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Pupforum presents your training questions answered by professional dog trainers.
Lynne has been training dogs since 1985. She has worked as head trainer for two facilities, a studio trainer (print ads, commercials and television) and as a continuing ed and certification rep for what was then the largest dog training company in the US. Lynne is a member of the IACP and keeps her training techniques current by attending various seminars and reading books. She currently competes in the sport of schutzhund, has a registered therapy dog, and has started her young Papillion in agility. Lynne owns and runs Blazing Trails K9 Academy in Santa Clarita/Antelope valley California.
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9/1/2006
My dog is almost 3 years old. He grew up in a house with a full grown husky mix and a Siberian Husky that are his age. He LOVES them both. However he HATES puppies. All my friends have been getting puppies lately and my American Eskimo Memphis growls at them. Then if they keep pestering him he bites them! It embarrasses me, also I am concerned because we want to breed our Siberian and we can't have him being mean to the new pups. I have no idea why he is like this and need to know how to stop it! PLEASE HELP! (eskie_lover, Illinois )
To answer this, I will answer in a question format. Let's say you had just sat down to a nice formal dinner at a fancy restaurant, and all of a sudden, a strange 2 year old child out of nowhere came up and started climbing all over you. How would you feel? Even if you would react patiently, there are many other people who would not appreciate it. This might be much of what your 3 year old dog is feeling.
Puppies oftentimes display behaviors that are "rude" in dog language. Many dogs may tolerate this, but there are some that don't. And they shouldn't be required to. After all, the puppy is the one showing the rude behavior. Your dog is being polite in his own language when he growls to "warn" them that he is not to be trifled with and that he resents their rude behavior. Then when they CONTINUE with the rude behavior (with what you describe as "pestering"), he is doing nothing more then reinforcing it, and telling them to "knock it off".
I'm sure this might be embarrassing to you if you do not understand what is going on here. But instead of being embarrassed for your dog’s behavior, you should be focusing your energy on protecting your dog from the pestering of rude little puppies. Not that the puppies aren't cute, and they more then likely haven't learned correct dog language...but the only way they will learn it is when corrected by the older dogs. You should be stepping in and removing the puppy, and allowing your dog a break. Teach your dog t
hat you are a beloved pack leader who will protect him from someone who is pestering him...not correct him for telling them to leave him alone when he's had enough.
Also, you made no mention to the amount of socialization your dog received as a young dog. You mentioned that he grew up with a husky mix and a Siberian husky and that he loves them, but made no mention of other dogs he may have met. Several times various clients tell me that their dog was "socialized" because they grew up with another dog in the same household. I do not consider this correct "socialization" any more then I would think that a human being that grew up in a house alone with their sibling but who never interacted with anyone BUT that sibling would be very well socialized. If he never met any other dogs to learn a wide variety of dog language, he may have only learned a limited amount of that language. And then he's put into a stressful situation and forced to endure it, while his pack leader looks on and then gets upset when he defends himself.
In this instance I would not force him to accept the puppies pestering him, but would like I said, stop the pestering. Teach your dog to go to his crate when he's had enough, and then enforce the rule that no other dog is allowed to follow him and pester him when he goes there. Provide several escape routes for him (a crate, and dog beds that serve as "stations" where he can go to escape). Then when you see him growing stressed, direct him to those "safe spots" and remove the puppy. This way you'll be teaching him that he has an option besides reinforcing his annoyance with his teeth. And he will feel secure that his pack leader will defend him by removing the stressor.
I would also seriously reconsider forcing litters of puppies on this dog. If you really must do it, then provide the mom and litter a separate area away from this dog so he doesn't have to endure even more of this, especially when he's told you several times he doesn't like it.
Good luck with your ventures!
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