# Please HELP!! New Puppy Astro WOES.



## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Culture Clash is my favorite. It's short and chalk full of good, sound behavioral information. I'd recommend reading that asap and then go onto the others. What you're seeing is perfectly normal puppy behavior. Don't be too harsh. He doesn't know how humans do things...not yet. He will. Just for now, make sure he gets plenty of romping with you. Give him chew toys, but supervise. When he goes for your feet or hands, give NO attention. Nothing, nadda, no look, no talking...zero. Walk away and withstand the biting until he stops. THEN bend down and give him calm attention, a treat, a toy. The second he starts biting again, turn your back and ignore. Now if he doesn't stop for a very long time, you can try separating yourself from him, as in...locking yourself in the bathroom or putting him, unpunishingly into an ex pen so he can't cause you too much pain. Anytime you discourage a behavior, give an alternative...a chew toy, for instance. As you start teaching him to sit and a few other obedience skills, you can interrupt him and ask for a sit, then reinforce with a treat. He will learn some things he can do that ARE rewarding and those obnoxious behaviors will fade away in time. Your pup is seeking attention and play time with you. Dogs do what works. Period. If his behavior works to get you to pay attention, then he'll keep doing it. Attention includes, speaking harshly to him. It doesn't matter. Don't look, speak, react in any way. If his behavior stops working (it will take a while since it has been working) he will stop doing that behavior. To speed things up, show him what DOES work to get your attention....sitting or standing calmly without biting. 

Please don't spray things that could be injurious to your puppy, not to mention could make him distrust you. These kinds of aggressive acts toward puppies is what causes dogs to become aggressive. Either aggressive or shut down where they become shells of dogs. There are many great methods that train dogs beautifully without using harsh punishment. You're on the right track with the books you're getting. 

Learning bite inhibition is very important. So, don't shut down ALL mouthing. I'll find something for you on that.

Look online now for Kikopup You Tube. You can subscribe to her channel and get emails when new videos come out. She's excellent. I'll see if I can find a few to help you get started.


----------



## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Bite Inhibition Training | Karen Pryor Clicker Training

If you can, get the book, Don't Shoot the Dog, by Karen Pryor. But first read Culture Clash.


Here's a great video for you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c77--cCHPyU



She talks about the book, Calming Signals. I have that one too in my library. It's really quite interesting and in some cases, useful. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgnLgHFRJu4


----------



## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

I know you have a lot of good advice. All I can add is tire him out as much as you can. One of the good tiring toys I used was to put a stuffless long toy tiger on the end of a long leash (or a rope) then use it to lure him to run back and forth and even in circles in the back yard. I think he is trying to play when he lunges at you. Give him other forms of vigorous play. 

Work daily on obedience training.

Other advice is timeouts in the crate when he won't stop.

Good luck.


----------



## LEUllman (Feb 1, 2010)

He's just a puppy, doing puppy things. Sounds like you are doing the right things. Patience, Grasshopper!


----------



## knittingmolly (Jun 13, 2014)

Poodlebeguiled said:


> Your pup is seeking attention and play time with you. Dogs do what works. Period. If his behavior works to get you to pay attention, then he'll keep doing it. Attention includes, speaking harshly to him. It doesn't matter. Don't look, speak, react in any way. If his behavior stops working (it will take a while since it has been working) he will stop doing that behavior. To speed things up, show him what DOES work to get your attention....sitting or standing calmly without biting.


I'm grateful, poodlebeguiled. What i really need now are general principles to guide me and I appreciate your input so much. it's difficult to ignore the biting and walk away, since I have him on a leash in my huge yard, but I've discovered that if I shorten the leash to arms length and turn my body away from him, that prevents him from continuing the biting. Also, when I turn around again he's often sitting and look up at me with an adorable face…which means I can give him loads of treats and tell him how good he is.

