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12 week Bullmastiff female showing aggression

M

Mark11

Member
Hi, I have a 12 week old female bullmastiff pup. She is generally very loving and quite playful but a couple of time over the past weekend she has shown aggression towards me and my dad. Once was when being told off she started bearing her teeth and growling at my dad. Then yesterday when i tried to bring her in from the garden by picking her up she started growling and struggling and trying to bite to get me to put her down. She had growled before this but in more of a grumbling way where as this seemed much more aggressive. Does anyone have any ideas on the best way to deal with this behaviour?
 
Sadies Mom

Sadies Mom

Well-Known Member
Start Obedience training ASAP! Use a leash at all times on her, inside and out. What do you do currently when she reacts the way you describe? Do you correct her? Do you get scared and unsure? If I have understood correctly in my research, it is highly unlikely it is aggression at that age, just her trying to be the boss (others, please correct me if I am of my rocker on that statement). How old was she when she was taken from her mom and litter mates?

And....Welcome to this great forum. There are a lot of very wise people here that probably can help. We also love pictures:p
 
mx5055

mx5055

Well-Known Member
Welcome to the forum! And, I agree with Sadies Mom...I think rather than true aggression given the pup's age she is just seeing how far she can go and how far she can push boundaries. I have never had this issue with any of my pups/dogs. I have never had biting issues with my pups/dog. One of the first things they learn in my house is my "tone of voice" and who is the boss. Pups/dogs want more than anything to please you, and every dog I've ever had has learned quickly when I say no I am not messing rounds, and that my tone of voice is extremely serious during these issues. And, never in my training have I ever lifted a hand to my dogs. Redirect her and don't buy into what she is doing, and never for an instant left her think she is "winning" or intimidating you. Others will chime in with more advice. Good luck :)
 
M

musicdeb

Well-Known Member
Because of her age, think it could be her playing and not knowing her limits as far as play? Have you trained her in basic commands? When she gets rough playing, give her a firm "no." Reward her when she does what you want her to do. Redirection helps as well. Does he have plenty of chew toys?
 
ruthcatrin

ruthcatrin

Well-Known Member
When you say she growled when "being told off" what was actually happening?

As for growling when you picked her up, well yah, she didn't want to come in, and didin't appreciate being picked up, so she told you about it. Its not aggression, she's testing her boundaries and telling you what she thinks. Was she on a leash?
 
M

Mark11

Member
Sadies Mom said:
Start Obedience training ASAP! Use a leash at all times on her, inside and out. What do you do currently when she reacts the way you describe? Do you correct her? Do you get scared and unsure? If I have understood correctly in my research, it is highly unlikely it is aggression at that age, just her trying to be the boss (others, please correct me if I am of my rocker on that statement). How old was she when she was taken from her mom and litter mates?

And....Welcome to this great forum. There are a lot of very wise people here that probably can help. We also love pictures:p
Click to expand...

Thanks. Yes I have tried to tell her off and held her by her collar to get her to stop. We got her when she was 8 weeks old. Will put a picture up soon!
 
M

Mark11

Member
Because of her age, think it could be her playing and not knowing her limits as far as play? Have you trained her in basic commands? When she gets rough playing, give her a firm "no." Reward her when she does what you want her to do. Redirection helps as well. Does he have plenty of chew toys?
Click to expand...

I did think it might well be her testing what she could get away with. We have been training her with basic commands since we got her and have started taking her to puppy classes and overall she seems quite obedient. She has plenty of toys so will try to direct her towards those as well then. Thanks.
 
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M

Mark11

Member
ruthcatrin said:
When you say she growled when "being told off" what was actually happening?

As for growling when you picked her up, well yah, she didn't want to come in, and didin't appreciate being picked up, so she told you about it. Its not aggression, she's testing her boundaries and telling you what she thinks. Was she on a leash?
Click to expand...

I was not actually there for the "telling off" but I think she had bitten my little brothers hand not hard but enough to see the marks. Someone was holding her while my dad was basically saying "No" firmly and waving his finger at her and she was growling at him and bearing her teeth. In terms of being brought in I think it was basically saying I don't want to come in but where as previously she has done it in a more grumbling way as I said this seemed much more aggresive and she put up much more of a struggle. She wasn't on a leash.
 
