Puppy biting- what's normal

[Puppyworries]

I have a 11 week old pup. We have an area of gravel in our garden which she likes to dig and eat the gravel, which we don't want her to do.

We started by trying to tempt her away with a treat or toy, but this stopped working as she prefers eating the gravel to treats/toys. We ended up picking her up to move her away, however she got quite aggressive when we did this. She started barking/lunging obviously as a warning, but we needed to move her because she was eating the gravel, so when we tried to pick her up she went to bite us. This has happened twice. We have now fenced of the gravel so it's not a problem anymore, but I'm concerned about the behaviour, could this be resource guarding? Or is it normal puppy behaviour? We have a behaviourist coming next week, but I'm just looking for opinions in the mean time.

Depending on the breed, it's not especially abnormal. The puppy was doing something and didn't like it when you picked her up to mvoe her, so gave warning signs. You ignored the warning signs and she bit you. You then did the same thing again, despite the fact she bit you and had made it clear she didn't like it and so she bit you again.

It's a good idea to get a behaviorust out. They can talk you through how to handle scenarios like this, as they may occur again in the future. Fencing off the gravel is probably the most sensible solution and if needed, put a harness and house line on her so you can move her more easily, but luring/tempting with treats or toys is of course the first thing to try. The behaviourist may be able to suggest ways ot make this more exciting.

If the behaviourist hasn't already asked you to, it's probably an idea to get a vet check too, just to ensure your pup isn't in any pain.

Mine hated being picked up as well and also loving digging for stones and eating them as a puppy. Rather than growling he used to air snap when he was annoyed.

He is 6 this year and a gentle sole who never bites and will let me pick him up. It was just his way as a very young puppy of saying he didn't like something. Like you we opted for removal of temptation e.g. we limited where he could go in the garden.

However, I would also recommend getting a good 1-1 trainer who understands dog behaviour to come in and give you strategies in dealing with such behaviour so you know how to handle it without making it worse.

Some puppies hate being picked up, he's told you he doesn't like it so don't do it. Use other methods, call his name or rustle a packet!

Its an 11 week old puppy! Totally normal.

You do not need a behaviourist. Get a good 121 trainer to show you about positive interrupters and ways to move a puppy. Highpitched excited voice and you running away and puppies will follow you.

80% of puppy training (well probably 90%) is preventation and the rest training.

Ask you trainer to show you how to do collar touches and physical touches on the puppy.

IF you do need to pick up the puppy tell them in advance and do not grab them from behind. So a calm "lifting" and slowly pick them up from their side.

Practice this when they are calm and reward with treat as you pick them up.

NO Grabbing ever.

He's telling you, loud and clear, to stop picking him up.

You really don't need a behaviourist, you just need to listen to your dog.

She is okay with being picked up at other times though. It is only when she is busy with the gravel that she responds like that.

It's actually a trainer and behaviourist that is coming, so hopefully he will be able to help with strategies for managing issues such as this, which puppy and I are both happy with.

But in the mean time if she is eating something she shouldn't and ignoring my attempts at distraction do I just leave her to eat things that could be dangerous until I figure out something that she responds to rather than picking her up? (Obviously I will try to prevent this happening in the first place).

But in the mean time if she is eating something she shouldn't and ignoring my attempts at distraction do I just leave her to eat things that could be dangerous until I figure out something that she responds to rather than picking her up?

That's a hard one because mine would pick up and eat stones more when DH was around as he made such a fuss about it whereas I would ignore so he would think it's boring and didn't get any attention so would drop and not eat the stones.

I would just restrict access for now so no temptation and no reward for doing something 'bad'.

You need to block it off, once she’s older she won’t be interested but right now your making it a very exciting game and teaching her that you = no fun or will stop her fun

one thing I learned is don’t make a battle out of something you can avoid altogether.