Aggressive Puppy

by Hayley
(Ireland)

Hi, I'm kind of new to this forum and its great! I recently received a JR from my boyfriend as a birthday gift. She was sold to him as "miniature" and although I know that this breed doesn't actually exist (well according to Wikipedia anyway) I believe she has a small percentage of chihuahua in her.. She is so tiny! Iv'e had her 2 weeks (10 weeks old) and she's been so loveable and cuddle and of course bundles of energy!


But my problem is that when people she hasn't met come into the house she becomes very aggressive, baring her teeth and barking and growling at them, especially if they pet or lift her (although her tail is wagging most of the time).. This is a particular problem with her when she sees my boyfriend even though he's been around many times and was the one to give her to me. Is there anyway I can overcome this? She is also very aggressive and growls, barks and tries to bite anyone if she can get away with trying to eat our cats cat-food - she will run to the cupboard where the cat-food is stored and when she is lifted away so the cupboard can be closed she becomes aggressive. (this is not the case though with her own food cupboard)

I'll also add that my cat and her wrestle and play fight all the time but I am going to put a stop to this as I don't think this helps the situation.
Thank you

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Feb 02, 2015
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starstarstarstarstar 		How to control aggression NEW
by: Anonymous

It is normal for dogs especially pups to be aggressive because first of all they're animals and it's their nature and mechanism to defend themselves. The good news is, he's still young and aggression at this time is best controlled. We've had the same issues, both with my dogs and pups. It was indeed a disaster! My dogs aggression were uncertain and it's like they could snap anytime. We've tried almost everything just to calm him and control his aggression. From books, classes, leash control, E-collars- none of them worked. I was almost hopeless when I strolled through the net and found this site (www.dogtrainingasleader.com). I was doubtful at the first time, I have spent so much time, effort and MONEY for "guaranteed effective" products and promises. I really didn't dream of having the ideal, effective yet fun way to do dog training online. :)
Feb 15, 2012
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by: Jenny

What a nice boyfriend to get you such a sweet gift!
Now is deinitely the time to nip things in the bud before things get out of hand and can be harder to stop. You are right about having the dog and cat stop play fighting because it does promote aggression on some level. Also, while Jack Russells are sweet and loving dogs, they are not always trust worthy around cats. I wouldn't want your cat to get hurt. Is there a way you can move your cats food so that you wouldn't have to worry about moving your Jack out of the way?

Since she is just starting to get to know you and the people around you, maybe lifting her right now is not a good idea since it seems to cause some of the aggession, maybe it scares her. When your boyfriend comes over, have him get down to her level and let her sniff him awhile before he pets her. Also don't try to pet your Jack while she is barking, completely ignore her. When she is quiet, praise her for being quiet, let her sniff you a bit and then pet her.

Also, now is a good time to start socializing her. Many dogs get aggressive because they haven't been properly socialized. Ask your vet/local pet shop about classes where young pets can get together for "obedience" type stuff - really more for the socialization factor

Hope this helps!

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