Agressive Hyperactive Pug Puppy

[GizmoNL]

I've got a male pug, Gizmo, he's 11 weeks old and he's a big ball of energy.

I know he thinks he's playing but I'd like to get somethings under control now before I can't control it. I'll list the things out:
1. Biting/pulling at pant legs and feet.
2. Biting/nipping hands and fingers (happens most when I sit on the floor to play with him)
3. Lunging at my face (happens when I'm sitting on the floor to play with him).

I've tried being firm and saying no, I've smacked my hand with a newspaper (loud noise is supposed to scare him or so I'm told), I've growled at him, 'yelped' in pain, ignored him (doesn't work for long at he goes and chews on something he shouldn't so I have to pay attention again), heck, I've even tried nipping him back (lightly). I can't seem to get through to him to break these habits.

I know he's a puppy and has lots of energy so I try and play with him a lot (he's got a lot of chew toys and stuffies) plus I take him for short walks to burn off some of that energy. Even after all that he'll still have more energy and start getting bitey.

Help!

[CountryPug]

I know how you feel, my Bella was a terror. They do outgrow some of that, but it may take awhile. Try yelping when he nips so he will learn that it hurts and if that doesn't work, leave the room for a few minutes so he will get the idea that you don't like that behavior. Most of all, try to be patient. It takes time and they do not learn over night.

[rachels128]

I feel your pain. That sounds like my Butters sometimes! He especially likes to attack my feet and pants when I am walking. Jumping at the face has also happened but not as much lately. He is about 7 months old now, and the wild behavior is starting to subside..a bit. He can be very hyper at times and it is like he is just looking for trouble. Other times he is a complete angel! I guess that is just being a puppy. We just got him fixed a few weeks ago, and we are also enrolling him in Puppy Kindergarten class soon so hopefully that will help.

[kp818]

I've learned from my experience and reading on here that pug puppies can just be little terrors! Luna did all of what you described. The first week I had her, I was constantly hiding my toes! It was awful. She was the nippiest puppy (and still is sometimes) I've ever owned. And I grew up with labs.

I found the yelping/walking away (I actually would leave the room) to be the most helpful, paired with some squirts from the water bottle. Mostly, she just stopped doing it. I also took time when she was really young to put peanut butter on my fingers and say "give kisses".

She's grown out of most of this (she is almost 6 months old). She lunges at faces to lick. She she sometimes snap at your fingers if she is super excited, but she doesn't bite down. If she is excited, she does seem to make an effort not to get our fingers even close to her mouth (that's me and my boyfriend).

However, we are still having problems with family/friends/strangers. She goes for training and she "mouths" people the whole time. New people are just too exciting for her to control her puppy teeth. She never really bites down, but she does keep her mouth open over the fingers. They always comment on her puppy teeth.

[esfurniss]

I'm still dealing with the play biting with my 4 month old. Like the pants tugging I stop what I'm doing, break eye contact and cross my arms. One thing pugs hate is to be ignored. I haven't stopped the unwanted behavior completely but he stops tugging on my pants when he sees its not getting a reaction out of me.

[KismetPuggies]

I would be careful about snapping your hand on the newspaper.. you may teach him to be afraid of loud noises.. I had a pug rescue who came to me terrified of loud noises.. I walked past hubby one time and he popped me on the tush with a book, and poor Bugsy Malone dove under my desk and would not come out.

I definitely would use yelping.. my daughter bites back, (and she bites hard enough to make them yip so they know that biting hurts.. then she kisses all over them and loves on them so they aren't afraid of her, or of her mouth coming near them.. I personally don't use this method, but it works perfectly for her)... and also, my vet showed me a technique that worked WONDERS with Abigail.. if she bit my finger, my finger would push into her mouth, clear to the back where there are no teeth yet, and it stays there as she tries to get it out of her mouth.. I don't push hard, and I don't harm the puppy at all.. I just make it uncomfortable for her and then pull my finger away when she gets agitated about it... it took less than two weeks for her to no longer nip at us.

I totally agree with leaving the room and also staying there and ignoring the puppy.. stand up and turn your back on him... pugs really really want to make us happy, so just keep your patience as best you can, and remember, the puppy isn't trying to irritate you, he is just very exuberant in his love.

All of these tricks are simply suggestions for you that have worked for me.. (I just re-read them and thought it sounded a bit snooty.. don't want anyone thinking I'm telling them what to do with their dogs)

Good luck!!

Kayte and Crew

[jj-1962]

Oh dear - I have the same problem with Elsa, I have noticed she's got better but not stopped (she's now 14wks tomorrow!) I was hoping for better reading news than I got here only to hear it can continue to go on for possibly several more months - it is going to be tiresome at times! I have also found that sometimes no matter how much I tell her off she gets even more excited?

She tends to go more for my husband and sons feet rather than mine or my daughters? Strange, but worse for me as they are the least tolerant!

The lunging at the faces has gotten better since I have stopped letting her on the sofa when she's not sleepy. I try the ignoring/yelping method which works some of the time but not all.

Giving her another toy to play with instead of me has helped also... its making sure one is at hand!

She is still perfect to me though :D

[Frankie2009]

It been a long time since I have seen the puppy days....the yelping works as well as the waterbottle. Remember he is exploring the world as well. I found with my dogs a firm no...and a hand signal worked for my old Dog dusty even at a young age, but for Frankie, it is had to be in combitaion with the verbal and hand signal...try all of the advise you get from this site one of them is bound to work.....go luck lets us now of the progress.

[GizmoNL]

Thanks for all the tips, I will certainly try them and see what works.

I've tried to ignore him but I think that makes it worse because then he starts to get into things he shouldn't like chewing on cupboards or pulling his puppy pad into his crate.

[Snifter]

I have found that ignoring by actually leaving them alone for a minute or two is what works best. If you remain in the room they continue to try to get your attention with ever more naughty antics. At least mine did. I found that a loud yelp after any nipping followed immediately either by putting the puppy out of the room or by leaving and shutting the puppy in the room (depending on which location was safest for pup to be in) was fairly effective.