# Has your poodle ever growled at you or bitten you?



## glorybeecosta (Nov 11, 2014)

My Shotsie a black toy would only growl and snap if she was asleep and you pushed her to move over, she hated that. Then when she realized it was me, so would slide up close to make up. After a few times of that I just called her name first and woke her up and then I could slip her. I think it scared her


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

No, not me, but Merlin has bitten 2 people so far. Now that I know his temperament better, it won't happen again when I am around.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Hell no, 7 dogs, never.
Well ok, Taylee at 13 weeks gave it a shot a couple of days after she came home. I made clear that she made a big mistake, she never did it again. She was my heart dog....


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

When very young Lily growled at me over an edible nylabone. She got over the notion that was something that would be tolerated efficiently.


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

I did have one dog given to me for training that had learned to threaten and bite to get his way. Every time he growled I put him in solitary for a few min. I, at that time always had a bag of dry treats about me. When I let him out he would come to me and sit waiting for a treat. after that back to work. Next growl back to solitary. Took a week but after that he got the message. No other dog has tried to bite me but a few have threatened to do so.

Grace was a pogo stick poodle shark but that was only play even if it did leave me bleeding.

Eric


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

Mia has always trusted me completely, so no growling or biting. But that's not to say that I don't have a hard time getting her to drop a high-value item, like a dead squirrel - luckily she knows that if she wants to get back in the house she needs to drop it!


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## Summer (May 2, 2016)

I had a male toy who growled when I picked him up to put him in the bed. Sometimes he growled at other times too, but he never snapped or bit. I still have his sister and she'll growl when being put in the bed too. She will snap, but she's never bitten. She has horrible arthritis so she's anticipating pain I'm sure. When either of them growled we just put them in the floor and tried again until they could be put in the bed without growling. They are/were both fantastic dogs.


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

I got a lab mix from the human society who bonded solely with my husband but I was home more and took care of her. Once she growled at me when I took something from her. I had never been bitten by a dog of mine and put my hand down for her to sniff and she bit it savagely. I was in shock. She repeated the bite several times later. Only my husband could handle her without fear of being bitten. I actually consulted an animal communicator about her. I was told she had been raised by 2 elderly women who abused her, which I could believe because she was a very hyper dog who was hard to raise. Also the dog growled at other women beside myself. She was much more comfortable with men, but we usually muzzled her at the vet or when doing her nails.

All her life I had to be careful with that dog. My husband had to give her any medicine that needed to be put down her throat. She actually mellowed with age and lived till almosr 14 years.


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

Honey, my service dog, growled at me exactly once in her whole life. She was 11 months old and on my bed. She decided it was her bed. I, ahem, let her know she was beyond out of line. Honey asked permission to get on the bed for the rest of her life after that. 

Noelle hasn't shown any desire to growl at me. I say something and she says, "Sure, sounds like fun." Francis doesn't growl, either. Although they're still puppies and haven't had that teenage willful surge, yet.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

Buck growled at me in his first major ground battle with an opossum when I tried to grab his collar. He was in a blood lust frenzy and I got in the middle. When I finally was able to grab his collar, I could feel his heart pounding so, that I decided it was a better idea to try to calm him down. Previous dogs have growled at me when they were in pain and I touched or lifted them not knowing.


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## FireStorm (Nov 9, 2013)

Hans has not...he's really a pretty cooperative, easygoing guy. 

My previous dog was a rescue that I got when he was 6-8 months old or so. He'd been previously "trained" using really harsh corrections with a choke chain by someone who wanted a tough dog. He eventually decided that the best defense was a good offense, and tried biting when a command was given. Thus, my intro to positive, less forceful training methods. He actually turned into a great dog, and may have saved my life on one occasion, although I was always careful about what situations I put him in.


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## Coldbrew (Jun 17, 2015)

Piper has never growled at me (or any human) that I know of. She is the most tolerant dog I've ever met. 

Jasper had - reportedly, though I believe it - at the groomer on several occasions. He will occasionally "grumble" at me when I am clipping his nails or shaving near his feet, which sounds very much like a growl but isn't quite to that level. It's more a "I do not like this" noise rather than a "stop doing that please" noise, but I always stop and then treat/praise after a few seconds. The grumbling has gone done in frequency since I've started that. He has never bitten me (other than puppy nips) and I don't think he ever would.


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## oshagcj914 (Jun 12, 2016)

Not a hint of it from either Dane ever, and I don't think they ever will. I did have an Aussie growing up who would growl if you got close to his food bowl while eating and I'm sure he would have bitten if anyone was dumb enough to get closer. I would not tolerate that from a dog now.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Nah, Molly only grumbles when I do her front right paw which I cut once...... and she has never forgotten, so I think it is her way of saying "Please be careful!" Never has even raised a lip let alone bit!!!! She is a very gentle little thing, unless of course you are a gopher!


