Help!! 14 week old Goldendoodle snapping at the kids

[Jeri]

Like everyone else we are dealing with the puppy nipping/biting when she's playful or has extra energy. Of course it hurts and it's been tough for the kids. It has improved a bit for me and my husband but she's still very rough with the kids. It had all been playful until this last week... Usually she was just playing too rough and I undersfand her needing to learn bite Inhibition. She still plays nicely with the kids at times too but in the last week she has also snapped at all 3 of my kids aggressively! Once was when my 9 year had attempted to pull her away from my other dogs food dish... Understandable, she was protecting what she thought was her food. The second time she had found her way into one of the kitchen cabinets and my 16 year old had to get her out... She snapped at her! Again, I think she was protecting her food or what she felt was hers in the cabinet. Another time the puppy was sitting on a step chewing on her bone (in a high traffic area in the house) and my 16 year old came by and gently patted the dog on the head as she walked by and she snapped at her a second time! Just now my 7 year old was trying to get into the bathroom (we keep the door closed because the puppy finds mischief there). The dog was trying to push her way in too and snapped at my son! In all of the instances the dog growls, barked, then quickly snapped/bit the kids! One of the kids was bit on the face! The extent of the injuries were minor. All minor scratches that didn't last long, no broken skin, although she has broken skin with the playful nipping. My question is why is this happening now?! I felt like things were improving and she was starting to listen better when I intervened when she was nipping at the kids! She does still play and shows lots of love for the kids but I'm worried now about her snapping at them again! My 16 year old baby-sits for the younger 2 when I've been at work and it worked beautifully for at least 5 weeks! Then I come home Friday and it seems like the dog is suddenly so disrespectful to my oldest child! FYI, my oldest is very soft spoken and non-threatening. I know the puppy probably is trying to take the alpha role. Does anyone have any tips? Is this a bad sign that my puppy will not work out with my family?

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

I'm sure others will have specific recommendations. But if she isn't already, I would get her started with a trainer ASAP to nip this in the bud. Good luck and hang in there :-)

[Brandy]

Sounds like a resource guarding issue to me. 14 weeks is boarder line to handle it yourself. Basically you need to practice taking things away and immediately replacing with something better so they start to associate you taking things with better things coming.

Resource guarding is pretty serious so I would probably find a professional to help.

[Judith and Addie]

I agree with the other comments that you should seek help from a qualified trainer. If you would like some insight into resource guarding, look into reading Jean Donaldson's book, "Mine".

Please also give up the idea of alpha and other of the Cesar Milan type thinking; those ideas of alpha, pack-leader, etc have been disproven. When you are looking for a trainer, please look at ones that are positive only. Here is a site that may help you. http://www.ccpdt.org/

[Lori, Winnie, Bob and Indie]

I agree with what other's have said- with a dog that young snapping, I would enlist the help of a professional. 

But, in the meantime, she needs to know that everyone in the house is HER leader- not the other way around. It's not a "dominance" thing- it's leadership. It's the same thing that you probably taught your children when they were growing up. She needs to learn to be respectful and courteous. So, make sure that she "works" for everything and doesn't get to push everyone around. That means that she needs to "sit" before she gets her food...if you are going up/downstairs, she needs to follow you and not push on ahead...when she goes outside, you go first and she follows, etc. Regarding the bones, you need to let her know that the bones are YOUR bones, and you are just loaning them to her for short periods of time. So, don't leave them laying around the house. Periodically, you have her "sit" before you give her a bone. Once she takes it, you take it right back and give her a treat. Praise her for letting you have it back. Have her "sit" again, she takes it, you take it back, give her a treat, praise her, etc. Once she is doing it very nicely, she gets to chew on it for a while. Doing this teaches her that it is a GOOD thing to give things up- she gets a treat and praise for doing so.

All of these things subtly let her know that she is not the boss of the house. If you haven't already done it, check out the Doggy Dan videos on line.

[Judith and Addie]

I would be very careful in taking something from a dog that is resource guarding. Giving her a bone and then trying to take it right back could be a recipe for disaster.

When I was working with a behaviorist with a dog with resource guarding issues, she gave me three big-mouth treat toys. I would put one down for my dog. When he was taking the treats from it, i would then put another one down and when he moved to the second one, I would pick up the first one. Then repeat with second and third, etc.

[Lori, Winnie, Bob and Indie]

Oh, I totally agree! She had mentioned that the pup had done the guarding with the kids, and I would NOT have the kids do that 'taking back' exercise with the pup. Sorry I wasn't clear on that.

[Dawn and Molly]

We went through some similar things when my doodle was about this age.  I was so frustrated with the nipping that happened, mainly with my kids.  They were 6 and 8 at the time.  Many of their clothes were ruined because she would bite and tear holes in them.  We wound up joining a puppy kindergarten class and that helped a lot.  We also had to deal with a resource guarding issue with Molly.  It wasn't food, but some toys and socks.  She would get a hold of a sock, run quickly, and eat it before we could get her.  We met with a trainer and she helped us.  We learned to trade for things more valuable, just like a lot of the other posts have said.

I just wanted to let you know that things got better.  She is 7 months now and great with my kids.  It has taken a lot of patience and training.  She is the most wonderful dog and we couldn't ask for a better puppy :)  Good luck!

[Jeri]

Thank you for all the responses. As far as the resource guarding, this is only an issue with the kids. My husband and I are able to touch her food while she eats/ I can wrap my hand around the bone in her mouth, she does nothing! This is all towards the kids. Very frustrating! I've never involved a trainer before and wish I didn't have to but I'm worried about the kids so I'll do what I have to do.

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

You're not the first doodle owner to have this happen. Your girl must feel she is above them on the "food chain".
It does take some training to change her thinking, but very important to do it right away before someone gets hurt. I would hate to see her rehomed if that happens, not to mention your child being hurt.
Some dogs are just wired differently, but it can be corrected. She's worth it, and you'll have a great family dog in the end.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I would also get the children involved in feeding her her daily meals.  The pack leader decides when you get to eat, and she needs to learn that the kids are above her in the pack and that she doesn't get to push them around.  I also think it is time to get into some training classes where she is going to use a lot of energy and she is going to learn all about sit, come, down, leave it, drop it, etc.  I find when we are in a training class we practice these things a lot more than we do when we aren't.  The "leave it" and "drop it" are going to be very important for this little one.  You will be amazed at how much you are going to learn in the class ... I had no idea how stupid I was until I went to training with my girls.

[Jeri]

We've had our puppy for 6 weeks now and my 16 year old baby sits for the younger kids and the puppy 3 days a week while my hubby and I are working. They are alone with the puppy for 5-6 hours on those days so they've been feeding her and taking care of her. it had been working so well and I was so proud of the kids with how well they were doing with teaching the puppy. It was just this past weekend when my 16 year old had told me what happened. The puppy had not been that way towards her before that. The puppy listens to me pretty well when it comes to sit, down and drop it. She has not learns the fact that she has to listen to the kids too.

[Jeri]

It's heartbreaking to believe her behavior is serious enough to need professional help ☹️ She does nip when she's being playful too and that has actually improved. This guarded behavior is new. She is so sweet in every other way and its obvious that she does love the kids because these incidents are always very short. She is very loving and playful the rest of the time.