# Growling?...with or w/out biting...



## Brinkley & Neyland's Mom

So, Brinkley is a growler. But usually only with the kids...he tried it with mommy and daddy once...and we fixed that real quick. (by the way, the kids are almost always supervised around him! Before anyone gets on me about the young kids...lol) Of course, some of the growls he does with the kids, I don't scold. Usually when they are handling him more than he wants to, or trying to get his toy, or picking him up from a comfy spot they need back...(like a school backpack or favorite blanket). These low growls I have taught them are his way of saying..."leave me alone"...and that is what they should do. If they don't, he may bite at them.

Well, a couple of times, he has growled and snipped/bitten. Both times were completely uncalled for, and he got scolded very strongly. One time was with my daughter and she leaned down to kiss his head while sleeping. I still think she just startled him...but he nipped her lip and made it bleed, and it swelled for a few days. He also growled and tried to bite my son when He picked him up out of the clean laundry basket he was laying in to put him in the kitchen one morning as we were leaving for school. I know he was comfy and did not want to move, but he got very ugly about it. These times he gave no warning. I have explained to them that they cannot bother dogs while they are sleeping and eating. The sleeping one is what got Emily.







I don't like him being this cranky and easily ticked off enough to nip at people. I don't mind the low growls expressing his opinions..but I won't tolerate the biting.









Any suggestions? 

99% of the time he is so loving and playful with everyone...especially and including the kids. They entertain him as much or more than he entertains us and them. He thinks they hung the moon. That is why I don't understand why he knows he can't bite us...but he can them. Does he see them as littermates or somehting? Makes me leery about having him around other kids and stuff too. I am hoping maybe nuetering will calm this down, but I don't know.

My husband was quite upset about him biting Em. I tried to explain that it was no different than the cat scratching and hissing in defense. He understood that, but still didn't like it.


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## Toby's Mom




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## Mystify79

Tuffy growls too, but usually only when we are playing tug or if he is racing around the house. As for the biting, I don't think Tuffy has ever bitten us unprovoked but he usually will bite sometimes if he gets excited playing. I have had success using a spray bottle of water to keep him from nipping while we are playing and that's a major achievement for us because he loves to nip. You might want to try the spray bottle on him when he starts to growl, but on that same note, it might take away the only "signal" you get that he might be gearing up to bite. That's a tough call. Well, I wasn't of much help, but hopefully you'll get some other suggestions.


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## Brinkley & Neyland's Mom

I wish I could say it was play, but it isn't. He play growls with me when we are playing tug of war...that is different. This is mean growl and biting. I guess you could say it is provoked, because the kids are pestering him, or in Emily's case scared him when he was sleeping. But I want him to understand that even this is unacceptable for biting. Growling yes...biting..no.

Thanks for the suggestions..I may try the water bottle just to see if it works for other behaviors too.


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## ButterCloudandNoriko

I'M SO GLAD YOU POSTED THIS UP!

ButterCloud, the boy, growls when people are touching him while he's eating good food. Noriko, the girl, for the most part only growls when ButterCloud tries to snatch her food away from her, but not at us. BUT TODAY WAS DIFFERENT. I had a bbq today and gave them each a piece of rib. I put them in their separate crates so they can't eat each other's food. I let ButterCloud out first because he finished and he was standing in front of her door and she was growling like crazy. I took him away, but ANYONE that got real close to her she would growl! But she didnt snap at us. Her face was attached to her rib, just chewin' and growlin'. It was so out of character.

Hmm, I hope this entry interests you guys, cause I know it didnt help much!







I'd love to hear more growling stories. We use to scold Cloud for growling at us, but we stopped because he wasnt hurting or biting us. There's just alot to learn as far as taking care of our babies!


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## Boom Boom's Mom

I hate to post this because its not going to be what everyone wants to hear.

Bone protecting, spot protecting, food protection is almost always it seems a form of a dominant dog. Boom will try to snap at you if you try to take his toy, or move him from a spot that he wants to stay in. He's bitten me before. He used to do it with kids all the time. So what'd I do?

I did a lot of work with commands so that he learned that I was in charge. I started setting limits for him, not allowing him to get into situations where he would be protective. He stopped getting different types of treats as he was always hyper protective of them. 

I excused these actions saying "He just wants to keep his treat" or "He was just comfortable" but as soon as he started biting (he's bitten me twice, hubby once, and MIL once) I decided it was time to nip the habit in the bud. I read books, talked to trainers, and took action. 

