We got a 12 week old Puppy. He is calm and sweet usually, but in the last few days he growls and nips when we pick him up and he doesn't want to be picked up.
Everytime he does this I put him on his back and tell him no! I let him go only after he stops wiggeling and growling, then he walks away and pouts.He loves to play with our one year female and they get along pretty good. We have four children and they are very gentle with him, can his behaviour be stopped? I need to be able to handle him whenever i have to not when HE thinks it's ok to do so.
He is a pekingnese/Yorkie Mix.
I would appreciate any advice,
Thanks

These are just my thoughts, but small dogs in particular seem to get picked up lots and I wonder if your puppy is simply tired, has been picked up too much, and wants to be left alone?

/Don't get me wrong, a pup should allow the owner to pick him up, but it is so easy to hurt a pup and with 4 children I wonder has this been a factor? EVen well behaved and gentle children may pick up a pup wrongly, roughly or quickly, this may need to be checked out and looked at.

My advice would be to sort of re-train him to accept handling - take a few minutes each day to gently examine and stroke him, and reward with praise and a tasty food treat such as liver or chicken. Something not normally given so it is really nice. Reward as he is beign examined rather than after.Maybe start off on the floor and gradually get to the stage of picking him up in your arms. If he growls, ignore, (at this stage you want good associations with handling) and just carry on. Dont' put him away becausehe was growling, the growling must have no effect in his eyes. If you put him down and tell him off, he will still have got what he wanted, to be putdown. After a few days when he accepts this, supervise the kids and ensure they don't crowd round excitedlybut are very gentle. Make it all rewarding. Dogs learn by association as well as repetition, and i know of dogs where this kind of approach has worked well.

Take it all slowly and if he continues, consider speaking to a vet just in case he has a phusical problem - I doubt it but you did say he was nornally calm and sweet and has changed character, this can sometimes be due to a medical problem, but I suspect not in this case. I suspect he is just no happy about handling, so make it pleasant for him, but be firm that you are in control.

Lindsay

All I can suggest is dont let the kids pick him up. As Lindsay says they can be un-intentionally rough with pups and he is probably tired of the constant attention.

Best of luck IM sure he will settle down if handled gently

Hi,

Has he suddenly started this behaviour? If so, could he be starting teething, or have pain somewhere so that he growls because it hurts or because he is in a bad mood.

It could also be that the children are being a bit rough accidentally and have made him dislike being handled.

I would suggest starting slowly by restraining him on the floor and reward him for not growling, then have him on your lap while kneeling on the floor and again reward and then move to picking him up.

Is he a dominant puppy? Some dominant puppies dislike being held and restrained.

I would also recommend you attend training classes which incorporate handling and socialising on their course.

manda
X

Thank you.
He doesn't do it everytime when picked up, maybe twice a day, generally when you interupt what he is doing.
I'll tell the kids to leave him alone and wait until he comes to them, he did it to me too though and I'm sure i was not rough, he just didn't want to be messed with at that time.I'm confident we will fix this though he is still very young and calm he listens to the word no already.He is submissive to our 1 year old female so don't think he is trying to be Alpha, not yet at least.
Thanks for your replys i really appreciate it.