Bad night at Puppy K

[KatarinasMom]

Last night was our second Puppy K class. Henry (12 weeks old) did very well last week, but this week was a different story The first class he was everybody's friend and was his usual happy self, but last night he decided he didn't much care for the 4 m.o. black lab that was seated next to us. When the lab puppy decided to take a sniff at Henry he actually snarled and barked at him. Then, the trainer was going around to each dog in the group to "test" their knowledge of the "sit, watch, down" commands. Well, Henry performed very well and when the trainer reached down to give him a "good boy" pat Henry turned into this snarling little monster that I swear was not my baby He actually bit the trainer's forearm The trainer spent a few minutes petting and touching Henry in various areas, and Henry continued to snarl and growl at him. Eventually he did settle down, but I was still horrified at this new behavior. The rest of the class went without incident, but by the end Henry was laying on the floor looking like we were boring him to death.

The trainer commented on the big difference in his personality from one week to the next and asked if we had noticed this change at home.....which we definitely had not witnessed until last night. The trainer suggested that maybe he was just having an "off" night, but also that maybe we were getting a glimpse at a developing personality. I know Henry was tired, because he was falling asleep in the car on the way to class. On training class nights he eats his dinner an hour later than usual (class is at 7:30 pm and that is usually when he gets his dinner) so I know he was also hungry. Should I start feeding him before class instead of after?

Even though we have had a rottie in our home for the better part of 20 years I have never started with one so young, so I am not familiar with the different stages of very young puppies. How concerned should I be about Henry's reactions last night? Is it possible he was acting this way only because he was tired and hungry? I've never heard him snarl at anyone or anything until last night, and he definitely never bit anyone ,other than play biting, but this was definitely not play biting. He received a round of puppy vacs two nights prior to class, but I don't think that has anything to do with anything because he was acting fine up until we arrived at class.

Any comments, suggestions or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

[debbiej]

I can't comment on stages of puppy behavior. I would have been surprised by his behavior also. I don't think being tired or hungry would cause this, but I can't offer any opinions on what would.

It sounds like for some reason he felt threatened or perhaps was feeling a bit bossy. I'd take him to the vet and make sure he isn't hurting somewhere, then start making him work for attention. lots of socializing too and don't let him get away with such behavior.

[Jaan]

I had the same sort of thing happen with Grizelda, though it occured at the vet, not the puppy K class. I had brought Griz in for her 2nd set of shots and wellness exam and she turned into Baby Kujo, just like your Henry. The vet tech mentioned that she might be going through her second "fear stage". What ever caused it, it never happened again (though Grizelda still has more attitude than is good for her) and she is now well behaved and friendly whenever we have a vet visit. She was about the same age as your pup at the time. Take heart---Henry will probably outgrow this.

[cocopuffs]

Puppy's are a lot like little kids they need their naps or they will be bad.

[Carol Burke]

Puppies sometimes like to try out being the boss. I would not let him get away with it. I personally would have given him a scruff and then distracted him with a command he knows.

[moondog]

I think being tired and hungry can contribute to grumpiness......add in the stress/excitement of the new environment (only the 2nd time in class) and there's another thing to factor in.

When my dog was younger, she was far too hungry if I didn't feed her before class..it was just too much to ask of her. I gave her 1/3 to 1/2 her dinner before class, just to help take the edge off her hunger, and that helped.

Give your puppy a little snack before class, and try to make sure he's not too tired. I bet that will help.

[Zumie05]

At that age I had problems with my pup getting along with other dogs. It seemed as if he really wanted to play, but when the play started he would snarl, snap, bite, huff and puff, and sneeze/spit all over the place. It wasn't a pretty sight.

Now he loves other dogs and plays well with them. I think at that young age they are just testing things out and figuring out how the whole communication thing works in the dog world and language.