Hi there ,

I recently got my puppy buddy. he has just turned 9 weeks today , He is a lovely puppy at heart but does like to try his luck with me. Being a new owner im not too sure what to do?
I had a dog when i was a child but dont really know on how to train pups.
He is showing alot of alpha behavior with me, As if he is trying to figure out if it is him or me to be at the top post. This is sometimes proving difficult. Where if i tell him NO for something , he will continuously bark or snap at me.
He doesnt do this with anyone else , as he is a very sociable dog. We have had him meeting people since day one as we dont want him barking or snarling at people.
The teething we are dealing with well at the moment , where we give him an icecube or a chew to help him numb the pain or distract the barking, & he is getting there with the housetraining & has done it quite quickly!
Also, I have got him doing 'SIT' & 'PAW' at the moment , which i thought if i gave him commands it would show him who was boss sort of way , but he is still his cheeky little self !!

I just dont want him growing up snapping & biting constant. If anyone has any tips for my i would be very grateful. Thankyou

Dee & Buddy.

It is just naughty attention seeking puppy behaviour, the more he gets your attention for it, the more he will do it. Also just telling him no wont mean much too him. He need to be shown an alternative behaviour you want instead.

Depending on if he was taught bite inhibition with mum and litter mates try a high pitched ouch. This doesnt always work though, if he has learned it then he should cease, if he hasnt he wont and some pups it can hype them up more, so if after trying it a few times it doesnt work abandon that one.

Next thing have a ragger ball or other toy, Tell him the NO get him to sit them re-direct it onto the ragger instead, If he snaps or nips, then stop the game and turn away and ignore him, when he calms and stays that way, then you can get him to sit and resume the game.

Another thing you can do is, jusst fold your arms, turn away from him and as you are doing it say OFF, keep faced away and ignore him, or even just walk off and ignore him until he has calmed down for a minute or two longer, then get him to sit and he can then have attention.

If all above fails, or he is haveing a particularly stroppy day, then just pop him in another room, lieave him to calm down for 5 minutes, let him out but ignore him, wait another minute or two and if he is still calm, get him to sit and then give him attention.

If you are not sure about training him maybe consider taking him to a puppy training class, he will be able to socialise with other pups and people and you will be shown how to train him and can practice at home.
Welcome to APDT - Association of Pet Dog Trainers UK should find a CAPBT COAPE Assoc. of pet behaviourists and trainers class near you hopefully.

Hope this might help.

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Nothing to do with Alpha behaviour (which is a myth anyway), 'testing' you, vying for power or trying to gain 'top post'.

It has everything to do with just being a puppy, playing a lot and not knowing the limits to bite pressure.

Puppies need to use their mouths and teeth for development. Since we take pups away from their litter mates so early, it is up to us teach them how to use their mouths correctly.

A few options to try:

1. As soon as teeth touch flesh, say "Ouch!" in a dramatic voice, stand absolutely still and wait for your pup to stop biting

2. If this does not have the desired effect (e.g. your pup carries on), say "Ouch!" again, stand up and relinquish attention

3. Repeat, but this time leave the room for 10-20 seconds.

4. Re-direct your pup's attention onto proper chew-food toys or another game, e.g. controlled (where the pup knows 'leave' and 'take') tug games.

5. Enrol in a clicker training class and work on handling.

At first, you want to get your pup to mouth you gently. It is unrealistic to assume your pup will stop completely, very quickly, but you should look out for signs that the mouthing is not as forceful to show you that the exercises are working. Once this has been established, you can work on eradicating the mouthing altogether (by practising the above exercises, but being even more vigilante, i.e. say "Ouch!" even for the gentlest of mouths).

No need to say "No!" or "Ah-ah!" as, quite simply, they mean nothing, absolutely zilch to your dog.

I found wetting hands or skin (some advise smearing some butter or peanut butter) encourages gentle licking and "loving" mouthing.

I remember my pup was trying everything with his mouth, including all the garden plants. To try to stop that urge to explore the world is a big ask and likely to lead to a hugely frustrated pup.

I prefer a "yelp" to saying a word but "Owwwwws" often recommended. If the pup gets more boisterous and is very playful, then having redirection onto good toy is vital, but basic lure/reward training with a plastic box of dry training treats to rattle gave everyone control and ability to obtain calm behaviour. (See DSD Article - suggesting crate & chew toys )

This site offers collection of articles on bite inhibition (unfortunately they use an annoying background image) Bite Inhibition Article the orginal (& best) Dunbar article is available here The Bite Stops Here by Dr Ian Dunbar and a PDF format article at TEACHING BITE INHIBITION - Relief from puppy mouthing

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For eager & reliable recall, be fun for the dog to come back to! Then often send them off right away to do what they wanted!
DT&B - Glossary of acronyms & jargon terms.
Encouraging good behaviours, whilst consistently avoiding practise of bad alternatives leads to extinction of the bad. So if dog sits 6/10 times it doesn't sit 4/10 times, encouraging with the right rewards (positively-reinforcing) enough for 9/10 times means it now fails to sit only 1/10 times, sit 10/10 means...