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## seminolewind (Mar 11, 2016)

Mine is 5 months old and does snarling growling and biting as in play. Is that a problem? It's not been over taking something.


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## BorderKelpie (Dec 3, 2011)

I have been growled at by several, but usually I was doing something unpleasant or whatever. I respect the growl. (I do have many fosters in and out of here, though).

Funny timing on this thread, my DD says Bug bit her last night. She has issues with the dogs, but I don't. I have noticed a HUGE difference in the way we manage them, though. I tend to be more business like - a simple Nope and replacement behaviour. She does the whole 'We've talked about this! What are you doing? and on, and on. They don't seem to respond to that well. She says he and Sully were grumbling over who got the couch and she got in the middle. 

I don't do that. At the first hint of misconduct, both are 'invited' off the bed. They've sorted it out, they now sleep on either side of me, not side by side. lol


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I have been growled at by all of my dogs at some point, either because I was doing something potentially uncomfortable to them or wanted to remove a precious object, and usually when they were adolescents and still finding out about how the world works. I respect the communication, and work on making them more comfortable about whatever it is. In an emergency I will insist, and then provide praise and treats. Usually they don't have to resort to growling as I have already picked up on the more subtle signals, although Poppy has a sort of grumble which means "I don't really want to move but I will if I must". I don't exactly encourage growling, but nor do I discourage it - it is a communication most humans understand and therefore a useful one for dogs to have in their repertoire, I think.

I was once bitten - my first Papillon was attacked by a greyhound as a puppy. When I swept her up she was in such a state of blind panic that she bit my thumb to the bone. I understood completely!


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## Myleen (Apr 30, 2016)

Interesting read - I find myself looking for *If* dog DID...reason....what was done to correct/answer/do for behavior. 

What I should DO in the event of certain behaviors.

:search: What does _replacement behaviour_ mean?


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Growling in play is totally normal stuff, but a growl under circumstances where the dog doesn't like what is happening is a warning for which you should take stock of what is happening. If you ignore warning growls a bite is likely to follow.

A replacement behavior is asking a dog to do something incompatible with the current undesired behavior. For example if a puppy is mouthing you give them a toy to play with (hopefully interactively like tugging). If a dog is jumping up on a person they can tell the dog to sit or down stay.


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## BorderKelpie (Dec 3, 2011)

Thank you for explaining that. I should have clarified, but it's a full moon at work and, well, I was lucky to answer at all. 
See, I AM addicted to this forum. lol

Sent from my LGL34C using Tapatalk


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

BorderKelpie said:


> Thank you for explaining that. I should have clarified, but it's a full moon at work and, well, I was lucky to answer at all.
> See, I AM addicted to this forum. lol
> 
> Sent from my LGL34C using Tapatalk



Ahh the full moon, inspiration for assorted fruits and nuts of all kinds! I hope it wasn't too bad. You are an angel for doing the work you do. I have one sort of annoying student in my current class. I find myself getting more easily aggrevated by her with each day at this point. Thankfully there are only three days left with this crew (which has generally been really nice).


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## BorderKelpie (Dec 3, 2011)

Oh my doG! Its been a freaking nightmare. I don't remember being this completely wiped out. One more night until I have two days off. Its been a long 7 night in a row shift. 
I'm not the only one, the looks of desperate exhaustion on my coworkers faces are killing me, too. 

Sent from my LGL34C using Tapatalk


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I hope the next two nights go quickly BK.


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## BorderKelpie (Dec 3, 2011)

lily cd re said:


> I hope the next two nights go quickly BK.


They've been fast and furious, for sure. 
I so need to write a book, people are so bizarre. Lol. 

Sent from my LGL34C using Tapatalk


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

seminolewind said:


> Mine is 5 months old and does snarling growling and biting as in play. Is that a problem? It's not been over taking something.



Nope, that is not a problem at all. If they ever accidentally get your hand hard enough to hurt while playing, make a big deal out of how much they hurt you so that they learn to play without hurt. If she were are bigger dog you might think that Timi was seriously trying to hurt me if you watch us play, but really not hurting me in the least!


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

I've never had any of my own dogs growl at or bite me. When Maurice was very young...not even a year old, he gave a little growl to my ex when he tried to play tug with a rope toy. Maurice thought he was trying to take it and resource guarded it. So I worked with Maurice for a few sessions to show him that it was actually a_ game_. (Hello?") lol. No one's trying to take your toy away. Duh. I paired high value treats and showed him how he gets to keep the toy even...that it is a game. Later he learned to "give" and "take"...all rewarding things to do. Soon he caught onto it and now plays tug like the best of 'em. And has never showed anything like that since, even when I've taken a bone away from him that I decided was too hard after all. I traded him for something else good just to remind him that nothing bad will happen if something's taken away from him. So I've never seen a hint of that since. Other than that, no...no dog I've owned has ever had any reason to growl at me or anyone. (except my Dobe growled at someone who he thought was going to come in the house when I was in the shower and unable to deal with it...and one person who _was_ in my house who had no business in my house (according to my Dobe) when I wasn't there (long story)...he backed that person into a corner, but in neither case did he bite or fly off the handle...just a very low volume, throaty growl, I was told later.)