Also i let him romp in patches of tall grass for a long time and he was very happy. Occasionally i would call him by name and give him a treat. It felt like a success (compared to yesterday, which was SO discouraging).

i did two or three short training sessions with him today that followed the principles in the kikopup videos and this AWESOME video: 
Impulse Control. Impulse Control. Impulse Control. (Puppy Lesson Three) - eileenanddogseileenanddogs

I was amazed by how he seemed to just know EXACTLY what to do, in some cases BEFORE i showed and rewarded him the first time. He just knew what I wanted. Smart boy!!

He already understands that he needs to sit for almost anything he wants, too. I don't think i meant to teach him that, it just happened. Probably because he's so darn smart. 

One confusing thing is that I seem to have mixed up training moments with potty time. When I take him out to go potty, he'll pee and then--even though i know he NEEDS to poop--he'll choose instead sit and look up at me, waiting for a treat. I'll give him one because i want to reinforce the sitting nicely but I wonder if I'm muddying the potty time ritual?? 

The more i know the more i realize i need to learn. Still overwhelmed and wondering how I'm going to function with the REST of my life (i.e. I'm still in my pajamas and it's 2PM), but I have more hope.


----------



## knittingmolly (Jun 13, 2014)

Another interesting thing I am noticing today:

I am more aware of how distracted he is (and possibly how nervous he is) around my two youngest kids. The little one is only 2 and she vacillates between wanting to "help" with the puppy, by gently handing him toys or treats and feeling TERRIFIED of him. In both cases her energy is nervous (naturally, because that's how she's feeling) and I saw Astro get a bit nervous himself today when she approached us. 

The 9-year-old is another story. He's a totally kinetic kid who never. stops. moving. his. body. NEVER. He's good natured and sweet and not at all aggressive, but this kid cannot sit still to eat dinner and flip flops around in bed seconds before falling into a deep sleep. I can see the puppy picking up on his energy and I get the sense that he LIKES it but maybe he's also unsure and nervous. Yesterday Astro lunged at my son, nipped his ankle and got his tooth stuck in his jeans. The 9-year-old was frightened by this so today he's kept his distance. 

This is obviously a whole other level of complication and it's really important to me that I remain sensitive to BOTH the kids and the puppy. It's challenging. 

Currently, puppy remains in his crate to nap or rest and chew OR in the yard to to pee/poop and romp around with me or my oldest son. He gets brief periods in the laundry room and has his meals there. It's REALLY hard to imagine letting him out beyond that. I worry about the toddler and how I can keep her feeling safe and especially because the dog is just going to get bigger, I want to make sure I give the two of them ample time to get comfortable with one another.


----------



## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

You are doing fine. "This too shall pass"
Eric


----------



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

It sounds as if you are doing very well - puppies are very hard work! Have you tried playing the Statues game with your children - first show them how to stand like a tree, feet together, hands tucked and chin tucked in, and then make a game of calling out Trees! or Statues! and rewarding them for doing it quickly and holding it - for seconds at first, building up to a minute. Small, squealing, running children are very confusing to dogs, especially young dogs, and can easily trigger the prey chase instinct. I would supervise all interactions very, very carefully (sounds as if you are already doing this), and reckon to train the children at least as much as the puppy! Very young children can be extremely successful dog trainers, but two is a shade young for that - I think you need to focus on teaching them all the skills they need to stay safe - there are some good ideas here: Dogs and children - Company - Dogs


----------



## lepetitoeuf (May 3, 2015)

knittingmolly said:


> A couple of days ago, Astro's began some pretty intense lunging and biting at our ankles and pant legs. He seems magnetically attracted to my legs and when I pull him off and sharply say "NO BITE," (advice i got over the phone from a trainer who I don't know well--a person who also advised that I spray his face with binaca, which seems like a direction I DON'T want to go in) he lunges directly back to my leg without hesitation. His behavior feels somewhat manic and aggressive. He's also hugging and humping my leg.


I'm really glad I saw this thread, this is our third day with our mini poodle who is 8 weeks, 4 days old now and I've been struggling with EXACTLY the same behaviour, plus a little bit of humping! 

I also started with saying 'no' and removing him, but that's not helped at all. I guess the contact when I remove him gives him what he wants, some human interaction.

