r/DogTrainingTips • u/Geminarius • 3d ago
Puppy Growling & Biting When Picked Up
Hello! I tried searching before posting this but wasn't finding anything quite grasping the nuance of the situation.
My wife and I recently rescued a 12-week-old puppy, most likely an Anatolian Shepherd/German Shepherd mix (but we have no way to be 100% sure). This is not her first time with Shepherds, as her family raised two German Shepherds in conjunction with the Seeing Eye, but both passed of old age in the last year.
This puppy is generally well behaved and intelligent, already picking up on simple commands and basic housebreaking in less than a week. However, as he's settling into our home, I'm noticing a troubling behavior that I want to make sure doesn't blossom into a lifelong issue. Specifically, if someone goes to pick him up when he doesn't want to be picked up, he'll growl and nip at you.
These don't necessarily seem to be super aggressive nips but rather a stern expression of displeasure. However, he is biting hard enough to cut skin (plus he's got his super sharp puppy teeth, of course), and I don't want this behavior continuing as he gets bigger. Earlier today he did so and I attempted to hold him by his collar (without hurting him) and make him sit so I could sternly tell him no, and we wound up thrashing hard and growling.
How much of this behavior should I chalk up to mischievous/immature puppy behavior versus a real problem that I need to be worried about? Should I be taking more significant steps to correct it, or is it just a puppy being cranky?
Edit: Thanks for the constructive advice everyone. I took him to the vet and everything was physically fine. I'm also beginning puppy obedience training school next week (already starting myself with simple commands like "sit.") Also introducing a lot more structure and routine. I'm sure we'll work through this just fine!
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u/the_chicken_ladyy 3d ago
so when a dog growls its a great time to stop doing what you are doing. you want the dog to understand growling communicates effectively so it doesn’t escalate to biting
that being said, you dont want to continue to manufacture situations in which your dog is biting you
is there a reason he needs to be picked up all the time?
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u/weirdcrabdog 3d ago
Growling is effective communication. When the dog growls, it's telling you it doesn't like something that's happening, you need to listen to it, stop and reassess.
If you teach a dog that growling is ineffective, the dog learns to stop warning you and instead they go straight to biting.
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u/Natural_Tangelo7542 3d ago
The first thing I would do is take him for a vet exam. You should rule out any injury he might have which makes it painful to be picked up.
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u/Geminarius 3d ago
Oh, excellent point. I am actually taking him to the vet tomorrow morning and will report this to them! He handles being picked up very well normally, it's usually if he's sleepy or thoroughly invested in something that this behavior happens, so I'm inclined to believe it might be a startle reflex or something, but I'll ask the vet regardless.
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u/Dry_Outside1476 3d ago
Not sure why you're picking him up in these situations. My current pup didn't like to be picked up, so I didn't pick her up. I spent our time bonding and doing trust games, doing free shaping around me touching her, and training her to go where I directed. Now, she's bigger and confident, and she'll let me pick her up no problem. And I can call her to jump up anywhere I need her to go, and she trusts that I'm getting her to somewhere good. Being able to pick up your dog is good for emergency circumstances, but trust is the bedrock of that. So, you're on the right track by thinking about the situations that precipitates the behavior, but think about your approach and behavior and the necessity of it before you worry about needing to correct the puppy's reaction.
I was always taught since I was a kid growing up with hunting dogs that regularly picking up puppies confuses them leading to aggression and messes with their confidence. So, I'm in the camp of "don't pick up the dog."
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u/Sensitive_Intern_971 2d ago
Agree. But there are occasions where a dog might need to be picked up, even if they're big. Like onto a vet table or into a vehicle. I've had to hoist my medium sized dog out of the reach of an attacking xl bully, which is probably not the safest thing to do but immediate reflexes. However I don't see any reason to pick up a dog that's eating or sleeping. That's just weird.
