when Fido does something very bad (like barking constantly, eating something he's not suppose to eat, do is buisness outside, lounge at the cats etc.) I say ''NO'', I make him lay down on his side, all flat on the floor, until he relaxes,then I tell him to go to his crate and he does that ( He goes himself into it , I never make him go in it, that would make the crate a bad place, I thought him first what ''crate'' was).

I recommend finding a trainer. It won't take them long to sort out the issues and get right to the resolve.

Scruffing! I like that term. You should patent it and write a book as you coined it.

The Yorkies and other dogs I have had around the house living, visiting or as fosters react less to loud sounds/words and clapping when training or disciplining than to silent, gentle hands-on teaching/guidance/redirection as mine tend to get excited and amped by clapping, loud talking, even when directed negatively toward them. But we clap a lot and talk negatively(you hear a lot of "No!!!!???!!??!!''s a lot lately in the state of Texas) when watching sports on TV so they are conditioned to amp up around that type of thing here. They race around like mad barking and jumping as we are cheering/moaning/high-fiving/clapping or commiserating with one another during games.

Therefore, when I train or have to use the very occasional discipline(which you hardly EVER have to use when you regularly use positive-reinforcement training on a regular basis and regularly exercise and play with your dog, followed by serious snuggling episodes), quiet, gentle hands and mimicking mom and other dogs' ways of training/discipline as best I can seems to quickly and permanently get their attention as to the thing not to do again.

So what works for one family and their dogs may be just the wrong thing in a different context or different situation. That's why there are so many ways suggested for training of dogs. One has to tailor the training/rarely used discipline techniques to the family and the dog that lives with it and vice versa. So study lots of ways to train and find out what works best for your lifestyle, your family and your dogs and fashion/change/mix techniques if need be.

Agree. trainer doesn't teach the dog. They teach us how to teach the dog:D
Obedience schools has always been the best for my dogs. JME

Better find a good one, well over 30 preferably, with a lot of experience you can verify and with a long history with lots of dogs of all ages and breeds. Boy, there are some flakes out there amidst the good ones! Be sure your homeowners' covers them or they have their own insurance you verify will cover your dogs.

First, any alpha leader crap... forget about it. Your puppy is just that... a PUPPY!! He does NOT think he is your "leader". He is testing his limits and learning what is right and what is wrong, much like an infant child. By using dominance, you are going to get an even more aggressive pup. I have seen dogs who these techniques were used on who only got worse, and had to be fixed by a different method.

Secondly, I highly doubt your 4 mo. old puppy was truly being aggressive. It's possible, but unlikely. I've never really met a young puppy who was honestly being aggressive. Hard to say without seeing what happened... but I doubt it. Jackson "growls" and grumbles a lot during play and training. He is the farthest thing from aggressive. Pups make a lot of noise! I play tug w/ Jackson and he will growl the whole time while pulling.

Also, what's so wrong with being your dogs buddy? I've accomplished a lot with being my dogs friend, his teacher, his protector, more so like a "parent" I would say. Now don't get me wrong, if Jackson is about to eat something he's not supposed to, or is barking too much, I give a "Eh-eh!" or a "no!" but in your case, I think it's just a matter of being a puppy and needing a teacher.

First thing I would do is a teach a solid sit, stay, down, and "leave it".

Some good videos:

What not to do and why:

Puppy Aggression
Question: My Puppy is 4 months old. He growls and lunges at me when I take away things. What can I do ?
Answer: This is not a big problem. Your puppy probably still has his milk teeth and weighs under 5 pounds. You need to see how silly his actions are. Think --- something like, Listen here furbutt, I am the Mommy , so forget that growl and naughty nipping. I won't put up with your bratty behavior. Do --- Clap your hands, or stomp your foot, or GRRR back to get his attention. Pick a cue word --- that means no and use it every time, example you might cue with, ENOUGH ! or STOP IT ! or NO WAY ! use a firm assertive voice (do not scream or use a high pitched tone, dogs hear high pitch human sounds and think you are afraid or submissive.) Your puppy should never think you are afraid of him. Don't --- just grab the item and pull, that can turn into a fun game of tug for him. You pull and his instinct is to bite tighter.

Interesting thread with some varying opinions. I learned a lot from this though. Thanks all!

Find a good training school. The first thing they will teach you is "no" isn't a command. They will never learn what No means. It doesn't mean anything to the dog. Like sit,stay,heel ,come, stop ect.. But it's the most used command??? Just confused the dog. Dogs want a leader pretty simple. Puppies know alpha and pack thats what they lean the first 12weeks from the dogs.

Tibbe knows the meaning of "no" in some context. If I say it, he stops what he is doing. That's good enough for me.

Cont..
Continue with basic puppy training, Sit, Down, Stay, Enough (means stop barking)and Leave it. Teach the cue 'Leave It'. And play the Trade Game often : Cue Leave it, and temp with a treat or toy. Praise and pet when he trades.
I do not recommend time outs for puppies under six months old. I do recommend time outs for older dogs that fight with each other.
I hope some of our advice works for you.

Britster has some great videos she's chosen there for you!

Teresa's methods are superb always.

Are you sure he didn't just think you were playing when you took it away and tried to get it back from you ? That sounds more like what a young puppy would do . Best not over react. Puppy's think every time is playtime lol

I had a little 4 1/2 mo. Dobie that was NOT playing when he was coming for me!

thank you everybody for your input...I am currently looking for a good puppy class to enroll him in...i feel like he was just testing me...he is very stubborn and smart..this is my first puppy and im trying to be a very good mommy..he so reminds me of a two year old toddler..bratty one minute, sweet the next...i do daily training sessions...he is great with sit but not other commands...oh yeah he does know what "treat' means...i get the best advice on this site...its better than most vets!!