Is my puppy rude, or is he normal?

You have a puppy and you should not expect overnight miracles with a dog that young. Puppies bite as a way of testing their environment and the others in their pack which includes you and the other play day dog.

I am not a dog whisperer by any stretch of the imagination but I do know pups also crave attention and the more you respond more than a simple command like a firm “NO!” the more the pup will associate their biting with additional attention from you.

Brush up on treat based training and if you are consistent with rewarding good behavior with a treat and literally ignoring any bad behaviors you will be quickly on the road to having a better behaved pup.

My Sadie loved to taste test my hands and I would simply make a fist and put it in front of her face and say “NO” when she tried to nip at it and when she just sat there I would reward her with a treat. Worked like a charm. Have fun with your new pup!

Your puppy thinks he’s the Alpha dog; you just have to show him you are in fact in charge.. Researching the best way to train your pup not to bite on Youtube is probably what you should do… But, finding the most comfortable way to do it is going to be difficult.. So, just keep searching until you find the one that’s right for you..! Here is an example of one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9KQegi4r8k

I’m a dog trainer. While that does not, in itself, mean anything (anyone can call himself a dog trainer), it does give me a wide database. The advice I’m giving you has worked for many people, and it will work for you, too. Here goes:

Your puppy is not being rude at all. When a baby waves his arms around and hits you in the face, that’s not rude, is it? Pluto is doing just that. He has no idea he is hurting you, he just needs to relieve his tooth pain. Tooth pain is awful.

You can teach him to like his toys. This is most easily done by getting him some toys which can be filled with food. Here is a Kong. A Kong is a rubber toy which can be filled with canned dog food – and then frozen. That will stop your puppy’s jaws from aching, and it will also buy you a lot of peace. If gnawing on toys is his source of food, Pluto will be much too busy to chew on cables or humans.

Something else which is bound to work is tying a toy on a string and making it “run” away from him, like a rabbit would. That way, biting you becomes impossible, and the toy is much more interesting.

Remember that he has no idea what “no bite” means. Actually, that’s most likely why he’s barking: He’s frustrated. It makes little sense to just say words which he hasn’t been taught. @Cruiser mentions a good way to teach him the meaning of “no”. Here is a video of how to approach puppy biting, and it sounds like the trainer in it is perfect for you. She is called Emily Larlham, and she teaches her dogs how to behave – instead of only teaching them what not to do. You can be sure she won’t ever advise you to hurt a dog.

I’m so glad to hear you want to be a “hands-off”-owner. Hurting dogs is just teaching them to be hand-shy and, in conclusion, they often turn aggressive. Forget about the dominance myth – it’s been debunked. Forget about alpha dogs and pack leaders – they do not exist. Read books by Ian Dunbar, Leslie McDevitt, and above all Patricia McConnell (start with “The Other End of the Leash”). Do not listen to anything Cesar Millan says, most of it is outdated and dangerous. Continue being a sensible and friendly owner, and your dog will grow up to be a stable, friendly, and happy dog.

I’m not the worlds greatest dog trainer, but I think one of the best things to do when they are barking at you or biting you is to turn away from them. If you are sitting there baring at each other he thinks you’re playing. I trained my dogs with a sound. I say a loud back of the throat “eh eh. ” They know I’m not happy and to stop whatever they’re doing. They don’t understand the words, “no bark.” but they do understand my word for stop.

I would say active normal. @longgone has given you some good advice and provided a few resources that you need to pursue.

Start training early on, be firm, be persistent and be consistent.

I liked the word “OUT”! Spoken in a loud commanding voice it communicated to my dog that “what ever you’re doing stop it”! I used it for all unwanted behavior. You have their immediate attention!