broken hearted

[mary]

Hi,

I'm deeply torn up over having to get rid of my 16 week mini golden doodle. He was the sweetest, calmest,cutest puppy ever!  We got him at 12 weeks. He was 4 1/2 lbs. of love. 

I am wondering if anyone else has experienced their puppy growling and biting. Our puppy did on 2 incidences. Due to having an 8 and 9 year old, granddaughters and neighborhood kids over, we decided to give him to a single lady that doesn't have kids.

It truly boggles our minds since he was so laid back and loving. We did socialize him with other people from the beginning and an occasional dog at the park. Never a problem. 

We spoke to different behaviorist, each gave us different answers including that he is unpredictable, therefore to keep him away from kids.

I've cried all my tears out.

Mary

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Hi Mary ~ I am sorry you and your family had to go through this.  Puppyhood can be very difficult and I do believe your puppy was just a normal puppy.  From your writing, I am curious if you have ever had a puppy before, and what your reaction was when your grandchild was telling the puppy no and pushing it down, and your husband's reaction to the puppy biting him.  But really it is all hindsight at this point.  You have given the puppy to someone whom I hope will treat him with kindness, take him to obedience training, and make him the best doodle he can be.  If you do decide to get another puppy, I hope you will first arm yourself with all the obedience training info you can and please consider checking out the Doggy Dan online training site, so you will know how to become the leader of the pack from the first day your puppy comes home.  It can make all the difference in the world.  Training is a lifetime commitment when you have a puppy or dog because even after they learn what you want them too, it needs to be continually reinforced.  Peruse this DK site, join Puppy Madness Group and the Training Group - there is so much info to be found right in DK.  Best wishes to you!

    

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Such a perfect response.  I really hope that you give some very serious thought to ever getting another dog.  Having a dog is such a commitment.  They come to us full of love and trust and it is our responsibility to teach them how to live in our world as part of a family.  The key word here is "teach"....they don't come to us perfect.  I have a large standard Doodle who was aggressive as a young dog.  The first time he bit me my Vet told me to get a really good, experienced trainer.  I did that (actually worked with a few) and worked with him every day.  He is now at the point where I totally trust him around children...but it took some work.  I always believed I owed him that....giving him up was never an option because I already loved him.  If you could not effectively manage a mini Doodle puppy, I really think it would be unfair to get another dog.  If you feel you must, I agree that you need to do a lot of homework first.

[mary]

I did take him to 2 training classes so far. Met with a behavior specialist, who told us if he was to bite a child again, we should return to breeder. You're all correct in that I have never had a puppy before. 

Thank you all for your kind words and information you provided. I will continue to check out this site and Doggy Dan.

Mary

[Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa]

I find it difficult to believe that a good behavior specialist would say that about a tiny puppy who is just learning how to behave on his own. Puppies bite everything! Not just children or their adult human but clothes, shoes, furniture... He is like a teething child and needs to be given things to chew. He also needs to be disciplined correctly if the biting is aggressive and not just from playing or teething need. 

Linda and Jane have given you really great responses. I am sad for this puppy but perhaps he will be better off. I only hope that this lady who you gave him to has a better understanding of puppies.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree, Lori. There are all kinds of people out there calling themselves behaviorists who do not have credentials. True animal behaviorists are veterinarians with additional specialization in animal behavior, and a consultation involves a full physical workup and costs $300-500.  

[Amy and Annabelle]

So sorry it had to come to this. Hopefully he has a loving home and they will be wonderful companions for each other. I got Annabelle also a mini a year ago. I have 2 young grandchildren that were 5 and 2 at the time. It was tough going there for a couple of months while she was about the same age as your puppy. But I had house rules regarding playtime with her. They were never to bother her while she was sleeping or eating and never take a toy or food away from her. Also at that age all interaction was supervised. I previously had a mini schnauzer that I got from a breeder at 6 weeks. This was like 32 years ago so times have changed when a puppy can leave his mama. My kids were all under 5 at the time and I don't remember him ever being the chewer and nipper that Annabelle was. Now a year later and the grandkids and Annabelle all get along great. She just had to mature and learn how to behave. It is a process that takes a lot of diligent training that is for sure. But I guess this is all moot point since you gave him away already.

[mary]

Now that I read all these post, I believe he could have been aggressive due to not getting him until 12 weeks old. He probably was let loose with all of the breeders older dogs and have to become aggressive to fight for food. Ive learned a lot here. Thanks!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Here are some other things that can lead to puppies using their mouths on humans inappropriately. Since you have boys in the house, I'm guessing some of these things went on.

When playing with a puppy, you never, ever hold something out of the puppy's reach and encourage the dog to grab it. You never allow a dog to pull anything out of your hand. No tug of war games. You never wrestle a ball or toy out of a dog's mouth; either he drops it, or you don't throw it. If the dog's teeth ever touch human flesh, or even grab part of a person's clothing, the game ends immediately. 

I'd also advise that kids eat at the kitchen table, period. If they're going to be snacking elsewhere in the house, the dog needs to be out of that area. And never give the dog food anywhere other than in his own bowl at his regular mealtimes. Treats are to be given strictly as rewards, and then given immediately. 

I don't think your pup was aggressive. I think he was playing, and possibly showing dominance. I also think there may have been some resource guarding issues. All of that is common and requires training for the dog and for the humans. 

[mary]

We broke all of the above rules, tug o war,  taking ball out of his mouth and throwing, my boys wrestled with him, ate in family room with him there. geez, I feel so bad now.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Mary, I really don't believe that being with the older dogs would cause anything in a puppy. Most older dogs are very good about teaching the youngsters how to play, etc. and in fact, it would almost be beneficial for them to remain longer with the older dogs. Certainly, the breeder was not just throwing out food and letting all the dogs fend for themselves. I sincerely don't believe your puppy was aggressive at all, but maybe just a more willful puppy. I think rather your puppy ended up in the hands of an inexperienced person, which is not a criticism, and you were unfamiliar with puppy behavior. 

[M Kol]

Perhaps you decided to give him to a single lady that doesn't have kids, but didn't actually go through with it yet?
If that's the case, then I think there's some advice here that may be useful.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

I'm sorry this didn't work out.  I feel so bad for you.  Puppies do growl and guard and try to snatch things away.  They are finding their place in the world. Like children, they need to be taught boundaries and their place in the family pack.  I think a good trainer could have helped you work through this and would have solved the issue with a pup so young.  Of course, a young pup is unpredictable.  They often begin by treating you like a littermate.  It's normal. That's where training begins. You didn't mention if the pup was with his littermates long enough to learn some of life's lessons.  Or the temperament of the parents. It's too bad the breeder wasn't supportive and helpful but like others here, I think it would help you to do some research on how to raise a puppy before making another commitment.  Wishing you all the best going forward.