I am absolutely desperate for help. I have a 11 week old Shar Pei bitch that we've had for a week. She has bonded to me very well and follows me everywhere, very loving, the usual puppy teething which is not proving a big problem. However, she has started to become aggressive with other people, which is really worrying me as she was bought as a famly pet and I have 3 small children. She's snapped and growled at one of my children, growled at members of the family and more recently this evening bitten my mother on the hand, not breaking the skin but causing a slight bruise. She had a chew in her mouth at the time and I'm not sure if i'm being over anxious or if I have something to worry about. I don't want to get to a point where I have a full grown dog that I can't trust! (not that i'd ever leave a dog alone with children). 99% of the time she is perfect. I am enrolling her in socialisation classes as soon as her vaccinations are complete.
Is there anyone who has had a similar problem? She's never aggressive towards me or my husband (although i'm the one at home with her all day).

In what circumstances is she doing this?
Is there any kind of pattern?

Have you had any advise from her breeder?

I've no experience of sharpeis but I wouldn't think an 11 week old pup was capable of being truly aggressive. This is the way she has played with her litter mates and you just need to explain that people have very thin skin and don't like being bitten. This is a fabulous article and explains how to tech them to play nicely with people :-)

Hi!,
Not really, at first She was snappy when she was on my knee or near me and I thought it was because she was jealous or protective. She's always in my presence but it's also happened when she's not in close proximity to me. Granted today she did have a chew when she bit my mother and I know pups will defend their food but any other time theres been no apparent cause. My family are well used to dogs. Don't get me wrong most of the time she plays perfectly, if a little roughly, but nothing out of the ordinary. |It's just when she decides to be nasty she switches instantly.

Thanks Tigger!
will give it a read. Am not going down without a fight on this one. Have always had very good dogs in the past!

Tigger,
Read the article but the problem isn't really with playing and mouthing. What she's doing is very different and definately aggressive.

What kind of environment was she born and raised in?  could it be that she is getting a lot more interaction nd attention and it is more than she can cope with?  Is she perhaps overwrought and tired?

Hi Laura,

Welcome to Champdogs :)

The two behaviours your little 'un is pushing the boundaries on are known as 'Resource gaurding' and 'Bite inhibition'.

> Tigger,
> Read the article but the problem isn't really with playing and mouthing

The article that Tigger posted for you is to assist you in teaching her 'Bite inhibition' because through the Resource gaurding (of the chew) she has demonstrated that her bite inhibition needs work on (evident to us because your mum was bitten with enough force exerted to bruise) and with small children in the house this is a 'must' to work on regardless.

With regard to her trucculence over the chew have a look at this article regarding Resource guarding and children an educational should give you some tips :)

How old are you'r children? This is a nice little interactive for children The Blue Dog.
An exacerbating feature in childrens interaction with pup can sometimes be that children will move quickly,invade space,be unpredicatable and most excitingly for puppies...make great noises! squeal shriek, excited high pitch voices etc when play gets boisterous and this reaction excites pup.

I hope the article on resource guarding helps give you some ideas as what concerns me is that if you are saying you believe the behaviour to be (quote) >definately aggressive< then she has already learnt that this behaviour is self rewarding, as she has 'upped the ante'. From what I know of Shar pei's they are very respectful and it sounds from what you say as though she is duly giving it to yourself and OH so Im quite sure she will respond very well to training and bacome mannerly to everyone else. My breed Siberian Huskies are very similar they soon learn who they can take the mick with and who they can't ;)

Hope this has all been of help to you?
We have quite a few experienced Pei owners and breeders on this site hopefully they'll clock this soon and can give you anymore breed specifics to help you along.
Good Luck and you'r doing everything right in nipping this in the bud ( a teenage dog of this breed with these behaviours would be absolutely awful to think of with littlies in the house) Keep us posted won't you!

