Hello! I posted here initially when I first joined and I am posting again with concerns I would love to get some input on.

We have had Loki for a few weeks now and he has been a fun pup. Although he has a lot of issues for a puppy so young. He was 10 weeks when I first adopted him and now he is 3 months old today.

When we first got him he would scream if you picked him up by his scruff, held onto his paws, or held onto his mouth. He also seemed extremely undersocialized and nearly scared of my fiancee and I. He has started peeing small amounts if we walk up to him to fast or raise our voices at him. I am trying to speak softly to him and try getting him to come to me then give him treats. It has helped. My fiancee wears heavy boots and he is very tall (meat cutter heavy boots and dark pants part of the job) so if he walks up to him and stands over him Loki will pee a little. Its really sad to see.

He also is very very bad with food. He actually growled at me for trying to put my hand in his food bowl to move a piece of lint. I was hand feeding him. I was slacking and not doing it every single night but I started again tonight. Making him sit, and wait (not lick and claw at my hand uncontrollably) and once he did that he gets a handful of food.

I was wondering how concerned I should be at his behavior? I am going to enroll him into puppy training classes at petsmart but I am wondering if that is enough or should I be seeking out a professional behavioralist? Is this just puppy badness or is this from the way he was raised before we had him? I do not know a lot of his past. I know he had one previous owner before us (for like a week or 2 then they rehomed him we assume because they couldn't handle him). I have quite a bit of dog experience but I have never seen a puppy at 3 months exhibit such behaviors like food aggression/guarding, toy guarding, dominance humping other animals, and fear issues.

So any helpful tips and advice would be welcome!

Wow. Those are issues that cannot be from just a 2 week stint, but realize that they might not be from abuse either. Dogs that are not properly socialized with people can exhibit many of these traits at an early age. Have you tried contacting the breeder?

I think the hand feeding is exactly what you should continue to do for now. I know it can be time consuming but what's wrong here is that your dog does not trust you, nor your fiance. He is scared and insecure. So the hand feeding is exactly what you should do.

Right now, I think it's best if you and your fiance carry around a bag of treats at all times. Every time either of you walk into a room where your puppy is, give him a treat. Same for guests. Every time a new person arrives, let them give him a treat or two. He needs to associate people with positive things.

For right now, don't do the things that bother him, like picking him up by his scruff, holding onto his paws or his mouth. If you're correcting something, use more positive reinforcement methods. If you're grabbing onto his mouth for biting, instead of that, yelp like he hurt you and then leave the room (preferably shutting a door separating you for a few minutes).

I have to run, but hopefully these things help for now! I think his problem is most likely improper socialization and perhaps inexperienced owners for 2 weeks. He will be fine, it will just take a bit more work for you Hopefully others have more to add!

I agree with Tori... Keep up the hand feeding and really try to positively associate everything in his life. You may also be interested in teaching him how to tug. Tugging is a great confidence builder and it seems like he needs a bit of that. This artice is really great, actually, I really for the most part like his whole website.

Thank you for the advice! We haven't been picking him up by his scruff or anything to physical we just noticed he screamed the first night after doing it to test what he would tolerate. And he screamed when I held his feet to cut his nails. Some treats distracted him long enough to let me cut them and we are working on his sensitivity issues with treats. I will try the tips you mentioned and thank you so much for that article Kristina! I will give it a read!

I do not have the contact info for the breeder (I am pretty sure the contact phone numbers are just numbers for the owners but to be fair I haven't tried calling them). I adopted him from the people who only owned him for 2 weeks then posted him on craigslist. I was just shocked at his behaviors for such a young puppy! I wasn't sure if he was potentially damaged as far as bad breeding or if its something that will affect him as he gets older. I just want him to be able to get along with all of our other animals and eventually we will have small children in the home so I need to nip this in the bud now so he won't be a liability later on! ^_^

Sounds to me like Loki is under-socialized and lacks confidence. Ditto others, load up on treats and you and your fiancé and friends just associate good things with people. Don't hand feed from your hand, reward by giving a handful of kibble in his bowl. Also, implement "Nothing in Life Is Free," it's done wonders for our dog.

Last, and probably most importantly, go to your library and check out: "Mine!: A Practical Guide to Resource Guarding" by Jean Donaldson. Also, check out books by Patricia McConnell (The Other End of the Leash) or visit her blog. There's a wealth of really good info on how to solve these problems before they get any worse.

Thank you Kate! Looks like I will be stopping by our library this evening

I am glad to know that this isn't as severe as I thought it might be. I was sooooo concerned! Only because like I said I have never experienced these behaviors in such young dogs before. And have rarely dealt with food aggression or resource guarding. My older dog coal resource guards with his toys around other dogs if its a high value toy and I normally just avoid the issue and he doesn't get his favorite toys around other dogs. So maybe that book will help with my older dog as well *can teach old dog new tricks!*

Thanks so much!

