Snapping

**Pawsitive Thinking** · 09-12-2005, 02:39 PM

Tobey has taken to snapping at people when we are out walking - there doesn't appear to be any reason for it either. Apart from a muzzle does anyone have any idea how we can stop this before it gets out of hand?

Up to now he has always been a friendly dog

**Kfamr** · 09-12-2005, 02:42 PM

That's weird. In what situations does he snap - any particular people - girl, guy, young, old? Does he do it at home to any guests?

How old is he? Does it seem to be an aggressive snap or a fearful snap?

Sorry for so many questions!

**lvpets2002** · 09-12-2005, 02:50 PM

I am like Kay with the questions & would need the answers to help you more.. It is odd since he has not been doing it.. Maybe there is a certain person or oder or location the dog is defensive over..

**Pawsitive Thinking** · 09-12-2005, 04:14 PM

Meant to put this in dog behaviour.....

there doesn't seem to be any pattern to this sudden change - one minute he will be wagging his tail and being fussed and the next he will just snap. Until we get to the bottom of it we are going to be keeping him on a very short lead around people and not letting them pet him - for their sake and his

**vinjashira** · 09-12-2005, 05:21 PM

dogs tend to be "naughty" when they reach the age of 1 - 2 years old. I hope this is just a phase for Tobey that he soon grow out of.

**gkristian** · 09-12-2005, 07:43 PM

i agree with what vinjashira said, but i think it's better to prevent him from snapping (even though it might be a phase) because it might become a habit

**dab_20** · 09-12-2005, 07:47 PM

when you walk by ppl try and get as far away as possible when you walk by. when he looks like he is about to snap, jerk his leash. (not too hard) if he doesn't snap, immediatly give toby praise and a treat. you can also hold a treat in front of his nose when ppl walk by so that he will ignore them and praise if he does. i am not a pro but i hope this works. good luck!

**sammy101** · 09-12-2005, 09:28 PM

I had a problem with Kodie lunging out at joggers,bikes and other dogs that walk by.But he just turned 2 and grew out of it.I tought kodie out of that by holding his leash really close to me,and i told him "No",and if he didnt lunge,i told him "good boy" and praised him.
But i dont really know else what to do about his snapping

**veegan** · 09-12-2005, 09:39 PM

when he looks like he is about to snap, jerk his leash. (not too hard) if he doesn't snap, immediatly give toby praise and a treat.

I would not recommend this method at all. jerking the leash will most likely only make it worse. if he is snapping out of fear then making a situation he already feels uncomfortable in even more unpleasant by adding the pain and shock of a leash pop will only make him even more fearful and snappy.

is he snapping aggressively or is it playful biting? he is a puppy right? how old exactly? puppies naturally bite and nibble so if its playful exploratory biting then I wouldnt be as worried as if it was fear based. does his body stiffen up, does his curl his lips, growl, tuck or stiffen his tail, turn his eyes away or raise his hackles? do you notice the people he does it to doing anything different than others? its really hard to give advice without a ton of information. if you think its fear based I would recommend contacting a trainer A.S.A.P. plus they will be able to help you more than us because they will be able to see him in action and identify whats triggering it. keeping him away from people should only be a temporary solution. you do not want to stop his socialization all together without fixing the problem because it will only get worse. its a lot easier to deal with puppy bites than adult dog bites. and it will be easier to fix the younger he is.

has he been to any training classes yet? does he play with other puppies ever?

**dab_20** · 09-12-2005, 10:04 PM

well it worked for my friends dog. if it will make it worse than dont use that method. sorry i was wrong.

**Malinois** · 09-12-2005, 10:10 PM

When I was a kid I can remember that there was a puppy Golden Retriever that went from the sweetest to the meanest. He bit me, and 2 of my friends. It was my janitors dog.

Sadly, I think they either put her to sleep, took her to the pound, or got rid of her, because they had a baby coming

But I don't know what's wrong with Tobey, is there anybody who has been treating him badly? How often do you socialize him?

GOOD LUCK WITH TOBEY

**Cincy'sMom** · 09-12-2005, 10:10 PM

I didn't see the post here at first, so I responded in behavior.

**K9soul** · 09-12-2005, 10:14 PM

If you feel it is fearfulness or aggression, it's important first off to try and avoid any situation it's occurring in for now until you can get with a behaviorist for a consultation. There are also a lot of excellent books out there on positive training methods and helping a dog to understand his/her place in the pack (without use of force). A lot of times simply our behavior and body language can reinforce negative behaviors without our even knowing it. It is of utmost importance to get this addressed now before it gets any further, especially if it's not done in playfulness but is done in fear or aggression. Also anytime a person jumps back from him, the behavior will be reinforced.

**Pawsitive Thinking** · 09-13-2005, 05:50 AM

A lot of great ideas - thank you.

As he has only just turned 1 I tend to agree that it is a "phase" he is going through. He certainly doesn't seem afraid or nervous and loves to play with other dogs.

I will give your suggestions a try - it is time to be a bit firmer with him so he knows his place!