M

Mark11

Member
Welcome to the forum! And, I agree with Sadies Mom...I think rather than true aggression given the pup's age she is just seeing how far she can go and how far she can push boundaries. I have never had this issue with any of my pups/dogs. I have never had biting issues with my pups/dog. One of the first things they learn in my house is my "tone of voice" and who is the boss. Pups/dogs want more than anything to please you, and every dog I've ever had has learned quickly when I say no I am not messing rounds, and that my tone of voice is extremely serious during these issues. And, never in my training have I ever lifted a hand to my dogs. Redirect her and don't buy into what she is doing, and never for an instant left her think she is "winning" or intimidating you. Others will chime in with more advice. Good luck
Click to expand...

Thanks, Hopefully it is just her testing us more than actual aggression and will try to keep being firm with her training.
 
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kbuchanan66

kbuchanan66

Well-Known Member
I can tell you from first hand experience that this is not Aggression at all. Like any kid or toddler in the human world it is the equivalent of a Temper Tantrum. Barron used to do it all the time at 12 weeks. Here is what I did:

Then yesterday when i tried to bring her in from the garden by picking her up she started growling and struggling and trying to bite to get me to put her down.


Barron had this problem too. What I did was always had him on leash outside and started working on the "Come" command. I would take treats with me everywhere(a high value item like liver, cheese pieces cut very small). When he was in the Garden I would lightly tug on his leash and say come while holding a treat out so he could smell it. (Your biggest friend will be his nose) after a moment or two he would come right to for the treat. Eventually I would not even need to tug the leash, just hold out the treat and say come. Then eventually I wouln't hold out the treat anymore and Come was all I needed. At the point where he would "Come" I would then start the process over but off leash. By this time he knew the "come" command.

Yes I have tried to tell her off and held her by her collar to get her to stop

I myself would not use this tequnique as this is how you teach a puppy to be collar shy as they connect a collar with a remrimand. Usually it turn into you never being able to touch their collar with out a growl or bite.

was not actually there for the "telling off" but I think she had bitten my little brothers hand not hard but enough to see the marks. Someone was holding her while my dad was basically saying "No" firmly and waving his finger at her and she was growling at him and bearing her teeth

For rough play while biting: I use the same concept other puppies as well as the puppies mother would use. Anytime she bites you give an abrupt stern "OUCH" almost like a yelp and get up and walk away from your puppy. No eye contact, touch, just simply walk off and pay attention to something else. This is exactly what a mother or siblings would do and it teaches your puppy that biting is unexceptable. Eventually if done right your puppies mouthing will become less frequesnt or at least softer. If for some reason you can't walk off you can re-direct the puppy to a toy or something that is acceptable to bite. ALWAYS make sure the puppy has plenty of toys around with many different textures.

As for the finger wagging part she can be misconstruing this as almost like wagging a toy infront of her. It is play and she wants that finger.

You will have to use your voice and be carfull with the tone of your voice. I agree with the stern "no" but I wouldn't really go as far as putting a hand action with it.
 
ruthcatrin

ruthcatrin

Well-Known Member
I gotta agree, don't grab the collar as part of the reprimand, thats going to make things worse not better.

When a puppy is nipping like that its play, they have no concept of the fact that you don't appreciate it. Waving the hand infront of the face like that just makes it worse not better, the hand becomes a play toy (and thus be chewed on more), or depending on how its done, the hand becomes something to fear which in turn often means it must be attacked.
 
DennasMom

DennasMom

Well-Known Member
I also think it's a puppy trying to learn & test boundaries - and she's mirroring your techniques... if you get angry and loud and physical with her... she's going to try that method back again with you - which is the opposite of what you want.

Try to redirect her to what you WANT her to do, instead of just punishing the bad behavior.

For example, when she didn't want to come in from the garden... leave her there and then head for the door in an excited manner (without saying her name)... I bet 99% that she would come running after you - when she's well on her way toward you, and maybe just 2 or 3 feet away, you can say "come! good come!" - then you can praise her for doing what you wanted. Sneaky, huh? :)

And, for nipping at the hands, put a toy in her mouth so she chews on that and not you... then you can reward her with a little tug-play with the toy. We would "yipe" or say "eh-eh" when Denna would grab for us, then pick up a toy, get her to grab it, then "yes!" - "good!". She knows when she gets mouthy, she needs to "go get a toy" for play to continue. I can understand 'biting back' if she ever grabbed a child's hand too hard, an adult dog would absolutely use that method when a puppy gets out of hand, and time it to make sure the context was understood... we'd call that 'an object lesson' around here - but hopefully you can head it off before that's needed.

Be firm, calm and patient with her. Don't let her get away with growling and nipping, but she'll stop it faster if you don't growl back at her (i.e. "tell her off")... I know what my Dad would consider "telling off"... and it doesn't work near as well with a persistent mastiff puppy as it did with us kids. :)
 
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