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Our sweet 11-month-old Boston Terrier puppy is jumping up and nipping (really biting) my husband’s legs, always from the back.

He also sometimes growls at my husband like he forgets who he is.

He doesn’t do these things to me. And he gets along fine with my husband as long as I’m not around. We’ve tried ignoring, firmly speaking no, distracting with a toy, but it’s not really improving. If any, it’s getting worse.

We have an older Boston who never did any of these things. Our puppy is definitely a hyper-alert dog, who seems to get jumpy and overwhelmed by sounds and stimuli (in puppy training, he can become reactive).

He definitely prefers me, but he generally likes my husband and will hang out and snuggle with him, too.

Help!

Bay LQ
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2 Answers2

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This is a big red flag!

Since it's absolutely impossible to diagnose the actual cause via some text over the internet, I strongly suggest you seek the help of a professional dog behaviorist. I assume you already asked for help in the puppy training and didn't get an answer, or the advice didn't work. A dog behaviorist should visit you at home and analyze the behavior when and where it happens. There are subtle clues in your own and your dog's body language that are crucial to understanding the situation that you may not be aware of. Usually the behaviorist will teach you how to understand your dog's body language and how to change your own behavior to have a better relationship with your dog.

I started writing a long answer with things you could try on your own, but the longer I think about it, the less comfortable I am with giving you advice, because you could make it even worse if you don't truely understand the cause of this aggression.

Some possible causes that came to my mind:

  • Your dog thinks he needs to protect you from your husband.
  • Your dog thinks he can/should herd your husband (herding dogs typically bite the back of the legs).
  • Something in your husbands behavior (like a tremor or a distinctive walk) triggers your dogs hunting instinct.
  • Your dog has had a traumatizing experience with your husband or another man and has something like PTSD, which gets triggered by your husband.

These possible causes range from "your dog is naughty" to "your dog needs a therapist" and trying to apply the wrong solution can absolutely make the situation much worse. So the only advice that I can give you is to employ a professional.

Elmy
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If the dog is male, then it might be a typical case of jealousy (pretty much in the sexual sense, even if the "deed: is out of the question). This hypothesis becomes stronger if the undesirable behavior happens when your husband is closer to you, and / or when he is friendlier / more affectionate to you.

I assume that the dog is calm if you and your husband are both somewhere close (e.g., in the same room), but not interacting in any way - e.g., you watch the TV and the reads the newspaper.

I assume that the situation would be reversed if the dog would be a girl - she would attack you instead of him.

IF this is the case, then you need to make sure that you include the dog in the relationship, rather than teaching him to stay out.

Additionally, please also follow the advice of @Elmy, and consult a dog behaviorist.

virolino
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