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Growling Puppy

375 Views 2 Replies 3 Participants Last post by  K9luv
Hi everyone, I have a 10 wk old Boston puppy. We brought her home a week ago. I grew up with Bostons and had two as an adult, but this is a my puppy as a parent with 7 year-old kids. My prior dogs just ignored them, but they were already older when I had the kids. This puppy has a nervous temperament. She is very intelligent and already learning potty, sit, and lay down pretty well. She likes her crate for the most part. My concern is that she was growling pretty seriously when picked up or when we take a toy away. Not every time, but enough to make me concerned. I have not witnessed this in my other dogs.

I took her to puppy kinder on Thurs so she could observe. In speaking with the trainer, she said she did pretty well and the growling could be normal if handled too much without consent. Changes: I am not letting the kids manhandle or pick her up. If she wants to go on their laps it’s ok, but they can’t hold on to for her to stay. When I pick her up I am sure to gently grab her from the front. I am also teaching her “drop it”. She is no longer allowed on the couch so that the kids don’t have her in their faces if she is getting wild. I have her leash in the house in case I need to stop her from doing something instead of running after her. She is still pretty bitey and it seems like play. She does a snappy bitting, like surprise attack on the fingers and face.
Not as much growling since these changes. She growled at her leash once.
I am paranoid now and don’t know if I’m just over thinking all this, if I started off with her on the wrong foot with the kids, or if she has the wrong temperament for kids. I thought I was an experienced dog owner, but maybe kids change the dynamic. Or maybe she is a more sensitive dog. Or maybe she is a normal puppy and will grow out of this with prosper training and handling? She seems pretty smart.
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I have a Boston..... I treat him like a dog. I don’t pick him up nor allow my kids to pick him up. He is allowed on furniture etc..... but he is treated like my other dogs.
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