# so my little Mini has a bit of a temper...



## Moni (May 8, 2018)

There is no denying it - our little poodle toes - 4 months old today - has a bit of a temper. He is also a rebellious teenager and his personality is ever evolving. One issue we have is with biting when being picked up. So a number of things are going on here I think. First is just total brain blowout over excitement about we are about going somewhere - please take me with you. Second - and that is the temper one - is picking him up to end something - playtime or garden time, pee time - and him trying to protest. He is biting - without breaking skin although he may try-on curling his lips at times. We have remedied it by generally picking him up a lot less - because we may have inadvertently overdone it at first. When Louie entered the picture we had just lost both our big dogs a month prior - so picking a dog up at all was a new thing for us - add to that the fact that he was 3 1/2 pounds and adorable we may have overdone it. He thinks of himself as a big dog - grew up with Spoos - so he thinks he is one of them I believe. Not picking him up at times is not really an option. So far I have tried a firm "No" and holding him in a way that he simply can't bite. If he is really in a fit - I will hold him close and firm until he settles down and talk to him in a calming voice (that takes usually about 10 seconds). I am 100% sure that there is no aggressiveness behind this but more the usual selfish puppy willfulness - trying to push boundaries. I will in the future insist on a sit before being picked up - we have that down 100% and are generally doing well with manners and "no free rides in this house" you want something you have to earn it. Any other advice out there? The land shark phase - which was the worst I have ever had in any puppy (after 40 years of big dog ownership) is slowly waning - Woohoo! It is just a matter of fine tuning now and we are on our way.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I would use a word or signal to indicate that you are about to pick him up. In fact I would have two - one for when it is his choice whether he is picked up or not (eg for cuddles), and one for when it is a necessary procedure. Many small dogs really dislike being swooped upon and hugged, and who can blame them? On the other hand, there are times when picking up is essential for safety or whatever, so you need to be able to do it quickly and without argument. I use a curved hand gesture, which both of mine understand.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

I certainly can understand why you were picking your dog up often in the beginning - it's a novelty and your puppy is so cute you want to cuddle. However you should train your little dog as if it's a big dog. IOW, look for solutions to problems that you would use if you had a large dog that you couldn't pick up. Of course, unlike a large dog, you do want to pick your dog up to put it on a higher surface or to lift it away from a potential attack from another dog or out of control child.

It can be scary to have some hand out of no where pick you up and move you, especially against your will. Think if someone tried to lift you - especially from behind and you weren't aware it was going to happen. You would be angry and scared and probably growling and snarling too. There are clearly times when picking a small dog up is warranted so best to make it a good action with some treats at the beginning and randomly afterwards if your dog doesn't enjoy being picked up. Be certain you are supporting your dog and lifting properly so he feels secure.

I use the word "lift" when I'm going to pick up my dog - and "off" when I'm lifting her off the grooming table so she knows she's being moved. The command comes a few seconds before the action to give my dog time to be ready.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

You are anthropomorphising to excess. I don't think puppies have bad tempers at all. I also think the world is especially challenging for smaller dogs since everything towers over them and probably looks sort of intimidating to them. Also at four months old your puppy is still a baby, not an adolescent.

I agree with fjm and Skylar that being picked up is something to put onto a cue and that two different orders for want to vs. have to situations makes sense. I defer to them since their dogs are smaller than mine. The only time mine get picked up is for grooming or the vet and they have been trained to understand that once they get put on a table they need to cooperate.

I would not try to force your puppy to submit to being still in your arms as you are doing. If you have snuggle on a cue and allow him the choice then there should be no need to force him to be held still. You are actually creating a more conflicted situation if you are holding the pup tightly to try to still/calm him. That holding will have the opposite effect. He thinks you aren't listening to him (and you aren't really) when he growls, so he is trying the next level of communication which is to curl his lip. If you continue to ignore him he will use his next level of communication which is to bite with intention to hurt you enough to make you let him go. If that happens then he will see that as a successful strategy and probably become prone to go to the bite sooner than later. 

