# Help! My puppy has gone psycho!



## Autumn (Jan 28, 2007)

I need some advice... My Malt is a little over 5 months old and her personality just did a 180 in the past few days. She's always been a perfect little "lap" dog and had to be near me at all times. Well, now anytime someone goes to pick her up she screams like we're trying to kill her and tries to bite. I just don't understand it. My sister in law is a vet and she looked her over really good (after we were able to catch her) and couldn't find anything physcially wrong with her. She went ahead and gave me some Duramax though just in case she tweaked something. She wants to be near me, and lets me rub her back and tummy using my foot, but anytime I reach down to pick her up she darts off the opposite direction. Also, we had a party a few nights ago and she wanted to be in the middle of everything, she just doesn't want anyone touching her. Is this a phase? Is it common for puppies to do this? I just don't get it. She won't even let me pick her up to help her onto the couch when she's jumping trying to get up there. It's driving me crazy. I just want my sweet little girl back. Please tell me this is only temporary! Oh, and nothing traumatic has happened to her. Nobody has stepped on her, hurt her on accident and she hasn't gotten out. Also, she was 100% crate trained and now she's been having accidents in there and barking at night. Please help. Thanks for any advice you can offer.


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## starry (Sep 4, 2006)

What type "look over" did your vet do?
An xray? Ct? Bloodwork?
Maybe she has a blockage or broken rib?
I would do alot more testing if nothing has gotten better.
It sounds very serious, please keep searching for the problem. Good luck.


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## k/c mom (Oct 9, 2004)

Oh, it sounds like she is in pain. Did she react when the vet palpated and examined various parts of her body?


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## Autumn (Jan 28, 2007)

Since it was a weekend she just felt of her really good and checked all of her joints. She never once cried out or tensed up when she was looking at her, she said she thought she was fine but would go ahead and take her to work with her on Monday for X-rays. She's still playing and running around she just doesn't want us to pick her up. Usually when she doesn't feel well she just sleeps in her crate all day and she's not doing that. So I'm just at a loss. I guess we'll find out tomorrow. She gave me a couple of Deramaxx just in case it was a pulled muscle or something to hold her over until Monday.


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## MalteseJane (Nov 21, 2004)

Something is wrong somewhere. Peeing in her crate after she was 100% trained is another sign something is wrong. Is there anybody else around her besides you ? You know something could have happened when you were not there.


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## Eddie's Mama (Jun 10, 2007)

Hi,
It sounds fairly serious what's happening to your dog. When a dogs behaviour changes it usually means that they are trying to tell you something. I learnt this at puppy preschool. My puppy is 6 months old and his toilet behaviour has changed over the past 3 days. He always either went outside or on his toilet pad to do his stuff. Now he has been going inside. It's driving me crazy because we worked so hard to train him and he's been doing wonderfully for ages now.

I was babysitting my friends 6 week yr old pitbull and she was a little aggressive as her and Eddie's nature are completly different. I think this may have changed hsi behaviour. She peed and pooped all over the house! I don't know if he's doing it now because she got away with it.

I hope he goes back to his usual ways. He has changed since we had our naughty visitor.


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## Autumn (Jan 28, 2007)

> Something is wrong somewhere. Peeing in her crate after she was 100% trained is another sign something is wrong. Is there anybody else around her besides you ? You know something could have happened when you were not there.[/B]



Thanks everyone. I guess we'll find out tomorrow what is going on for sure. I just hope that once we get whatever it is that is bothering her fixed, she'll get back to normal. It would break my heart for her to be this skiddish for the rest of her life. Right now I'm just trying to baby her as much as possible and just kind of leave her alone. 

As for if she's been with someone else.. It's just me and my husband and when we're not home she is in her crate and when I take her outside to potty I go with her to make sure she really does her business. Plus since she's still so young I don't let her out of my sight in the house. She stays with me in whatever room I'm in. So if she did manage to get herself into some kind of trouble I'm not sure when it would've been. But with a dog this small and fragile, anything is possible. I just hope it's nothing too serious. Hopefully it is just a strained muscle or something minor.


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## Lacie's Mom (Oct 11, 2006)

This could be serious -- or this could just be a puppy thing. Let's just think back a minute or two.

At one stage, when Tilly was about 5-6 months old, she started running away from me whenever I went to pick her up. She was just playing and really wanted me to chase her. But she had never backed away from me before and so I was concerned. It was nothing, just a phase -- just a new game to her. There was nothing wrong with her -- she just wanted to play. It took me a long time to figure this out.

I don't think she cried when I picked her up, but she didn't like it either. And sometimes she would pee a little if I picked her up. This lasted for a good 2-3 months and then she went through another phase.

Now she's back to being my lap dog and having to be touching me constantly.

And I did go through potty training regression too at about the same age. She seemed to be 100% housebroken and then she regressed and we started training all over again until she 100% GOT it.

Although I would definitely have her checked out thoroughly, I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that this is anything more than a new game to her and a new phase of her puppyhood.


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## Theresa (Mar 10, 2005)

> This could be serious -- or this could just be a puppy thing. Let's just think back a minute or two.
> 
> At one stage, when Tilly was about 5-6 months old, she started running away from me whenever I went to pick her up. She was just playing and really wanted me to chase her. But she had never backed away from me before and so I was concerned. It was nothing, just a phase -- just a new game to her. There was nothing wrong with her -- she just wanted to play. It took me a long time to figure this out.
> 
> ...


Can I ask how you potty trained Sumer is 3 andBella is 1 ahtey still have accidents


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## Littlemans Mom (Apr 6, 2005)

How is your little one doing? Any news ?


