Aggressive Newf??

[Henrys Mom]

I am looking for some advice on Mason. He has always been a hand full. He is 15 months old and has never really liked to be cuddled and rarely sits still for very long. He was a HUGE nipper and jumper. The jumping is pretty much gone now and the nipping has gotten better. He seems to have some sort of aggression which really scares me. It is towards my 14 year old son mostly. I don't know if it is towards other children because I won't let any of them near him unless I have him on a leash. My 14 year old has helped raise Mason and trains him like I do but he will turn on him very quickly. Last night while I was not home he attacked him nipping and chasing him in the backyard. My son would stand still and Mason would continue to growl and try to bite him. He doesn't bite to draw blood so I hate to call it biting but I guess that's what it is. There was nothing my son could do but call for my daughter who came out and distracted Mason so my son could come inside. My son was scared and was going to jump the fence to get away. My son is far from a wimp and has always had a firm handle on Mason so I don't know what happened.

He has shown these tendancies before and I always have to get the leash and put it on him to calm him down. Like I said he has always been a hand full and has been very difficult. He has had me in tears more than once but I kept on training him hoping he would get better. He LOVES me and seems to tolerate everyone else. Even though they have all had a hand in raising him.

I am very discouraged and sad about what happened last night while I was gone. My son will always come first and I can't/won't have an aggressive Newf in my house.

Any advice??

 

[Angela]

I'm sorry. Have you had a vet check up to see if there is a physical problem? Have you talked to his breeder to see if there is any aggressive tendancies in his line?
What about a behaviorist, would that be a possibility for you?
I agree that it is scary for you and your son as obviously Mason cannot be trusted with your son which is very sad.

 

[Newfs Forever]

I have no info for you. But, I wish you the very best.

 

[Leonard and his bud Snuffles]

I think if you look to search of my original posts on Snuffles (before he was mine) he would go in this wild agressive play mode as I called it. Someone suggested keeping a spray bottle of a 50/50 vinigar/water solution. It would break the cycle

 

[TerriW]

I'm very sorry for you. This does not sound like play to me, though I'm far from an expert. Your son shouldn't be subjected to this type of behavior from the dog.

Perhaps a behaviorist would help, but I would never trust the dog around other kids your son's age....

 

[DAWNMERIE]

Sounds like he's been a real challenge Sallie. And that type of behavior is unacceptable. Is he neutered yet? Have you tried a trainer?

 

[NinaA]

I am not trying to accuse anyone of anything, but this reminds me of a situation we had with my daughter and a young dog (not a Newf) that we had. It turned out that when she was playing with the pup early on she was doing some things that she didn't understand were inciting the bad behavior. I would consult a good behaviorist.

 

[Thehallk]

I'm not sure if this is the same, but Gilly throws what I call "temper tantrums" when I try to bring her inside (physically) when she doesn't want to like if i hold her collar and try to walk her inside. This usually happens after she has done something naughty or wild (like try to run away, or chasing the alpacas along the fenceline, or grabbed something from the garden she knows she's not supposed to have). She will jump up on me and bite my arms and/or flop her back kicking her legs in the air and biting at me, and if I don't have a hold of the leash she will repeatedly charge/tackle me (or my husband). I'm sure she is not trying to be "vicious" and it never scares me, but she does give me scratches/scrapes on my arms (though has never drawn blood), and it's extremely irritating though I try to stay as calm as possible. It seems more, like Leonard says, like an aggressive play mode (or a temper tantrum). Yelling or being more physical riles her more. She has gotten a lot better with this, but still does it every once in awhile (she's just over a year), and I use a small spritzer of bitter apple which I spray directly in her mouth when she bites me and it sort of snaps her out of the tantrum. It helps that I CAN physically control her if I need to, as she's only about 90-100 lbs. I'd suggest a trainer experienced with Newfs, if you can find one.