I've been called to help many dogs with aggression issues though, dogs that didn't go for strangers coming in their house, dogs that had pretty severe resource guarding issues and some other random triggers that set some dogs off. But I was careful to read them and not push them past their threshold while modifying their behavior and showing their owners how not to give the dog a reason to bite, not to push them, how to change their view point about their particular problem area, and how to manage them. So I never wound up getting bitten, luckily.

Oh gosh! I almost forgot...I got bitten very badly when I tried to save a dog that was hung up on a fence...I'd say about 20 years ago. I thought I could push her over the other side (She was caught on the top of the aproximately 5' fence by the groin, hanging head first over the other side toward her yard) but she was able to turn (strong abs) and ravage me. My face, neck, throat, forearms, wrists...puncture wounds all over and a big gash taken out of my chin where I had stitches and still have a scar. The outside of the car I was driving looked like an ax murder had taken place. I found some relatively clean newspapers in the car that I held on the profusely bleeding places and drove (the stick shift) with one hand the rest of the way to my neighbor's house for help. Luckily it wasn't far from home. Then she took me to the hospital. Anyhow, I knew better than to try to help an injured or frightened dog but I did it anyhow. Turns out...after the animal control guy visited them that the dog was aggressive to him too when he came on their property. And some of you might be surprised that it was not a Pit bull. LOL! It was some kind of terrier mix I think...I have no idea what else, maybe a Lab...anyhow, a medium sized, tan, female dog.

Play growling is completely different and I encourage it. It's a great outlet for energy and it's all in fun._ However_...if a dog gets extremely wound up, over the top crazy wild, they can go from play to prey in a heart beat. And things can go south. I've seen this happen. So, there's a happy medium or a cap on this kind of game.


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## FireStorm (Nov 9, 2013)

Hans growls quite enthusiastically during play, especially tug. He sure sounds impressive, but it's all in fun. It's certainly not a sign of underlying aggression ar attempts to dominate anybody.

On the subject of growling (and really any other warning that a dog offers before a bite) I've never been one to correct a dog for growling. I think every dog has a threshold (or at least most normal dogs), and pushed beyond that they'll bite. I think if a dog gets corrected enough for growling they'll suppress the warning signals and then bite without warning. I'd much rather know I'm approaching that point so I can avoid it and then go back and fix the underlying issue if necessary. And as fjm said, most humans understand growls much better than other warnings.

I'm also a fan of acclimating all dogs to a muzzle...it can be necessary and helpful in an emergency. I keep one in my first aid kit.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

No. 7 poodles and not one has ever growled, bitten, or threatened to bite me (except mouthing in play).


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## lisasgirl (May 27, 2010)

I actually just recently heard Archie's real growl for the first time. It wasn't directed at any humans, though; it was for Cleo. Archie has recently decided he's tired of Cleo messing with him while he's trying to sleep, and she gets growls and snarls for that. I allow it, because Cleo is incredibly pushy and needs someone to tell her to cut it out (and I'm pretty sure Archie can't hurt her even if he were to try). He also play growls when he plays tug, but that's fine.

Cleo is not even a little bit poodle, but she growls all the time. For her it's a method of communication somewhat similar to Archie's whine. She's got frustration growls, wanting something growls, pay attention to me growls, and a variety of grumbles. Her "no seriously, back off" growl only gets directed at humans when they're unfamiliar and either invading her space or doing something she deems suspicious, and she stops once she knows I've noticed the problem. Archie also gets them anytime he comes near something she's chewing on or eating. She's never tried to bite a human, but I've seen her snap at dogs who bother her (sort of a warning snap - she bites the air near their faces). She's very very mouthy both during play and in other circumstances, but she's never bitten down enough to draw blood or anything.


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## seminolewind (Mar 11, 2016)

That sounds terrible, Beguiled. You must have scared that lady to death with all the blood all over you.