But today I woke up with new resolve, so my girlfriend and I have donned our oldest jeans, and if the behaviour starts he gets a single 'NO', then total ignoring. He might carry on and we might have to sacrifice some jeans in the process, but I think it's the best way, because he becomes bored quite quickly after that.

And this time I've got a timer with me, so if he calms down, lays down or is just peaceful for 5-10 minutes, I give him a treat and a little pet/hug.

I'm having a similar time with playing, he's nowhere near as interested in his toys as he is with us. I've stuffed kongs with kibble, liver paste, and peanut butter (not at the same time!), got rope toys, nylabones, a jingly ball and a soft toy yet he's not really bothered by any of them, he'd much rather climb on me, jump at me and try and bite my hand or jumper. So with this, I've been saying 'Ouch!' and then complete stonewall again. I've also started keeping his toys out of reach and just release one or two at a time.

I suppose it's all a learning curve, despite reading a few books, nothing seems to be able to prepare you properly for the emotional rollercoaster of a puppy! Not really much to say either, I suppose I'm just wanted to share some of the anxiety and stress I've felt over the last day or two!

I can't leave without a pic though, butter wouldn't melt in his mouth, would it! :angel:


----------



## BorderKelpie (Dec 3, 2011)

But today I woke up with new resolve, so my girlfriend and I *have donned our oldest jeans*, and if the behaviour starts he gets a single 'NO', then total ignoring. He might carry on and we might have to sacrifice some jeans in the process, but I think it's the best way, because he becomes bored quite quickly after that.
I have found that cargo pants with all the wonderful pockets are great for this. Treats and toys and clickers and whatever else you may need fit nicley in the six available pockets.


----------



## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

lepetitoeuf said:


> I'm really glad I saw this thread, this is our third day with our mini poodle who is 8 weeks, 4 days old now and I've been struggling with EXACTLY the same behaviour, plus a little bit of humping!
> 
> I also started with saying 'no' and removing him, but that's not helped at all. I guess the contact when I remove him gives him what he wants, some human interaction.
> 
> ...


If he's too much, I'll come and get him! nice boy!
Eric:angel2:


----------



## Poodlerunner (Jul 4, 2014)

knittingmolly said:


> Another interesting thing I am noticing today:
> 
> I am more aware of how distracted he is (and possibly how nervous he is) around my two youngest kids. The little one is only 2 and she vacillates between wanting to "help" with the puppy, by gently handing him toys or treats and feeling TERRIFIED of him. In both cases her energy is nervous (naturally, because that's how she's feeling) and I saw Astro get a bit nervous himself today when she approached us.
> 
> ...


My daughter has two children who were 1.5 and 2.5 when she got Bodhi. We had to teach him that the children were off limits. He looked at them as play things and would lunge at them, grab their clothing or nip them. We would set him up to do the behavior and correct him. He soon got bored with his unsuccessful lunging and found something else to play with. He very quickly got the message not to touch the children. The key was consistency. It was never allowed to happen. Obedience classes are great but in the meantime until he is old enough, you need to never allow a bad behavior in whatever way you can think of. Your puppy is smart but you are smarter.

pr


----------



## knittingmolly (Jun 13, 2014)

Poodlerunner said:


> My daughter has two children who were 1.5 and 2.5 when she got Bodhi. We had to teach him that the children were off limits. He looked at them as play things and would lunge at them, grab their clothing or nip them. We would set him up to do the behavior and correct him. He soon got bored with his unsuccessful lunging and found something else to play with. He very quickly got the message not to touch the children. The key was consistency. It was never allowed to happen. Obedience classes are great but in the meantime until he is old enough, you need to never allow a bad behavior in whatever way you can think of. Your puppy is smart but you are smarter.
> 
> pr


Poodlerunner--thanks for this input! I'm inspired to hear that your daughter was successful in having everyone living together peacefully. It's hard to understand how we will "set him up to do the behavior and correct him," while at the same time trying to ignore and withdraw attention. I'd love to hear insight from anyone about how to establish an EFFECTIVE response to puppy aggression toward the toddler. Is this a case where it's a GOOD idea to sharply say, "NO!", and physically pull him away? Or is that just giving attention to undesirable behavior? :confused2:

I am hopeful that, if I can find an effective way to admonish certain behaviors in the puppy, he will stay away from the toddler. 

