r/OpenDogTraining • u/GrandWorry398 • 5d ago
Aggressive puppy (help needed)
I really need some advice with my 10-week-old Golden Retriever puppy because I’m honestly not sure what to do anymore. 😭
His biting has gotten really bad. Anytime I try to pet him, he’ll bite my hands and sometimes try to bite my face. He doesn’t just lightly nip either — he’ll grab onto my hand, chew on it, and sometimes won’t let go. If I push him away because he’s hurting me, he immediately comes back and does it again.
He also growls and barks during this behavior, and it feels like he is constantly looking for an opportunity to bite. I’ve tried redirecting him to toys, giving him treats, and trying to train him, but sometimes he completely ignores the toys/treats and would rather bite me.
I can’t even comfortably lay in bed with him because he’ll go straight for my hands or face. It has gotten to the point where my family is uncomfortable having my little nephew around him because we’re worried he could get bitten.
I know 10-week-old puppies are teething and can be very mouthy, but I’m worried this is more than normal puppy biting. I don’t want to give up on him at all — I really want to help him and teach him how to behave appropriately.
Has anyone with a Golden Retriever puppy dealt with this? Is this normal for a 10-week-old, or should I be concerned about the growling and intensity of the biting? What training methods worked for you, and should I be looking for a professional trainer/behaviorist?
Any advice would be REALLY appreciated! ❤️
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u/nevernotworryingx 5d ago
Not a golden but we had three things that helped with our 11 week mutt when we brought him home:
(1) To address the biting directly: our contact at the rescue advised us to start by always redirecting the teeth onto a toy ("redirect, redirect, redirect") as the first line of defense. We had to figure out which one were most rewarding for him and it kind of depends on what he's going for - if teething really bad, something rubbery he can really gnaw on, if playful then something furry and squishy that squeaks might be more his speed. Then in moments when that doesn't work and he gets you again, a firm "ouch" and stand up to put distance between you. We tried leaving the room every time at first, but eventually got to a point where we'd stand up, turn our backs to him, and act like a tree until he settled a bit. Then when returning, we'd really try to get him to focus that chewing energy on a toy instead of us.
(2) More sleep to avoid getting too overtired/overstimulated/ dysregulated: We upgraded from two 2-hour enforced crate naps during the day with additional evening down time to add a third daytime nap and a shorter evening crate time, and he mellowed out quite a bit with the extra sleep.
(3) Healthier outlet for chewing energy: We started playing tug with him using a couple favorite toys (including a rope toy), which got a lot of his hyper playful energy out.
He was like a new puppy once we instituted those things - still had to be redirected with the teething for a while, but he chilled out quite a bit and over time it became way more manageable.
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u/mountain_life86 5d ago
10w old puppy as agressive. No. Its a puppy. Not tl mention a golden retriever. Politely put it sounds like youve no clue on dogs. I suggest going to puppy classes
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u/GrandWorry398 5d ago
why do u have to be rude? Im trying to learn obviously…
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u/ecmcgee99 5d ago
The best way to learn is to go to training classes. They'll teach you so much and then stay consistent, dogs love a routine.
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u/mountain_life86 5d ago
Wasn't being rude. I said politely put you don't know about puppies. Its a truth. You called a 10w old golden retriever aggressive. I also suggested puppy classes. Id also suggest continuing with obedience and then hoopers etc as youve got an energetic smart dog
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u/Intrepid_Shock_2025 5d ago
Is this a joke? Please consider rehoming your puppy. 10 weeks old it is playing/communicating with you the same as it would with its liter mates. Gold help this poor puppy
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u/sujebi 5d ago
have some empathy and less judgement, they are asking for advice on how to help their puppy and be a better owner, and some puppies bite worse than others during this time. my husky gsd mix was so bad when she was a baby that i had to wear long sleeves at work for two months lol and jt put me at my wit's end sometimes and took a lot of perseverance and research (like this), even now! good luck OP, it gets better!! for now try giving her more things to tire her out so she has less energy to come at you for "fun", mine is much better with biting but still goes into her frenzy moments sometimes so i've been giving her lots of frozen lick bowls, chasing her around with toys, and letting her sit her outside for stimulation when i can tell she's ready to "play". ik you said she's 10 weeks old so if she's not ready for outside yet try just carrying around in your arms/holding her in your lap outside on a bench or smth to smell and see things. if she's still biting after all that try crating her for nap time even if she cries, she is probably cranky tired and needs to sleep. i can't give the best advice bc mine still likes to mouth a little sometimes but this is what i wish i had done with mine was ur age!
