Stamping out aggressive behaviour  

Your puppy and other people

All people are different, whether they're friends, family or strangers - and in the eyes of a puppy, the different ages, shapes and sizes we humans come in can be mightily confusing. So make sure he encounters as many people as possible from an early age. That way, strangers will seem less strange and he'll soon learn to become calmer and more trusting. Just make sure all these new friends don't overwhelm him with vigorous displays of affection.

It's also important that your puppy becomes acquainted with children. Few youngsters can resist fussing over a puppy and although they mean no harm, this can be alarming for the dog. It's a good idea to take your puppy for a walk near the local school; children will need no encouragement to come up and say hello. But don't forget that puppies can become tired quickly, so make sure any meeting times are kept quite short and give your puppy time to rest.

Play-biting shouldn't get out of hand

Before you collected your new puppy, he was used to playing with his own brothers and sisters. And play-biting is a puppy's natural game. So once he's settled into his new home, he'll want to play-bite with you. But to curb excessive biting, you'll need to divert his attention away from your hands to his toys.

The chances are, whenever you spend time with your puppy, stroking and making a fuss of him, he'll want to chew on your hand, so make sure you have one of his toys ready. Make it hard for him to bite your hand by making a fist and offer a toy instead, waving and wiggling it around him. It won't be long before he learns that toys are lot more fun to play with and chew than a big fist.

Your puppy only knows what you teach him

It's important to remember that whatever you teach your puppy now will be normal behaviour for your grown dog. So when he's playing as a puppy, try thinking of him as a mature dog, and judge whether his behaviour is acceptable or otherwise. If he starts growling, or attempting to bite a hand holding a toy, or rushing a young child during play, stop the game at once and walk away with the toy. He'll soon learn why the fun stopped and avoid the behaviour that caused it.

If you have any concerns about your puppy's behaviour , or would like more information about available books, training courses or classes, your vet will be pleased to advise you.