Oh a quick question. What is the difference between hand feeding from the bowl and hand feeding from your hand? Different associations? Not questioning just wondering

Good question! It sets your dog up to see you as the provider of the resource, and teaches the to eat from their bowl. It teaches them that fog food comes from the bowl, not your hand, and they won't beg for YOUR food while you're eating. If you're not around/able to hand feed, ideally, your dog would have their bowl. It also prevents you from accidentally getting bitten, it's more sanitary, and others can do it, like you provide a handful, your FI, etc.... Nikolai had a phase where he wouldn't let me touch his collar or remove him from a situation where there was food without snapping at me. This training really really helped. I'm on my phone, so I'll keep this short, but I'll be back with mire when I get to my computer. :-)

Thanks so much for your help! I was seriously freaking out thinking there was something genetically wrong with him and I was questioning if this was gonna be a lifetime of working on some kind of genetic behavior issue. I worry alot... lol! Glad to know mr fuzzy butt is just being a brat and I can train it out of his bratty fuzzyness Also I am liking the sound of not getting bit. He accidentally got me a couple times while hand feeding with his sharp little teeth. He gobbles his food down FAST which is another thing I am trying to work with him is to slow down and eat slower. I don't have any idea where it is he came from but he acts like maybe he had to fight for food from other puppies or dogs or something! I am thinking about contacting his previous owner and requesting the breeder information so I can ask them some things! Because if they are selling puppies with these types of issues they ought to know! I doubt if they will care but I can atleast give them a piece of my mind!

Thanks everyone so much for the help! Its nice to have a support network for these types of things!

Glad to help and I second the Nothing In Life is Free training as well as Kate's suggestion of hand/bowl feeding All great suggestions!

Keep us posted and let us know if you have other questions That's what we're here for!

Lokipaws wrote:

...He gobbles his food down FAST which is another thing I am trying to work with him is to slow down and eat slower...

What might help with this is a food ball. He'll also be working for his food, and since you can adjust the opening where the food comes out, you control how fast his food comes out.

http://www.sitstay.com/dog/supplies/servlet/product_10001_10001_54058_-1_Twist+%27n+Treat__13360_

Make sure it's rubber and not hard plastic - better for his teeth.

Oooh that thing is neat! I will check out the pet store tomorrow and see if they have one. He should enjoy that.

We played a good game of tug of war last night and he seemed to enjoy it. He doesn't guard against his toys only his food. So I wonder if he did have to fight for food. He is really thin for a puppy his size and I am worried about him. I am gonna take him into the vet next week to get him checked up. I dewormed him so I hope that will help him put on some weight.

He is also submissive peeing a lot more. I am trying to ignore it and be really positive. He does it when I walk up to him to pick him up. Any tips besides ignoring it and continuing to build up his confidence?

Is there anything more I can do to help build his confidence besides playing tug with him?

Nothing In Life Is Free training will help build his confidence tremendously! The idea is that he has to work (even in a small way) for everything. Knowing the boundaries and expectations of your household is HUGE for a dog. A lot of insecurity comes from the notion that he has to be the boss, that he is running the show. Dogs don't actually LIKE that position if they aren't pre-disposed to it and feeling that way leads to a lot of insecurities. Thus, when YOU take control and assert your authority as the leader, the provider, on a regular, consistent, daily basis... your dog can relax knowing that you will take care of everything and it's not up to him to figure it out.

Before you buy anything, to stop fast eaters, try putting his food in a cookie sheet. Having it spread out on the "floor" instead of in his bowl can slow him down. So can just placing a kong, bone, or wedging another toy in his dish. Just a thought, as I've seen these methods work elsewhere

This video could probably be pretty helpful; Handling Shyness- Clicker Dog Training
Kikopup has lots of really good training videos, her stuff is definitely worth checking out.

Another idea for the food guarding, while he's eating out of the dish, add a treat to his bowl, something better than the kibble. If he wont let you put it in the bowl just hold it near until he starts to get more comfortable with your hands near his food (this can take time). Eventually you should try to trade a few pieces of his kibble for a treat, once he's ok with that start trading his entire bowl for a treat. It's really important for him to trust you when handling his food in case you have an emergency where he gets into or starts chewing on something that could be dangerous to himself.

Hope this helps!

I have practiced Nilif with my dogs in the past and we continue to practice it daily I love it! I researched it a ton when we first got my dog coal 6 years ago. Sit before going out of a door, Owner goes out the door first, sit before you get your food dish, ask before doing anything (taking a toy, treat, ect).

I have already taught Loki to sit and wait patiently for me to give him his food while hand waiting. I take a handful of food, hold it up, make my hand gesture for sit and say "Sit" once he sits patiently for 30 seconds or so I put the handful of food in his dish and he gobbles it down lightning fast. I was thinking that rolly toy thing might help with his morning meals.