Perhaps I'm misreading your stories, and I hope I am because this whole situation was really difficult. It took a lot of time and patience and I was mad that i was half afraid this lil dog would take my finger off. 

Since I've worked on all this things are much better. To go another step I hope to get him into puppy classes this fall. I hope anything I've said has been helpful. Even when he was protecting his treats or his spot I never felt that biting was a proper response. Even the growling has been dropped for the most part.

Good luck with your little ones!


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## Brinkley & Neyland's Mom

Boom Boom's Mom,

I would love to know more about how you handled this. It doesn't sound like Brinkley is quite as bad as Boom Boom, but very similar. I feel like it would be worse now if I hadn't scolded him as hard as I have the few times it has happened. He gets a stern "no" in the face...as I hold my hand around his muzzle...then he goes to time out in his kitchen and we ignore him for a while. Hopefully this has curbed it some, but I don't want him to think it is acceptable. Like I said, I don't mind the growling so much...that is conversation...his words...but I don't like the biting at all. 

We just finish puppy classes. I am thinking about taking the advanced class starting in November. But that is still quite a ways off. Supposedly when you are done with that 6 week course your dog gets an AKC good citizen award. Right now Brinkley would fail that. LOL


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## Brit'sMom

OHMY! Some of these stories sound SO familiar!!!!!!!!!

My Shih-Poo, Cisco is SUPER food agressive! Its gotten so bad that now if you walk close to his bowl he will run over and start eating! OR if he's already eating he will give a low growl. Cisco also will never ever let you take a treat from him (like those bones that get old and you need to throw away).

One time he got a hold of this stuffed snake, and it was weird because it was HALLOWEEN, and he guarded this snake from about 5:00pm on Halloween untill the second Halloween was over. I am so not lying! It was scary. He would no let ANYONE touch it and if you entered the room and he had moved away from it, he would race over there and guard it! I even tried luring him away with food and treats, he WOULD NO BUDGE and this is the cookie monster himself. It really freaked me out I thought he was possessed!


Britn'y only snaps when Im combing her hair, and she nips at the comb. Other than that I can take treats, toys, or anything from her (even human foods) and she will not snap or growl at me, just whimper. If mariah tries to eat her food when she is REALLY hungry or one of her milkbone cookies, she will growl at her and that is funny because she is so little and Mariah could whoop her butt! LOL


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## Maxismom

Maxi sounds like a gremlin when he gets mad. I am having a bit of a problem with him again with the biting he is very good around children and other people but with me he has this time of the night when he goes luny it lasts for 10 minutes but he bites me excessively. I put him out of the room last night again for like 5 minutes and than he stopped but its been the last month every single night
and i know he adores me so i dont understand what this is all about
i thank god he is good with others and doesnt do that but i need to nip this in the butt and i dont know what to do. The guy in the pet store said that its a mommy thing they know they can take advantage and i spoil maxi i know that but its getting annoying because i hate to punish him and i will not lay a hand on him so what i have been doing is i pick him up and i hold him and i say NO NO BITE and he licks me and when i put him back down he does it again
anyway hopefully he will grow out of this he will be a year old on 9/16 
any suggestions?


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## ButterCloudandNoriko

MAXISMOM~I do what Tlunn does when ButterCloud bites...which isn't often at all! I hold their mouth shut for a bit and tell him,"No Biting." Why would he all of a sudden start biting you during that time? Are you playing with your baby? Do you notice something that happens at night that may make him anxious and that's why he's biting? I ask because if it's something that you're doing, maybe you should do it more often and when he tries to bite you, you tell him not to bite everytime. That way maybe they'll learn faster if you discipline them more often. Maybe it will register quicker that way. Does that make sense? I dont know







Just a suggestion.


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## Maxismom

NO we are both usually winding down to go to sleep 
its like he will be there lying down chewing on one of his bones or toys and im either on the phone or watching tv his routine is he first tries to dig on the sheets like a luny and i stop him because i dont want him to dig a hole in my sheets than he goes and starts to bite and i try and pick him up which he purposely curls up his little body so its hard to get agrip on him cause i tell him he is going off the bed and than i pick him up and look in his adorable face and say NO NO NO BITE he than tries to soften me by giving me licks i let him down and he does it again 
and tha he stops and lays down weird


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## ButterCloudandNoriko

hehe...sounds like he just wants your attention. 
The other day, Buttercloud was scratching the wall and I did my little punishment--I told him he's bad and I put him in his crate for like 5-10 mins. Then I let him out. Then I saw him walk back over to the corner of the wall he was scratching and watching me to see if I'm watching too. What a sneaky ****







. I gave him that "I'm gonna get you" look. And he just down. 
What is my point? Well, next time he bites you, just grab his face and make him look at you in the eyes and tell him no biting and dont let him look away. And don't let him lick you. Maybe he'll remember how uncomfortable and scary that is and wont do it again. I use too do it on my nephew when he was a baby. It worked on him.