I had a training client who was using that strategy to make the dog (also an mpoo) like being cuddled and petted in the evening while they watched TV. It was getting worse and worse. What fixed things was the owner understanding that the dog was saying I need to be left alone for a time out. They initially had no crate and after I got them to understand that the crate could be the dog's safe space if the door was open for him to choose to use when he needed to chill things got a lot better for them all.

It is very understandable that new pup people want to pick up that cute little bundle and snuggle with them, but we shouldn't forget to read their signals and help them to learn about the world in positive and rewarding ways. Think about it this way, when your children were three or four years old did they want you to pick them up and hug them 24/7, of course not! Your pup just like a young child is wanting to explore their world with some independence with the knowledge that you are there to help them when they need it and to give hugs when they want to chill.


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## Moni (May 8, 2018)

Hi lily cd re: Thank you for your insightful reply. I agree with your observations. What would you suggest as a reaction to protesting being picked up and held (when it is necessary) in lieu of the firm grip - I agree with your assessment by the way. I already worked on a pick up cue the last couple of hours and we are making progress. He is crate trained and we are using it as a training tool. His clicker training in general is going very well - he is very smart and spirited - a true poodle (in a smaller body than I am used to - so forgive my mistakes)


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I am sure you will get a handle on this especially since you are experienced with poodles. I would encourage an understanding that getting picked up doesn't automatically mean an end to fun. Did you teach your spoo(s) a collar grab tolerance? You call the dog to you, take hold of the collar, tell them they are good and immediately release and say go play. You gradually hold the collar longer before releasing. The dog will think to itself "Oh getting my collar held means I can play? Okay this is good, so I will always go when called." With your current smaller pup substitute being picked up and then quickly put down (before he gets squirmy and growly) and told go play. In this case your pup will gradually relax for longer periods once picked up so that you can pick him up to put him on the grooming table, pick him up to bring him in the house when you are done in the garden if you need to (although he should just be happy to go in with you when you want to).


Another thing I would do do develop your pup's centripetal attraction for you is to play at running away in the yard. Play with your pup with a toy he likes and as he is really engaged, get up and trot away with the toy just fast enough to let him be just behind you. Stop and play some more, repeat and repeat. I did this during Javelin's first few months with me and three years later he has the best recall of all of our dogs.


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## Moni (May 8, 2018)

Lily! Thank you so much! I wish I could give you several thumbs up for taking the time to explain this to me. Very familiar with both exercises - and still I would not have in a million years equated the collar grab exercise with picking up! (Duh! haha) I have done both exercises with him from the beginning. He came home at 9 1/2 weeks. I have trained a bomb proof recall with most of my dogs - however I have no Poodle experience (all my other dogs were big ranging from Mastiff to Gundogs to Sheperds. I am on these forums constantly to educate myself about the different needs of Poodles and to learn! So glad I asked! Thanks again for the insights!


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## doditwo (Nov 7, 2017)

We just learned the collar grab exercise in Sirius Puppy Kindergarten last Saturday. Every time we touch the collar then give a treat, say ‘good get’, wait for puppy to give us their attention and then say ‘go free’ and release.
On the last get, when free time was going to end, we made sure to give another treat when we returned to our chairs. That was a great way to turn what might have been disappointment into a good memory for our puppies. So I try now to have a treat in my pocket at all times so commands like ‘come’ never end negatively.
It was the best thing I learned at class that day.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

doditwo you are really so lucky to live in an area where you can do Sirius Puppy Class. I think I might have said that to you somewhere else recently but I really wish I could have done that class with our pups. I'm a bit jealous.


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## Moni (May 8, 2018)

So there is marked improvement in our communication after just 24 hours of a changed approach - just as was recommended here. The two exercises we adjusted were already part of our repertoire - so he reacted really well and I feel I have a better understanding of his needs. Everybody in the household also was informed of the new approach and we all changed our behavior to address the needs of our awesome little dog. I almost felt like changing the title from "temper" to frustration but I think it will be a good record for someone else who needs this insight.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I am very happy you are turning a corner with these issues. Frustration is probably a much more accurate term to apply. Consistency from all of your pup's peeps will be awesome for him.


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