ShyLoh Posted February 22, 2018 Report Share Posted February 22, 2018 I have no clue how to correct this! My 9 week old puppy, whom I just picked up a week ago, has started to show a new behaviour. Today mostly, whenever I pick her up and try to cuddle her she will growl at me, whether she is sleepy, hyper or just do her normal thing. She doesn't do it 100% of the time, but about 50%. If I don't let her go when she starts to growl, she will get louder, although has not tried to snap at or bite me yet. She is also like this when I try to take away or pet her while she is eating a treat. I have dealt with the treat thing in the past, so know what to do to get her over that, but the cuddling thing to new to me. I can pick her up and carry her around, she is fine with that, I can also cuddle her while she is on the floor, etc. I have no clue on how to correct this. I want to be able to do whatever I want with her and for her to let me, so for in the future when she is an adult, she won't be like this. Any tips? Ps. I can't take her to a puppy class as I live 2 hours away from the closest one. This isn't my first puppy, and she is doing great with training. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maz51 Posted February 22, 2018 Report Share Posted February 22, 2018 successdogs.com training starts asap.. free ebook too. She may be feeling claustrophobic being held. Also she may feel uncomfortable too if she hasnt been handled much. They are more a companion than a pet and certainly not a baby to be carried around. She may prefer to be with you on the floor and remember she will grow pretty fast, and big and strong! Make sure she has her own 'den' in a suitable crate; cover over the top and 1/3rd down back & sides, up against a wall or in a corner. Soft toys, rope toys - soft-ish to chew on. No Nyla bones and research safe chews. Research [emoji847] I can't say this enough. Dont forget she needs to be wormed pretty regularly. I'm sure you've had her checked over and registered at your vets, microchipped and necessary jabs organised /in hand. Avoid hard bones until 2nd teeth through after six months. Let her adjust to you but training in positive reward enforcement will also help her adjust from leaving her litter pack - no guidance from mum or her siblings; You. Are. It. Now. I really disagree with pups going this early. There is a massive world of difference between this age and a pup that leaves at 12, 14 or even 16 weeks, in confidence, nerves/growly/scared, timid or aggression. Once good to go out... 15 mins per day on a lead max in month one. Add five minutes next month so 20 mis a day. Continue adding five minutes up to a year. Let those joints, ligaments and bones develop strong and not strained. Rugs down on slippy floors to avoid over splaying of hips/shoulders -> hip/joint dysplasia st least until a year old. You know to avoid wheat and gluten products too. They cannot digest these as they do not carry the enzymes to do so. No shouting. Ignore the bad. Praise the good behaviour.. distract away from undesirable stuff. Remove quietly from social company for a few minutes into a separate room if, eg, mouthing nibbling biting hands fingers or clothes. Its easier to do this by clipping a lead onto her collar and lead her out. After a few minutes, bring back - repeat this if she starts again. They are very intelligent and learn fast! Praise & over-fuss AND reward when she's nice! Growling over food...she's probably had to defend her grub against her siblings .. so teach her 'leave it/give" : play tug games with toy rope - good bonding this - with other hand produce a treat saying 'leave it' - or 'give' and she learns this too as she let's go to take the treat/reward. Teaching 'back/away' is another and you can move in between something you want to separate her from saying this and asking her to sit straight away and... reward within three seconds. Repeat this as much as possjble. The rewarding is pretty often to start with so varying the treats and keeping them small will help but you may need to adjust her food if lits of treats are given. . It takes 30 reps to get this or any new teaching, across.. so persevere. Take breaks - finish with hands together & then showing empty and sweep out to sides saying 'Break'. Go play or let her chase a ball. Keep lessons to five minutes or when she gets bored... [emoji847] Good luck Sent from my [device_name] using http://Husky Owners mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShyLoh Posted February 22, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2018 Thank you! She does have a crate, lots of suitable toys and treats and I don't carry her around all day or anything like that. I carry her outside in the morning and back in to avoid accidents on the way outside and to assure she goes back in her crate. I will pick her up and move her if she gets in somewhere she is not suppose to also, and she is completely fine with that. Occasionally throughout the day we will cuddle a bit like I do with my other dogs and 50% of the time she will growl. I have been ignoring her growls and petting then putting her down when she stops. She is good with her food, just her bones she doesn't want me around. I am teaching her commands like sit, stay, come and basics like that right now and she is catching on. Thank you for all the tips! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maz51 Posted February 22, 2018 Report Share Posted February 22, 2018 You're very welcome. The 'guarding' over bones/toys or anything needs to be stopped now.. before it gets out of hand. I did this with my rescue girl aged 2.5 yrs and we had quite a few scraps with her vs my boy who came to me a nine weeks. After three years my Eski is much better altho' the occasional scrap still erupts. ● Added : I think she has had other experiences however I don't know, given no full history before I got her. (Her 66 yo owner died after an op (negligence and a # arm (undiagnosed/undiscovered/ignored) until a blood clot killed her) after falling on the way back when moving to her bed on the ward - no nurse present and just an 'untrained' uncaring porter;) the adult grand-daughter had been looking after Eski for supposedly a couple of weeks. (Six months, with a daily walker but admitted no knowledge much, of dogs or Huskies). Young daughter of three. I suspected possible teasing and or sudden touching when asleep as she really jumps/growls if her legs are accidentally touched when asleep, and then painfully submissive, lip licking, cowering into the ground. I am positive she's been hit too because same 'fearful' guilty behaviour when caught nicking empty packages, tins, tissues from friends' handbags ([emoji23][emoji16]) and even a raised voice in exasperation makes her cower. I hate this reaction so much it hurts me, and tell her off real quiet showing the remnants or scattered items indoors and out. She knows. She goes down on her front legs in front of me and lifting/curling a paw over her nose or eyes! I have to cuddle her to reassure her talking all the time and pointing to the items saying "Eski, no... please leave, leave, leave". She can melt me in no time. Chester.. well, he sits in the crate half turned away looking like "Not me mum.. SHE did it..." but, I know he can and does, do naughty too and if he's the first onto his bed when we come home to (sometimes nothing indoors but evidence outside!) I know who's the real culprit. He has had a few raw dinners off us off the cooker top - chicken breasts and porkchops .. temporarily forgotten by distraction/phone call. Take-out then or beans & egg on toast! Lol His face is actually funny as he's the "opportunist-in-the-moment-well-it's-there-and-you-didn't-say-'leave-it'-soooo" ..lmao.... He was lucky to have a foster mum (she really taught him well and mothered him) and a grumpy granddad (her Sire) in my older Westies; I bred from both - Wesley at Stud as a KC WHW multiple BiB's, BiS', Reserve Ch., Champions and a 5th Generation Crufts' winner preceding him - both have since passed and he pined badly after they went within six months of each other. My Polly Perkins came iff a winning Dam and had mated after two years old, with only the best lines from a fab breeder and judge of WHW (he's gone too now - Mr Pike) from Wales. I would drive her there to meet her mate (and, that was interesting and as least invasive for her), as she was very ready and willing ... I never left her and was close all the time when there for the deed. She was an incredible mother - five litters, (lost three pups) produced 14 fab ones, - and even adopted an older pup (by three weeks) whose mum wasn't nursing properly; we kept her) and they all had vetted homes and returned for 'holiday' stops too. None left me before 12-14 weeks. Jolly hard work (I worked 28 hrs/week 15 minutes away so came home .. but they were all laid back when they left, curious, adventurous - and no fear! I did everything with them and to teach them and show them as much as possible, indoors and out. (End of added). It was nearly three months before I found Eski (on Gumtree) and only then I discovered how many huskies were out there abandoned, not wanted. I cannot download my videos showing my two going through the ongoing training.. 'down' and silent 'wait' along with the 'leave/back away' commands mid feed. They have their own fb page Eski and Chester Cottee - check out the videos.. I do these every day, to ensure instant response and we can take bones off them too. You say you have other dogs so hopefully she'll find some comfort with one of them and grow up learning all those important social do's and dont's of her canine world. In that case, do your training away from the others in a quiet room, so no distractions! That web site is my bible in dog training. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShyLoh Posted February 22, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2018 We have 4 other dogs... She has bonded to my 1 year old husky mix Shiloh, and she actually is completely fine with her while eating a bone. I have dealt with gaurding of bones in puppies before, as all the pups I have raised, excluding Shiloh ( she was never like that) did the same thing as pups. I am more concerned over her growling while being cuddled/hugged. She doesn't gaurd her food, just bones. So one of the things I have been doing is sitting next to her while she eats it, occasionally telling her to give and once she does, sit and she gets it back. Or I will hold the bone while she chews on it. During the day 3 of our dogs spend most of the day outside but Shiloh and aura spend it inside. She knows sit now, and is working on the other ones I mentioned, but I will definitely teach her the ones you mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachael_Astro Posted February 22, 2018 Report Share Posted February 22, 2018 Can I ask why you are picking her up? Some dogs just don't like being cuddled unfortunately and it's not a case of 'doing what you want', you have to respect what the dog does or doesn't want. I've got 2 huskies - one will literally crawl on you for attention and he loves cuddles. The other however is like a grumpy cat, he likes his own space, hates cuddles and will only come to you on his terms. There is nothing you can do to train them out of this, it's just the way they are!Sent from my iPhone using Husky Owners Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingBlaze n Skyla Posted February 22, 2018 Report Share Posted February 22, 2018 Some dogs just don't like being picked up or approached from behind and being grabbed , huskies like attention on their terms Sent from my [device_name] using http://Husky Owners mobile app Get a house training line (long lead without a handle) donyou can lead her outside etc instead Sent from my [device_name] using http://Husky Owners mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maz51 Posted February 22, 2018 Report Share Posted February 22, 2018 Why don't you lead her out on a lead/collar into the garden... my Eski doesn't mind close hugs and cuddles; my boy chooses to lie by/against/or on me as close as possible. But, if I move to hug or lie ON him.. a very low rumble emanates from him and he suddenly whiney/growls and extracts himself. He doesn't like being held, but non holding lotsa cuddles is adored. Showing your girl where to 'go' saying "Be quick! / Be clean!" Will get her to respond and of course ... over fuss and praise when she does ... her watching the others too when they're out for potty is the best teaching. Only just seen the two prev comments - they've said it all [emoji11][emoji6][emoji16] xx Sent from my [device_name] using http://Husky Owners mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShyLoh Posted February 22, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2018 I lead her outside during daytime, but the first pee in the morning or during the night I carry her so she doesn't pee on the floor inside on our way out. Like I said though, she doesn't care about just holding her or picking her up. Yesterday I was picking her up occasionally through the the day, hugging her and putting her down. When I started just doing this she didn't growl at me at all. I want her to learn that hugs are okay so in the future if she is around kids, I won't have to worry if they give her a hug. I don't mind if she turns out not to be a cuddly dog, I already have one that is extremely cuddly. Aura knows the word "no" and "no biting", she knows how to sit, come, and I am teaching her other basic tricks and commands that she is starting to catch on. Her house breaking training is going great too. She has not had a poo inside yet and has only had a few pees inside so far too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maz51 Posted February 22, 2018 Report Share Posted February 22, 2018 I lead her outside during daytime, but the first pee in the morning or during the night I carry her so she doesn't pee on the floor inside on our way out. Like I said though, she doesn't care about just holding her or picking her up. Yesterday I was picking her up occasionally through the the day, hugging her and putting her down. When I started just doing this she didn't growl at me at all. I want her to learn that hugs are okay so in the future if she is around kids, I won't have to worry if they give her a hug. I don't mind if she turns out not to be a cuddly dog, I already have one that is extremely cuddly. Aura knows the word "no" and "no biting", she knows how to sit, come, and I am teaching her other basic tricks and commands that she is starting to catch on. Her house breaking training is going great too. She has not had a poo inside yet and has only had a few pees inside so far too. I hope by house breaking (🤣) you mean 'potty' training. The breaking part may well come later! roflSent from my [device_name] using http://Husky Owners mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShyLoh Posted February 22, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2018 Yes I mean potty training haha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachael_Astro Posted February 23, 2018 Report Share Posted February 23, 2018 There's no need to pick her up to cuddle her, it's only natural for a puppy to be picked up by their mother when they are very young and that's probably why she's being grumpy. If she's going to be around children in future she's going to be far too big to be picked up, there's no value in her being picked up so only do it when you really need toSent from my iPhone using Husky Owners Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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