My puppy humps, barks, growls, bites during training. Is it dominance?

Question

Hello I just got my first ever dog about going on two weeks now. He is a 10/11 week old Goldendoodle he is a pretty good puppy but what happens is I noticed he started humping me and I wondered did that indicate dominance ? It started when I wanted to train and set boundaries and rules so when I tell him no he sits and stares and barks and snarls and growls at me and tries to even bite me. He ignores my commands and tries to rule over me. This all didnt start till I started saying no. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | unneutered | 2 months and 13 days old | 15 lbs

Menolly Cote, DVM, CVA · Accepted Answer

Congratulations on adding Teddy to your family! Puppies can be frustrating at times. The behavior described is consistent with a frustrated puppy. It is not unusual for a puppy that is frustrated to bark, growl or completely ignore things that you say. He is not trying to exert dominance he just may not really understand what you are asking. Your best bet for getting Teddy to follow your directions is to have a consistent training plan and use high-value rewards. When you tell him no, he doesn't really understand what you want him to do. You will likely have better luck telling him what you would like him to do. For example, if you want him to walk nicely on a leash it's better to teach him a look command rather than just yank on the leash to get him to go where you want. Using a look command will tell him what you want him to do which is keep his eyes on you rather than what's going on in the neighborhood. This is a great resource for starting a training program with your puppy: http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/store/The-Puppy-Primer.html

My puppy humps, barks, growls, bites during training. Is it dominance?

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