# 8 1/2 wk puppy behavior....



## JE-UK (Mar 10, 2010)

Sounds like normal demon poodle puppy play behaviour :smile:.

Try redirecting to something appropriate for her to mouth, i.e. a toy or a tug. Reward by playing WITH her with the tug. And make it exciting ("be the rabbit").

Mine was a whirling dervish of needle puppy teeth at that age, lots of energy and retriever heritage showing up in lots of mouthiness. It passes, and now is the time to establish what IS appropriate.

If she is nipping at you during play, let out a squeal of pain and stop play briefly. 

I didn't find mine was at ALL cuddly when he was a puppy, except for the (seemingly) rare occasions when he was comatose. That's not to say you shouldn't handle her, but reinforce it as a good thing with a very good treat, chicken or bits of steak or something she really likes.

Good luck! And take lots of photos. I didn't take enough, and it passes more quickly than you would think.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

There is a difference between a puppy leave-me-alone-I'm-busy growl, and a hard eyed back-off-NOW growl. The latter is very, very unusual in such a young pup, but if you even suspect it talk to your vet about getting an assessment from a qualified behaviourist (NOT a trainer!). If it were temperament, you should have seen it when you first met her. Are you absolutely sure the puppy you first saw is the puppy you brought home? If so, I would ask the vet to check her over - a change in behaviour like this could be down to pain or discomfort from an illness or injury.

All things checking out OK, squealing when nipped, and lots of chicken, are very good advice!


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## sarpoodle (Dec 26, 2011)

JE-UK said:


> Try redirecting to something appropriate for her to mouth, i.e. a toy or a tug. Reward by playing WITH her with the tug. And make it exciting ("be the rabbit").


Tugging is a good idea to redirect. Try putting a sock or small towel (like those little ones 12"x12" ones you can get to dry a car with) and tie it to a string. You can drag the sock/towel around on the ground to kick in the prey drive of the pup. If the pup likes it and tugs, gently reel him in close to you. Stroke his side while in close. Then let him tug it away from you, letting him "win" the toy. Then gently reel him back in, and repeat.

If he growls while you touch him, this can be used to build up his intensity towards the game. If the pup growls, let him start winning the toy and pull the line back through your hand. He may even thrash and kill the sock/towel. Then you can reel him back in. Trying touching his front paws, cupping his chin in your hand, etc. You can turn slightly sideways, and with your free hand bring it up to his mouth like you're going to knock him off the toy.

While tugging, dogs will do one of two things, either try to pull the toy away from you, or move in and try to knock you off it with their body or paws. Just imitate what the dog is doing, and he'll realize you get the game. It will become more fun.

Be very gentle about how much resistance you offer while tugging. Using a soft sock or towel should prevent him from hurting his teeth, but you don't want him to associate pain with the activity. Poodles have a very long memory and can hold grudges. If you hurt him, he'll remember it, and the game won't be cool to him.

Tugging like this is a great way for the dog to satisfy the need to chew, and work off of their drive. By bringing him in close and touching him, it helps socialize and desensitize him to human contact.

Greg


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

Growling and biting 70% of the time does not sound like normal puppy play to me - or my puppies were amazing good natured especially when you add that she gets so mad. I would first get a vet check. I am wondering if she could have an ear infection or something painful as fjm suggests. If the vet thinks she is OK physically and your vet also thinks the behavior was out of line. I would be calling the breeder. I would not want to deal with that kind of temperment right from the get go.


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## TrinaBoo (Apr 3, 2012)

Ok I have a confession....The 2nd day she was home I cried because I can't believe how mean this dog is. I wanted my husband to take her back. I feel so confused and I have no idea how I let this happen. But I tried to be positive and see if it was just her "settling" in. NOPE! She follows me everywhere but this second you touch her its all growling and snapping and biting. Try to correct her from biting my kids (6 &11 mths) and she gets even more .....I'm going to call it aggressive. She will run at me over and over growling and biting. Her body will be very stiff and tail straight up. There has to be something going on that I'm clueless on. I just wanted a companion/pet standard poodle that I would have this amazing connection like everyone on here talks about. She was just at the vet for her exam the day before she came to me and I have been in contact with the vet but not about her behavior. I don't know how she was the "calm" and "laid back" puppy....hmmm. Guess it's time to start getting to the bottom of all this puppy drama! Thanks for your replies. Demon poodle puppy made me laugh!


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## tortoise (Feb 5, 2012)

When she's truly nasty, pick her up by her shoulders and let her hang out. Literally. Suspend her off the ground until she calms, then set her down. Silent, calm, but decisive. No need to scruff or dangle her in the air. Just lift her feet off the ground so she can't fight you and hang on until she is bored and complacent. Very clear in puppy terms "this is not OK." Then make sure you reward the good behavior - her calm behavior - that comes IMMEDIATELY afterwards. Reward her with tug play. (Cuddles are not rewarding to demon puppies.)

You need to play with her. Dogs don't bond by cuddling. They bond in play. You need to get this little bitch playing WITH you, and she needs to be tired out! Playing tug is awesome way to let her express her aggressive bits while teaching cooperative play. Fetch is a game that requires her to work with you. Together, these games can tire her out, build a bond, and teach her acceptable play.

She is not getting enough exercise or stimulation. A tired dog is a good dog!


