I brought Theodore home three days ago and he was relatively calm. He cries when he gets crated, which of course is to be expected. However, he is starting to growl when I pick up his toys, and he excessively chews and pulls on the leash until he's so entangled in it that i'm afraid he'll end up choking! I've been reading different suggestions and I am not sure how to proceed. I want to stop the nipping, and I "yelp" and he stops, but he continues later on. I tried laying him on his stomach because I read on here that he's trying to show dominance, but he just seemed to get even more aggressive and proceeded to disobey even harder. When he's chewing on his leash and harness I try to distract him with another toy and praise him if he goes for it, but it'll only be a few seconds before he starts on his leash again. I also read to give him a "time out" if he is nipping and won't listen, but that is a sort of punishment, and I don't want him to hate his crate since I'm trying to crate/potty train. Any input would be greatly appreciated, I don't want to keep sending mixed signals to my puppy, it's not his fault he doesn't understand, but I myself am confused and its really hard for me to be consistent if I'm reading conflicting advice.
Thank you all for your time