Just a suggestion


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## msmagnolia

I'm a little worried about this.







We are interested in a Maltese so I've been lurking here reading your posts. This thread bothers me. Do lots of you have trouble with snapping and growling? The the early '80s we got a cocker spaniel pup. Early on she'd growl at us when we came near her food bowl and if she got a shoe and went under the bed she'd snap and growl and we couldn't get her out. Not knowing any better we put up with it and consequently dealt with a nasty dog for 14 years until she died. With our bichon we learned from our mistakes and didn't put up with that behaviour. We even purposely took her food away and gave it back. We put our hands in mouth, ears, etc. to get her used to handling from the vet and groomer. She's a wonderful dog that we can totally trust.  Our daughter who has just graduated from college and is in grad school wants a Maltese because of the smaller size. It is very important to us that this puppy be even tempered and nice. I could use some reassurances about the breed. Thanks


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## Brinkley & Neyland's Mom

> _Originally posted by msmagnolia_@Sep 9 2004, 05:27 PM
> *I'm a little worried about this.
> 
> 
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> 
> We are interested in a Maltese so I've been lurking here reading your posts.  This thread bothers me.  Do lots of you have trouble with snapping and growling?  The the early '80s we got a cocker spaniel pup.  Early on she'd growl at us when we came near her food bowl and if she got a shoe and went under the bed she'd snap and growl and we couldn't get her out.  Not knowing any better we put up with it and consequently dealt with a nasty dog for 14 years until she died.  With our bichon we learned from our mistakes and didn't put up with that behaviour.  We even purposely took her food away and gave it back.  We put our hands in mouth, ears, etc. to get her used to handling from the vet and groomer.  She's a wonderful dog that we can totally trust.    Our daughter who has just graduated from college and is in grad school wants a Maltese because of the smaller size.  It is very important to us that this puppy be even tempered and nice.  I could use some reassurances about the breed.  Thanks
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=8780*


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Please don't go by my post...LOL. I think for the most part, they are just as you have said, even tempered and nice. 98% of the time, Brinkley is. But that 2% is ugly. Hoping it helps after nuetering.


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## Toby's Mom




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## carrie

> I'm a little worried about this.
> 
> 
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> 
> We are interested in a Maltese so I've been lurking here reading your posts. This thread bothers me. Do lots of you have trouble with snapping and growling?
> 
> I have never had any problems with Massimo biting, I have young children and he's excellent with them. The only time he growls is when I'm playing tug of war with his fav toy- other than that he has this low grunt he does when he don't wanna be bothered (mainly addressed at the kids). He's never been aggressive. Although he IS a little rough when taking treats, sometimes he gets a little skin...
> 
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> Other than that he's pretty much the perfect pet.


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## msmagnolia

Thanks for the quick and positive replies. We were sure enough about the breed that we are working with a breeder or two to find us a puppy. I'm sure you can understand that after our bad cocker experience and then our great bichon experience, we don't want to make a mistake. We are very excited about a new baby and this board has been wonderful in helping us learn. We liked the idea of the maltese so that our bichon (who has a puppy cut) would think it was a cousin or something. Thanks again for the comments.


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## TikisMom

Carrie,

I don't think Maltese are a snappy breed..... Wiki will growl and moth when playing, but he isn't snappy like my neighbors Chihuahua! I believe if the children are taught to respect the pet then there won't be a problem.

Judi


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## LexiAndNikkisMom

I agree with tlunn. Most of the time Lexi is the sweetest dog, but there have been a couple of times when she "tested me" to see who was in charge. I am the only one she has ever done this with. 

I would get another Maltese in a heart beat. In fact I am hoping in about 2 years to get another one.


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## Brinkley & Neyland's Mom

> _Originally posted by Lexi's Mom_@Sep 10 2004, 07:59 AM
> *I agree with tlunn.  Most of the time Lexi is the sweetest dog, but there have been a couple of times when she "tested me" to see who was in charge.  I am the only one she has ever done this with.
> 
> I would get another Maltese in a heart beat.  In fact I am hoping in about 2 years to get another one.
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=8823*


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 I too would get another in a heartbeat...in fact...if I could...I would have a whole HERD of them!!! Can't think of anything more fun!!!!