I'm keeping them separated for now, but i'm hoping that soon I can talk the 2-year-old into slowly and calmly handing the puppy treats--something she's way too afraid to do now. I want the puppy to learn to calmly sit near her and think of her as someone who has his coveted treats. 

My fear at this point is the rate of Astro's physical growth compared to the toddler. Very soon, he'll be an enormous, rompy dog with puppy intellect/energy. And my daughter will still be just a little toddler. YIKES! 

My biggest challenge is obviously to just live each day and let it unfold. I am trying very hard not to get ahead of myself worrying about things that haven't even happened yet. :embarrassed:


----------



## knittingmolly (Jun 13, 2014)

lepetitoeuf said:


> I'm really glad I saw this thread, this is our third day with our mini poodle who is 8 weeks, 4 days old now and I've been struggling with EXACTLY the same behaviour, plus a little bit of humping!
> 
> I also started with saying 'no' and removing him, but that's not helped at all. I guess the contact when I remove him gives him what he wants, some human interaction.
> 
> ...



lepetitoeuf - Thank YOU for letting me know I'm not alone! Yes, the learning curve is STEEP, especially for folks like me who've never had a pup at all…it IS an emotional roller coaster. I too am buoyed by those moments of resolve and clarity…small successes and adorable wiggly fuzziness will take us a long way.

Also, with a little face like that, you have a very shiny silver lining. ADORABLE!


----------



## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

Can you tether him to you? Thus you can keep him from jumping on your children. When he is not tethered, then he should be confined. As he becomes older and more trained, let him near your toddler while he is leashed.

Put a halter on him and just walk around forcing him to go with you. You can treat him when he is calm and just keep walking when he jumps. You can also stand on the leash when you need your hands free like to do the laundry. None of this will hurt him.

Removing him from the area where he lunges at children without talking and confining him may be clearer to him than saying No.


----------



## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

"I'd love to hear insight from anyone about how to establish an EFFECTIVE response to puppy aggression toward the toddler."

I very much doubt that what you are seeing is aggression. Puppies play rough with their siblings. They bite and jump on each other. Play fighting is a favouite game. When puppies have not had a lot of socialization with various sized humans while they are in their formative early months, they can be very mouthy and bite/nip humans as they would their siblings. Learning to inhibit their biting then will take longer. It can take 6 months or more. It gets better when they lose their razor sharp milk teeth. Grace is still mouthy at 26 months but she is now gentle and very soft mouthed. A dog has no hands and their mouth is the equivalent exploritory tool.
Eric


----------



## Poodlerunner (Jul 4, 2014)

knittingmolly said:


> Poodlerunner--thanks for this input! I'm inspired to hear that your daughter was successful in having everyone living together peacefully. It's hard to understand how we will "set him up to do the behavior and correct him," while at the same time trying to ignore and withdraw attention. I'd love to hear insight from anyone about how to establish an EFFECTIVE response to puppy aggression toward the toddler. Is this a case where it's a GOOD idea to sharply say, "NO!", and physically pull him away? Or is that just giving attention to undesirable behavior? :confused2:


It's easy to set him up. Have the children in the room and you be within arm's reach of the puppy and you are watching the puppy and waiting for the moment he lunges at the children. When he does, you physically thwart his efforts while admonishing him. It may take many repeats but once he get's it, he will have it down pat. I found this easy to teach because it was a behavior that was just not going to be tolerated. ever. As much as we adored this puppy, the children in the family come first. There is no compromise on this issue and the puppy will get this. 

pr


----------



## Poodlerunner (Jul 4, 2014)

Here is a video of Bodhi and the littlest one when Bodhi was around 5 month's old. 

http://www.poodleforum.com/3-poodle-pictures/120489-cuteness-overload.html


----------



## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

All of this is perfectly normal--in fact, your puppy sounds "easier" than some, with a very calm base personality. It is a challenge to raise a brand-new puppy along with young kids, but it can be done, and you are willing to learn and up to the challenge. Keep telling yourself that! 