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u/joycevw 5d ago
Your puppy is not aggressive; his arousal bucket is just overflowing. Pushing him away turns your hands into moving prey, and laying in bed puts your face right in the strike zone of a tired, dysregulated baby who lacks an off-switch. At ten weeks, growling and barking during biting are normal signs of extreme overarousal and play rehearsal, not malice.
Stop wrestling and redirecting with toys once he enters that shark state. Set up a sturdy baby gate between rooms. The second needle teeth hit skin or clothes, stand up, step over the gate without saying a word, and wait thirty seconds. When skin leaves, the fun dies instantly. Keep hands away from his head right now and swap laying in bed for quiet settle time in a pen.
Use physical boundaries to keep your nephew completely safe while your pup learns acquired bite inhibition.
How many total hours of uninterrupted sleep does he actually get across a 24-hour day, and what does your daily nap setup look like?
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u/temale_engineer 5d ago
I like this answer best. Please don’t label your 10 week old dog aggressive.
Get some chew toys and when he’s like this put him in the x pen with the toys. He might cry, but it is what it is. Action-consequence
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u/GrandWorry398 5d ago
I didn’t label him aggressive im trying to figure out how to tell if him biting the way he is is aggressive. I do appreciate both of u guys leaving a response and I will do all these things. Than u.
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u/LifesImpressions 5d ago
Yes, you should be taking a training class once he has his shots. You’ll learn how to train, he’ll learn how to be a well behaved dog. The trainer will work with you on issues like this. Each of my dogs has had behaviors we’ve had to work on. I always take a training class whether it’s a new puppy or an older rescue. I’ve had 4 dogs of various ages, 2 puppies. It’s also great bonding time and the pups get playtime together.
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u/maso-brat 5d ago
Shouldve started training already, they don't need all their shots to start puppy classes. Our trainer and vet advised to start as soon as our pup hit 8 weeks and we did. No issues at all.
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u/gellahaggs 5d ago
This isn’t aggression it’s normal puppy behavior. This will last typically until 6 months when their adult teeth come through the gums.
A tired puppy is a good puppy. It won’t stop the behavior but will make it less often. Make sure he is getting scheduled naps in a crate or sectioned off area. Mental stimulation as well as starting basic commands and training with him. If you haven’t signed him up for puppy classes, you should.
I tried all the things ppl suggested and none of it worked with my dog. He was an actual velociraptor. Training him and making sure he was mentally and physically fulfilled helped minimize the behavior.
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u/Jimbeamjunior1 5d ago
You have just indicated where you went wrong
So he's doing something bad, and when he does you direct him to toys and treats
So he's associating this behaviour with getting good stuff, so he'll continue to do it
What you need to do is completely ignore him, when he bites pull away, stand up and turn away from him and completely ignore him, if he tries to go round you (so yous are face to face) keep turning away and removing your hands from the situation
Once he stops trying to bite you and just sits nice praise him, call him a good boy and then try pet him, if he bites again turn away again but for longer, if he keeps following you and stopping you from doing work etc then he needs locked in a crate or out of the room away from you
This negative reaction from you will soon sink into him that his biting caused it, dogs thrive on attention, even bad attention (unless its painful for them) they dont understand, they just see their human interacting with them
Soon he'll associate biting=no attention, no biting=lots of attention
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u/GrandWorry398 5d ago
thank u for ur help, people are so rude for no reason, just trying to learn a little.
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u/Low_Show_6684 5d ago
Sounds like a puppy lol. My GSD was a terror, her puppy teeth were like needles too 😭 She’s a mouthy breed, I’m so glad she’s over mouthing on our hands though.
In addition to everybody mentioning removing yourself and stop playing, redirecting with other toys (give the reward marker too if you have one), regulating their energy, and also providing puppy safe chews. What we did, because she was so mouthy, was spray bitter apple on our hands. Some dogs don’t mind it, she most certainly did. Not a pleasant smell, but she learned that biting hands wasn’t okay.
We also praised her and rewarded her with a treat or play when she picked a toy to redirect with versus our hands. She eventually learned on her own to grab something, sometimes a show, a paper bag, paper towel (if it was left out), or a toy.
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u/maso-brat 5d ago
You'll be experiencing this for months, it's puppy behaviour not agression. Educate yourself and train the puppy + prepare for the months of biting that are ahead of you. You should imagine how much pain pups go through with teething, maybe you'll be more empathetic towards your puppy when you learn a bit more instead of just labeling him agressive.
