Hi. Im new here and glad I found this site. I hope someone can help me.. In December I bought Rocky. He is a male rat terrier and he was born Nov 9th so he is now 7 months old. I have not yet neutered him. He is a smart dog - he learned fast things like sit, lay down, shake etc. he chews everything up - and I mean everything. He used to snap at my son a lot - but usually because my son was bothering him. He still chases the kids (when they dont want him too) and bites their legs playing. He had never shown aggressive biting unless my son was bothered him.

My huge problem with him now is that he has become aggressive to all strangers. It started a few weeks ago when I took him to the vet. He has always barked at people  - but when the vet assistant tried to take him - he tried to bite her so I had to muzzle him. I figured it was just that he knew he was the vet etc. The next day - our neighbor bought a 5 week old puppy (male jack russell) and I wanted to see how Rocky would do with a puppy because we want to get a lab puppy. Well I held Rocky and he growled at the puppy which I thought was unusual since I thought most dogs know that they are puppies and dont do that. Well one of the little girls sat down holding the puppy and when I crouched down holding rocky - he tried to lunge at the puppy to bite it and scared the little girl. Luckily I had a hold of him or he might have bit the girl too. So I called Pet Smart and talked to a trainer and she said I really need to neuter him and probably obedience classes could possible help. I havent started the classes yet or neutered him. He growls and barks at anyone that comes over and I have to put him away. He only likes my parents and inlaws and 2 neighbors that come over alot. I cant trust him though around anyone for fear he will bite them. Last night a friend came over that had never been here before. I put Rocky away and then asked my husband to go get Rocky to see how he would be. Of course my husband  just let him out - not holding him and Rocky goes up to a little boy and then tried to bite him. Luckily he missed (three times) and I managed to scare away rocky by yelling. So now I am faced with what to do. I researched that rat terriers arent typically mean and I dont want to keep a dog that will bite my kids or others. I want another large dog but dont want the puppy attacked. My mom thinks obedience classes arent going to help with the biting. I refuse to take him to the pound and no one will be able to buy him because he will try and bite them. He is a sweet dog - loves to cuddle and is generally good and a good watch dog. Now he has ot be ut in teh crate anytime I have guests. Can you give me any advice. I dont know what to do. I'd appreciate anything!

"Hi. Im new here and glad I found this site. I hope someone can help me.. In December I bought Rocky. He is a male rat terrier and he was born Nov 9th so he is now 7 months old. I have not yet neutered him. He is a smart dog - he learned fast things like sit, lay down, shake etc. he chews everything up - and I mean everything. He used to snap at my son a lot - but usually because my son was bothering him. He still chases the kids (when they dont want him too) and bites their legs playing. He had never shown aggressive biting unless my son was bothered him."

And this is just a 7 month old pup??  First of all, yes, you need to neuter him ASAP....he is at the age where the hormones are kicking in and that can make agression worse.

Do you you just have the 1 child? How old are your children? Your job is to keep both pup and children safe and part of that is not allowing your children to play unsupervised with the pup....seems from your description that the biting started with your son bothering the pup and has escalated from there.  That's not fair to a young who may now be labeled "agressive" at any shelter and euthanized! 

You need to establish yourself as alpha, control ALL interactions between pup and child and for right now, don't allow him near any other children.  Get him neutered then get a trainer involved...puppy classes are great but you might need one on one time with a trainer since this is a serious problem and needs to nipped in the bud now.

And it can be fixed.  He's just a baby!  But your entire family will have to cooperate - no more "bothering" the pup by children. 

Our training moderator is not online right now but she'll be checking later or tomorrow, I'm sure.  She will be able to give you specific advice and meanwhile you might do a search of the training forum for "biting" or "agression". 

Hang in there, ok?  Neutering, training, this can be fixed!

WOW! You've got a handful!

One....get him neutered ASAP. NO reason not to get him fixed..is there?

Training next...with a competent trainer who has a LOT of aggressive-dog experience.

Many/most biters do it out of fear and insecurity.

And it sounds like your pup has no clue as to who is his "pack leader".

Read up .... Ceasar Milan's training pointers, and maybe Ed Frawley's ( tougher trainer)...

www.cesarmillaninc.com/

 leerburg.com/articles.htm

Good luck! Hope it works out for the both of you!

Has to start with you tho! He needs someone to be in charge....

In teaching your dog not to bite, you must identify the triggers that cause it...then concentrate on correcting those things. The following are tips on how to discourage the biting reflex while the puppy is still young.  (I agree... get him neutered ASAP...  )

If you haven't socialized your dog... you need to.  When your dog is well socialized, he becomes more sensitive and considerate towards others, be they humans or other dogs. Biting might seem cute and harmless when your puppy is still very young, but it'll be neither when your dog is older... as you are learning.

Consistency is the key to taking out this bad habit/behavior. Every time your dog bites, give him a big "NO" in a strong, firm and stern voice. Then immediately walk away and ignore him. This will slowly be ingrained in your dog's mind when you do this every time he bites.

Correct him, then reconnect. A moment after you correct your dog and when he has calmed down, pet him and gently stroke him. Tummy tickles are usually a great way of reconnecting with your dog. However, make sure not to excite him too much and this time make sure that you position your hands and arms away from his mouth.

Avoid Roughhousing. Remember always never to play roughly with a dog that is inclined to bite. Roughhousing encourages this behavior and it establishes biting in your dog's mind. Never let your dog misbehave in anyway. If you let him do so, your dog WILL get the upper hand, and it sounds as if he's on the way to that now.  You can stop it.