You've gotten a lot of good advice so far. I'm all about the tethering so that pup is under your direct supervision when out and withdrawing attention when he gets rowdy, to the point of calmly placing him back in his crate if he's being manic about nipping and humping. (Sugarfoot was a world-class humper when he was that age, so much that it was an ongoing joke between me and my Agility buddies. We talked about putting the behavior on cue and having it as a handy trick for later. I did not do that! I remember being *very* distressed about it at the time, but he did eventually outgrow it.)

Remember, a tired puppy is a good puppy, so get him good and tired with lots of running, chasing things, recall games, and so on, so that he won't have as much energy for nipping. (For a performance dog I would add in tugging, lots and lots of tugging, but for a pet the jury is kind of out on whether tugging is a good game or not.)

I would also be using It's Yer Choice, along with Crate Games, both of which are about teaching your puppy self-control. These mental activities are very tiring, too. Oh, and shaping! Gosh, at that age you can shape the dog to do so, so much! (Well, you can when they're older, too, but puppies just take to shaping so rapidly it's a lot of fun to work with them.) Backing up, putting their feet on items, jumping into a box, pushing things around with their nose, identifying which object you touched by scent, walking at your side...so many things to learn!

If you would like a really systematic, step-by-step type of "life program," I would look into the book Ruff Love by Susan Garrett (also the person behind It's Yer Choice and Crate Games--I really like her philosophy!). 

I know most of the old-timers here have seen this video (I'm sure I've linked to it a dozen times), but here's 100 Days of Sugarfoot, which I made to show what we could do when I'd had him for 100 days. You can see some of the training techniques I used, some of which I mentioned above. No aversives...and he was a very challenging puppy. (Though at least I didn't have kids in the mix!)

Good luck--keep coming here when you feel overwhelmed; as you can see, most of us have been there and can help get you past the rough spots!

--Q


----------



## knittingmolly (Jun 13, 2014)

Oh THANK YOU, Poodlerunner! 

That was the most encouraging video I've seen in a long time. Just lovely to see how calm and patient the puppy can be and also what a good little trainer I can make out of my daughter. Especially encouraging because I think your grandson is even younger than Hazel!

Thank you to both you and your daughter for sharing this!!


----------



## knittingmolly (Jun 13, 2014)

ericwd9 said:


> "I'd love to hear insight from anyone about how to establish an EFFECTIVE response to puppy aggression toward the toddler."
> 
> I very much doubt that what you are seeing is aggression. Puppies play rough with their siblings. They bite and jump on each other. Play fighting is a favouite game. When puppies have not had a lot of socialization with various sized humans while they are in their formative early months, they can be very mouthy and bite/nip humans as they would their siblings. Learning to inhibit their biting then will take longer. It can take 6 months or more. It gets better when they lose their razor sharp milk teeth. Grace is still mouthy at 26 months but she is now gentle and very soft mouthed. A dog has no hands and their mouth is the equivalent exploritory tool.
> Eric


Yes, thanks Eric. 

"Agression" was a poor choice of word! I should have called it "puppy ENTHUSIASM"! I DID worry that it was aggressive behavior at first, but i've come around and realize that he is just playing and that this is very normal, natural behavior for a pup his age. It helps me SO much to realize this.

Reading articles on bite inhibition is also helping me to accept some of his mouthing as a GOOD thing--which is easy, since most of his mouthing is fairly gentle.


----------



## knittingmolly (Jun 13, 2014)

oh my goodness. How cute is Sugarfoot's "automatic down on the table"!!??

He really is a handsome devil and I'm amazed by all he can do. Is it possible that little Astro will get there someday?  Awfully hard to imagine, but you've given me hope. Thank you for the links, Quossum--I'll check it out.

As far as wearing him out goes, I ordered a flirt pole toy last night and it should be here by mid-week. I'm hopeful that it will help satisfy Astro's playful lunging times and get him the exercise he needs. I also ordered a treat pouch so that I'll constantly have a handful on hand (boy are we going through those treats FAST!)--any tips on treat sales?!