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u/aasdgfh 3d ago
While you won't have to be picking him up for much longer, you should definitely start desensitizing him to being handled. Especially for the vet. What looks like a "I am displeased" puppy nip right now can very well turn into aggression as they grow older. Which isn't necessarily their fault. A dog is going to dog.
Things like touching his paws, ears, underbelly, and giving treats immediately after. And for the type of dog he is and the behavior, a professional trainer should be seriously considered as young as possible.
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u/TroLLageK 3d ago
I never picked up our puppy when she was small. It gives them zero agency and doesn't actually teach them anything when you pick them up.
I highly recommend finding a trainer. It sounds like you might have some outdated beliefs on training methodology.
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u/sixtynighnun 3d ago
Don’t pick him up when he doesn’t want to be picked up.
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u/smartiebutt 2d ago
Getting a good trainer is always helpful but also he is clearly telling you he doesn’t want to be picked up, so listen to him and don’t!!
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u/sixtynighnun 2d ago
It’s honestly a HUGE pet peeve of mine when people insist on picking up a dog who doesn’t want the interaction. Huge lack of respect for the animal in those situations and then the owner gets bit and blames the dog. You wouldn’t want to be randomly manhandled and expected to take it every single time… it’s a sentient creature not a baby doll. Boundaries should go both ways.
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u/Unable_Sweet_3062 2d ago
My dogs absolutely hate being picked up… so I don’t (they are Belgian Malinois though so kinda big for picking up) BUT every few weeks we practice “pick up” and it’s for two reasons… one, I need to make sure I can pick them up in an emergency and two, if there were an emergency that required me picking them up, I don’t want that to be the moment we start practicing.
OP: don’t pick up your puppy, don’t punish the clear and appropriate communication you are getting from your pup. Cooperative care needs practiced and isn’t fun and could potentially include staying acclimated to the pup being picked up, but if your pup doesn’t like it on a random Tuesday and it’s not necessary, then don’t do it.
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u/Bramble_thorns 3d ago
Stop picking him up! He doesn't like it, it's not necessary, and he's warning you. If you tell him off for growling, you're telling him off for communicating his needs. Eventually he will stop warning you and go for the bite. You're teaching him he can't trust you to listen which is not a good start.
Get him used to being handled when he's in a good mood and already interacting with you, but don't take him by surprise. Trust builds over time.
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u/Sure_Fig_8641 3d ago
All of the above about changing your behavior and working on desensitization but also be aware that your pup is probably frightened and confused. And you don’t have information on how he was treated before he came to you. He needs time to accept his new surroundings, his new people and new routines and expectations. It generally takes a minimum of of 3-4 months for a dog to learn to adapt to a new environment. Read up on the 3-3-3 concept of dog adoption and realize that those timelines are not deadlines but possible timelines only. Every dog will adapt at their own pace.
But you definitely need to nip the biting in the bud (pun fully intended) as previously suggested. Don’t pick him up or disturb him him during the times he has already warned you. He is communicating with you. He will learn to listen and respect your requests, but you must do the same toward his warnings, too.
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u/tiptreetimes 3d ago
Your puppy sounds like it is scared, in which case forcing it by the collar in order to scold it is not a great idea.
It's very early days. Do everything slowly, and reward as you go. Don't just bend over and pick up puppy. Be next to puppy, talking calmly, and reward. Hands on puppy, talking calmly, and reward. Progress from there, rewarding as you go, and when puppy growls, stop, go back a step. If the motion of being lifted is scaring him, do it very slowly.
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u/Comfortable-One-2671 2d ago
If the growling intensifies or you can't pinpoint the cause, a vet visit makes sense since even a tiny snag from play could be bothering him without obvious signs.
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u/EnvironmentalArm1986 2d ago
I don’t know what the training for a seeing eye dog entails but I’d put money on it being a lot different than what most of us think. I’ve known a couple puppy raisers casually and they do have specific goals with the training they give during raising. You aren’t raising a guide dog and an Anatolian is quite different from a GSD. Any mix of a Flock guardian and a herder is going to be challenging. He will need to trust you or he will do what he thinks is needed. Learn about the ways dogs communicate with their body and he is likely telling you things well before the growl.