Its definately rescource guarding or possessiveness over food toys etc, in the litter she was obviously a higher pack member and whatever she wanted she got and noone would take it away from her without a fight. You need to teach her that the object of her desire what ever it may be is yours and you choose as an when she has it and you can giveth and taketh away! She is finding her place in the pack at the moment and you AND your kids need to be above her, teaching your kids to teach her basic obedience and to help out with doggy chores should help this, and one rule for all. Giving the kids some responsibilty will only benefit them too. Start with feeding times, you give her a biscuit or W/E from your hand and dont let her have it until she takes it nicely, this is important for later on in life to not have your hand bitten of when on walkies. Also when dishing out her food make her sit and wait and sit before she gets it, teaching her that your control meal times she doesnt demand to be fed. Stand in her space when she is eating, if she starts to eat tell her to sit and take the food away, when shes done as asked praise and give it her back. You will really have to work on obedience to get this right. Do this a few times until meal is over and then do it each meal time, set up a feeding routine. Its the same with toys, affection treats etc, you take away and give back, it will help with possessiveness and will teach her her place.

Louise

>>to sit and take the food away, when shes done as asked praise and give it her back>>

And if she doesn't sit what does the OP do???

Please don't take food away or get confrontational about her space. You need to add food to her dish not take it away.

A book called Mine! by Jean Donaldson is a really good one on resurce guarding

Ok so when she adds food and the pup bites her for going near her bowl?? Food is a bribe to allow owners near the bowl but you should still be able to take things from your dog safely, bones treats etc or something they shouldnt have which needs to be taken from the dog. This is why i suggested obedience first and getting the dog to sit nicely and taking treats carefully.

Just a suggested method

Louise

May I ask why you chose this breed? I am sure as an experienced dog owner you'll know that whilst Shar Pei's can be devoted to their family they are a dominant breed with a highly developed guard instinct and are also, unlike our indiginous fighting breeds, wary.

By the sounds of it you didn't get the pup until it was 10 weeks old. Was there any exposure to children over this period? In other words, was the litter reared in a family home and did you see the dam and sire for yourself? 

I ask because the breed needs careful and committed socialisation, much more than many other types and I would hope that this youngster has been well reared with regard to her breed traits.

If all that is in order then I would go to the breeder and ask their advice. Is this behaviour typical for their lines and what would they advise? If the breeder is kosher they should be able to help.

The pup may just be dominant and bratty, needing boundaries and guidance in resource guarding and bite inhibition. This breed does need a very firm hand, but that means being a good, and consistent leader with clear boundaries, not a frightening one. If the pup has bonded with you then your disapproval should be a powerful tool. But I cannot help but wonder if with three small kiddies you have not bitten off more than you can chew.

I too hope that other Shar Pei owners can advise on the forum, but I would first go to the breeder, provided, that is, you are 100 per cent confident that the pup has been well bred and well reared.

I hope I don't sound negative and judgemental, you sound very anxious and I do view these dogs as a specialist breed that need careful handling- I just hope you are aware of that.

I do agree with you here and i think when you get a puppy the dog should be neutral and you shape his or her behaviour, this being a problem before you got the pup may indicate improper rearing or questionable temperaments of the sire or dam. Training should help but you need to be firm.

Louise

By taking food away from a pup you are teaching it to be distrustful and that it needs to guard the food as you will take it. By putting an empty bowl down and slowly adding food you teach the pup that its good for you to be around its food bowl as they get a reward and so trust is built up this can also be done with more than one bowl so that the pup doesnt get a chance to start guarding the bowl itself. With chews or anything else that may need to be removed then you start by swapping it for something else of similar or higher value and build up the trust that way.

With all my dogs, I've always added tasty tidbits to their bowls when they are eating as pups, they soon learn that humans near their food means lovely stuff!  Once they are happy with adults being near, then my son also gives them treats in their bowls - under supervision ;)   

With chew toys/bones/etc we've always swapped for something more exciting - a piece of meat/cheese etc.   and they are totally fine with us taking things from them - if we need to - including their food bowls. 

The only thing they'll learn if you try taking without swapping is that people steal their stuff - they will never be entirely happy and relaxed about it tho ;)

Hi Laura

TBH I find it quite shocking that anyone can perceive an 11 week old pup of any breed as being aggressive ..... at this age a puppy has no manners, only basic canine instincts, on which to respond, react and express itself.  Some are more vocal or physically reactive than others depending on how pushy they were with their littermates etc.  IMO nothing more nor less and I hope you can pick up on what some others have suggested (at a quick glance particularly satincollie, freelancer and Dill have all given you sound advice on how best to approach this behaviour and recommend discussing further with your breeder).