I am also REALLY into trying out tethering him…it'll get him out of his crate and make him more part of the family. Even though he sleeps a lot and seems to enjoy being in the crate, I feel slightly guilty having him in there so much…we're still working out the sleep/playtime/family time balance. 

thank you all, ONCE AGAIN, for your support and encouragement.


----------



## Wren (Jul 2, 2013)

Sometimes in the excitement and newness of having a new pup we forget that very young puppies are easily over stimulated. (I know I did.) They get tired quickly, but want to continue playing rather than take a nap and then you have a really out of control, overly ramped up pup-monster on your hands. (Just like overly tired toddlers.) Tethering at this point will not work. The only "cure" is to place them in a crate or exercise pen and let them cool off, regain their senses and/or sleep it off. Then it can be play time again. Don't feel guilty about letting them nap. Puppies need a LOT of sleep.

With my boy, it took me a few days to realized that humping was a clue to me that he was over his excitement threshold and we needed to stop playing until he could get it together again. I just immediately stopped whatever we were playing with or doing and off to the ex-pen he went for a short break (maybe 3 to 5 minutes) then if he still wanted to come out and play we would play something calmer. If he fell asleep before I got back to the crate/pen which happened at least 50% of the time, then I let him sleep because he needed it. If you observe carefully, you will soon learn exactly when to break off the playing before your pup goes over his excitement/frustration level.


----------



## mom2Zoe (Jun 17, 2014)

Sounds like you received a lot of good advice.
When we first brought Zoe home she thought my youngest was her litter mate, actually still does. She interacts with him in a different way. She loves him to pieces and just needed to learn the proper way to play with him.
Zoe would jump all over Noah and bite at him much more than anyone else. Noah was scared and he would run or stand on a chair. Zoe would think the entire thing was a game

Firstly, she had to learn to mouth softly and not to hurt. That took awhile for her to learn. I worked with Noah teaching him how to behave which was just as important. I always kept Zoe in a small area until she was potty trained .It was much easier to supervise play with the children . Having a limited area of space also kept her calmer. It took a few weeks to coexist. Just be patient and consistent and know there is light at the end of the tunnel.
We had an 18 month over the other day and Zoe was super sweet with her. I would not imagined that a year ago.


----------



## Carley's Mom (Oct 30, 2011)

You have gotten some great advice... Puppies are hard work and it will take time for things to get much better. Hang in there .

I look at those cute little faces, and think ahhhhhhh . Then I read the post and remember why I have not had one in over 30 years...


----------



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Ah yes, the dream versus the reality... Soft puppy kisses and cuddles, a boy and his dog fishing in the sunset, companionable hikes through glorious summer mornings ... and shark-like puppy nippings and scrabblings and puddles and poos, children clambering up the furniture to escape with squeals and tears, icey cold wet mornings persuading a reluctant pup out, and then pursuing her around the neighbourhood when she refuses to come back in... But in time the reality turns out to be far better than all the dreams, it just takes time and effort to get there!


----------



## knittingmolly (Jun 13, 2014)

mom2Zoe said:


> Sounds like you received a lot of good advice.
> When we first brought Zoe home she thought my youngest was her litter mate, actually still does. She interacts with him in a different way. She loves him to pieces and just needed to learn the proper way to play with him.
> Zoe would jump all over Noah and bite at him much more than anyone else. Noah was scared and he would run or stand on a chair. Zoe would think the entire thing was a game
> 
> ...


thanks for this encouragement! baby steps. I'm not always a person who can be patient with difficult situations and this is a HUGE challenge but there have been better days lately…yesterday I had the 9-year-old showing the 2-year-old how to "be like a tree" and then later, when Astro lunged at her to play, she stood still--the look on her face was sheer terror--but I was so proud that she stood there! She was rewarded because Astro stopped, a little confused by the sudden change of game, and then laid down in front of her. <3


Oh fjm, I was slow to read this AMAZING summary of my past two weeks, but boy did you nail it! Yep. It has been every single thing you say--except that THANKFULLY, he hasn't escaped yet for a run around the neighborhood. I'm sure that's coming.