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## carrie

> _Originally posted by TikisMom_@Sep 9 2004, 11:34 PM
> *Carrie,
> 
> I don't think Maltese are a snappy  breed..... Wiki will growl and moth when playing, but he isn't snappy like my neighbors Chihuahua!  I believe if the children are taught to respect the pet then there won't be a problem.
> 
> Judi
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=8801*


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Judi-
Oh, it wasn't me talking about the Maltese being a snappy breed...I must not have quoted msmagnolia correctly. My reply was to msmagnolia, assuring that Massimo WASN'T the snappy type. I'm sorry for the confusion! Massimo does the same thing, he growls when I play tug of war with his toy, and he just grunts at my kids if he's sleeping and they wanna hold him, he has NEVER bitten me or my children. 
Like I've said before, my kids are great with him, they respond to his "grunt".
I wrote in my previous post:

"I have never had any problems with Massimo biting, I have young children and he's excellent with them. The only time he growls is when I'm playing tug of war with his fav toy- other than that he has this low grunt he does when he don't wanna be bothered (mainly addressed at the kids). He's never been aggressive. Although he IS a little rough when taking treats, sometimes he gets a little skin... Other than that he's pretty much the perfect pet."

What was written above that was a quote from msmagnolia.

Sorry again! ^_^


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## Sunshine

> _Originally posted by Boom Boom's Mom_@Sep 5 2004, 10:25 AM
> *I hate to post this because its not going to be what everyone wants to hear.
> 
> Bone protecting, spot protecting, food protection is almost always it seems a form of a dominant dog.  Boom will try to snap at you if you try to take his toy, or move him from a spot that he wants to stay in.  He's bitten me before.  He used to do it with kids all the time.  So what'd I do?
> 
> I did a lot of work with commands so that he learned that I was in charge.  I started setting limits for him, not allowing him to get into situations where he would be protective.  He stopped getting different types of treats as he was always hyper protective of them.
> 
> I excused these actions saying "He just wants to keep his treat" or "He was just comfortable"  but as soon as he started biting (he's bitten me twice, hubby once, and MIL once) I decided it was time to nip the habit in the bud.  I read books, talked to trainers, and took action.
> 
> Perhaps I'm misreading your stories, and I hope I am because this whole situation was really difficult.  It took a lot of time and patience and I was mad that i was half afraid this lil dog would take my finger off.
> 
> Since I've worked on all this things are much better.  To go another step I hope to get him into puppy classes this fall.  I hope anything I've said has been helpful.  Even when he was protecting his treats or his spot I never felt that biting was a proper response.  Even the growling has been dropped for the most part.
> 
> Good luck with your little ones!
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=8356*


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This is a good response - because it does really come down to the "heirarchy" within the family. I've been told a number of things about puppies and eating, by the breeder who I got Abby from, and also from articles I have read.

Rule number one with food is always eat SOMETHING before you feed your puppy - whether it be a quick snack or a meal. Show puppy that you are eating and don't tolerate any begging etc. When you are finished, THEN feed puppy. In their packs, the dog higher on the hierarchy would eat first. By doing this, you tell your pup that YOU are in charge, not him/her.

The second thing that the breeder told me to do, was to annoy the pup a little while she is eating. Now this sounds mean, but it makes sense. When you go to feed her, firstly make her wait for an ok before you let her eat, then when you give her the food annoy her a little - pull her tail (not hard of course), push her around a little and sometimes pull her food away from her. Of course, don't do it the whole time while she's eating. By doing this, you can teach your dog that although someone is touching them, their food isn't being taken away and they aren't being threatened - and although someone takes their food momentarily or moves it, it will be given back. It makes sense that it would lessen the chance of her being "nippy" later on.

Hope this is of help!


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## ButterCloudandNoriko

msmagnolia. There's over 250 of us maltese lovers and I believe only a small fraction of us experience this problem. I think that we're the minorities







. I, too, wish I had more. I only have 2







. Regardless of what breed, you'll always have some percentage of them that growls. This is not a negative post. Up until this post I didnt even know we could "tame" them not to. Even you were capable of taming one of your dogs not to growl. MOST of the time they are the most loving creatures. If they weren't, I doubt there would be a maltese site. Not only is it a maltese site, but it's a SPOILED Maltese site. 