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## Gemma (Jan 19, 2006)

Sparkey is psycho too ! I can never pick him up unless he ask us to. if you surprise him and try to pick him up without permission he will scream and try to bite. it takes me and my hubby and a lot of running around the table to put his harness on for walks. he is scared to death of the harness but once it's on he is the happiest little boy. If you find out what is wrong let me know too. Sparkey is almost 3 now. and he always ran away from us. once we have him we can give him intense belly rubs and squeezes and all kind of things and he is ok with that but we can not pick him up. he has done X-rays and vet checked his legs but I don't know why he snap at us. we hold him a lot of times but he will ask us and he has to be in the mood.


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## Scoobydoo (May 26, 2005)

Koko is almost the same way, he is the one who decides when he is going to be picked up, he doesn't growl or squeal or anything like that he just runs off when we go to pick him up, he has always been that way.
Once we do manage to catch him he is happy to cuddle and kiss etc. but it's like he thinks he is going into his e-pen or we are going to close him in the lounge so we can go out. He also went through a little regression with his potty training, he found a mat in the kitchen that he rather liked peeing and pooping on so it was back to the basics and now he is just fine.
Koko has always been a little aloof and if he wants to sit on my lap or come to me for a cuddle then that's fine with him but if I attempt to bend down and pick him up when I want a cuddle he runs off and gets under the dining table, right in the middle so I can't reach him, that's his safe haven so I just let him go, eventually he comes out and I pretend to be doing something else and he falls for it everytime







He is a food magnet too so that always works well for me








I would be wondering if something actually happened that frightened your little girl, or she hurt herself while you were not there, I sure hope you can get to the bottom of it and it all resolves itself really soon


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

In the past several weeks (Ollie is 9 months old) Ollie doesn't like to be picked up any more either. BUT once you pick him up he's fine--as long as you don't try to sit down with him on your lap because if he's not in the mood, forget it. So I try not to pick him up a lot unless he "asks" and sometimes he does. He also doesn't like it when someone comes towards him and tries to pat him on top of the head. He'll duck his head and back up. But then there's just as many times when HE DECIDES it's ok and you can pat, scratch, whatever. He does like to be cuddly when anyone is sitting on the sofas. He will come and lay on your feet or on your lap or sometimes right up on your chest. But again, if you pick him up and try to plop him on your lap and it's not what HE wants to do at the moment, forget it. 

So I hope everything checks out ok. I used to think that all malts were 100% of the time snugglers, but that just isn't the case--they are all different.

Also be aware that your puppy is entering the "brat stage" of puppyhood. I'll come back and post a link to the 7 stages of puppyhood. She will have a mind of her own for the next several months and will test you a lot. 7 Stages of Puppyhood: http://www.petcaretips.net/stages-puppy-development.html


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## Autumn (Jan 28, 2007)

Thanks guys! This really makes me feel so much better. I was really hoping it was just some sort of weird phase. We've gone to the vet and she did a total work up on her and said she looked 100% healthy to her and that sometimes at this age they will regress with potty training kind of like a toddler does. It is just so scary to try to pick her up and her scream at me. I'm always afraid I'm hurting her. Anytime she barks though she kind of sounds like she's screaming but she just recently found her voice so I'm not used to it yet. I hope it doesn't last too long. Like Sparkey, once I pick her up she calms down and is fine for me to love on her but I feel like I'm trying to kill her when I'm trying to pick her up the way she's acting.







It's really tough when she wants up on the couch with me because she won't let me lift her up and she's too little to get up there by herself still. I tried the steps but she just doesn't get it. I've even put treats on each step to try to coax her up there but she just steals the treats and goes on about her business. It's really funny when she goes to the very end of the hallway and runs with all of her power and still can't get up there. I think it will be a little better once she figures it out so that way she can actually come to me when she wants attention. I'm trying my best not to chase her because she already thinks it's a game because her tail is wagging the entire time and she always stops to look behind her to make sure I'm still following her. I don't want to encourage that. It is very hard though because I got spoiled because she just loved me so much and had to be with me all the time. I guess it's just a sign that she's adjusted to our family and is showing us her personality. I just hope she's not this neurotic forever! Thanks again for all the great advice and making me feel better. She is just still so little (she's still just barely over 2 lbs) so every little thing scares me. I feel like a first time mother!


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## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

Sometimes when Archie is in my bed and I'm ready to go downstairs, I'll go to pick him up to take him with me. Sometimes he's fine, but sometimes he'll give me a little warning growl - I just say, "OK - fine, come down yourself" and that's the end of that.









I hope you find out what the problem is. Could someone have mishandled him when you weren't around?
Please keep us updated.


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## Autumn (Jan 28, 2007)

> Sometimes when Archie is in my bed and I'm ready to go downstairs, I'll go to pick him up to take him with me. Sometimes he's fine, but sometimes he'll give me a little warning growl - I just say, "OK - fine, come down yourself" and that's the end of that.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I really don't think she got hurt. X-ray and blood work came back fine and vet said she looks great. I was giving her deramaxx (a steroid just in case she was injured) from my vet for a few days but it didn't seem to help this new little attitude she's seemed to develop.  She's also still really playful with her toys and her eating and drinking are fine. And she darts through the house like lightening and still wants to be in the middle of everything. I think this is just something she's trying out right now. It's been going on for a little over a week now. I just hope it doesn't last much longer. I miss my cuddle time and all this running from me is making it really hard to groom and bathe her. Silly dogs. I really wish they spoke English!


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