Another big learning moment in the past few days is that this boy needs to be taken outside LITERALLY every 30 minutes. He has made a bit of a habit of peeing on the towel in his crate if we don't get to him the MOMENT he wakes up. I'm not sure why he's doing this!! It's contrary to everything I've read about dogs not wanting to soil their crate, but he had soiled his crate pretty heavily when I picked him up from the airport…and maybe, since he had been trained on puppy pads from birth, he was treating the towel this way???

Anyhow, we now follow a religious schedule of waking him (after one hour) to take him out and, if he's awake, taking him out every 30 minutes and yesterday FINALLY had a day with NO accidents. 

I've begun my 52 Weeks thread here: http://www.poodleforum.com/35-52-weeks-your-poodle/155273-52-weeks-astro-wunderdog.html#post1813745

I hope you all will check it out. I have so much gratitude for this community.


----------



## knittingmolly (Jun 13, 2014)

Here's a great picture from yesterday of Astro's "ready to pounce" face, eyeing my hand like it's a live bunny. Notice the bandaid on my hand, which was applied by my concerned toddler after an earlier rambunctious play/biting session.


----------



## nifty (Aug 2, 2013)

This thread is a walk down memory lane - and kudos to you, knittingmolly because you are raising a puppy with young children as well! I agree totally with PoodleBeguiled - the children come first and it is possible to raise Astro well while making sure the children are safe and both are happy.

I did not have any young children in the house when I got Dulcie, but I still kept her confined to the kitchen area using baby gates until she was several months old. It just made sense from a house training and manners training point of view, so no guilt here. 

Quossom, how I loved your video of 100 days with SUgarfoot! 

knittingmolly, I have a suggestion for helping Astro to develop a soft mouth. IT was a tip I received at the Star Puppy training class:

Choose one of Astro's mealtimes (I did it at lunch time) - you could do it while your toddler is in her high chair having her own lunch or after lunch time (for the children) when your toddler may be napping? 

Get Astro's lunch kibble in a bowl and take a low seat on the floor by him. Put a piece of kibble between your knuckles and present him with the back of your hand and encourage him to eat the kibble from between your knuckles. In order to get the kibble out, he will have to use his lips - nipping will not get it for him. 

Continue to do this for all or most of his feeding. To speed things up a bit once Dulcie got the idea, I would put several pieces of kibble between a few knuckles and let her get them all. After a day or two, when she knew how this feeding was going to go, I started to add in other training such as SIT and DOWN and STAND and WAIT - and then say OK and let her nibble the kibble out from between my knuckles. 

I kept up this training for weeks - basically until her 3rd feeding was faded out at about 16 weeks. She developed a wonderfully soft mouth. Yes, she still had accidental nipping (i.e. when trying to grab a toy from me, and her razor sharp puppy teeth would rake my hands) but most other puppy mounting of human skin became gentle lip nuzzling. Very helpful with a young child in the house! 

Also, obviously, it was a great opportunity for the other puppy training of sit down and so forth. 

Dulcie also arrived home with an automatic, default SIT -- this eventually went away, so training SIT is still important with Astro.

Dulcie is still a long way from being a fully trained adult (she just turned 12 months), but with consistent training and LOTS of socialization, she is reliably gentle with small children and just about everyone she meets. There is a tiny toddler down the hall from me in my building and many mornings, on the way to a potty stop (when DUlcie really needs to go after all night!) we often meet the toddler and her mother and greet. Dulce will sit and then DOWN while the baby approaches, squeals, runs away, approaches again and eventually pats Dulcie on the head. Naturally, I keep Dulcie on her leash and stay very close, but it has all worked out well. 

We also pass a busy daycare on our way to the park most days and usually there are some children around who want to pat the doggy - Again, Dulcie has been a great young ambassador for poodles.

She will still occasionally jump up on my adult sons or another adult visitor, but seems to "get" that with children that is a No-No.


----------