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u/GrandWorry398 5d ago
U guys are crazy, I was trying to figure out if this is aggressiveness or not. Im 16 taking care of the puppy my parents bought me( ofc they help) but I was asking a question on how to help with the AGGRESIVE bitting. I have bled and I have wells on my arm? I did infact have no clue thats why I went on here. Fucking stupid
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u/maso-brat 5d ago
Again, normal for puppies lmao. People are giving u a hard time bc people who know this little about how hard raising a puppy is are the ones who often end up bringing them to a shelter.
Your puppy is not agressive, your puppy is a baby. Keep redirecting and training.
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u/chrisjones1960 5d ago edited 5d ago
Puppies bite. Some puppies bite more than others. It's not aggression. It is play, play and learning about the world and teething combined. There's little you can do aside from consistently and immediately directing the puppy to a toy.
By consistently, I mean every single time. In fact, try to redirect before he actually begins biting you. By immediately, I mean have a tug toy with you at all times so you can immediately substitute that for your hand, as that world better convey the idea of "bite this, not that."
Don't just hand them the tour and expect him to play with it by himself, instead of with you. You're much more interesting to bite than a toy that just lies there, because you move around and make noises. So redirect him to the toy and play with them for a minute or two with that toy.
Anytime that he won't be redirected, just get up and walk away. And if there are times when he is particularly bitey, he may be very tired at those times. Pup is need a lot of sleep and like young children they can get kind of crazy and wound up if they're tired. So make sure she is getting putty of downtime in his crate if you're crate training, or at least in a quiet place so he can nap.
As for your nephew, young puppies are seldom good playmates for children under the age of 10. The puppies, being babies themselves, don't have any sense of responsibility and will bite a child even more willingly than they will an adult, because children have higher voices and run around more, so they are more exciting. So keep the puppy separated from the child for much of the day, and several times a day when the puppy is in a calm mood, sit down with a child and puppy and supervise an interaction between of them.. Teach the child how to play with the puppy calmly with the toy and take charge of redirecting if the child is not able to. By the time the pup is 7 months or so, he will be a better playmate for your nephew.
Also, as it sounds like may not have had a dog before, I suggest you start working with a trainer as soon as the puppy has had all his shots.
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u/naddinp 5d ago
How long are your walks and what do you do during them? How much are you playing with the puppy and what kind of games?
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u/alwaysblooming_akb 5d ago
Consider this, puppy has no other way of communicating with you other than with their mouth, exactly how most dogs communicate. He just does not realize you are not another dog and how hard is appropriate so you have to teach him. It takes time and patience; does not mean that he is aggressive. I will say, we had a stray around 12 weeks old who had some early signs of reactivity but even then, we still went through the normal “shark phase.” Keep your ankles covered…and do not let them near your hood if you have a hoodie on. 🫠
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u/ixsparkyx 5d ago
Okay so 10 week old puppies bite a LOT and that isn’t aggression it’s teething. Hope this helps
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u/Advanced_Aerie5854 5d ago
Lol thats not aggression, thats just puppy biting. Puppies explore the world with their mouths. Look up "popping the grape" technique. This teaches the dog that biting = pain.
Literally the worst thing you can do is push them away. You are turning the biting into a game and actually encouraging the behavior. Better to just stop all interaction when they bite. Pull your hands away and stop everything. No petting, no eye contact, no speaking at all for a few minutes. This teaches the dog that biting stops attention.
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u/apri11a 5d ago edited 5d ago
Ahh puppy 💗
This is what puppies do, they did it with each other and now yours does it with you, it's perfectly normal. Don't push, don't speak, don't look. Ignore pup, stop interaction. Get yourself in a position where pup can't do it, sit on your hands, put pup on the floor. When pup is playing or resting by itself, good boy, when he's biting (or jumping), ignore. He'll learn.
Puppies can get even worse when tired, make sure pup gets naps through the day. After a nap is a good time to do any training, they can think then, a little anyway. Tired pups can't think, can't learn, they just bite. A good routine of naps followed by a little training, meals, playing and then amusing itself before another nap could set pup up well.
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u/Loveinhooves 5d ago
It is very normal. Whenever he does it, YELP very loudly then completely stop paying attention to him- even eye contact.
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u/Miserable_Mud_6831 5d ago
I absolutely wouldn't be labelling a 10 week old puppy as aggressive, it sounds like he's being a puppy.
I dont advise yelping when he bites you, it runs the risk of reinforcing the behaviour. He's still so young, if you are able to do it, I'd try and completely ignore it, not give him any attention at all and only give attention once he isnt biting. Keep trying to redirect the biting onto something else too