Agressive Play

[JERRY WHITE]

I have a 4mos old malamute puppy that likes to play what I would call agressively. She has run of a 8000 sq foot back yard. When you go out with her she gets excited and runs and jumps on you at full speed and takes a nip. If you turn your back on her an ignore her she still jumps on you and nips. Then she will run by an nip your arm or wherever else she deceides still on a full run. I could use help thanks.

[MaxHollyNoah]

Hi there!

Your puppy must be pretty big size because of the breed and I can see why you want to stop her aggressive play. It even sounds dangerous.

I think you should start working on the issue as soon as possible before it gets out of your hand. It is nice that you have such a big lot but dogs don't just run and run without anything for them to chase or run after. Have you tried fetch or frisbee? Your dog needs to learn that YOU are not her doggie buddy or a toy to play with. In my opinion, you should not allow her to jump on you or any human beings because pretty soon she will be big enough to knock somebody down.

What I would suggest is to play with her using objects (not with your body parts). This includes not wrestling, no chasing. Instead, you can throw balls or Frisbees for her for good 20 minutes and take her for a leashed walk. It will be important for her to learn how to walk on a leash from her puppyhood, again it will be hard to control when she gets bigger.

I hope a more structured play program like this will help both you and your puppy.

Good luck