Sunshine, I wish I knew about messing with them when they ate at a young age! That's a GOOD idea!


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## Lilly521

What Boom Boom's Mom said about your dog trying to be in charge is proubly right, i have looked into what to do about it because thats what vets adn dog trainers told us was happening with my last dog and it seems what happens is that your dog thinks he is in charge of you not the other way around and that the way to fix it is to do things like just take away stuff he is playing with even if ti is something is is totaly allowed to have and while you are feeding him be poking him and sticking your hands in his food stuff like that so that your dog knows that everything in the house belongs to you and that you are in chargewhen you see he is asleep just go wake him up and if he is sleeping on something even if you dont need it at that time take it i thought it all sounded really mean but i know its true i have been doing it with my puppy since the day i brought him home and while i feel bad about it i know its the right thing in the long run becasue right now your dog is seeing himself as the pack leader and so he sees nothing wrong with bitting you most likly he will not come when you call him or follow orders as well becasue he dosnt see why he should listen to his subordinate


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## Sunshine

> _Originally posted by Lilly521_@Sep 14 2004, 02:01 PM
> *What Boom Boom's Mom said about your dog trying to be in charge is proubly right, i have looked into what to do about it because thats what vets adn dog trainers told us was happening with my last dog and it seems what happens is that your dog thinks he is in charge of you not the other way around and that the way to fix it is to do things like just take away stuff he is playing with even if ti is something is is totaly allowed to have and while you are feeding him be poking him and sticking your hands in his food stuff like that so that your dog knows that everything in the house belongs to you and that you are in chargewhen you see he is asleep just go wake him up and if he is sleeping on something even if you dont need it at that time take it i thought it all sounded really mean but i know its true i have been doing it with my puppy since the day i brought him home and while i feel bad about it i know its the right thing in the long run becasue right now your dog is seeing himself as the pack leader and so he sees nothing wrong with bitting you most likly he will not come when you call him or follow orders as well becasue he dosnt see why he should listen to his subordinate
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=9156*


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Lilly, you explained it better than me!







I knew what I meant!!!


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## Lilly521

Thanks Sunshine! The thing with taking away the dogs toys was a big thing for me with my last dog because he would always run off with my clothes and wouldnt give then back but having them used to having their toys taken away from them when you take whatever they took from you they are less likely to try and hurt you...still feel bad about taking away his stuff though when he is being good and chewing on his toys....so far with Sunny its been easyer to keep his toys away until i give them to him is they are all in a basket with his grooming stuff that i keep out of his reach, i used to just keep on the toys in a bucket on the floor the dog could get into but it could but everything in there and make it look all neat lol but that didnt work to well and this seems to be doing good so maybe you should give that a try with Brinkley, it couldnt hurt


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## dazzlingmeohmy

I am having a similar problem with my puppy Samson. Everytime, and I mean everytime, I pick him up he growls at me.  Sometimes he will bark and then bite my hand, not play bite but bite hard. I have read a lot about this heirarchy stuff (he has a sister that he fights with) but I am not sure how to go about fixing this little habit of his. 

What are some good ways to get him stop doing this? I have tried putting him in his crate but he just gets bored and goes to sleep. I have tried a squirt bottle, but he likes the water. I don't know what else to do. Any suggestions?


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## ButterCloudandNoriko

My ButterCloud is weird. I've been trying to mess with him when I give him a few (NOT ALOT







) treats at a time. I'd put my hand on his head and pet him and ANNOY HIM. Like, if someone was doing what I was doing to me, I'd slap 'em hahha. But I start to put my face above his head (I'm bold or stupid) and kiss him and then I tell him to kiss me and he growls and growls. And a few times when I tell him to kiss me, he'll look up while still growling, and kisses me. Sorta freaky, but sorta funny. I notice that he does alot more growling when I do that while he's in his crate. He growls less, otherwise. I just need some professional help! lol


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## doctorcathy

dazzlingmeohmy, have you tried carrying him a different way....like maybe how you're picking him up is hurting him. did he have a bad experience while someone was carrying him? maybe he's just scared. tried sitting first and carrying him---move slowly and praise a lot. tell me how that goes.


