4Paws

Polo wasn't a nipper this whole time. Now at 7 months he's got this strange habit that I can't figure out.
At his whim, he will come to me like he wants to be petted. Then he leans against me, and gives me a nip. My reaction is a firm No, and I pull away.
Then the crying and whining start, and he fusses and tries to nip me again or will snap at my face. It alarms me. It's not entirely aggressive, but it's not nice and it seems like he gets impatient with me and wants something from me.
This is not "need to go potty" frustration. This seems more like "Why won't you do what I want?"
I remain calm, but firm about him being in my space and being rude. I tell him Nooo.. first, then nooo.. and ah! when he nips and the look on his face tells me he knows it's wrong but he can't help it?
What am I doing wrong? What is this behavior? He seemed to have learned not to nip from mom and the pack but this seems a little different. Maybe I'm wrong? I'm just tired of him being bratty at me and then leaving and taking my shoes like he's being spiteful. BF said he only takes my things when I'm around. Is he doing this for attention? I'm confused, and I don't want to approach this the wrong way. Any input is appreciated.

EDIT: I'd like to add that this behavior sometimes follows an attempt to hump me, which I cut short quickly. He seems to get a bit mad when I tell him no. This is usually in the evenings. He will then sit very close to me, even put his mouth on me or very close and then go "rrrrrrarrrarararrrar" and I either ignore it or tell him to hush. It's not always in the evenings, for instance, it happened just now (Saturday morning).

caboodles

Is he neutered yet? Sounds to me like he's just trying to dominate you...

Between my two standards, I know that Winston like to nose-punch Hudson a LOT more than Hudson ever does to Winston. Actually, I don't think Hudson has EVER done that to Winston. Anyways, the way I interpret Winston's behaviour is like he's trying to show his dominance over Hudson. He's older, he's bigger.. he was the first dog in the house. So I think he accepts Hudson but tries to show him that he's boss around here, even though I always reprimand him for doing that because I'M BOSS around here HAHA

I would get him to submit when he does this.. just calming get him to lay down completely on one side until he gives you that little "HUFF" of an exhale, meaning he's completely calmed down. It puts him in his place and let's him know that YOU run the house around there in case he had any doubts!

4Paws

Thank you!! He is not fixed yet, I thought it might be a good idea to wait until he's a year old. I want to make sure he's completely mature first. Until then, I know I'm going to encounter dominance, but him being otherwise so sweet I just wasn't sure. I usually keep telling him Ah! until he gives me the "I give up" huff, but I'll try getting him to lay on his side. Should I place him in that position with my hands or make him do it some other way?

fjm

Dominance is a very overused explanation - it sounds more like teenager pushing the boundaries to me. And the "alpha roll" is also an exploded theory! How much exercise is he getting? And do you make time to play with him - preferably with toys if he is being mouthy? I would be making time for regular romping play sessions, breaking off every few minutes for a few sits, downs, etc. And I would teach a polite "Please" - mine know that lying down when asking is the quickest way to persuade me to do something! Dogs don't do spite, and usually they do what works - if nipping, stealing your shoes, etc gets your attention, but lying quietly by your feet doesn't, guess which one he will choose? The face snapping would have me worried, though - if that continues, I would be looking for professional help.

Does he do any of this with your boyufriend, or just wth you? And if it is just with you, what is different in the way you react that makes it rewarding for him?

__________________

To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden,
where doing nothing was not boring- it was peace.

~ Milan Kundera

4Paws

He gets regular exercise, daily walks, play sessions, chasing around the house, a big basket full of toys to dig through. Potty sessions outside involve play and treats. I will definitely teach him "please," that sounds like a great idea. I think he's just getting a little more feisty and will need more intense training. Perhaps I've been a bit slack, focused on work. Plus it's so hard to gauge how much this pup can learn at 7 months. Any tips on learning more restraint? I've found a distinct difference in behavior when I just pet him, or when I pet him during training while I'm telling him to stay. I basically ask him to enjoy it and he LOVES that and falls on the ground and gives me his belly. I've felt that I should continue this, because he seems so gladly submissive. Perhaps that is a kind way I can reinforce that I'm the boss? I appreciate any advice.

fjm

There are lots of games and exercises for teaching impulse control - try Googling for ones that suit you and Polo. It does sound as if he is having lots of fun - perhaps he is ready for more structure. I taught the Please by simply ignoring Sophy until she tried a Down, and then jumping up to play, provide treats, etc. No command or cue - just waited for her to offer it. Poppy learnt it pretty quickly by watching Sophy.

I know NILIF (Nothing in life is free) does not suit every dog, but I think dogs need to learn good manners around both humans and other dogs. At 7 months he is no longer a baby, but an adolescent, and this is the time that male dogs put a lot of effort into teaching young males how to behave politely!

__________________

To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden,
where doing nothing was not boring- it was peace.

~ Milan Kundera

Rowan

I was going to say that exercise is the key but you just covered that in your last post! Do you take him for walks or does he just play around the house?

I know a poodle who was much like your little guy. In short, he was a total brat--more so than most. He grew out of it. His humans corrected him when he stepped out of line and then ignored him when he acted out and he would get tired out and then he realized that acting like a brat only resulted in his being ignored. He was an only poodle too (not sure if that makes a difference).

Neutering will help--6 months is what most say is the ideal time for that. And I'm confident he'll grow out of it! My experience shows that poodles go through the "terrible" stages just like kids. Mine had their moments up until 9 mos to a year of age.

I think it's a pack thing as they're trying to establish their position in the hierarchy. I don't go for the alpha roll ala Cesar Milan thing but prefer to respond like another dog would. I learned a lot from watching my mellow, alpha black male poodle when he met my younger poodle and rescues...and the aforementioned brat.

The brat didn't know how to play nice and would bite my boy in the chest and on the ears. He would correct him, give him the look and then he'd walk away (ignore him). If he continued, he'd get a much firmer correction (usually baring of teeth and he'd stand taller than the brat). The brat would really push his buttons (and his human's) but he eventually got the message. He's now a well-mannered poodle.

You can learn a lot by watching dogs (or even wolf packs) and the true alpha never has to physically throw a dog on his/her side. They don't have arms/hands to do so in the first place. LOL They rule with energy and rules/boundaries. Watch your posture and when he's really stressing you out, take a deep breath, throw your shoulders back and sit/stand up tall. You don't have to be some uber Alpha Dawg human but just exude confidence and control and above all, try and remain calm (easier said than done when you want to shriek like a Ringwraith!)

I hope this helps and keep us posted on his progress. If none of this works or if he drives you crazy while you're waiting for him to grow up/out of the bratty stage, try redirecting his behaviour with a toy or with a challenge (new behaviour like down, or finding a hidden object, etc. etc.)

T Keeling

Any time JoJo does something naughty, I first say a sharp "no!". If that does not work, I will straighten my spine, flare my nostrils, lower my eyebrows, and stare him down until he breaks eye contact. Usually he looks away and stops the behavior quickly. On very rare occassions, he has tried to stare me down in return. When he does that, I will stretch my neck toward him slightly, and do the "Elvis lip curl" to bare my teeth a bit, while I make a snarling sound - sorta like I've seen older dogs do to younger ones before. That's worked like a charm so far. (Knock on wood).

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caboodles

Usually I go from a sit position, and then get them to lie down on their front-ist then slide them over to their side. Nothing overly push-y because I'm not trying to hurt them, just get them to calm down and relax.

Countryboy

Excellent posts. Watch other dogs and *as far as u can* do what they do.

I've been known to bare my teeth and growl at dogs at times.

Less so with humans . . but occasionally. lol