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Old February 22nd, 2012, 10:28 AM
Longblades Longblades is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 2,528
I agree with a trainer to help you understand your puppy. Make sure you find someone who really knows what they are doing as any Tom, Dick or Harry can call themself a dog behaviourist or trainer and get you to pay for nothing.

Some ideas. First, and most important DO NOT allow your child and dog to play unsupervised. Morning snuggles without you there should not be happening. Children can hurt dogs, dogs can hurt children.

REsearch NILIF.

No getting up on any furniture like sofas or beds. I bet you have learned this one already. Poor wee tyke with her poor wee leg. Later you can allow some of this but in the formative stages of learning who is who in the household I don't allow it.

Do not allow the dog to lick anyone's face. It's rude, unsanitary, and she is far too young. She will learn bite inhibition much more quickly and easily if she learns no part of her mouth should ever touch any part of a human body. Later on you can allow kisse but with a potential bite problem brewing I would not allow any mouth contact at this point.

Why are you lifting her so much? Many, if not most, dogs do not like to be lifted. Try a tether instead. A short leash that stays on her, take her by the leash when you want her to move. You can try the tether for daytime movement as well so she learns she has to go where you go when you want.

I think she is about 4 months old now? She might be teething and out of sorts. Some wash cloths thoroughly wetted, wrung out and frozen might help sooth her gums if this is the case. They can get grumpy at this stage if their gums hurt, just like human babies.

She looks like such a cutie-pie. I hope you stick with us, nothing sounds too far gone yet except perhaps a lack of experience on all parts.
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