# 7 week old puppy growling and snapping.



## Shilos_mom (Jun 10, 2009)

Hello!!

New here! I posted some info in the new member section. I cant wait to get to know all of you

Shilo, My almost 8 week old puppy. We are not sure what she is. The person we got her from said Aus, Cattle Dog/lab mix. The vet said Boxer/retriver mix. So honestly we have NO iudea what she really is. I will attach a picture of you all want to take a guess.

Anyway we got her almost 2 weeks ago she was just over 6 weeks. probably way to soon to leave her mom but we just fell in love with her the moment we saw her and if we didnt take her I fear what would have happened to her b/c her fee was so cheap.

Our problem with Shilo is her growling and snapping at my children. She did this to my husband once when he woke her up to take her outside in the am, she has never done this to me.

I know shes young and we are teaching to boys not to pick her up or chase her. For the most part shes a great do but the growling and snapping HAS TO STOP! I can not allow my children to get hurt. So what I need is to be tought a way to train this behavior out of her.

Someone on another board to me to get rid of her b/c I should not have ANY pet in my home until my child i 5 years old at least. Not really the info Im looking for. i do not want to get rid of our puppy.

Any info would be great!

Not sure how to add a picture so heres the link.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3309/3587039955_e8686f74b7_o.jpg


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## jesirose (Mar 27, 2008)

The growling is great. Better to have a dog that warns instead of just biting. Be thankful for the growling and snapping. Then figure out what you guys are doing that's upseting her.

Ever heard the adage let sleeping dogs lie? 

There is lots of great info on dogs and kids, and there is a sticky called rev up cool down, and doggy zen. Read those.


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## Shilos_mom (Jun 10, 2009)

jesirose said:


> The growling is great. Better to have a dog that warns instead of just biting. Be thankful for the growling and snapping. Then figure out what you guys are doing that's upseting her.
> 
> Ever heard the adage let sleeping dogs lie?
> 
> There is lots of great info on dogs and kids, and there is a sticky called rev up cool down, and doggy zen. Read those.


I will read those thank you so much!. I know its going to take me a few to navigate this site its all new to me.

Just a note also. The boys do not bother Shilo when shes sleeping that was Dh who woke her up to take her potty before he left to go to work Shilo sleeps in her crate in a quite area away from the boys. Yesterday Dylan took his shoe away from her and she growled and snapped at him. had he not moved her would have beeb bit


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## jesirose (Mar 27, 2008)

Also normal. Try trading instead of just taking, and teach the command "drop it".


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

I put puppy and kids in a room only the puppy walked out 15 minutes later and I don't what happened to the kids (that was 30 yrs ago) We saved a lot of money on college tuition.

All kidding aside a pup that age just thinks the kids are litter-mates that walk funny. You have to work on kids 1st as they should be much smarter than puppy.


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## Jr. Dog Expert (Sep 11, 2007)

Hmm 8 weeks eh? Well I suppose that if we look at it from the bright side it is a good thing that the pup gives warnings and doesn't just bite. Getting rid of the dog is not good advice just because you have small children. If they are both taught what to do and what not to do then all should be well, and besides there are many benefits to a child's overall health and developement when they are raised with dogs

Now, you do have to teach your pup that the growling isn't acceptable, as this may simply continue. Have the boys and those she growls out do activities with her. Seeing how she is a puppy you don't want to go straight to advance obedience training but you can certainly start small such as teaching sit using lure training. Yes the kids may be young but if allowed to be part of the training program it may help not only with teaching them that the pup isn't a play thing but it also builds a strong bond. 

Have other give the pup her food (not only one person) and maybe allow them to take her out in the yard on the leash. 

Correct growling or biting by saying a firm "No". Of course make sure that she wasn't provoked; spooking the pooch such as waking her up without her knowing you are there would most certainly warrant this sort of response. So when waking her up to go the bathroom instead call her name nice and clear and use your Come command.Hope that helps!


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## danoxlifex (Jun 10, 2009)

I didn't catch how old your children are... could they possibly take the pooch for a walk and maybe help teach simple commands? I'm guessing you do most of the puppy care and training and have thus established dominance but the other family members have yet to do the same. The food idea is really good too.


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## Shilos_mom (Jun 10, 2009)

The boys are 3 years old. We went camping this weekend and Saturday was HORRIBLE with her she was growling and snapping at EVERYONE including me. I told DH that I didnt think I was going to be able to do this anymore. I could NEVER forgive myself if she bit one of the boys. I just dont know what to do. Sunday was better and no growling. DH and I have been messing with ehr the way the boys do and if there is no growling me tell her shes a VERY good girl and give her a treat. Had sh growling she would have got a FIRM NO!!!! But that didnt happen. She turns her head as is shes going to bite but not a peep out of her. Shes going to be a BIG dog and IM worried that if we dont correct her aggression problems now shes going to hrt someone in the future. I also have a 5 month old and I worry about him when he starts crawling and Shilo is out. I dont believe that its fair to keep her locked away. 

IM all for taking her to a trainer. How long does it take to break this behavior? Can she go weeks with no growling and then start again? IM sure it can happen. What about when shes older? once an aggressive dog always an aggressive dog? I have NEVER had to deal with this before.
Would a trainer be able to tell me this is fixable? Im sure it is but in the back of my mind Im always going to worry.

How do I get over this?


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## HORSEandHOUND (May 28, 2009)

I think getting a qualified trainer into the mix is a fantastic idea. While it sounds like you have a dominant pup, that doesnt mean she'll grow to be a danger to your family if the behavior is handled correctly every time. Small children and dogs can coexist perfectly fine. 