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## tortoise (Feb 5, 2012)

I read your post again. *I* would sternly correct a puppy for biting at your kids. I would first try holding her entire snout in your hand and holding still until she is quiet. (It might be a while.) Try with perfect consistency for a few days.

This puppy can not be off her leash! She needs a lot more structure than most puppies. She should be in a crate or on a leash 24/7. It will make interrupting her demonness much easier. It's much safer for your children. 

Little dogs leave scars just as nasty as big dogs.

Dogs change in behavior according to their environments. Some dogs will take full advantage of any "weakness" in leadership and structure and become flat-out nasty. Some will suddenly become fearful. I picked out a confident feisty puppy, brought him home and he has acted like a mature adult dog ever since. Weird. Just like your kids know what they can get away with at grandma's house, dogs sort it out fast. Some dogs need more structure than others. You may have gotten an extreme puppy, but providing structure and exercise will go a long, long way towards creating balance.


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## vicky2200 (Feb 14, 2012)

If she is just play growl/biting, I wouldn't be too concerned (but I would work on correcting it.) However, I don't know how I would handle a puppy that is 'mean.'


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## TrinaBoo (Apr 3, 2012)

Thank you. She loves play of all kinds so that's a huge positive for us! We appreciate the advice and opinions. I will definitely try on the leash tomorrow if she is in the living room with the family. Otherwise she is crated or in the kitchen blocked by a gate and any doors are closed. Perfect timing to have a puppy because my house is baby proofed already!


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

If you have such young children I would frankly be concerned about a puppy with this temperament, and would be talking to the breeder. You can do a great deal with education and upbringing, but I think a pup like this needs someone who is experienced with raising dogs, and who does not have young children in the mix. Puppies and toddlers is a volatile mixture at the best of times - you need to have the deck stacked in your favour, not against you.

If the vet is certain there is nothing wrong physically (and it may need a different kind of examination to the new puppy look over), then a good behaviourist would be able to tell you whether this is normal puppy behaviour, or something more extreme. They would also be able to advise you on the best way forward. If the worst comes to the worst, better to make any difficult decisions now, while she is new to you and young enough to find another home if that were to prove necessary. And if she is just a rather feisty normal puppy, a behaviourist would show you how to encourage good interactions, and miniis bad behaviour.

I would be very wary of physical corrections and staring down, etc. They can go badly wrong, and push the pup into more aggressive behaviour. But I would absolutely agree with playing rather than cuddling - imagine taking your six year old to the most wonderful playground, filled with fabulous toys, and games, and equipment, and then telling the child to stay on your lap and be cuddled ...!


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## JE-UK (Mar 10, 2010)

TrinaBoo said:


> She follows me everywhere but this second you touch her its all growling and snapping and biting. Try to correct her from biting my kids (6 &11 mths) and she gets even more .....I'm going to call it aggressive. She will run at me over and over growling and biting. Her body will be very stiff and tail straight up.


From the description, that sounds odd, esp the stiff posture. That sort of stiffening is usually a dog warning signal, or a sign of anxiety. Has she been to the vet? If she hurts somewhere, it may be her only way of trying to tell you.

I'd also consult with the breeder, who might be able to observe and tell you if it is new behaviour in the pup.

Like others, I think a puppy interacting with 2 small kids is a recipe for disaster. I'd tether the pup to me, or separate them except for well-supervised sessions, where the kids learn to play appropriately with the puppy, and the puppy learns to play appropriately with the kids.

I'd also agree with fjm that physical punishment for a puppy that age is unsafe, unnecessary, and just plain silly. It's too easy to physically hurt a young puppy, and there are a vast number of options available. Most involve managing the puppy rather than beating her up. Baby gates, tethers, and crates will all help manage the pup until she learns the ropes and acquires some impulse control.


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

Been in contact with the vet - I am thinking perhaps you called but did not visit. I would schedule an appointment immediately. I always get a vet appointment the day after I get my puppy. I don't care if the breeder said they went the day before. The vet will be able to give you behavior advice too. They see lots of dogs and they know if the dog is in the normal spectrum. My guess is that your puppy has a physical problem. If the vet says it is a behavioral problem bring it back to the breeder. With two small children this is not the type of personality you want in your house. What was your husband's reaction when you wanted to take it back?


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## sarahmurphy (Mar 22, 2012)

Just like with babies, the puppy is getting a lot of attention for being bad. Is she getting an amazing amount of attention for being good? 

Try leashing her to you - hook the leash to your waist with a belt or a clip, and put a bag of treats in your front pocket. ignore crappy behaviour and reward anything positive - oh look - walking with you! treats!! - sitting quietly! - treats!!! - lets you touch her! - MANY TREATS!!! barking, growling, jumping, biting - say "NO!", (as in this is *NEVER OK*), turn your back and IGNORE the puppy till she does what you want, then immediately reward the good behaviour. 

I'm not a dog trainer, but I have had a number of challenging foster children, and the same principles have worked beautifully, along with professionally led puppy classes, with our Spike, who is now 6 months old - although he was never anything near what you are describing, and if he were, I'd have been having one stern conversation with the breeder.... Seriously, have you spoken with your breeder about this? We signed a contract with our breeder, but even if we hadn't, she is really a part of our extended family now, and she is our "first call" when we have a question about anything! 

sarah


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