I have another question. I have been taking Loki out every 2 hours for pottying. He does really well with potty training the only issue I have is when I goto work or when I goto bed at night.

I will take him outside to potty before bed and I wake up every 4 hours to let him out. He will sometimes pee in his crate or poop and then lay in it and he gets sticky and stains his coat with pee (gross) I bathe him but I dont want to bathe him to much and take away his natural coat oils but at the same time if I don't bathe him he is stinky and sticky and has yellow pee stains which is icky.

I have been trying to get up and take him out more frequently during the night but I work 4 hours a day and only 3 days a week. I am trying to get him potty trained and wait till he is older to find a better higher paying job since this job is one I really love and get to spend more time with my pets I just need something that pays more and gives more hours.

So what can I do when he does have an accident at work and then lays in it? I considered getting this pad thing I saw on petsmart.com. Its a mat of sorts that is machine washable.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752865

I currently have him in a vari-plastic kennel. I cover it with a black table cloth and it makes it so he doesn't whine or cry at night. I want to buy him a wire crate though because I think the plastic crate is really cramped feeling and dark and less open (its big enough for him but feels crampy because of the closedness if that makes sense?).

I also thought of getting puppy wipes or something so I don't have to bathe him every time he lays in pee.

Any thoughts?

Thank you Rhet! I will look at the videos and try the treat thing! ^_^ That's a really good idea.

I have never clicker trained a dog before, I am a huge fan of Its me or the dog and Victoria Stilwel so I have wanted to try clicker training with him since she says its good for shy dogs helps them build some confidence and it looks like alot of fun. She also says smart dogs learn wicked fast with clicker training.

I will also try putting a tennis ball in his food dish to help slow him down.

He shouldn't be going in his crate period. If he is, that's either a sign of a slightly bigger problem (nothing health related, just annoying) or that he's not being let out frequently enough. Can you try waking up every 3 hours at night for a couple of weeks? If he's 3 months old, he can only be reasonably expected to hold it in for 3 hours. Thus, I think he's likely just getting to his breaking point and peeing/pooping in the crate. In this case, he doesn't want to, but he can't help it, and now you're teaching him that it's basically okay to do because he has no other choice.

At least for one night, try waking up every 3 hours and see if that helps. If it does, you've solved your problem. When he's 4 months old, he should be able to hold it for 4 hours, so this would just be temporary.

I just have a feeling that you're setting him up to fail here and you want to be setting him up to succeed

Ok I will definitely try that! I haven't owned a puppy puppy in like 6 years so I have to reteach myself all of these things lol!

I will let him out more often and hopefully he will not have to lay in his own pee (eeew )I feel bad because I want him to have the best possible life and be happy since he had such a bad start at life.

potty training 101 you would think with all the dogs I have fostered and worked with it would all stay with me :p

Off topic question but how the heck do you make those awesome signatures? I've been trying to figure it out but I am not really a pro at photo editing...

No problem! That's why we're here

Also- for what it's worth- how large is his crate? Vari kennels (especially as pups) are tough because they don't normally come with puppy barriers so you have to get one that's a lot bigger than it should be in order for it to last with a growing puppy. A crate should ONLY be big enough for him to stand in and lie down. If it's bigger, it won't do its job properly and he could be trying to eliminate in one corner, sleeping in the other, but still getting it on him. Just another thought

And no worries... I know you just want the best for him. This is all a trial and error process. There's no one right answer, unfortunately! Sort of like raising a child!

ETA: Haha! Jennet made mine. I suck at it too! Jennet, you're getting popular!!

I am reaaaaaallly terrible with measurements *finds tape measurer* I DO know that its longer than he is and he can stand up, sit down, and stretch out comfortably but its not HUGE. I was considering buying him a wire crate because I like them a bit better and then buying that pad thing so he can have a bed or soft thing to lie on while in the crate and its absorbent incase he pees or something. Or buying him one of those plush crate bed things

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752847

^ that thing

http://www.amazon.com/Midwest-Life-Stages-Double-Door-Folding/dp/B0002AT3M4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294654819&sr=8-1

^ and I was considering that crate I think the 36 X 24 X 27 is the right size but I could be wrong.

For a male, you will likely need the size UP from that (42") to be large enough for him as an adult. And yes, those crates with the moveable side are the best for growing puppies and the wallet There's no one right measurement. But if he has extra room to move around in where he could think he might be able to pee in one corner, and lay in the other, then the crate is too big. Does that make sense?

I couldn't find anything that said if that thing came with the middle separator thing but I think I will take a look at the store today and see what I can find

I am going to petsmart later with my mom because she brought home a pug puppy from a rescue yesterday.

I am trying to figure out how big this crate he is in is but I can't find a tape measurer LOL

I would also say go with the 42" we got ours at walmart it has 2 doors and came with the section piece. Was cheaper and nicer then the one we got at petsmart.