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## Sunshine

> _Originally posted by dazzlingmeohmy_@Sep 22 2004, 05:50 PM
> *I am having a similar problem with my puppy Samson. Everytime, and I mean everytime, I pick him up he growls at me.   Sometimes he will bark and then bite my hand, not play bite but bite hard. I have read a lot about this heirarchy stuff (he has a sister that he fights with) but I am not sure how to go about fixing this little habit of his.
> 
> What are some good ways to get him stop doing this? I have tried putting him in his crate but he just gets bored and goes to sleep. I have tried a squirt bottle, but he likes the water. I don't know what else to do. Any suggestions?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=9809*


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It's a shame the water won't work! My only other thought is this... 
hold puppy's mouth shut, look it in the eyes and say "NO BITE" very firmly, continuing to look it in the eyes until it looks away. Then let go. It might work,....???


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## TikisMom

Sunshine ~

That worked for us!

Judi


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## doctorcathy

i remember how my trainer tried doing the aggressive test to my brothers dog. like she pulled his tail and the skin on his butt (and he has issues with that area) and he totally tried biting her. my brother said that he has been like that since a puppy, so they never touched his butt area. anyway, she said that when they're puppies, just pull on their skin (not hard, just tug a little) and totally do that all the time till they get used to it. i dont know what to do if they try biting though. i'll ask her when i see her on sunday.


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## Maxismom

Maxi got time out last night he was so bad behaved i didnt know what to do he was biting me non stop i put him out of my room for about 5 minutes when i opened the door he was sitting at my door and than ran in and bit me again i was like whats the matter with you Maxi!! Bad night than he was trying to hump me like a banji i had to hold him up on my shoulder and than he stopped on top of this he has decided that he wants my space on my bed now he always slept on the rightside on top of pillows now he wants my side " Go figure" i mean i try to be stern but it doesnt work he has been really bad behaved lately only with me everyone else he is a pleasure...


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## dazzlingmeohmy

Thanks Sunshine and doctorcathy!  I may not have been clear enough if my post. He only growls when I pick him up. My boyfriend can pick him up no problem, even my 4 yr old niece can pick him up. I'm worried that it is a dominance thing.







I have been trying to praise when he is being good, the good thing is, he loves his treats. So I make sure he gets one when he is being good. I'll keep you posted. ^_^


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## Elegant

I got this information from The Straight Poop website...

"The shake-up. We're talking serious infractions here, such as a growl, show of teeth or, worse, a genuine bite (as opposed to a good-natured puppy nip or nibble). This correction mimics the scruff-shake older dogs used when disciplining recalcitrant youngsters. Take your pup by loose skin at the neck, lift his front paws off the ground, make eye contact and bark your sternest "no" at him. Then drop him and ignore him for a while (or put him in his crate) to give him time to think about his crime."

Hope theis helps.

~Elegant


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## doctorcathy

maxi, you should get your space back in bed!!








i would be sooo upset with maxi. sprite tried humping my arm like 3 times total. i basically said "no" in a low voice and knocked her off. sounds like maxi is totally getting dominant. does he sit and down for you? when he's bad, maybe put him in a down-stay till he calms down----but then you said that you put him in the room and once you opened it he bit you. i would seriously talk to a dog trainer about it though. you want to fix it now, cuz later on it will be harder. hopefully its just a really bad phase. tell us how it goes though.


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## Silverstardust

> _Originally posted by tlunn_@Sep 4 2004, 12:19 AM
> *So, Brinkley is a growler. But usually only with the kids...he tried it with mommy and daddy once...and we fixed that real quick. (by the way, the kids are almost always supervised around him! Before anyone gets on me about the young kids...lol) Of course, some of the growls he does with the kids, I don't scold. Usually when they are handling him more than he wants to, or trying to get his toy, or picking him up from a comfy spot they need back...(like a school backpack or favorite blanket). These low growls I have taught them are his way of saying..."leave me alone"...and that is what they should do. If they don't, he may bite at them.
> 
> Well, a couple of times, he has growled and snipped/bitten. Both times were completely uncalled for, and he got scolded very strongly. One time was with my daughter and she leaned down to kiss his head while sleeping. I still think she just startled him...but he nipped her lip and made it bleed, and it swelled for a few days. He also growled and tried to bite my son when He picked him up out of the clean laundry basket he was laying in to put him in the kitchen one morning as we were leaving for school. I know he was comfy and did not want to move, but he got very ugly about it.  These times he gave no warning. I have explained to them that they cannot bother dogs while they are sleeping and eating. The sleeping one is what got Emily.
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> I don't like him being this cranky and easily ticked off enough to nip at people. I don't mind the low growls expressing his opinions..but I won't tolerate the biting.
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> Any suggestions?
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> 99% of the time he is so loving and playful with everyone...especially and including the kids. They entertain him as much or more than he entertains us and them. He thinks they hung the moon. That is why I don't understand why he knows he can't bite us...but he can them. Does he see them as littermates or somehting? Makes me leery about having him around other kids and stuff too. I am hoping maybe nuetering will calm this down, but I don't know.
> 
> My husband was quite upset about him biting Em. I tried to explain that it was no different than the cat scratching and hissing in defense. He understood that, but still didn't like it.
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=8295*


