Could anyone give me some advice please.
My friend has just ( 3 weeks ) given her 9yr daughter a border tettier puppy for her birthday.We went to see it before we took it home and right from the beginning the 8 week old bitch puppy growled at us.She growls when you pick her up or when you move her when she's got comfy in your arms.At all other times she is a playfull dog.The vet says she just needs a firm hand and has a strong character.
Is this normal for a puppy? I'm worried it might try and bite someone.
They have had it 3 weeks now but it doesn't seem to be getting any better.
Apparently the father was like that when he was a puppy but he seemed to be a really friendly dog now and the mother was very friendly.
Any suggetions welcome.
Thanks.

Hi.
I have 3 border Terriers and they are very vocal dogs. One constantly "growls" when he has a toy in his mouth or when he greets you etc.. but he is not being nasty, just talking. I have known several Borders who growl when picked up, I think this may also be a breed characteristic but I have never known one turn and bite. If you are worried go and see an experienced breeder of Borders and discuss it with them, I am sure they will be glad to help. Use the search facility to locate someone close to you or post again for further help.
Dawn.

Hi

I breed and am owned by 11 Border Terriers.

This puppy needs a very firm hand in her training, Borders are renowned for wanting to be the dominant one in the home and it sounds to me as if she is being given the impression that she is right to continue with this behaviour.

Makes sure that your friends put her down and immediately turn their backs on her and ignore her when she exhibits this behaviour, and I don't just mean for a minute I mean until she comes begging to be let back into the pack. If she repeats the growling, the you repeat the treatment, until she learns what you want from her.

If this doesn't work, and this is at the expense of making myself very unpopular with some of the posters on this board, get hold of her by the scruff of the neck push her to the floor and say a very loud no straight into her face.

She should get the message that this is unacceptable and if she wants to be member of your pack, then she has to play by the rules.

I will agree that it is quite a common trait in the breed to talk (i.e growl), but there is fine line between talking and saying I don't want you to pick me up. etc. and now is the time to stop it. One of my old boys used to talk whenever you rubbed his back or picked him up, (we said just like a teddy bear) but he never atempted to bite because he knew we would not accept that kind of behaviour from him.

I would be very interested to hear from whom you got the puppy and if they have given you any advice as to how to deal with this problem.

E-mail me privately if necessary and I will attempt to help you.

You can do that by clicking onto my name at the top of this posting. I think!!!

Regards

Daz

Thanx Daz :-) Leigh

I'm glad you helped this visitor, as I directed her from a horsey website saying how helpful and friendly you all are :-)

My worry would be that the pup growls at 8 weeks - is this because the breeder never socialised the pups at all and they aren't used to handling? (Just checking).

If the father of the litter growed in exactly the same circumstances then it could be genetic; does the pup growl if the owner attempts to move the pup from say, one place to another?Or is it just when being picked up and when in arms?

I would be very careful here as BT's are bred to be tenacious and to not give in, and IMHO being confrontational may lead to more growl problems, although in some circumstances it may work. From my experience though it makes matters worse. Sorry!

Hi Lindsay

Although you say in your opinion that confrontational correction is not the way to go with Borders, you didn't suggest an alternative. I would be interested to hear what you think the appropriate correction would be. I agree that they are very tenacious but they still need to be taught their position in the pack.

I base how I correct a growling puppy (and I have to say there have been a few come through here at times, I foster puppies for rescue and the RSPCA of all breeds)on the way that my older bitches teach youngsters their manners, and that is done in the same manner that I described. If a pup oversteps the mark, they will down them in no uncertain terms until the pup gives in.

I run a pack of BT's here from a 6 month old to a 12 year old, and although I have an Alpha Bitch I am the leader of the pack in every way, but my dogs would turn somersaults to please me. We have no in fighting amongst them, even when bitches are in season or we have a litter of pups who are reared in a pen in the main living area. The puppies are allowed to mix with the older dogs from about 4-5 weeks of age.

In fact I have just whelped a bitch 10 days ago who doesn't live here normally and she is quite happily rearing her puppies and mixing with the rest of the pack.

After posting my last message, the thought did come to mind that maybe the puppy isn't being allowed to rest when it wants to and possibly this is its reaction to being picked up when it is a tired baby, and just not feeling like being messed around. So possibly the young daughter needs to be told that although a Birthday present, it is not a plaything to be shown off even when asleep.

We had a 14week old Cocker puppy here a few months ago, with numerous problems including being partially blind through hereditary cataracts. She came here rather than being put into a kennel environment. Where ever she had been obviously had had children because she became hyper when in the company of kids and was a growler, similar to the BT's pup described above. I dealt with her in the same manner as I have described and she left here 5 weeks later to go to a new home a very well rounded social pup, who was no longer a Juvenile Delinquent. Admittedly some the the work was done by my adult dogs, so I won't take the credit for all her improvement.

I have a very open mind about the latest ideas on training dogs, but have to say that I find the tried and tested methods that I have used for years seem to work for BT's and others.

Regards

Daz

The only thing I would disagree with is putting the puppy down if she growls, this to me is giving her what she wants. In her eyes "I growl, I get put on the back on the floor" just what she wanted and has learned that it works. I would go for a quick sharp NO to see if has the desired effect. Just my opinion. Let us know how you get on.
Dawn.