That said if this puppy is proving to be so stressful and worrying to you and your children at this very early stage it may be better that you rethink your plans on whether or not your family circumstances are appropriate for not only this rather challenging breed but indeed any dog at this point in time.

regards, Teri

"TBH I find it quite shocking that anyone can perceive an 11 week old pup of any breed as being aggressive "

Really, why?  Snapping (not puppy mouthing) and growling at people is NOT standard behaviour for well bred puppies, with sound temperaments, that have been in a suitable environment.  

My advice would definitely to get in touch with the breeder and others knowledgeable about the breed; if the behaviour you describe is not typical for the breed than I suggest you think about returning the puppy to the breeder.   Raising an dog with a tendency towards aggression in a home with small children has to considered very carefully.  

Definitely too early to give up on the pup - but temperament and owner's situation need to match well for both to be happy.

she was bought as a famly pet and I have 3 small children

I can't help but be a little worried Laura,

In agreement with other posters that this is just a pushy pup, acting on puppy instincts (which can be very aggressive to us humans) and you just need to settle her into our human world with the links and adding food to bowl techniques etc.

But, I have to back up Teri's resounding warning here, how are you going to cope with an adolescent of this breed? It is 10 times harder than a puppy, and a lot more dangerous with 3 small children, these are dogs with a dominant nature they need the right owners not just for yourself but for the sake of other dogs and people around you too, I don't wish to sound condesending, you may well know the breed well :-) and be good at training and understand all the pitfalls of adolescent behaviour in dogs, I'm really not an advocater of puppies and adolescent dogs with small children, for both concerned there are dangers and the early months mould a pup for life.

With a breed like a Shar pei, I would absolutely need to know how to cope and control a dog like this long before getting one, especially with young children.

I would ask you to think carefully about this puppy, it will be very hard work in a few months time, if you don't have the time then a dog can be ruined in the wrong home, I also hope that you looked carefully into the dogs parentage before viewing her, there are many dogs of all breeds coming through with bad temperaments due to going to the wrong breeders, I'm concerned that a reputable breeder would sell a pup to a home with 3 small children.

Sorry, if my post is upsetting, but I am thinking of you, your children and the dog.

On the upside you are taking her to classes soon, **big thumbs up** and you are reaching out for help and not just allowing it to escalate. :-)

Puppies always prefer to play with children by the way, first as they are small and squeal and they recognise that they are low down in the pecking order very quickly, they are just the equivalent to their littermates, to drag around, scratch, nip and play growl with, you need to supervise constantly. As your bitch grows she will see herself as higher ranking than your small children, you need to be extremely vigilant, never leave them alone together.

I wish you all the best, and I hope that you will not take my comments as a criticism, they are trying to help, so many people have a breed of dog unsuitable to their needs, you may well not be one, but I would feel I had failed not to point it out. :-)

> Snapping (not puppy mouthing) and growling at people is NOT standard behaviour for well bred puppies, with sound temperaments, that have been in a suitable environment

Well it's been standard behaviour for the majority of the well bred, well socialised, sound tempered pups from well bred, well socialised, sound tempered parents that I've owned, bred and known in a number of breeds :)  It's instinctive for pups to growl and use their teeth defensively - they spend from around 3-8 weeks learning fighting/defence skills with their littermates and a pen full of 8 week pups going hell for leather at each other even in play creates quite a raucous!  The more they are handled and socialised with the breeder before leaving for their new homes the more these behaviours are minimised and, for less bolshy pups in a litter, may never be demonstrated but it doesn't mean that the instinct was never there, or no longer is for that matter.

We train for acceptable toilet behaviour by routine and regime - so too tolerance of being handled it's just that it's rarely given a name and most folks who know intuitively what dogs' natural behaviours are instinctively put into place the right situations which give pups sufficient confidence to not need to snap or growl through fear or annoyance and suitable boundaries for pups who are more determined to get their own way.

Aside from your highlighted statement I agree with you - IMO the temperament of any pup should always be matched to that of the home it is destined to be raised in.  If this is a genuinely bolshy pup with a cocky attitude it would be better not to be placed in a home inexperienced in the breed (if that's the case) and certainly not one with three young children.