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Well allo Traci, your little Brinkley sees you as the Alfa leader you and your husband. Just like wolfs, they are pack animals with same instinct. He sees himself above the kids and treat them accordingly. Trust me the situation will get worse unless you teach him otherwise. Never, under any circomstances, should he be aloud to bite or grown at anyone. Right now Brinkley is calling the shots. Like you and me when we get disturb we move so can he. I know that children can be overwelming but he must learn to accept that as it is part of his family. We were 9 kids in my family and we always had dogs and cats and never were they allowed to bite growl at us. We have to be kind to our animals for sure, but a caress a kiss should not mean getting molded or growled at. Your children are quite young and your little Brinkley grow old much faster and will get more tempermental much faster. If you want him to have timeout without disturbance I suggest you put him in his crate or something of the like or simply tell the children that this is his special time to leave him alone but the kids should be allowed to approach him without fear more often then none. Like you said you put a stop to it when he growled at you the same applied to the kids they should be in the upper ladder echellon. Also you should be able to take any toys and food from him without fear of loosing a finger or two. I was watching Animal Cops on Animals Planet the other day and they had to put a beautifull little poodle to sleep because he was a growler and a biter when came time to touch his toys and food they just could not put him up for adoption and risk someone getting bitten. Your little dog must be sociable. Your children comes first and you know he can be control since he stop growling at you. Yes I do believe that neutering will tame him down a bit no doubt less desire to dominate. Good luck Traci and Brinkley didn't mean to be sooo tough but I do want you and your family to love and enjoy your little baby for a very long time. You should be able to aproach him when ever with out fear. He may not like it and it is ok not to like it and quite normal at times, but never on all account should he be allowed to show his pearlys.
Love Silver and baby maltese Sheila


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## Brinkley & Neyland's Mom

Things have improved GREATLY since I posted that. Once in a blue moon he will let out a VERY low growl...but a quick "no growl!" and he is all licks and kisses. I think maybe he was going through a learning period...and got the point...ha ha.
He is SO sweet and loving now...and he has not yet been nuetered. 
I babysat a small infant and another 4 year old on Saturday and he never growled or barked at them once. I put him up most of the time b/c of the infant...he is 4 months old...but when hubby came home, we let him out...and he sniffed him and gave him puppy kisses on his head and then laid down beside us like a good boy. I was SO impresses and gave him lots of praise.









Thanks for the advice though. I will keep it in mind if he starts all that mess again.


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## ButterCloudandNoriko

> _Originally posted by Elegant_@Sep 25 2004, 09:56 AM
> *I got this information from The Straight Poop website...
> 
> "The shake-up. We're talking serious infractions here, such as a growl, show of teeth or, worse, a genuine bite (as opposed to a good-natured puppy nip or nibble). This correction mimics the scruff-shake older dogs used when disciplining recalcitrant youngsters. Take your pup by loose skin at the neck, lift his front paws off the ground, make eye contact and bark your sternest "no" at him. Then drop him and ignore him for a while (or put him in his crate) to give him time to think about his crime."
> 
> Hope theis helps.
> 
> ~Elegant
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=9959*


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I'm going to have to try that! I hate to "ignore" them because I can see their facial expressions clearly and I know that he's sad/confused. But, the growling is getting so bad that it's starting to scare me. Thanks


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## dazzlingmeohmy

Okay ... so I took Samson to the vet this past weekend and while I was there I asked the vet how to address this problem,







of growling and biting. He told me ....

When they start to growl you pick them up and flip them on to their backs. Hold them in your arms and hold their little front legs down. They will growl and go crazy but you have to make them look you in our eyes. You can do this on the floor too. Just flip them over on their backs and make them look you in the eye. When they do look you in the eye, you are supposed to praise them and put them back down. 

I have been doing this with Samson for only two days and I can already see a difference. I recommended this to anyone having this kind of trouble with your PUPPY. I imagine it would be much harder with a bigger dog. 

Hope this helps!


