Starting to think we may have to give up our dog

[Heavenly]

We have had our pug, Titus, for 7 weeks and he is currently 15 weeks old.  I have written multiple times about his biting issues.  I have tried all of the tips everyone has given me plus all the tips in Ian Dunbar's book and I also tried Cesar Milan's methods and some other puppy articles.  I also do know that all puppies bite but this is beyond normal.  I have been around a lot of puppies and this is not normal.  He bites constantly and it is starting to look a lot more like aggression than just puppy nipping.  If my children try and walk across the room he's in (gated in the living room) he is biting at their legs, their feet, trying to jump up to bite their hands.  And it is not playful, at least it sure doesn't sound like it.  He is growling and shaking his head back and forth.  Yesterday he jumped and almost bit my 4 year old in the face when she tried to sit on the floor to play with him.  If I hadn't been sitting RIGHT next to her I shudder to think what could have happened.  He has also twice lunged at my face and tried to bite me.  There is no interacting with this dog whatsoever that doesn't involve him trying to bite.  We have never hit him, we take him for walks every day, he has tons of different types of chew toys, nothing works.  I am starting to think the breeder I dealt with was not a really good breeder because this dog seems to be bred as aggressive.  I don't know what to do.  My kids are scared to walk in their own house and I am worried one of them will get really hurt.  Yesterday he bit the back of my calf as I was walking and it really hurt!  I know the kids would be sad to get rid of him but it is the idea of a puppy they love, not the actually puppy, because like I said, he hurts them.  If we rehome him I am going to insist he go to a home with no small children.  Any advice or input is appreciated.  Except please don't repeat all the tips from Dunbar, Millan, holding his muzzle shut, yelping and walk away, etc because I have literally tried it all.

[Mirzam]

I really don't have any advice, but I couldn't not post. I am so sorry you are having to contemplate rehoming Titus. Have you contacted the breeder and told her what is going on? Would you be open to consulting an animal behaviorist before resorting to giving him up?

[greenmulberry]

As someone who works in breed rescue, if you want to rehome him, I would do it sooner than later.

I also concur about contacting the breeder.

He is still nice and young and someone up for a challenge could turn him into a nice dog, perhaps. Or there may be something wrong with him.

I did have to euthanize a dog I got as a puppy once because as he got older, he was having serious aggression emerge and was of such a strong and powerful breed that he was not safe to be around. There are some dogs like that. It was a very difficult thing to come to terms with.

Please do not just let him hang out until he gets to be a year or so, trying to manage as best you can, and THEN rehome him, it will be much harder for his new owner. We get a lot of dogs in our rescue in that had problems for a long time as puppies, and I always wish they would have contacted us waaaaaaayyyyyy sooner than they do. Pugs are popular, and I think that you could rehome him. Please be honest about his issues.

It is very hard to diagnose a behavior problem over the internet, but it sounds like he isn't working out for you guys. I do not think there is any shame in admitting a dog isn't working out, especially when he is still a puppy and you could get him into the hands of someone more experienced with the breed. If the breeder is no help and will not take him back, maybe we can help you find a breed rescue that will help.

[cycle]

He is still a puppy and puppies bite, its not aggressive. he's not vicious, he's just being a normal, rambunctious, and sometimes obnoxious puppy. Biting and mouthing are normal behaviors for puppies. Dogs don't have hands so they investigate objects and their environment with their mouths. To a curious puppy, everything about this big world is brand new and exciting.  Puppies also really love play fighting and if they were still with their littermates they would be doing that with them, he is most likely acting out with the kids, wanting to play that way.  Again, perfectly normal part of puppyhood.  Does he get enough exercise?  Have you started any kind of training with him?  How are you teaching him that biting is not acceptable?   Any puppy you get is going to have a "biting issue" so getting rid of this dog and getting anything is not going to solve your problem,  its a phase they go through.  If you don't want the puppy call the breeder, they will usually take their dogs back.  If she won't then contact breed rescue, but please, in your process of rehoming the dog, don't label him as vicious or a biter, as that would not be accurate. 

[Arduinna]

You know, I went back and reread your numerous threads since you got this puppy, and I think you probably should rehome him. You've repeatedly posted that you are at the end of your rope with him. You are having problems being able to take him outside due to your health and the puppy biting is a huge problem for you. It sounds like this isn't a good time for a puppy. A mature adult dog, that is already potty trained, and from a breed with a laid back in attitude that gets along well with kids is probably a better choice. 

I've been there myself before. When I had cancer I really wanted a lap dog to snuggle but I knew I just wasn't in a place where I could care for a puppy. We ended up getting a mature adult dog at was 6 years old and it was perfect.

[2xy]

Originally Posted by Heavenly 

I am starting to think the breeder I dealt with was not a really good breeder because this dog seems to be bred as aggressive.  I don't know what to do. 

I think if you're very unhappy with the dog, you should try to rehome him while he's still young, as was already suggested. I'd call the breeder first to see if they'd take him back. I have experience with puppies because my mom is a dog nut and did some breeding when I was a kid, but I don't know what pug puppies act like. Maybe this pug is abnormal. I doubt it was bred as aggressive. Pugs aren't fighting dogs.

[Heavenly]

We are not getting rid of him.  We do love him, we are just overwhelmed.  I think I have a little post-puppy-depression.  We have gotten some tips from a trainer and I talked to the breeder who gave me some other ideas.  We are going to keep working with him and get more strict about his bad behaviours.  Just the last two days he has started going out to potty by himself which makes things so much easier.  I was sick and couldn't go out so I just kept putting him out by himself and now he just rings the bell and goes and plays/does his business/whatever and scratches on the door when he wants back in.  He is pretty much housetrained, just a few occasional accidents if we don't get there in time.  So basically the biting is what we need to be 100% on the ball about and just be correcting him over and over again until he gets it.  I'm sure there will be other moments of stress but he's a part of our family now and we're going to stick with him. 

[Mirzam]

Originally Posted by Heavenly 

We are not getting rid of him.  We do love him, we are just overwhelmed.  I think I have a little post-puppy-depression.  We have gotten some tips from a trainer and I talked to the breeder who gave me some other ideas.  We are going to keep working with him and get more strict about his bad behaviours.  Just the last two days he has started going out to potty by himself which makes things so much easier.  I was sick and couldn't go out so I just kept putting him out by himself and now he just rings the bell and goes and plays/does his business/whatever and scratches on the door when he wants back in.  He is pretty much housetrained, just a few occasional accidents if we don't get there in time.  So basically the biting is what we need to be 100% on the ball about and just be correcting him over and over again until he gets it.  I'm sure there will be other moments of stress but he's a part of our family now and we're going to stick with him. 

This is great to read. I wrote a post about my post-puppy-depression, so I understand how you are feeling. Thankfully once my puppy was house trained and had stabilized on the raw diet it went away, so I am sure when things improve (and they will) you will get over it. I too send Oscar out to pee by himself, and he lets me know when he wants to come back in. I couldn't bear the thought of having to stand out side with him in the freezing cold! I am very strict with Oscar on the biting as he does bite on our clothes, especially the children's and I have zero tolerance for it, they generally leave the room or he is removed from them. I love the advice about treating his behavior as if he was a 200 lb dog (I believe this was on another of your Titus' threads), especially as I will likely have a 200 lb dog in the not to distant future, so I give Oscar no leeway whatsoever on disrespectful behavior. Please keep us updated on Titus' progress.