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

BorderKelpie said:


> Thank you for explaining that. I should have clarified, but it's a full moon at work and, well, I was lucky to answer at all.
> See, I AM addicted to this forum. lol
> 
> Sent from my LGL34C using Tapatalk


Oh No Not the full moon on the longest day!!
Anyone who has served in emergency services would know.
Eric


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

Poodlebeguiled said:


> I've never had any of my own dogs growl at or bite me. When Maurice was very young...not even a year old, he gave a little growl to my ex when he tried to play tug with a rope toy. Maurice thought he was trying to take it and resource guarded it. So I worked with Maurice for a few sessions to show him that it was actually a_ game_. (Hello?") lol. No one's trying to take your toy away. Duh. I paired high value treats and showed him how he gets to keep the toy even...that it is a game. Later he learned to "give" and "take"...all rewarding things to do. Soon he caught onto it and now plays tug like the best of 'em. And has never showed anything like that since, even when I've taken a bone away from him that I decided was too hard after all. I traded him for something else good just to remind him that nothing bad will happen if something's taken away from him. So I've never seen a hint of that since. Other than that, no...no dog I've owned has ever had any reason to growl at me or anyone. (except my Dobe growled at someone who he thought was going to come in the house when I was in the shower and unable to deal with it...and one person who _was_ in my house who had no business in my house (according to my Dobe) when I wasn't there (long story)...he backed that person into a corner, but in neither case did he bite or fly off the handle...just a very low volume, throaty growl, I was told later.)
> 
> I've been called to help many dogs with aggression issues though, dogs that didn't go for strangers coming in their house, dogs that had pretty severe resource guarding issues and some other random triggers that set some dogs off. But I was careful to read them and not push them past their threshold while modifying their behavior and showing their owners how not to give the dog a reason to bite, not to push them, how to change their view point about their particular problem area, and how to manage them. So I never wound up getting bitten, luckily.
> 
> ...


On that occasion your concern and bravery exceeded your good sense.
A dog in pain and fright will bite!!!


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

BorderKelpie said:


> They've been fast and furious, for sure.
> I so need to write a book, people are so bizarre. Lol.
> 
> Sent from my LGL34C using Tapatalk


I can commend this book from a nurse I know:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B013FM8VY6/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

Eric


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

wrrroooof!


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

ericwd9 said:


> On that occasion your concern and bravery exceeded your good sense.
> A dog in pain and fright will bite!!!


Well, it turned out the dog was indiscriminately aggressive anyhow, as the animal control officer related to me. 

My good sense has gone out the window where saving animals is concerned many times. One time, on a dark, rainy, blustery night, I was driving with my friend in the passenger seat and my GSD in the back of a station wagon type car. (A Peugot, in fact) And we were driving on a curvy road and darting across, we barely saw a dog running. It almost got hit by another car. I had to stop and save this dog. So, I called the dog over, where I had pulled over and hoisted him onto my friend's lap where he proceeded to bleed on her. He had a small wound from something else. And here's my GSD in the back of the car. (smart, huh?) We get home and I put the dog in the back yard and my dog inside or in the front yard...can't remember now. This was back in the mid 80's. 

So, long story story short, I put a found ad in the paper, my normally somewhat dog aggressive dog and this dog, (incidentally, turned out to be a Pit Bull) were eating out of the same bowl, playing together in the yard, the Pit Bull would lie down in my house nicely and was very sweet. Finally the owner's came to get him and said he's normally dog aggressive. He had escaped their yard. They brought me a bottle of wine for my trouble. I didn't know much about Pit Bulls back then. My GSD had gotten better about D/A since getting neutered. But still...what a chance I took.

Another time, I was driving around the lake near by and I saw an injured duck. After much difficulty, I managed to catch it and bring it to my car to drive to the vet, which was only around the little lake a small distance. I was driving a VW bug and then wondered...how am I going to shift gears and hold this duck? I asked some random young man to please come with me, hold the duck so I could shift the gears till we got to the vet. A perfectly unknown man to me. lol. Wow. I would never ever in a million years take a stranger in my car with me.:alberteinstein: No way Jose`. But I had to save this duck. That was also way back in the 80's. 

I climbed 40 feet up into a tree to save a cat, scratched myself up coming back down. I was in my late 30's or early 40's I think. 

I got out of my car late at night to herd a bunch of cows back into a pasture. They were "stampeding" up the road. I got them into a pasture...don't know who's. lol. 

There are more stories, but I'll spare you. This is already long enough. :ahhhhh:

Seminole...yes, my friend, who lived in my neighborhood, but closer to the entrance of it, took one look at me and looked horrified. She acted quickly. Yeah, those puncture wounds were very painful...the worst of all but little blood, of course...and the bigger gashes, where flesh was actually removed, bled like crazy. As I stood facing the car, to open a door to look for something to hold over my chin, blood was spurting out from somewhere, probably an artery. lol. I don't know...there was just a lot of blood inside and outside of the car and on my clothes. I was lucky the puncture wounds didn't get infected. But I need reconstructive surgery on my chin area.


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## seminolewind (Mar 11, 2016)

Wow. That's alot of trauma. Maybe you should leave the animals alone!


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Yes Seminole. I've always been a little neurotic when it comes to animals. Lately, as I've gotten older, I've managed to resist some of those kinds of situations. But when I see a dead animal on the side of the road, it really ruins my whole day. I think about what a happy life he was having, probably on his way to a stream for a drink or a mom on her way to her babies. And it just purely saddens me. 