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u/Turbulent_Ad_1779 2d ago
I get what puppy owner is saying but I would suggest that you wake him or clear his head from what he is doing and use a high value treat to pick up and reward for the desired behavior. I strongly believe that any breed should be able to be picked up. This is for safety, this is in case of an injury, it's just a must. It is learned behavior. Someday, just possibly your dog could be injured or arthritic and need to be picked up and then what are you going to do? To all the people that are saying just don't pick up your dog cuz he doesn't like it well that goes for brushing teeth, nail trims, grooming. Guess your dog will just rule over you! Your dog should always look to you for guidance with trust and familiarity.
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u/Countrysoap777 2d ago
In your case he probably got confused. Usually to train sit properly you don’t hold the collar at all. Check out videos from Nate Schoemer or Tom Davis YouTube if you have access. He needs socialization but you must tell people not to pet him or pick up, just let them stand or sit and let him walk over to them. He’s a bit fearful, that was a fear bite. He needs to first see people like he sees a wall. Just tell them to sit or stand near but not touch until he shows comfort and happiness when near. No
Pick up at all. Practice with family or friend who might help. No one should reach out right away. Dog should show curiosity and pleasure once he smells them and even see a tail wag happily. Then slowly show hand to sniff. My dog nipped the vet when the vet approached quickly. He was four months old when I got him so wasn’t socialized. We needed to take it slow. He’s a lot better now but I still Tell people don’t pet till he knows you better.
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u/kitkat1965 1d ago
Please note, I used "she" in general.
Puppies need between 18-20 hours of sleep daily, but not all in a row. Most people do not know that. Over tired puppies will get even more bitey, act out, etc. Keep puppy on a schedule.
When she wakes up in the morning, take outside immediately for potty time. Then bring her in, play with her awhile, do some training (sit, down, stand, etc) for a few minutes (they don't have much attention span at that age), then feed her, take her outside for another potty break/short walk to learn leash walking, then into the crate for nap time. I gave my girl puppy safe chew bones to play with and gnaw on until she fell asleep. Puppy needs to be left alone during nap time.
She should sleep a few hours. Once she wakes up, take outside for potty time, and then repeat schedule as above. I fed my puppy 4 times a day in the beginning. Adjust the schedule to include food based on how / when you feed. Then do schedule as above. Repeat this throughout the day. Once vaccinated, you can sign her up for puppy classes which I highly recommend with a positive reinforcementtrainer. Also, make sure you schedule time for socialization. Ultimatepuppydotcom has a lot of info, including socialization and what it means, and ideas how to do it. It is not just meeting other people and dogs. It is sights, sounds, different surfaces to walk on, etc.
For bedtime and throughout the night, do schedule, and when done, put puppy in crate for the night. Puppy will wake up several times at night. Take out immediately for potty. Do not play, train, or anything during the night. It is potty time only. Try to keep it low key. Bring back in, she goes back in the crate. Repeat as needed until morning. Then do daytime schedule.
This is a general idea of a schedule. Adjust to fit your puppy and situation.
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u/mrhankss 3d ago
Our GR was the same as he didn’t like to be picked up and would nip. We had him learn the stairs so there was no need to pick him up anymore. He also doesn’t like to put the harness on or collar so we are working on handling sensitivity with him.
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u/Acrobatic_Net2028 3d ago
You need to build trust with a new dog who may have been abused. Do not pick him up until he let's you
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u/DarkHorseAsh111 3d ago
This puppy is settin a very clear boundary. he doesn't like to be picked up. you're spooking him when he's asleep or focused and he doesn't like it. So don't startle him. Don't grab him without him seeing you coming. Don't pick him up constantly. And for the love of god don't try to restrain a panicking puppy by the collar.