First, don't bother the dog when he is sleeping. If they are dreaming or very deeply asleep the results of waking them up by physically moving them can be undesirable. Instead, if he is sleeping in a spot and he needs to move, try gently calling his name to wake him up. When he is fully awake, lure him to a different spot with a treat. Work on teaching him the "off" command to get off furniture, and reward him for doing so. Perhaps teach him to go to his own bed, as well. He likes the furniture because it is soft, but if they have their own soft bed, as well, it isn't as sad for them to leave yours! It works much better and is far less dramatic!
I would forbid your niece to pick up the dog. He doesn't need to be picked up, and it is likely amping him up too much. She should only play with the dog with toys. You don't want them rough housing or wrestling. He should only be biting and pulling on appropriate toys, like a tug toy.
Growling and even snapping is a normal part of play. It does sound scary sometimes, but if the dog's body is loose and wiggly it is likely all play. One of the first things my dog did when we got him at six months old was jump up and punch my face with his teeth! Was it inappropriate? Yes, absolutely. Was it aggressive? No, just a puppy who doesn't understand that his teeth HURT. At that age, they are still all blundery puppy that does not understand how big and strong they are. They are still learning bite inhibition, learning that teeth should not be placed on humans, learning that they can knock us down and they shouldn't jump. It's your job to teach them!
I would suggest looking up some dog body language videos to learn the difference between play growling and snapping and real growling and snapping. When your pup gets over stimulated and begins doing inappropriate things, it's likely time for a break. Crate time, time in a pen, something to calm them down.
I would forbid your niece to pick up the dog. He doesn't need to be picked up, and it is likely amping him up too much. She should only play with the dog with toys. You don't want them rough housing or wrestling. He should only be biting and pulling on appropriate toys, like a tug toy.
Growling and even snapping is a normal part of play. It does sound scary sometimes, but if the dog's body is loose and wiggly it is likely all play. One of the first things my dog did when we got him at six months old was jump up and punch my face with his teeth! Was it inappropriate? Yes, absolutely. Was it aggressive? No, just a puppy who doesn't understand that his teeth HURT. At that age, they are still all blundery puppy that does not understand how big and strong they are. They are still learning bite inhibition, learning that teeth should not be placed on humans, learning that they can knock us down and they shouldn't jump. It's your job to teach them!
I would suggest looking up some dog body language videos to learn the difference between play growling and snapping and real growling and snapping. When your pup gets over stimulated and begins doing inappropriate things, it's likely time for a break. Crate time, time in a pen, something to calm them down.