But I've taken topic far afield. I've talked about other dogs, other animals even, but the original topic was about your _Poodles_ biting you. And no...Mattie and Maury are very tolerant of anything I do. If they don't love some particular grooming chore or some other thing, I try to make it seem like a really great thing to do. It's called brain washing. lol. Then too, they have really good temperaments to begin with so they're super tolerant and sweet natured.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Yes Seminole. I've done some dumb things when it comes to saving animals. Lately, as I've gotten older, I've managed to resist some of those kinds of situations. But when I see a dead animal on the side of the road, it really ruins my whole day. I think about what a happy life he was having, probably on his way to a stream for a drink or a mom on her way to her babies. And it just purely saddens me. 

But I've taken topic far afield. I've talked about other dogs, other animals even, but the original topic was about your _Poodles_ biting you. And no...Mattie and Maury are very tolerant of anything I do. If they don't love some particular grooming chore or some other thing, I try to make it seem like a really great thing to do. It's called brain washing. lol. Then too, they have really good temperaments to begin with so they're super tolerant and sweet natured.


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## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

Last night I heard a very businessy growl behind me, and turned around to find Oliver had oh so quietly helped himself to the round steak from the grocery bag while I was at the sink running water (don't tell me they can't figure out these things LOL). He had opened the plastic and taken it out, and there it was on the floor in his mouth, and he was telling kitty it was ALL HIS. I think he growled again as I came around the corner, but when I told him drop it a couple times and reached for it, he let me take it.

We've practiced so he knows if I get to have whatever he has that he shouldn't, he gets a treat. In this case, I washed off my special once in a while grassfed beef and Oliver got a nice bite as quickly as I could cut off a piece, so he was rewarded for giving it up. Then I cut off more pieces for both pets (as I always do anyway), and they loved it. The rest is marinating for tonight or tomorrow. Of course I didn't discard it - steak washes off fine !

When he first came home here (at four years of age) he could be a bit nippy or want to be but he's over that as far as I can tell. He will once in a great while use a growl to communicate and I respect it and try to go ahead with whatever I'm doing if it's necessary, just in a way that tries to be less stressful for him.


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## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

My three Standards have never bitten or growled at me. The female when she was a senior, well into her teens, did not suffer fools kindly. I had to warn people to tell her what they wanted her to do; under no circumstances were they to grab at her. I think Wilson was almost two before he growled at anything. It was a deep and guttural sound that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

The meaningful growl of a standard is not taken lightly is it? The other night Javelin was on the bed and Peeves was acting like he wanted up so BF made room for him. They ended up almost nose to nose and both of them growled at each other. Needless to say Peeves' growl is good GSD growling, but Javvy let out a growl that just about matched it. They warned each other, but us too. Both of them got pitched onto the floor in a hurry and put onto down stays. Lily came up on the bed instead.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

lily cd re said:


> The meaningful growl of a standard is not taken lightly is it? The other night Javelin was on the bed and Peeves was acting like he wanted up so BF made room for him. They ended up almost nose to nose and both of them growled at each other. Needless to say Peeves' growl is good GSD growling, but Javvy let out a growl that just about matched it. They warned each other, but us too. Both of them got pitched onto the floor in a hurry and put onto down stays. Lily came up on the bed instead.



Perfect response!


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

lily cd re said:


> The meaningful growl of a standard is not taken lightly is it? The other night Javelin was on the bed and Peeves was acting like he wanted up so BF made room for him. They ended up almost nose to nose and both of them growled at each other. Needless to say Peeves' growl is good GSD growling, but Javvy let out a growl that just about matched it. They warned each other, but us too. Both of them got pitched onto the floor in a hurry and put onto down stays. Lily came up on the bed instead.


Pecking order?


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

*Snarling Spoodle*

I must say first that Grace is a real sook and everybodie's everydog's friend. But due to our traveling a lot in the "bush" I taught her how to protect herself and deliver an attack in safety from behind when told to do so. I used training techniques learned from the police force. She can be suspicious and is a good watch dog (she watches everything LOL) She has NEVER exhibited aggression when not needed. Some people are surprised when a trained guard dog can also be a family pet. The difference is control Grace in in control, her self control and my control. An attacking Pitt bull has no control at all.

See:

http://www.poodleforum.com/5-poodle...dle-could-protect-you-harm-6.html#post2119570

About snarling poodles.

Eric


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## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

Eric, I wish that thread had not been exclusively for Standard Poodles, as my oversize Toy once delivered a response which informed me quite well he is a cool dude and friendly to almost all, but perceptive and up for the challenge if needed.


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

Streetcar said:


> Eric, I wish that thread had not been exclusively for Standard Poodles, as my oversize Toy once delivered a response which informed me quite well he is a cool dude and friendly to almost all, but perceptive and up for the challenge if needed.


