I feel like I'm failing
Excuse the title, I wasnt really sure what to put. First time even ever posting on reddit, but I really dont know what to do. I have a not even 4 month old lab puppy(Likely another breed or two mixed in), that I feel like I'm failing...
I've grown up with dogs before, but this is the first puppy me and my husband have had ourselves, together. I'm trying to do what I think is right for training, what I thought was right... But just yesterday, he started growling when we fed him and growling when I pet him for a treat/toy(Pupsickle ball). My roommate/friend ended up getting hurt, which I think was a accident, the pups teeth scrapped his hand. But my friend was forcing the toy away, which I yelled at him for, since I'm sure that did not help... Still, I rather my pup not get so aggressive either way..
I'm just unsure how to handle this... My husband keeps telling me we just need to do things differently, to feed him in his kennel with no one else around and teach him its okay for us to be there. But... Did we cause this? Did we mess up and cause him to feel he needs to be aggressive about his food?
Not just that, I'm unsure if I'm doing anything right... I keep talking to other people, and they tell me how their pups didnt do this or that, but he does.. Hes very bull headed, and gets distracted easily. I mean, he listens, he knows the tricks, its just getting him to focus... Then his nipping, it hurts, and I'm unsure if I'm handling it right. I've tried the holding mouth shut, the holding his lips over his teeth, the giving him a chew toy instead, but I cant tell if any of it is working...
A bit of rambling, I am sorry, this is just getting to me. I dont want to fail him, I want to do right... But I dont know if I am is all. If anyone has any advice or places I can get advice, please, do tell...