Behavior Changes....HELP!!! - Page 1

Hi All,

I'm new to this and have a question that I hope someone can advise me on.I have a puppy that is now
6 months old and is exhibiting odd behaviors. She had alot of drive at 2 to 3 months of age and now she seems to have lost her "zeal" for a biterag/puppy tug,etc. Also showing some avoidance behavior in new situations that never bothered
her before now. What gives??  Has anyone else here experienced this,and if so,how did you proceed(training wise)and is/was it "fixable"?

Thanks in advance,
Anthony

Maybe she has a loose tooth?
Also, maybe she is going through a phase or some kind.

Usually experience and/or genetics. She could be going through a phase. If she is not showing any kind of fear-induced aggression, you might want to try to build her confidence. If you play with her, sometimes she needs to "win". 
How do you respond to her fear reactions? What happens right before? Give some examples of what happens.

Also, have you had any changes to her home environment?

What kind of people/dogs has she recently been exposed to? (friends, family, others)

What kind of socialization /training are you doing?

She could be coming into her first heat.

Don't know what your doing with the dog in the way of play or training, makes it hard to say what else might be going on..
Be more specific about your activities.

Moons.

Thanks for the input so far .
Kinolog....when I play with her with the rag/toy, I always let her win when she grips full.She loves to carry her "prize" around.
Also,I try to remain neutral when she shows insecurity around situations that trigger a fear(not sure if that is really the right term for it)response,i.e; hackles raised,tail up,growl/bark,etc...she does recover quickly.It's just that the same new situations that were fine before,are now met with apprehension. I'm at a loss....

She has not been exposed up close and personal to very many dogs. I was advised to steer clear of dog parks,and the local strays are off limits.LOL. I have a neighbor with a very friendly Lab cross who she interacts with and this dog does not "bully" or dominate her at all. In fact,if anything,it's the opposite! But playfully.

No change in home/living situation.

I would like to do Schutzhund with her if at all possible. As stated earlier, she has(had) tons of prey drive when I got her just a few short months ago and I have done nothing to discourage her biting and jumping up to this point.

Matthews 3662...no loose teeth. It looks as though all(or almost all) of her adult teeth are in.

Two Moons.....nope, not coming in to heat yet near as I can tell.

Thanks again to everyone who responded! Please keep the suggestions coming. I don't want to screw this pup up!

Anthony

Give her to me............she's a working dog and that's what they do.........they are complete monsters! She is showing the drive that we all want............if you don't know how, or cannot give her the training and direction she needs. You may give up and she may end up in the pound.....

get into a Schutzhund club and start learning..........like yesterday is already too late.

Seriously, if she has too much drive for what you wanted, its a great time to contact breeders and see if they might like to switch with a puppy that is more suited for what you need and want.

I had immediate behavioral changes - bizarre behavioral changes - when I fed my pup DHEA fortified puppy food once.  It was called "Smart Puppy" and the pup started tucking it's tail between it's legs and running under furniture instantaneously - with no provocation at all.  It was almost epileptic-like in suddenness.  I stopped the food, and it stopped immediately.  I think the poor thing couldn't handle the extra DHEA. 

Sitasmom....NO,NO,NO! She's mine and you cant have her! LOL....She is really a very nice pup,and I hope that I can get her past this. Under NO circumstances will she end up in a pound! I am hoping that it is just a "phase" so to speak, but I'm pulling my hair out trying to figure out what to do!
PLEASE,PLEASE keep the suggestions coming. I need all the help I can get!

Luv....interesting . Her food/diet has not changed....although I am considering changing her over to a raw diet.