Sometimes the smallest dogs can be the most protective. A great dane in a Chi's body.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

My silky terrier had zero fear and would have protected me with all he had. Zooey would do the same. The big dogs, no.


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## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

I do just want to clarify that instance came as a complete surprise and shock to me, and I would never intentionally put my little guy in harm's way or expect him to go out front to protect us.

Oliver isn't nervy as in scared or nervous in new surroundings or with new people. In 9,999 instances out of 10,000, he's happy and the official greeter (I guess bad for CGC if we want that!). But this one time in our neighborhood when I didn't hear or see any problem behind us...he perceived what he believed to be an out of the normal situation, and frankly, it was exactly that. Just something I'd not imagined before, so had not prepared for. All ended well.


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## FireStorm (Nov 9, 2013)

ericwd9 said:


> I must say first that Grace is a real sook and everybodie's everydog's friend. But due to our traveling a lot in the "bush" I taught her how to protect herself and deliver an attack in safety from behind when told to do so. I used training techniques learned from the police force. She can be suspicious and is a good watch dog (she watches everything LOL) She has NEVER exhibited aggression when not needed. Some people are surprised when a trained guard dog can also be a family pet. The difference is control Grace in in control, her self control and my control. An attacking Pitt bull has no control at all.
> 
> See:
> 
> ...


Hans is a friend to pretty much everybody...he goes to work with me and has met all kinds of people. He takes everything in stride, even when someone he didn't know tackled him into a hug out of the blue (she really loved him I guess). I think his greatest assets as a protector are his bark and his judgement. For whatever reason, his bark on cue involves a lot of teeth - he clacks them and bites the air in between barks like some Malinois I've known. It is intimidating for sure, even if it's just his version of "speak." 

Also, since I've literally observed him meet thousands of new people, I have a really good read on him. Most people get wagging tail, offers of his tennis ball, and him leaning on them for pets and cuddles. Some people get calming signals from him - he's not unfriendly but he doesn't try to engage them.

There have been two occasions where he met an approaching person with a closed mouth, hard stare, tail up and body stiff. I'm sure he'd have growled or barked if they'd gotten closer, but I got us out of there on both occasions without letting the person get too close because it creeped me out. He's normally not like that so I thought it best to trust him.


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

We would all be amazed if we knew what our dogs knew about the people they meet. Not all are greeted with a wagging tail and confidence. I have found my dog's intuition better than my own.
Eric


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Maizie just growled for the first time--at Fiona for coming too close to her food. Fi backed right off!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Growls are important messages after all, right Fiona? Good for you for understanding Maizie.


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## poofs (Jan 6, 2016)

The pup I've had for a little over 2 weeks now, she kept moving a salmon skin she was chewing off the towel I laid down for her (stinky stuff! and the scales flake off, OMG!)

Well, she growled at me the first time I grabbed the skin and put it back on the towel. When she did that I cupped my hand over the treat, denying her access for a couple of minutes, and I said to her "this is mine and I let you have it".

She hasn't growled at me after doing that a few times and I take chews from her occasionally to make sure it sticks.

She doesn't always keep them on the towel, however.


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

poofs said:


> The pup I've had for a little over 2 weeks now, she kept moving a salmon skin she was chewing off the towel I laid down for her (stinky stuff! and the scales flake off, OMG!)
> 
> Well, she growled at me the first time I grabbed the skin and put it back on the towel. When she did that I cupped my hand over the treat, denying her access for a couple of minutes, and I said to her "this is mine and I let you have it".
> 
> ...


Way to go! We say "on your rug" and in the first year we gave treats when she did. Now 3+ and stays on the "rug" when eating or chewing.
Eric


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

A neighbour was visiting and watched in open mouthed astonishment as I asked Sophy to "Keep it on the rug, please!" and Sophy moved her chew from the edge of the rug back to the middle before settling back down with it. She had not seen the months of work that went into training, of course, and thought Sophy just understood everything I said. There again, knowing Sophy perhaps she is right!


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

It has been shown that a standard poodle can learn between 300 and 1000 words. I know some humans who know less LOL. Seriously dogs are one of the few animals that have a speech center in their brain even though they can not speak. It is thought it has developed as a result of selective breeding and domesticity so that they can better understand their humans.
Eric


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## Myleen (Apr 30, 2016)

ericwd9 said:


> I did have one dog given to me for training that had learned to threaten and bite to get his way. Every time he growled I put him in solitary for a few min. I, at that time always had a bag of dry treats about me. When I let him out he would come to me and sit waiting for a treat. after that back to work. Next growl back to solitary. Took a week but after that he got the message. No other dog has tried to bite me but a few have threatened to do so.
> 
> Grace was a pogo stick poodle shark but that was only play even if it did leave me bleeding.
> 
> Eric


Thank you! ... will know what to do if Toby growls again. I will put him in solitary for 3 min


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

Myleen said:


> Thank you! ... will know what to do if Toby growls again. I will put him in solitary for 3 min


Even 30 sec is enough most times.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

ericwd9 said:


> Even 30 sec is enough most times.



