Just being a puppy or potentially a bigger problem?

[Katagaria]

Ever since we got Cosmo at 8 weeks (he's now 14 weeks) we thought him to be your average high energy puppy who's always on the go. Now since we got a second sheltie a few days ago (his brother) we have noticed how different their personalities are.

Cosmo doesn't really like being touched, if you do touch him he tends to try and latch on your hand and chew on your fingers, which more often than not can be quite painful. On the flip side, he has improved a little since we got his brother, but he seems more solitary now.

He generally ignores the family, if you call him by his name, whistle or make any other noise to get his attention he won't look at you and more often than not will leave the room. He's quite interested in new people though.

He used to play with my boyfriend, but since we got another sheltie he doesn't play with him any more, he just stands there, barely makes eye contact and usually ends up walking away. He only seems to play with his brother now, and it's quite rough, he's started to try and dominate him as well.

I worry that his behaviour will stick with him up until adulthood and he'll become a nippy/unfriendly dog, or am I simply looking too much into it right now?

 

[Lysette85]

I got a puppy last year (10 weeks old) and then another puppy 2 months after that. They did play a lot together, but I still made time with them individually for training. Neither turned antisocial though. I would suggest gating off other rooms (since a puppy shouldn't be off alone anyways) so that they get used to be around you. Use high value treats when interacting, use the pups name and if it gets their attention, reward.

As for the nipping, this is a very common occurrence once teething begins (and 14 weeks is about right). When mine would nip, I would use my "ah-ah" cue that was always used for correcting bad behaviors. You can also shake a can of pennies any time you get nipped and the pup will begin to associate buying your hand with a loud off-putting sound. If your puppy really doesn't like to be touched, I would again use treats and reward every time he sits still to be pet (or at least doesn't nip). You will also want to begin handling toes, and begin short grooming sessions as it will make things much easier down the road.

Dominance is unavoidable. With a "pack" every dog is supposed to have a place and pups begin sparring very young for their place. I still have to mediate play sessions between my 2 (even have to have 1 "stay" while I throw the tennis ball BC my dominant boy will not let my other one have it). Do you have pictures of your boys?