 

[Sound Bay Newfs]

I am sorry to hear this Sallie. You know he is from sound lines, so I would not worry about that. Sometimes aggressive tendencies like this, really is fear or protectiveness. I would keep him crated when you are not home and instruct your son to stay away from him for now until you can figure it out. I would call your breeder since he is a trainer and should be able to help you.

 

[R Taft]

I agree with Lynn, if your breeder is a Trainer ask for help..Some boy can sometimes be a bit rowdy and need some re-direction/training. Never be afraid to ask for help.

A health check might also be a good idea...you never know

 

[mrsnamsherf]

Take heart...it doesn't sound like all is lost. Fifteen months is still a young newf. It is possible that there is some type of miscommunication going on between your dog and your son that could be causing Mason to feel threatened. Also, if there has ever been any rough play between the two, that is an extremely difficult behavior to retrain. Don't give up. Seek out all the answers. :nod: Consulting with a behaviorist sounds like a great plan. A good behaviorist can do amazing things with dogs. I had a friend with an untrustworthy Springer Spaniel, and after getting some good assistance/retraining with very positive methods, he was like a different dog.

It is great that you are seeking help for Mason. And so cool that you have already put so much effort into training him. I wish you the best with him.

Marie

 

[NewfieMama]

I can't add any advice, just wanted to say I'm sorry you're going through this. IIRC, your first Newf was one of the most mellow sweet boys ever so this must be especially hard. Good luck.

 

[Pam G]

Sorry to hear this Sallie. Is this just a play growl..or serious showing the teeth growl? Just a thought here..maybe he thinks of your son as a playmate...like how dogs growl and bite with each other while playing. Like I said..it's just a thought, I don't know if dogs do that or not. I hope you can get him some help. It is very scary if he is truly growling in an aggressive way.

 

[Popcorn]

It's hard to say what it is because of his age and also it is with your son when you aren't there.

I agree, it probably is playfulness gone awry. When my 18 month old boy arrived from rescue he immediately did what you describe with my (then) very little kids. I tackled him a couple of times to stop it (not a recommended method but I had no other way to stop him in mid-chase) and we had words, and it never came back. But he is a submissive type Newf so it was easy.

The other thing you may have is a very dominant newf. This is different from aggressive. Does he also "claim space" in the house and refuse to move? Like your son's bed? He may be asserting himself vis-a-vis your son. This is also something you can handle through training. But you have to have the persistence and personality, IMO. It sounds like you do because you were able to handle the other negative behavior. However, there are degrees of dominance -- if you have an extremely dominant Newf, he may be more suited to a different owner. I helped rehome a Newf who was way too dominant for the family (it was their first dog). He ended up being quite a handful even for the very experienced rescue person. I believe he was sucessfully rehomed with a search and rescue couple who knew just how to handle him and ended up living on a lake.

I don't see it as aggression -- chasing and nipping is not aggression but play. Growling and teeth baring is aggression. If it were this, I would be considering getting in expert help or rehoming into a very experienced home without a child in it. It may be hard to believe, but I have heard of an aggressive Newf being put to sleep. But I have only heard of one -- a very "showy" newf -- i.e. bred for the show ring to look like quite the dude, but resulted in a poor personality.

 

[NinaA]

If your breeder is a trainer by all means contact them. I agree with all the others in that if there's no growling, snarling and real biting it sounds like he doesn't know how to play nice with others. Don't give up, but keep control of the situation.

 

[blaue_augen]

I just wanted to say that I am sorry you are going through this. I know the worry in your heart. Aggression towards children is one of my biggest fears with owning a dog. Find a behaviorist. If you don't like the first one you try, find another.

 

[2ndchance]

How active are you at training the dog daily and many times through the day? What type of training do you do? What commands does the dog listen to no matter where you are and what is going on? What type of play /games do you allow between the dog and your son?

I may not get back to the forum regularly, this is a busy week but pm me with the answers as I might see that sooner.

 

[charlieinnj]

Is Mason neutered?