Do not strike your dog when correcting him. It is not wise to strike a pup for being disobedient or aggressive. Just give him a stern NO warning whenever he strays out of bounds. Punishment through physical actions is the easiest way to breakdown any trust and respect that your pet has for you, and trust and respect are the foundation for a successful training program with your dog. Scolding or beating a dog will not stop it from biting; it will just scare and confuse him. 

In difficult cases where your dog is very stubborn and continues to bite, you may then try the water spray bottle method. Keep a water spray bottle handy and squirt your dog's face with water while saying NO in a strict and stern voice whenever he bites. This will leave an impression on your dog. But do make sure that the nozzle is set to spray before doing this. The aim here is to startle your puppy.

On the other hand, praise your dog whenever he does something right. Treats can also help promote positive behavior and give him an incentive to behave at all times.

If your dog is really proving to be hard to control then it is advisable to get professional help. People who have experience with different dogs can help your dog become a good member of society.

Also... as a side note... PLEASE teach your children proper behavior around the dog.  If they are "bothering" the dog (as you mentioned twice in your post)... this definitely could be aggravating the situation. 

Was thinking about this...I am no trainer, but in the past have had a couple of rescues who were acting out in a similar aggressive

manner...and they were NEVER allowed to be in a room around people and other animals without a long lead on and prong collar.

I watched them like a hawk.

The instant I saw the aggressive stance I STRONGLY corrected using the lead...VERY firmly and indicated, verbally, that it was unacceptable. If the dog relaxed and behaved it got praised. If it ignored me and tried again, I again FIRMLY corrected, then removed it from the room to a crate or closed room.

Eventually both were fine around people and animals....Yay!

I've known a few folks that  used an E-Collar to correct aggression with great success...BUT they can backfire if the handler does not know how to use them correctly...I like the prong collar better.

NO dog that bites (not meaning "playfully" should EVER be freely around a child...ever. It's just not worth the heartbreak.

It's not fair to the dog either....and there ARE some dogs that should NEVER be around children...period. But are great pets/companions for adults only. Just "NO children"......(Known a few "humans" like that too! hehheh)

You have great advices already.... and I wanted to say thank you for asking for advice and suggestions....   sometimes that's hard to do, but at least you acknowledge it and wants the best for your family and dog.  and is looking for ideas and suggestions...  

I just wanted to add that my dog Indy didn't see my kids as alpha.... but he did mouth at my daughter's heels alot, but we have broken that... and the kids know not to do certian things to the dog, like for an example, don't bother them when they are sleeping, eating, or being in their crates, etc....  i also wanted to point out that my daughter is 4 will be 5 in a week and my son just turned 9 years old. 

Indy would mouth at my daughter's heels just as if she was just walking or skipping or galloping thru the house as she has always done....... and my daughter used to say "no indy", or "mom, indy won't leave me alone" etc..  So her voice sounds too much of a kid that does not sound serious....  So i sought for help....   and this is what my friend told me what to do....   have your kid stand as tall as she/he could.... and say "un uh"  with their hands on their hips...  and look at the dog and let them know that you mean business.....   and that works for Indy, and he eventually learned not to bother my daughter...   my son, on the other hand, just likes to play with Indy as any boy would....  but i do remind my son not to encourage mouthing, because we are working on breaking that habit. 

but remember when he does things right, praise him....  and when they understand that you give them loving for doing something right, they will try harder to please their master.  I got Indy when he was just under a year old from the shelter.... and he has come a long way in the last 6 months... and is doing wonderfully...  I still have a lot of work do to with him yet....  and I am not giving him up......

He is still a puppy and he's testing you....  like a teenager.  but just make sure that he knows that you and your family are the alpha in the pack.....

Hope this helps... 

The other alpha behaviors you can encourage (and supervise your children) in doing are: Have your children feed the dog and make the dog wait while your child sets the bowl down and then gives the dog an ok to eat it, for safety, our dogs sit several feet away from the food dishes before they are allowed to come and eat. My lab is over eager more than anything, but you do not want to risk a bite. Do not allow the dog to enter the house or leave the house before your children. My daughter (age 2.5) grants our dogs permission to go in and out. My kids do not feed our dog any table scraps and our dogs are not allowed near the dining room table when family or kids are eating. I also have my 2.5 year old lead both dogs around on leash in the house. On a family walk, kids should walk in front of the dog.

Don't let your dog walk in front of you, walk your dog everyday (see dog whisperer for how) and finish your walk with the dog next to you, not in front of you (never let your dog walk in front of you). Walking is an essential way to exhibit leadership to your dog and it should be done everyday. It also tires them out! Just a few things I thought of...

We had a problem with our lab humping the kids when we first got him. Now that we have established alpha (including the kids) he never does it anymore.

It is a WHOLE mentality of taking EVERY opportunity to show leadership/alpha to your dog. The house and contents belong to you and you are allowing him to be there...

Boy, sounds like a tough situation. Perhaps the dog has developed a negative association to children due to being roughly handled in the past by them? Puppies are very impressionable and go through a fear imprint stage from about 8-16 weeks I believe it is. So if the dog had a negative experience with a child during that time, perhaps he is now reacting out of fear? I have a two year old child at home. I completely understand where you are coming from. I would never compromise my child's safety. The best thing you could do is contact a professional to help you out. You will need someone to help you develop positive associations between your dog and strangers/and children. Until you can get this help, the best thing to do is keep everyone safe and apart and or strictly supervised. You sound like a very loving dog owner though, and I commend your efforts in finding a solution.

Oh, and I strongly recommend neutering as well.  Remember that it can take up to a month for the hormones to leave the system though.  Also, because these behaviors have already been learned, neutering alone will not solve the problem. Behavior modification with a professional will also need to be implemented.