>> Snapping (not puppy mouthing) and growling at people is NOT standard behaviour for well bred puppies, with sound temperaments, that have been in a suitable environment
>Well it's been standard behaviour for the majority of the well bred, well socialised, sound tempered pups from well bred, well socialised, sound tempered parents that I've owned, bred and known

Just like barking is, or yelping when accidentally trodden on. It's all normal canine behaviour, albeit ones that we don't want to encourage.

To say that a puppy snapping and growling is a sign of bad breeding is like saying that a toddler who says "No!" and grabs at things is going to grow up to be a criminal!

Mouthing, barking, and generally "trying it on" is normal for any puppy figuring out where they stand in their new pack. 

After bonding with one person and feeling protected and then growling at others without apparent cause is not normal puppy behaviour.  That's basically the scenario the poster described; apart from what may be resource guarding re the bone.  It's more typically as sign of a puppy that has not been well socialized and is fearful. 

Hi Laura,

How have the past couple of days been? Hope your feeling confident, training issues are simple and easily remedied :)
I was thinkiing things may well start to get less fraught as your house empties out and quietens down after the hustle and bustle of the Christmas/New year period and visitors. (Most breeders will not home pups over this period for those exact and very good reasons.)
Keep us updated wont you.
continued Best wishes :)

I have tried not to get involved with this thread,
I have had pei for over 13 years and trust everyone of mine compleatly.
they have to be socilised from an early age, but should be totaly trust worthy with kid as in china they where used as nursery dog's when the kids where left at the side of paddy field's,
to be used as fighting dog's they where drugged of drunk. they are not (well most) naturaly aggressive, if they are they either feel threationed or ar ill.

this preconseption about fighting dogs really upsets me, it was the westeners that started this as entertainment, used mainly as family guard dogs, owned by pheasnt farmers.

In the breeding of any dog (what ever breed) temprement should be paramount, is your pup from a reputable breeder ?
Are they helping you through this? they should be.
Sounds to me as if your pup has not been tought any manners and bounderies.

You can contact me and i will help if i can.

Hello All,

I'd just like to point out that I am not an inexperienced dog owner, far from it, in fact, although I had never come across this sort af behaviour in such a young pup. I was merely looking for some helpful advice on how best to tackle it!

First of all, to the very negative people, thanks for nothing!!!! I did do my research on both the breed and the breeder, and I am more than capable of coping with an independent dog like the shar pei!

To everyone else, I really appreciated your constructive advice. Our pup has settled down nicely. I think that all the research in the world I did I was misled by the breeder in to exactly how much this dog had been socialised with children and other adults. After alot of advice from the midland shar pei club and a great deal of well supervised positive play and rewards, the pup has gotten more used to the children and has integrated very nicely with the 'pack'!

She is still very wary of strangers, although her grumbling is always just for show, but as a desired trait of the breed I am more than happy with this. Also, there have been no more 'incidents' involving food, toys or anything else.

Laura

folks can only respond to the info provided and your title for this thread plus your (IMO) exasperated/desperate sounding opening post gave a very different picture from someone experienced with dogs :)  Moreover many folks 'far from inexperienced' can easily relate to pups growling and biting - they are dogs after all, baby ones at that, these are instinctive responses which anyone 'far from inexperienced' should be able to recognise (IMO)

> First of all, to the very negative people, thanks for nothing!!!!

Getting shirty with people who were trying to help you is very rude - you asked for advice and that's what you got - a mixture of opinions all based on what details you'd reported.  Your own post was very negative and title very dramatic after all whereas the advice from all, regardless of content, was well intentioned and showed compassion towards you, your family situation and the pup itself (IMO).

> She is still very wary of strangers, although her grumbling is always just for show, but as a desired trait of the breed I am more than happy with this.

Wouldn't be my attitude - you reap what you sow after all.  I'd rather encourage the pup to be more confident around situations and circumstances in which it feels uncomfortable.  A frightened dog is one far more likely to snap or bite - I'm assuming you don't consider that "a desired trait of the breed" also of course as it isn't!

> She is still very wary of strangers, although her grumbling is always just for show, but as a desired trait of the breed I am more than happy with this. Also, there have been no more 'incidents' involving food, toys or anything else.

