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Is fading puppy syndrome common?

Puppy keeps growling and nipping at my daughters face when she tries to pick him up.?

  • 10 week old Rotty, pure bred from a very reputable breeder. He is loving and very cuddly, yet at times when my 4 y/o daughter tries to hold him he will sometimes growl and nip at her face. She does grab him from underneath and will kinda squeeze him but I have been told this is still not a normal reaction for a puppy at this age. Now the flip side is he has done this once with my 6y/o but never again. Never nips or growls at me or my wife and listens very well when corrected nd definetely wants to please which is typical for a Rotty. He knows basic commands and knows I am the alpha and to do what I say when I say it. So my question is this: the vet seems to think this is a serious problem or a prelude of what's to come, and a k-9 trainer states the same. I kinda disagree since this reaction is only when my daughter tries to hug the dog and she has caused him pain a few times with how she picks him up. So is it more a fearful response rather than an innate quality that will make me have to get rid of the dog? He will always listen, always come when called, for the most part, and is never aggressive any other time to anyone except my daughter. Is the vet and trainer once again buying into the bullshit of the mean dog syndrome people think of rotty's. They are known for their fierce loyalty to family, especially children. Now I understand that if he does get bigger it could be a serious bite since he will out weigh her in just a few months and his bite will become more powerful. I understand that, but is this an innate quality is my concern. If its just a fear response since she is very grabby and does not pick up the puppy properly and hurts him, I'm wondering how I can get him to trust her again. Yes she is not allowed to pick up the puppy anymore and we played it down because we don't want her to fear the dog. What can I do. We have a trainer coming out to assess his temperament in our home and he says he will be able to tell right away if it's trainable or we need to place the dog in a home without children. I refuse to put the dog down. Not an option. I really feel people are overreacting and this is fixable. Also the dog is fine to be pet when he is eating and does not growl when when you touch him or move his bowl when the food is still their. That is another reason I think the problem is fear and not an innate aggression problem.

  • Answer:

    It's very normal for a puppy who is either a) trying to play or b) hurt or frightened by the squeezing.

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I personally think he just was not comfortable with the way your daughter was picking him up and he was trying to tell her to stop. I'm glad you told her to stop picking the dog up. Of course the trainer will be able to tell you the reality, but I have a feeling it's not an aggression issue so much as a puppy trying to deal with an annoying child (no offense!) who is treating him like a teddy bear instead of a dog. Good luck and I hope the trainer is able to help you out!!

DO NOT EVER LET A 4 YR OLD PICK UP A ROTTIE PUPPY. You have to teach your daughter to respect this puppy as much as the other way round otherwise you will have problems and it certainly won't be the dogs fault. What the dog is doing is not unusual at all. It is NOT a serious problem and is not a sign that there is aggression to come. However, you need to learn about puppy behaviour and training - and quickly. Many rotties will display this behavior when young, and it is just as if they were still in a litter. Absolutely NOT aggression based. Edit - to the poster named "heart" - please base your opinions on experience and NOT hearsay. Rotties brought up with children are one of the most tolerant breeds going, and there is no problem whatsoever in having a rottie around a 4 yr old and a 6 yr old, as long as the children are taught to respect the dog and vice versa.... which would also apply to ANY breed. Rottweilers are known for their tolerance so please do not speak out of ignorance.

yeah if your daughter was hurting him then he isnt going to like her and will growl when she tries to pick him up so yes it is because of fear. however this will cause problems when he becomes an adult so i suggest you get your daughter to pet him gently and hold him gently and let him see that she isnt going to hurt him. this or dont let your daughter come near him anymore. good luck :)

a 10 week old pup will act this way with small children, the child wants to play with the pup and it needs to be done under supervision. My female min-pin was nippy with small kids in her first yr but in her second yr it has gone away for the most part.

What has your dogs "very reputable breeder" said about all of this? IMO a 4 year old child shouldn't be picking up ANYTHING that's alive. That's the age where a child can somewhat understand things, but may still be uncoordinated and rough. It's time to start teaching her how to properly interact with puppy. That means no grabbing and no picking up. If she wants to hold the pup, YOU pick it up and place it on her lap while she is sitting down - she should not be grabbing at puppy or forcing it to stay there, though. Also don't "play it down" with her - she needs to learn that improper interaction will result in a BITE. She is old enough to understand the simple concept that grabbing a puppy will hurt the puppy and cause it to bite. Playing it down doesn't teach her ANYTHING and she will continue to handle the pup inappropriately simply because she doesn't know WHY she can't grab, hold, pick up, etc. I have a cousin that just turned three. They've always corrected rough handling but now they're starting to explain things to her. Like if she pushes my dog or grabs her they'll say "don't push/grab the dog, it may hurt or scare her and she might bite you." She is not at ALL afraid of my dog. You just have to explain it in a way that, to the child, makes sense.

Drown it. The child I mean, not the dog. That'd be sick!

Why on earth would you get a purebread rotty when you have young kids? They are known for their temper. Your young daughter probably bothers him 24/7 which is normal for a child to do but is annoying as hell for the dog. Tell your kids to leave the dog alone if this keeps happening! If you refuse to listen to your vet and trainer then it'll be your fault when one of your children gets seriously hurt.

It is very common for children to often mishandle dogs and puppies - it sounds like the puppy was uncomfortable and growled for a reason. Love and reward based training and some advice on how to handle your puppy given to the kids might be helpful.

"she is very grabby and does not pick up the puppy properly and hurts him" "my wife and I have told my daughter many times to let us pick up the dog and place him on her lap" "My daughter is tenacious and maybe she needs the trainer! " I agree entirely, it is your daughter that needs the training. And you need to polish your parenting skills. So many temperamentally sound dogs end up in shelters because people don't teach their kids the meaning of the word "no".

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