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14 Week old pup Growls and Nips at Children
We recently bought a 14 week old Bichon Frise pup from a near local breeder who has 3 breeding pairs of dogs. I don't think they socialized the pups as well as they should have. The dog LOVES me, a 6' 3" male. I mean it freaks when it sees me and cry's when I leave. It seems indifferent my wife but enjoys her company in my absence. When he gets around the children for a while with with me out of the picture, (inside watching through a window where he doesn't notice me), he seems to do fine with the kids. Our daughters are 5 and 8 years old. So, they are twitchy, fast moving and very high pitched.
However, the dog will begin to growl at them especially when I am around and has nipped at them for coming too close. If he is in my lap when this happens, I push him away from me and pull the children close to me. He has also done this from his kennel, I don't know what to do then. Yesterday when I was walking the 8 year old up the stairs to go to bed, he began to bark at us. Again, I don't know what to do. Right now he doesn't seem to like them AT ALL. I begin a training class on Saturday and we will be going every week for about 3 months, so I hope they can offer some advice. He has also nipped at my wife and the kids when they try to "catch" him to pick him up for his own good, (to get him inside or to go where they want him to.) I love that he loves me, but I want him to also love and respect the children. What can I do? (Oh yeah, he is also quite timid around any loud noises and is very defensive around any other dogs that approach him. Not aggressive, just defensive, growling, snarling and biting at them if they try to come up to him. Dogs that ignore him, he wants to play with.) Brandon |
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I am going to guess that you are correct - you puppy wasn't socialized at all. The only cure for that is to socialize, socialize, socialize.
Remember that a 14 week old pup is very much like having a toddler in the house. You can't expect them to KNOW how to behave - you have to teach them how to behave. Classes are going to do you a world of good. In the meantime, you need to treat her for appropriate behavior around the children and move away and ignore her when she displays improper behavior.
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Sandi |
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What does it mean to socialize a puppy? I mean, I think I know what it means, but I want to be sure. |
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You need to take this puppy everywhere that you can to meet all the people that you can possibly introduce. Hardware stores (I used Home Depot and Lowes) are excellent - lots of friendly people and different kinds of noises. Pet stores are ok if you follow some guidelines with a young puppy - puppy rides IN a cart with a towel or blanket on the bottom of the cart.
Sit on a park bench in a busy park and ask strangers to give your puppy a treat (which you, of course, provide them) and pet her. I have always crated young puppies in my room for two reasons - it prevents fussing at night as puppy is close to me and it gives puppy a quiet place to nap, uninterrupted by noisy children.
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Sandi |
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Brandon |
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The first rule when teaching "come" is don't ever, ever, ever use the word "come" if you can not reinforce the command! The trick to getting a young puppy to come to you (or to your wife) is that you (or your wife) has to be more interesting than whatever the pup is doing. Always use a happy voice, wave a toy, get down on your knees and clap your hands - anything to be exciting. If push comes to shove - whoop and holler and run AWAY from puppy, calling puppy's name. And treat, treat, treat!!
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Sandi |
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I would not bring a dog that nip at people to any store . |
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You're not the only one with an unbalanced Bichon Working in a doggy daycare has given me quite the insight into the behaviourly disturbed lol. I was just biten by a Bichon X a couple of weeks ago, first time in all my years working with dogs that one has managed to break skin.
I agree with everyone that training classes will do you a world of good. One thing that I will suggest is that if you do have a doggy daycare near you and you decide to take your dog to it make sure you ask how the socializing with other dogs works. Some places only allow some dogs to play together, picking them based on their personalities and size. The one I am at is pretty hectic. It is size seperated but all dogs of those sizes are in the park all together. It can be quite stressful for new dogs, being introduced to a group of 50+ super excited dogs. For a pup with behavioural issues I would definitely not recommend this style of daycare.
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"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." |
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