Yes, for a puppy 30 seconds will seem like an eternity and will get the point across.


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## poofs (Jan 6, 2016)

Also, when we first brought Audrey home, she was hurting my hands and arms when she was playing with her puppy teeth. I read somewhere that it is good to let them bite and mouth as long as you corrected them- so they can learn how delicate humans are.

So, when she hurt me I'd yelp and stop playing. It took her a good 10 days to learn, and those 10 days were miserable- I really hated it.

In hindsight, 10 days is probably pretty fast, but it felt like forever, and I thought she'd never learn. One morning it was like a switch flipped. She reached over with her mouth, in slow motion, barely put her teeth on me, watching for my reaction the whole time. It was hilarious and such a relief- so emotional!


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

None of mine, even the ones we had when I was a kid, have ever growled or bitten me. Beau did the snarly lip thing to my daughter over food guarding. So I had Rachel, my daughter, take over some of the training and walking and hand fed Beau for a while. Made him sit or shake or lie down for food also. That took care of it. I guess he though he was "above" or sensed her timidity. but with her training and feeding I guess he took her leadership as a clue.

Rick


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## TeamPoodle (Aug 10, 2015)

Coldbrew said:


> Jasper had - reportedly, though I believe it - at the groomer on several occasions. He will occasionally "grumble" at me when I am clipping his nails or shaving near his feet, which sounds very much like a growl but isn't quite to that level. It's more a "I do not like this" noise rather than a "stop doing that please" noise, but I always stop and then treat/praise after a few seconds. The grumbling has gone done in frequency since I've started that. He has never bitten me (other than puppy nips) and I don't think he ever would.


This sounds like Riley. When we groomed him we got quite a few grumbles out of him. He's growled at me a few times, usually when something unpleasant is happening (ahem, grooming is a great example). It was nice to groom him at home because when he grumbled, I stopped doing that area, gave treats, and worked on a different part of his body. When I went back to the "problem area" I made sure to reinforce heavily, make sure he was comfortable, and again, stop if he got grumbly. He's the sweetest dog and like other people here, if he's growling I listen. He loves us and wouldn't want to hurt us, but we can't help what happened to him in his past and you never know what could happen. I know he would never intentionally bite us but it is a defense mechanism for dogs so I don't want to put him in a situation where he feels he needs to resort to biting in order for us to listen to him.


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## Poodlemanic (Jun 27, 2016)

My beautiful spoo who never does anything wrong growled at me; I was portioning out some raw meat and she grabbed it and ran into her crate. I wasn't done mixing, so I crawled in and she started to growl right away. To be fair, she didn't know for sure it was me because her back was turned to me, and that was pretty precious loot, but I just pulled her away and took the meat back. Not sure what the best protocol would have been, but the way I deal with the kids when they get unreasonable is to gently insist they toe the line without losing my cool.


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

Poodlemanic said:


> My beautiful spoo who never does anything wrong growled at me; I was portioning out some raw meat and she grabbed it and ran into her crate. I wasn't done mixing, so I crawled in and she started to growl right away. To be fair, she didn't know for sure it was me because her back was turned to me, and that was pretty precious loot, but I just pulled her away and took the meat back. Not sure what the best protocol would have been, but the way I deal with the kids when they get unreasonable is to gently insist they toe the line without losing my cool.


You did the right thing but risked being bitten if she was a resource guarder.
Eric


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## Poodlemanic (Jun 27, 2016)

ericwd9 said:


> You did the right thing but risked being bitten if she was a resource guarder.
> Eric


Yes you're right; later I thought it was kind of a dumb thing to do and the only reason I ever would have risked that is because I know and trust her gentle nature. But my dad's voice is ringing in my ears as I say that, lol.


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

Poodlemanic said:


> Yes you're right; later I thought it was kind of a dumb thing to do and the only reason I ever would have risked that is because I know and trust her gentle nature. But my dad's voice is ringing in my ears as I say that, lol.


The most gentle of natures is subject to instinct and survival. Some dogs will behave more instinctively than others and do so more or less depending on how they are set-up. Here you had the perfect set up for disaster. I would be fairly sure you had already shown her you own all the food or she would have claimed it. It is your former conditioning of her that saved you. She might now never do this again.

Grace will leave the very best of food. On the bench, on the floor next to my chair, anywhere she finds it except in her food bowl. She will only eat outside her own bowl when told "Gracie Eat" and the food pointed to. I often leave large cuts of meat on the bench to defrost. She will sit next to the bench with her nose just below the top and moan with saliva dripping. She does not steal. It is mine and not hers to eat. I do, when I cut it up give her a share. She knows this and we trust each other. She is not a special dog in this. A number of my dogs have been taught this in the past. But once a counter surfer always a counter surfer. It is a VERY difficult habit to break. It can be done with time and patience but the results are variable.

