So firstly i will start off by saying i love animals and have always had cats, but we decided to get a puppy for the first time as i have time to look after it now.

We got our puppy from an ad on the internet, it was local and the breed is a Lab, border Collie mix. We met the Mother and she seemed a lovely dog, calm tempered etc, we did not meet the father. We brought the puppy home when he was 6 weeks old, looking back on that it was probably a mistake as i've read that that's too young and 8 weeks is when ideally they should be brought home.

He has been nipping and teething for the first week we've had him but i didn't mind as obviously that's the norm for a puppy, but we were correcting him when he was doing it by saying no and placing a toy in his mouth.

However he has suddenly got aggressive,teeth over the lips, growling,aggressive biting, gets hold of my hand or arm and won't let go. He is not even 8 weeks old! The thing is there is so much different advice on the internet, i've tried a lot, saying no does nothing, taking myself out the situation or putting him in the kitchen every time, letting out a loud yelp, nothing works! he is doing this behaviour to everyone in the household and there seems to be no trigger and he is doing it many times a day and just refuses to stop.

He has learnt how to sit, he is good with my cat, but it's just this random aggressive behaviour, where he is literally attacking us for no reason. I'd never ever hit him but i am just losing my patience.

Any advice welcomed, thank you.

Gosh sorry to hear you are going through this with such a young pup. Is it at any particular time of day and what does he do/ how does he act just before the agression

its at any time of the day , this last week he has got so bad. if I say no in a stern voice it just gets him more aggressive. yelpin high pitched startled him at first but now he takes no notice. I've read all the books, love watching the dog whisperer, but nothing is working . I can't take him to puppy obedience classes for 4 weeks because he hasn't had his jabs .

before he does it he is usually hyper and playing . It's when I say no he growls and bites , his bites are starting to really hurt and it can happen ten times a day. it's a nightmare.

This is NOT aggressive behaviour.
Between 6 and 8 weeks is when a puppy learns about bite inhibition through playing with his littermates. Any GOOD breeder will keep a puppy to ensure this.

Get a baby gate. When the he nips, simply pop him on the other side of the gate and Completely ignore until he calms down.
Let him back in and praise- but do so very calmly.

Get him a rope toy he can rag about and offer him this to play with. If he gets too excited and nips at you, pop him over the gate and ignore until he calms down.
Also completely ignore any attempt he makes at getting your attention- do not even look at him. Dogs love interacting with humans so by doing this he will soon get the message.

Telling off usually does not work as although it is negative, it is still attention and he won't learn from it.


Make soure you do plenty of Short training sessions with him every day- as he is half collie you will need to work hard to keep him mentally stimulated.
I know you can't walk him but he will burn off energy chasing a ball in the garden, or learning new commands.
Carry him to lots of places to get him socialiesd too.

x

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I do appreciate that. a book I read said 6 weeks was fine and the breeder was fine with it. consequently reading up on puppies due to his bad behaviour I've learnt that we were stupid to get him so young .

I like that idea. I'll do it. I've been putting him out in the kitchen but he has stuff out there to keep him entertained, probably where I'm going wrong.

would you say he is trying to dominate us , or is this just normal behaviour from a puppy taken away from its mum to early?

This is just normal behaviour. (tho personally I don't believe in th whole dominace theory).
It doesn't matter that he has things to keep him occupied, so long as he calms down. But so he can see you, so he can see you are not paying him any attention (if that makes sense).
Just whatever you do, don't send him to his crate/bed or he will start to see that as a bad place.

x

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I missed the bit in your post that youd got him at 6 weeks old, some of mollys more bolshy pups were still nipping hard at 5/6 weeks we did lots of work with them in play settings and they also learn from thier mum and litter mates that they wereplaying really too hard, if you see puppies play and learn correct bit inhibition at times it can sound and look so aggressive for puppies but its how they learn whats acceptable and this phase doesnt normally last and by time 8 weeks comes they have learnt. We also chose homes for our puppies so knew the more I call them bolshy pups went to experienced doggy households and knew the puppy's behaviour as theyd visited a few times, can you speak with the breeder, just let her/him know they may have some good advice for you.
Agree with Poison girl on the ignoreing and baby gate, hes obviously gotten away with not learning from the litter so you now have to teach him. Im sure there will be other bits of advice that comes your way to help

Keep us posted

I wouldn't put the guilt emphasis so much on yourselves for getting the puppy at 6 weeks. Even if you demanded the puppy at 6weeks, the breeder should not have given you the puppy.

thanks guys . I've really been stressed over this, it's a massive relief to have people offering advice. I'm determined to have a happy and balanced dog. I will definately keep you posted

Exactly, this is wholey the breeders fault not yours