I have a 'guarding' breed & as such it's not common for them to be shy/wary of strangers, however, socialisation should overcome this and is why socilisation with such breeds is so important. You can have a 'guarding' breed that sees strangers as very nice things, or at least doesn't see strangers as an immediate threat (this shouldn't lead you into a false sense of security that they wouldn't guard if they felt the need though).
As a pup my boy was shy of strangers, I put a lot of effort into positive association with strangers for him (ie, strangers = treats), it worked very well and before long I had a pup that would get more exited about seeing a stranger than me!!
With age (he's now 17 months) this exitement for strangers is not so obvious, it's more of a simple tail wag (but, his breed should not be overly demonstrative as adults anyway) if somebody actually stops to talk to us, as big and scarey as he looks, even though he's a guarding breed, if he hears somebody say 'hello' he thinks it means he's in for cuddles & kisses!

Please don't accept growling at strangers as a desirable thing, it could easily end up with somebody getting bitten.

> Please don't accept growling at strangers as a desirable thing, it could easily end up with somebody getting bitten.

I would agree with this, I have 2 chow boys who are quite similar in personality to the Shar Pei and rather than being wary of strangers they just ignore them.  I wouldn't want them to have the responsibility of thinking they needed to guard the family or the home even to the extent of 'grumbling'.  After all, if the worst came to the worst and they felt a growl was not enough?   Well........ it's the dog that always pays the price isn't it?

To the OP please don't think these replys are negative, we all replied because we care :)

The Pei standard say's stand offish with stangers,I must admit most of mine are not, but 1 is, even at home (not home bred)
Laura well done on asking the midland for advise, Pei babies need a lot of socialising.
take your baby shopping with you, to markets just walk about and reward when good. Pei are a very sensertive breed, who is your breeder, they should be helping you.
you can pm me i will do all i can, sounds like cath has been very good.

>The Pei standard say's stand offish with stangers,

The Shar Pei standard says about Temperament:
"Calm, independent, very affectionate, and devoted to people."
Nothing about being aloof or stand-offish, or that being very wary of strangers is a 'desired trait of the breed'.

> I have a 'guarding' breed & as such it's not common for them to be shy/wary of strangers, however, socialisation should overcome this and is why socilisation with such breeds is so important.

Sorry, I've made a tpyo here - that should read:

I have a 'guarding' breed & as such it's not uncommon for them to be shy/wary of strangers, however, socialisation should overcome this and is why socilisation with such breeds is so important.

they are naturaly stand-offish with strangers, it was in the old standard, you must reading the revised 1.
most pei now are very good with people even over the top, wanting loves.

Like all dogs THEY DO NEED TO BE SOCIALISED, you get out what you put in, and this starts in the whelping box.
They are a great family dog, yes devoted to their owners, and good with kids.

Hi Sue

I see you've repeated your kind offer to give personal advice to the OP if she contacts you direct - it's very thoughtful of you to persevere and I hope Laura takes you up on it :)  Advice and guidance is clearly needed and none better than breed specific when there are temperament issues.

regards, Teri

Teri,
The more help the better as far as i am concerend,
Pei are a wonderful breed,may be a little bias as i own them and have done very well in the show ring, and have fantastic temprements.

>it was in the old standard, you must reading the revised 1

It was taken from the standard on the KC website, last updated April 2007 ...

supei, It's good to know that you have offered Luna your advice and help and it sounds like she's gone to the right people.

I too have a breed that is guardy and wary by nature and one has to put far more work into socialisation from a very early age than with many other breeds, particularly with kids around. Like supei I'm a big fan of these dogs but I think that there has to be careful breeding with regard to temperament and some consideration given to matching the right pup to a family- a very pushy pup may just require too much work.

Still, sounds like Luna is getting good advice and I hope she keeps us posted on progress

Sorry both to Lunamoona and Laura 6105. When I referred to Luna in the above post, I meant, ofcourse, Laura. Aplogies ladies.

It's not a link to your email though,it's a link to your commercial website selling quick fix dog training.I have reported it.

I had to go and see an aggressive cairn terrier at the age of about 11/12 weeks. I said to the owner no it will just be a play ting, however it wasnt. pure aggression.

yes that was a revised 1, it used to say stand-offish with strangers.
I agree that stand-offish dose not mean they have to be on theit guard, my girl that is like that just keep's out of the way when we have visiters she dose not know or who dose not come often, she is fine with people she know's. every one is just in your face for 5 mins till had a love then they settle down and ignor you.