Eric


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## sidewinder (Feb 3, 2016)

"Grace will leave the very best of food. On the bench, on the floor next to my chair, anywhere she finds it except in her food bowl."

Eric, how do you teach this? I'd like to start while Mackey's still small enough that he CAN'T reach the countertop. After so many years with short-legged dogs, I haven't had to deal with this problem! My husband's main objection to the new puppy was that he'd be tall enough to counter-surf.

On the subject of biting, Mackey so far is pretty careful with his mouth at age 11 weeks. He really hasn't done much puppy nipping of people skin, other than mouthing, no hard bites. :angel2: My previous spoo, Rita, would playfully sneak up behind me and pinch my behind! Then run off, grinning. She didn't quit this until she was about 5. :aetsch:


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

sidewinder said:


> "Grace will leave the very best of food. On the bench, on the floor next to my chair, anywhere she finds it except in her food bowl."
> 
> Eric, how do you teach this? I'd like to start while Mackey's still small enough that he CAN'T reach the countertop. After so many years with short-legged dogs, I haven't had to deal with this problem! My husband's main objection to the new puppy was that he'd be tall enough to counter-surf.
> 
> On the subject of biting, Mackey so far is pretty careful with his mouth at age 11 weeks. He really hasn't done much puppy nipping of people skin, other than mouthing, no hard bites. :angel2: My previous spoo, Rita, would playfully sneak up behind me and pinch my behind! Then run off, grinning. She didn't quit this until she was about 5. :aetsch:


I love the behind pinching spoo! they have such a sense of humor but not always appreciated by humans.

The method I use to train out counter surfing is to position (very noisy when dropped) objects with small but delicious treats on the benches (or any where else you might imagine. A judge might rule this as entrapment. Make sure you are handy to the "stage". When the noise comes act quickly and chastise. You can get motion sensitive alarms that make a noise when moved (once used in stores) today they are cheap but sensitive. If you placed one on the bench and set its sensitivity low it might go off when a nose is close to it!

At other times, take a treat to the dogs feeding station or bowl. Have the dog sit. Say "good girl stay back" Enforce the command if needed. Place the treat in the bowl. Have the dog make eye contact then point to the dog and then the treat and say "fido eat" Then "good dog" Do this often. Do it every time you feed. At ANY other time and in any other place "fido NO eat" When the dog has learned some and meat has been left out. Take some of the meat and go to the bowl and feed as above.

Training a dog using its instincts and going with them is much much easier than training against instinct which we also sometimes have to do. The junior dog expects the seniors to guard their food. It also expects that they will share when food is plentiful. A dog will use its brain and work out ways to get more. Counter surfing is one way. Asking with good manners is another that is harder and often less rewarding. Try to be in touch with your dog. Be observant and talk to the dog as though it was a child. The dog needs to learn speech and how to please. A dog will want to please if there is a reward on the end of it. Later the reward can be just a "good dog" It is conditioning and routine. They both work.

Eric

Eric


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

ericwd9 said:


> *I love the behind pinching spoo! they have such a sense of humor but not always appreciated by humans.
> *
> The method I use to train out counter surfing is to position (very noisy when dropped) objects with small but delicious treats on the benches (or any where else you might imagine. A judge might rule this as entrapment. Make sure you are handy to the "stage". When the noise comes act quickly and chastise. You can get motion sensitive alarms that make a noise when moved (once used in stores) today they are cheap but sensitive. If you placed one on the bench and set its sensitivity low it might go off when a nose is close to it!
> 
> ...


LOL. Penny is a butt nipper but only to my wife and daughter. 

Rick


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## TeamPoodle (Aug 10, 2015)

ericwd9 said:


> I love the behind pinching spoo! they have such a sense of humor but not always appreciated by humans.
> 
> The method I use to train out counter surfing is to position (very noisy when dropped) objects with small but delicious treats on the benches (or any where else you might imagine. A judge might rule this as entrapment. Make sure you are handy to the "stage". When the noise comes act quickly and chastise. You can get motion sensitive alarms that make a noise when moved (once used in stores) today they are cheap but sensitive. If you placed one on the bench and set its sensitivity low it might go off when a nose is close to it!
> 
> ...


Our trainer's method is to line the baseboards and floor in the kitchen with kibble or treats when the dog is out of the room and out of sight. The idea is that when the dog comes into the kitchen and says "hey, what's on the counter?" it will be followed up with "oh wait, what's here on the floor?!?!" If you continue to do this, they'll realize the floor is where the goodies are.

That being said, Riley can't reach the counter so I haven't tried this personally.


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