[Athna]

This is my first pet dog
I dont really have any experience on training a dog but ive seen a lot of videoes and read a lot of stuff online so i have a pretty good idea, at least i thought so....
Training a husky puppy is not easy at all and i dont know what to do
My puppy would lung on me when i pet him
And growls and i dont know if he is biting me(aggressive) or nipping me(playing with me)
His bites are not so hard its like a pinch but i can defenitly feel the bite it hurts just a little
So i wanna ask if he is biting me aggressivley but it doesnt hurt because he is still young and cant bite that hard or is he playing with me
Also i never put him on a leash when i train him or when were playing
Is that ok?
Also sometimes when he lunges or growls at me i give him tiemouts
Actually a lot of timeouts (like 5 times a day)
And he would keep barking for about 30mins
And i wont let him out until he gets quite
So please help ive been sleepless for the past week and i have no progression at all im hopless and dont know what to do
Especially with the growling and biting
Ps: he growls and tries to bite me mostly when i want to get his attention on me so i pet him and call him so he turns around, growls, tries to bite, and then run away

 

[LMH1012]

Hi. Welcome to the forum.

The growling and biting is perfectly normal puppy behaviour. That's how they learn about the world around them and how they'd play with their littermate and mum. There's a reason puppies are known as little land crocodiles.

There are a few ways of teaching pup that teeth on skin is not acceptable. Some find that emitting a high-pitched yelp or Ouch works, others find that that just excited their puppy more. Another method is to remove yourself from the room completely, so pup learns that teeth on skin equals end of fun. If you use this method, keep it short - 5-10sec tops, so that he learns to make the association between the biting and the end of fun. You'll need to be consistent and do it every time he bites until he learns. There's also a phenomenon known as the extinction burst, whereby a behaviour (in this case, biting) gets worse. This is a sign that the chosen method is beginning to work, and therefore is to be welcomed.

Also, it's not unusual for puppies to be worse at night - known as puppy witching hour. It's a sign that he's perhaps overtired. Encourage him to settle down by giving him a long lasting chew or a stuffed Kong.

Don't leave him to cry. He's just left mum and siblings and everything he's ever known. Crying is his way of communicating that he has a need that isn't being met - ie, he's lonely and afraid. At this stage, it's important to see to his emotional needs just as much as his physical ones. If possible, have his crate or bed with you in your bedroom. This will help him to feel secure because he knows you're there, but also helps with house training, because you can hear him shuffle about and get him outside before he has any accidents.

Finally, it's perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed. There's a phrase that goes "If puppies weren't so cute, no one would have them."