My 1-year-old dog is aggressive and bites only me. How can I stop it?

Question

I have a 1 year old rat terrier puppy named Ziggy, and have had him since he was a puppy (not sure how many weeks, but he was young). He is very obedient towards my parents but to me he is extremely aggressive. It usually happens if I'm sitting or lying down - he'll see me, jump on me, and immediately start biting and being hostile. Even when I stand up, he is biting, barking, snarling, lunging etc until I eventually leave the room, with him biting my feet as I walk. How do I stop this behavior? Pet's info: Dog | Rat Terrier | Male | neutered

Dr. Macartney, BVet Med, MRCVS · Accepted Answer

I am so sorry that you are experiencing these problems with biting with Ziggy. I am sure it is very upsetting for you. First of all rest assured that this is a very normal puppy behaviour. Puppies learn through play biting and it is part of our role as pet parents to help them learn limits. I would not attempt negative reinforcement such as striking Ziggy or speaking harshly as this will potentially create more serious behaviour issues such as anxiety and fear-aggression. Try some calm corrections and positive reinforcement. If Ziggy bites you, simply say in a calm voice "no" and stop interacting with him for a few moments. This over time will teach him that biting is not a desired form of play. Also try reinforcing him as he starts to play in a good way by not biting, and giver him a small training treat. If Ziggy does manage to bite hard enough to break the skin be careful of a possible infection. Monitor your wound for heat. Swelling, or discharge. Make an appointment with your doctor if this occurs. If you are struggling with the biting after a couple of weeks of the above suggested training methods, consider puppy socialisation classes or potentially a few sessions with a behaviourist. Other games which may be fun with Ziggy are hide and go seek either with you and another person, or you hide his toys and he has to find them. Or classic fetch. More stimulation and more exercise will help calm Ziggy and also help foster a strong bond between you two. I hope this was helpful!

My 1-year-old dog is aggressive and bites only me. How can I stop it?

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