Why is my 4 month old puppy so aggressive?
Jaclyn Frami
2025-07-20 07:21:18
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Puppies can play rough. Puppy play consists of chasing, pouncing, barking, growling and biting. Many pet owners mistake normal play behavior as aggression or laugh off behavior that is a warning sign for truly aggressive behavior. Puppies less than 12 weeks of age that react to pain or fear by growling or snapping are responding abnormally. The younger a dog is when it shows serious aggressive behaviors, such as growling or snapping when handled, the more likely it will bite and injure humans in the future. Punishment methods of training have been shown to worsen aggression. Bad training creates bad dogs. Most dog owners spend way too much time correcting behaviors they perceive as wrong and far too little time teaching the puppy what they want it to do instead.
Anabelle Smith
2025-07-20 06:58:58
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: 14
Puppies rapidly learn to be aggressive if it is in their best interests to do so. Situations where the puppy is placed in a situation where it feels threatened can rapidly lead to warnings and, eventually, snaps and real bites if these are ignored. Fear-based aggression is the most common reason why puppies under 6 months of age are aggressive to other dogs and puppies. Puppies do not have to have bad experiences with others to be worried about them. No experiences with other dogs early in life will cause them to worry later when they see something they are not familiar with. Consequently, if your puppy has not had adequate encounters with other dogs and puppies, he is likely to see them as a threat and react defensively to them, particularly if they approach fast. Some puppies are worried about other dogs because they have had unpleasant encounters with them. These experiences do not need to be painful for a puppy to try to avoid them in future, getting a fright can be just as bad.
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