My 3-month-old puppy nips and barks at kids. How can I stop it?

Question

Our 3 month old terrier mix is starting to be aggressive with nipping and barking. I have little children and she is starting to scare them. We rescued her from a shelter. We have tried different chewy toys and we are walking her but this just started over the past week. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | spayed | 2 months and 14 days old | 9.3 lbs

Lauren Kennedy, DVM · Accepted Answer

This type of behavior can be very concerning, especially when there are small children around. The good news is that your puppy is still very young and this is a good time to teach her good and appropriate behaviors. You are already doing a great job by exercising her regularly (a fast-paced 20-30 minute walk 2-3 times a day is best) and by redirecting her aggressive tendencies with chew toys. Another tactic you can use in training is to immediately stop play and ignore her if she starts becoming aggressive. This will teach her that that type of behavior does not get her what she wants (your attention). It is also a good idea to always use positive reinforcement when she is being well behaved. Puppies respond better and learn faster from positive reinforcement (like verbal praise and treats) than negative reinforcement (like yelling or hitting them). It would also be wise to start some initial training of basic commands as well, like sit, stay/wait, come, etc. This will help her focus and energy levels and will help establish your role the dominant one in the relationship. I hope this helps. Remember, persistence early on will help you raise a great puppy. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck!

My 3-month-old puppy nips and barks at kids. How can I stop it?

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