Always supervise time with your children and the pup and never ever allow your baby to crawl in the presence of your puppy ever. no matter how wonderful, sweet natured and docile your pup could be, a puppy can't be trusted with a human baby that is the appropriate size to appear like a puppy themselves. that's how trips to the emergency room happen. 

Teaching your pup boundaries as far as what rooms in the house are ok to roam may help you in the long run. Maybe the kitchen becomes the doggy room, or the den, etc. instead of the whole house.


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## rosemaryninja (Sep 28, 2007)

Don't wake your pup up by picking it up, touching it or with any sudden loud noises. This sends her into automatic defense mode. Instead, walk towards her clapping your hands softly, or saying her name. In the unlikely case that doesn't work, just sitting near her will probably wake her up with the sound and scent.

As far as you can tell, what triggers off these growling episodes? The key is not to punish her for growling... the key is to recognise what bothers her and then slowly desensitize her to that. This takes a lot of familiarity with canine body language and signals, so I also recommend a professional trainer.

There's rarely such a thing as "once aggressive, always aggressive"... I would say that holds for a very small percentage of dogs who are genetically aggressive. I don't think this is the case for your dog. Can she go weeks without growling and then start again? That depends on how well you manage her triggers. If, for example, she's threatened by people picking her up, and you work with her until she is getting better and better with being picked up... and suddenly you have a guest over who rushes over, grabs puppy and squeezes her, scaring the bejeezus out of her... then yes you will have to start over with the training. 

*With work, the problem will disappear.* You have a very young and impressionable baby animal on your hands... she has a lot to learn about the world. This is fixable.


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## Dogstar (May 11, 2007)

THis pup actually doesn't sound dominant to me. She sounds SCARED. Not only are her 'littermates' interacting with her in a way she doesn't like, but the people that SHOULD be acting predictable (adults) are now being weird too- and she's getting corrected for being upset about it. 

Pro trainer RIGHT NOW - or surrender this pup to a rescue group (not a shelter) before this habit is set in stone.


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## poofywoof (Nov 17, 2006)

I think a trainer is a good idea. In the meantime, take special care to see that this puppy is treated like the baby she is. Insist that the kids let her have plenty of rest and quiet time and a place she can call her own when ther kids are too overwhelming for her> Be sure that their interactions with her are calm and reassuring to her, not wild and scary. She is very young and probably wasn't socialized well in her prev. home. I think you would do well to adopt the NILF (see sticky on this site) for this puppy immediately. Read some info on leadership with puppies or dogs and put the practice into effect with your whole family. Try to create a positive, predictable easy to understand environment for your puppy. She needs to feel calm, safe and secure, not overwhelmed, tired, hungry, scared or confused. She is still a baby and she is in a whole new world. This is not to say that you should allow or tolerate the aggressive and biting behaviors, just trying to give her (possible) perspective on things.


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## Wolfiee (Jun 15, 2009)

Part of your problem is the fact that she wasn't able to socialize with her siblings during those crucial weeks (6-8). She was taken too soon from her litter. 

The best thing you can start doing is positive reinforcement. Puppies will play rough by using their teeth and vocals, but by simply ignoring the bad behavior and rewarding the good may help. If she attempts to bite or bark at you when playing, simply remove her from where you are (couch, arms, lap, etc) and place her on the ground below or beside you. Ignore her until she calms down and STAYS calm for at least 5 or more seconds. Once those seconds are up, reward her with a small treat, a toy, or good old fashion praise. 

Sometimes having a designated "time out" spot for your puppy (NOT the crate), like a baby gated area or another room, is another good way to remove her from bad situations. When she starts her snapping and growling, simply say "NO!" and immediately put her into that spot until she becomes quiet.

She's snapping at your children because of she probably sees them as her litter mates. During the socialization period, siblings will interact with one another by playing and fighting. Once play gets too rough and one yelps, the one who did the biting will come to understand that it bit too hard and that it hurt its sibling. Because your puppy was removed before this period could really even start, she has no idea that snapping is painful. 

Seeing as how your children are so young, I would suggest keeping a VERY close eye on their interaction with your puppy to be sure they aren't just antagonizing the bad behavior. One of the worst things you can do with dogs is encourage chasing or nipping, it creates bad habits. I don't want to say to keep your children away from her, but keep play time limited and make sure your children let her sleep and eat in peace.

Edit: Also, make sure she has some toys to chose from. All you need is 3-4 toys out at a time, then rotate them with a different set of 3-4 toys every week so she doesn't get bored of them. When she starts to snap or play rough with your boys, direct her attention to a toy instead (but don't confuse this with praising!)


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

You've gotten some good advice and information so far. I just want to say a few clarifying things:

Do NOT correct the growl. Many puppies growl, when playing with each other etc. AND even if it is NOT a play growl..the growl is part of the warning sequence and is an important communication from a dog. The sequence is usually growl, air snap and then bite. If you remove the growl from the sequence you can create a dog that goes straight for a bite. Respect the growl, figure out WHY the dog is growling and then work on removing the dog's apprehension about whatever it is growling about through desensitization and training.

Definitely check out the post "the bite stops here" that was posted earlier.

Your puppy is just that, a puppy, with developmental stages that she missed by being taken early from her littermates. It is now important for you to make up for that. Never allow the children to be around the pup unsupervised and remember to protect both the pup and the kids as they are all vulnerable.

Puppies bite, chew, jump, bark, growl, pee, poo, sleep a LOT, zoom around like maniacs a LOT and need guidance and patience to teach them how to live well in our human environment. They don't come prepackaged and pretrained so the first year is a LOT of work.


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