't like it'.

Teach him to wear a collar by popping a lightweight one on and distracting him with really great treats and toys, and take it off again before he gets fed up - in most places dogs need to wear a collar and tag so he has to get used to this.

[amomschoice]

He wants to walk further when I'm taking him out to just potty and come back inside. It's when he don't get his way. He loves his walks because I give him his bat to chase after if he gets bored. I started walking him on shorter leash to keep him close. I'm hoping that he will not have enough lead to tug. he's a leash puller. I keep him next to me and have leash hooked to the harness front.

[amomschoice]

His harness has tag on it.

[chay]

i think what emmabeth was saying is, you need to adjust your expectations. this is perfectly normal behavior for a puppy, and he will outgrow it if you deal with the behavior with consistency and patience. you've also only had him for 2(ish?) weeks from 11 to 13 weeks old, you both need time to get to know each other yet!

he's not acting out if he "doesn't get his way" - he probably absolutely DOES love his walks! but he's also prone to getting overtired and overstimulated and you need to remove him BEFORE he starts to grump about, and insist on naptime (to keep it in human toddler parlance )

here are some articles that might help give a bit more guidance on what to expect as he grows up further:

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=1981 < a puppy from 0 - 2 years old

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=13934 < how to use time outs effectively (for nipping, etc)

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=858 < how to train loose lead walking

come back with any further questions you have!

[amomschoice]

Thanks for your replies. I guess part of it is my own anxiety since I recently lost a pet who became aggressive even though I found out before he passed that he proably had cushings disease. What can I do when he starts attacking us thinking we were playing with him with the leash. He's started to growl at me a few times. I've reduced the hyper games of chase toy and run to allow him to sniff and roll more. I was trying to wear him out, but I think he believed I was trying to rough house with him. Far from true since I have chronic pain. I've had a lab before so I know about the breed. I wanted something that offered a bit more protection that my sweet maltpoo who went to heaven last month.

[jilldiane]

At the positive training puppy classes I have been attending, there is a puppy who jumps up, very excited biting at lead, owners hands etc. The trainer drops the lead puts her foot onto it so he can`t jump up but isn`t been forced to lie on ground either, folds her arms turns away and completey ignores him until he is calm. The first few times he kept at it for a while but now (although he hardly ever gets like that now) he calms down within seconds.

[amomschoice]

did the dog nipp at owners pants sometimes getting the skin? I'll try giving him my back.