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## Brinkley & Neyland's Mom

I had heard that too...it is a dominance issue...i often have to resort to this during grooming sessions... <_<


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## Silverstardust

> _Originally posted by Boom Boom's Mom_@Sep 5 2004, 11:25 AM
> *I hate to post this because its not going to be what everyone wants to hear.
> 
> Bone protecting, spot protecting, food protection is almost always it seems a form of a dominant dog.  Boom will try to snap at you if you try to take his toy, or move him from a spot that he wants to stay in.  He's bitten me before.  He used to do it with kids all the time.  So what'd I do?
> 
> I did a lot of work with commands so that he learned that I was in charge.  I started setting limits for him, not allowing him to get into situations where he would be protective.  He stopped getting different types of treats as he was always hyper protective of them.
> 
> I excused these actions saying "He just wants to keep his treat" or "He was just comfortable"  but as soon as he started biting (he's bitten me twice, hubby once, and MIL once) I decided it was time to nip the habit in the bud.  I read books, talked to trainers, and took action.
> 
> Perhaps I'm misreading your stories, and I hope I am because this whole situation was really difficult.  It took a lot of time and patience and I was mad that i was half afraid this lil dog would take my finger off.
> 
> Since I've worked on all this things are much better.  To go another step I hope to get him into puppy classes this fall.  I hope anything I've said has been helpful.  Even when he was protecting his treats or his spot I never felt that biting was a proper response.  Even the growling has been dropped for the most part.
> 
> Good luck with your little ones!
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=8356*


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Allo Boom Boom's Mom I agree with you completely as it can get out of hand very fast and when it goes that far it is way to difficult to correct and very time consuming...


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## ButterCloudandNoriko

Cloud bit me today







. I don't know if it's b/c he attacked me or if he was trying to grab his bone. I bought this new treat for my dogs and they went nuts over it. I try to touch him so he'd get use to me touching him while he's fixiated on the bone so he'd get use to me touching him and hope that eventually he wont growl anymore. I tried the rolling over the back technique. I didnt like it. 

You guys know that spray can thingy that you use to clean your computer. The High pressure dust remover that squirts out cold air? Mkay, what I did was whenever I touch him and he growls, I'd spray that on his body. HE HATES IT. He even tried to bite it but I said NO. And everytime he growled when I touched him, I'd spray him. I did it a couple of times and he finally stopped growling. But I kept touching him and rubbing him and putting my hand around his face/mouth so he'd get use to it. He didnt growl anymore.

Should I just continue with this exercise? Anything else I can do?


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## Sunshine

> _Originally posted by ButterCloudandNoriko_@Oct 8 2004, 12:09 AM
> *Cloud bit me today
> 
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> .  I don't know if it's b/c he attacked me or if he was trying to grab his bone.  I bought this new treat for my dogs and they went nuts over it. I try to touch him so he'd get use to me touching him while he's fixiated on the bone so he'd get use to me touching him and hope that eventually he wont growl anymore.  I tried the rolling over the back technique.  I didnt like it.
> 
> You guys know that spray can thingy that you use to clean your computer.  The High pressure dust remover that squirts out cold air?  Mkay, what I did was whenever I touch him and he growls, I'd spray that on his body.  HE HATES IT.  He even tried to bite it but I said NO.  And everytime he growled when I touched him, I'd spray him.  I did it a couple of times and he finally stopped growling.  But I kept touching him and rubbing him and putting my hand around his face/mouth so he'd get use to it.  He didnt growl anymore.
> 
> Should I just continue with this exercise?  Anything else I can do?
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=11461*


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Sounds like it is working so I would stick to it if I were you. Every dog is different - like with the water bottle spraying thing - some dogs will like it, some will hate it. You just have to find what works for your baby.


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## ButterCloudandNoriko

I just don't want to do anything that will make him worse. If he really meant to bite me or if he does get to the point that he bites me to protect his goods, I don't know what I'd do. I really really need to start a "Training School fund." Anyone want to donate?


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## doctorcathy

do you praise when he doesnt growl? maybe give him kisses and treats when he doesnt growl. i hope this works for you


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## ButterCloudandNoriko

Thanks you guys! I hope it works too. My bf HATES ButterCloud growling and he's sooo frustrated. I'm trying to teach Cloud not to growl when he's not around because he gets so mad. Everyong thinks I'm not training him well ecause I don't want to hit him. I wish I can slap some PEOPLE who don't do what I want them to! Wonder how they'd feel about that!


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