Biting issues

[Lily]

if someone puts there face too close to hers she will snarl at them. i know she is just a puppy and she is in the biting faze but i still wanted to get an opinion on wether or not this is something passed down from her parents or if its just a puppy thing. we have seeked help of a very good dog trainer. She has been teaching us alot of techniques on how to train Lily properly. but some of the things dog trainers think of and saw are a bit bothersome. i mean she said that a dog doesnt need you to show it love and be patted it is there to be a dog and shouldnt be considered family. i personally dont think this is right. i believe a dog should be family i mean why else do you get a dog? i have mixed thoughts on how ee should be training her. she said if she bites or barks to grab her by the scruff and pick her up untik she stops. but i do not think that is right. Correct me if im wrong. im new to the doodle world and i know the poodle can come out pretty bad sometimes. i have only ever really known labradors and they were calm and content dogs. very loving. lily is very loving as well and we picked her specifically because of what we saw in her eyes. It might sound silly but we saw something in her eyes a glisten perhaps and the rest was history. i guess this is more of all of my ideas and thoughts rather than a discussion but feel free to add anything in.

[Amy and Annabelle]

While Annabelle may not be human, she is still most definitely a family member. My trainer told me dogs don't naturally like to be hugged, they consider it a threat, but they do want to please us, so they tolerate it.  I know Annabelle does love to be petted. She will slide her head under our hands, so we will pet her. If she is a good trainer other than her philosophy, I would pick and choose what I take away from it, or find another one. But I would continue to give affection to my dog. I am one to reward good behavior and to either correct, redirect or ignore the bad, depending on what it is. My trainer also told me to bite Annabelle's nose when she was nippy, but I wouldn't do it.

[Lily]

Thank you for your response. My trainer also suggested the biting on the nose or even pinching the ears but it just seems cruel. i know in the wild wolves do this to one another but we are only human so in a way it would be weird for us to do such things.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I would definitely not pick up one of my dogs and hold them by the scruff of their neck for barking...or anything else.  If she is snarling when you put your face too close to her, then she's telling you that she isn't comfortable and I would verbally correct the behavior and redirect her....and I would avoid having anyone put their face that close in the future.  I really think you might want to look for a new trainer....and I would ask lots of questions before committing.

[Lily]

Thank you as well for your response. She does seem to know what she is talking about but some of her traching methods just plain scare me. i understand it is a dog but it should be the exact same for a baby child as well . you wouldnt want to harm a baby not would you want to harm a puppy for correcting purposes. she has been very good about telling us to use a leash in the house to train her rather than let her run around roaming freely doing whatever she pleases. because by doing this we were allowing her to think she was in charge. we had a lab previously but her personality and everything was alot different then how Lily is . With our lab she was very calm and listened very well but with Lily we have been having to leash train her and tell her to sit while also gently pushing her bum down so she understands. she is extremely smart though. I think it is just the fact that she is still a puppy and listening isnt really her forte yet. She did however learn how to sit,lay down, and give paw at only 11 weeks. but i think its just like a child all she really needs is a firm grasp on training and alot of correcting. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment :)

[Ginny Nightingale]

Oh man! Get a new trainer! I don't know where to start but this is all wrong! POSITIVE reinforcement with treats and praise, period! NO threatening actions, no handling by the scruff and no pushing down on her rump to get her to sit! PLEASE find someone else and start over--she is feeling threatened or she is feeling like she is in charge since the training has not been appropriate and as a result, you are unsure of yourself. 

You will see a huge difference once you get on the right track. Start by getting her to sit by saying sit ONCE, holding the treat over her nose and then backing it up over her head until she sits--then say GOOD SIT! with lots of praise and the treat. She will really improve once she knows that good behavior has its rewards!

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Your puppy is still so young and learning to do what you want her to do will  take some time.  I do not think it is a good idea to ever put your face up close to a puppy or dog or allow anyone else to do so.  It is my understanding that the dog's perception of hands, or faces coming directly to their face, is magnified and threatening to them. So much of the unwanted behavior such as biting, it just the way puppies play with their siblings, and they need to be taught what is and what is not appropriate with their humans.  It takes a little time, but your cute little will learn because she wants to please you.  It has always been my motto to be kind to my doodles and only use positive training. If you do, she will want to please you and the sky is the limit in what you can teach them.  Good luck with your sweet girl.

[charlotte bednarsh]

I agree with the other comments, in that you might consider getting another trainer; whereas dogs may be sensitive to an individual approaching their face,  as a dog owner you can't always control the circumstance in which a person, particularly a child may approach a dog's face within close proximity.  Needless to say, that behavior needs to be addressed in a constructive way in which the puppy's fears are not made worse by an aggressive response.  It's not unlike working with children, in that aggressive responses to a child's behavior will often backfire, in that it will increase the child's unwanted, aggressive responses.  Paz's trainer truly believes that a calm corrective response is very different from an aggressive response, which is often done in anger.  I can't envision picking up a dog by the scruff to correct unwanted behavior, because in no way does that convey to the dog what you want it to do, or give you the opportunity to reward the desired behavior.

[Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa]

I am in agreement that you need a new trainer. Picker her up by the scruff doesn't give her any direction. She doesn't know why you did that. You might greatly benefit from just the five golden rules that you can get for $1.00 from Doggy Dan. http://theonlinedogtrainer.com  is his website and he uses all positive methods.  There is a three day trial for one dollar but if you continue, his price is reasonable and you can stop anytime.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I agree with others that you might need a new trainer. with a more gently philosophy that suits you.  Dogs nowadays are members of our family, but they do need you to be the boss - as your children do.  Adult dogs will gently bite a puppy on the snout as a reprimand, and it works  very well, but I don't think YOU could bite your dog with any degree of success. My interpretation of what your trainer might have said: Use your hand to encircle the snout, look the dog in the eye, and give a firm NO command as a technique to stop nipping.  Say Sit and gently pull up on the leash and push down on the butt - then praise or treat. As to grabbing by the scruff of the neck - can't think of what the trainer might have meant.