We got our Lhasa Apso at 6 weeks old, and now he's around 10 weeks. Gradually though he's becoming more agressive. At first he would be playful and do the puppy growl but now it's become more of a snarl where he's really going for people. He seems to get in these manic modes where he will go mental and then after a bit calm down. I've taken him on long walks when he's like this but he just starts it again. He's a cuddly puppy sometimes and will lick, I have to say it's becoming less and less though and he's started going straight into the biting. I've used toys since we got him when he started biting, like got him playing with them. But they're becoming less and less of a distraction as he just dodges them and goes for us lot. Is this normal or is there something wrong?

Its normal behaviour in the pups growing. Make sure they have plenty of interesting suitable toys to 'gnaw' on but you are the most intersting to them for now. You got your pup very young so he missed out on a few weeks of important time with his siblings which he would have learnt a bit more so you may be in for a tougher ride as the pup learns his manners. Also when you say you are taking the pup for long walks how long is long? As young pups shouldn't be going for long walks, You need to be firm but kind. Wear gloves and shoes at all times if that is what it takes!!! A firm NO!! and turn from the pup ignoring them for a good few seconds only giving them attention when they stop their attempts! Another one is to squeal loudly as a litter mate may do if they hurt them. Start teaching the 'down' an 'away' command and praise and reward with puppy treats when the pup starts to listen but they have very small concentration at this age! It will pass!!

It's worth having him checked out by a vet as aggression can be an indicator of pain. It's highly unusual for a 10 week old puppy to be aggressive, without knowing him at all I'd hazard a guess that this is simply a case of testing the boundaries. Six weeks is incredibly early to take a puppy away from its mother and litter mates. Those extra two weeks can make all the difference in relation to teaching bite inhibition and manners to a certain degree. There is some evidence to suggest pups taken at 6 weeks can be more prone to dog aggression as they missed the vital lessons on how to be a dog.

As I said, try a vet check first, then if nothing is found to be wrong, ask them to recommend a puppy class (I don't recommend puppy parties offered at vets, they tend to be run by vet nurses with no dog training expertise and can be quite frightening for introvert pups) Don't fret, it can be sorted once the root cause is found.

You shouldnt be taking such a young dog on long walks. It will overtire him and might also damage his joints. He would probably be ok with about 15 minutes max at that age and then only non-enforced pottering around rather than marching round the streets. Then he can set his own pace.

Puppies like children get overtired and thats what you are seeing in those manic moments. They get more and more frenetic when over tired until they eventually crash out.

You need to teach him bite inhibition here is a link on how to do that:
http://www.dogstardaily.com/training...ite-inhibition

or a video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c77--cCHPyU

By long walks I mean long walks for him, about 10 mins if that, up to the field and back. He's bounding along all the way, never shows discomfort.

And cheers for the advice for him.

Is he fully vaccinated? I thought Vac's weren't complete until 12 - 13 weeks?

Yeah he's got all his jabs done. We did it at 9 weeks. That's what the vets said.

Somethings not quite right here, pups are not usually allowed out until between 12 and 16 weeks depending on when they get jobs. Long walks (10 minutes is a long walk for such a young pup) are discouraged not because you will wear out the pup but to protect the growth plates in their bones.

What about the second lot?

Edit to add


From this vet

So if he had his first at nine weeks, the earliest he can have the second is 11 weeks and then he can go out 2 weeks later (I always thought it was 1 week later)

So you are putting him at risk taking him out now.

Whoops that should have read jabs not jobs

I thought the rule of thumb was 5 minutes per month so at 10 weeks old (2.5 months), 10 minutes walk should be fine - right? Assuming all vaccs are done of course. Its worth bearing in mind that the rule is not so relevant for small breeds as large ones as the rate to maturity is quicker. Seems crazy to have one rule for everything from a chihuahua to a great dane

You would normally start the 5 minutes rule after second jabs so between 12 - 16 weeks not with a small pup of 9-10 weeks. At that age they are usually kept in or short trips into the garden.

I'm troubled by the timing of the jabs and also the fact that the puppy left the nest at 6 weeks?

I've just calculated he's 14 weeks old. So I think he's fine to go out. He's had two jabs all in all. I don't know if he gets more or not, but he's not booked in for anything now. After the jab the vet said we could take him out a week after, so we're going by that. As I said, he's only going to the top of the street and back, not a 5 mile hike... And I don't know why we got him that early just the pups were on sale at that time.

Wrt the pups age, I thought they were ok to leave their mothers at 6 weeks as well. Seems we're wrong, but don't beat yourself up about it, you have the pup now and you can only go by what people tell you.

I've had one as young as 5 weeks the problem with the young ones is they don't learn enough from their mums and siblings so you have to put in so much more time training them and showing them what is and isn't acceptable.

But the later you get them IMO the more fearful they are as they are used to mum looking out for them.

It's hard really to say just what is the "right" age.

Are you enrolled in puppy classes? I think these are a must for socialising the puppy and for learning how to train him. You can also ask for advice about his manners.

One thing I would say is, we were told not to let our puppy have his own toys to keep. Play with him, but always make sure you keep the toys at the end of the game.

Our puppy used to do a lot of biting, it is normal puppy behaviour, up to a point. But you must discourage this by removing your hands and not letting him think it's ok. We were told to squeal if our puppy hurt us.

I got my puppy at 12 weeks, the breeder was willing to give him at 10 but, I wanted him to have more training with his mum and litter mates.
Puppies tend to learn bite inhibition from mum and their siblings - bite too hard and you either get told off by mum/sibling and/or the game ends abruptly.
A puppy removed too soon misses that vital socialising.

I would read up on bite inhibition training, Sarah above has given you a link. We did that with our pup, now adolescent/young adult and he never bites during play. He may mouth your hand but, will never apply pressure. Personally I don't like mouthing so I still yelp a bit if I so much as feel his teeth and he changes mouthing for licking instantly.

I would urge you to talk to the vet about this and I would also recommend you get his bits off as soon as he is of age. He's very young to be showing aggression, as you say his puppy play growl is turning in to a warning growl, that's not good.

Def. go see the vet.

It does sound as though the OP's dog is using his human family as a substitute for the behaviour he should have learnt from his mother and siblings. The bite inhibition tips posted here are very good. But not easy when they are still going through the learning and teething stage!

A friend recently acquired a puppy and a few weeks ago - and at five months, his owners were covered with scratches and play bites, despite being experienced owners and doing the socialising stuff. Yesterday he came over for a play session with my adult dog and the difference in four weeks is extraordinary. They played for over four hours and not a single yelp from either of them. The pup exhibited all the right behaviour, he was active, alert and yet also showed mild submissive behaviour when he got too excited - lowering his front body for a few seconds before playing again.

So hopefully age and firm encouragement will win out.
BTW - they both went out for a walk when the pup arrived and were still active hours later! Unlike us - we were exhausted.