My family (husband, myself and 2 sons ages 7 & 14) took in a puppy roaming our neighborhood on Valentine's Day. We took it to the vet and she guesstimates it to be 12 weeks old. We put signs up half a mile in each direction hoping to reunite it with its humans. But, in the off chance that no one steps forward to claim him we are toying with idea of keeping him.
Long winded way to get to the point. There have been 2 occasions that it was eating something it should not and became very aggressive when I went to take the item away. It also has a biting problem, nipping at the legs of our older dog and at us when playing, not in a puppy mouthing way but real bites. This morning he got to a muffin wrapper and when I reached for it he snapped at me. I grabbed the scruff of his neck to stabilize him while I got the potential danger and he repeatedly bite my hand, deep menacing bites. I was not hurting him. In trying to judge his temperament it is difficult to know what is his natural behavior and what is learned behavior from fending for himself while roaming.
I want him to have every opportunity but cannot allow an aggressive dog to remain in my house. We will do all we can, if we can. If he is an aggressive dog and cannot be trained by us, then while he is young I want him to go to the right people that can rehabilitate him.
I'm just really not sure what to do if no one claims him. Hopefully someone was kind enough to read this all the way through and can offer some advice. It will be greatly appreciated I assure you.
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
You don't know what this little puppy has been through in his little life being dumped on the streets. It sounds like someone just dumped him hoping that someone would pick him up. You don't know how long he has been out on the streets. He may have had a very difficult time in finding food on his own and maybe even abused by his former owner. Once he is adjusted to his new home and starts to feel secure. Once he realizes that he will always be fed on schedule and not have to fight for food, he should mellow out as soon as he feels comfortable and actually loved and secure. He is very young and can overcome this with a lot of patience love and training. It could take a few weeks but, he needs to feel in his heart that he has a home and wont be thrown out on the street again and he should be fine. He's just had a hard life already and is very insecure and doesn't know love yet. Give him some time to adjust. If you really can't get through to him in a month or so, call a no kill shelter. They will work with him and get him ready to be adopted in the future. You saved his life and soon he will be relaxed and very grateful to have a home to call his own.
As he is a puppy and he grew up wild as it were his temperament will still be a bit aggressive. As he has grown up and had had to fend for himself, he would think you taking his muffin from him after he had stole it would be another dog taking his food. As he was stray I would just say be patient, give him some time. If she snaps, bites or growls in a meaningful way stabilise him by his scruff and give him a smack on the nose, this won't hurt him but the noise and the feeling on his nose will make him stop.
Neuter his ***. Thatll teach him.