Hello all! I am the proud owner of an 8 week old mini schnauzer puppy named Baxter. I noticed when I bought him that the children in his previous owner's home were very "hands on". I also noticed that he growled at them every so often when the boys would pick him up. Regardless of this behavior, his soulful eyes sold me! The day I bought him and the day after, he growled (and not a playful growl)and attempted to nip at my son when he tried to pick him up. He did this a couple of times, but only when he was trying to nap or had his back to my son. I decided that I needed to nip this in the bud and so I started telling him "No" firmly and staring him down when he growled, until he quit growling and looked away. Then I began to start teaching my son to be firm with him also, because he tended to shy away from Baxter once he displayed this behavior. I did this because Baxter only does this to my son, but not to me. I also began teaching my son that when Baxter's tired, he needs to let him nap. Although Baxter hasn't done this for a day or two now, is this growling/nipping behavior something to be concerned about?

check him for pain....


also, is it an actual growl or a sort of moan. If I wake my dog up and have to move him he lets out this moan I originally thought was a growl until I actually listened and watched his body language. It's super low but it's a moan. My childhood dog (welsh terrier) used to do it to.

Firstly why are you allowing your son to try and pick him up?

There are a lot of threads on this board and the main site about children and dogs, if you use the search function you should find some interesting reading.

Staring at a dog is a direct threat, by doing this you are opening the door for a battle when he gets bigger and turns into a teenage male.

He's growling because he feels threatened, the children in the previous home may have hurt or scared him. While growling at a child should not be tolerated, the best option is to avoid the situation that makes him feel that way. An 8 week pup has few options to protect itself from something so much larger, what else is he going to do?

Continue to educate your son, not to approach the dog when asleep or in his bed. Get a dog crate so Baxter has somewhere safe to go and you will probably find that this problem vanishes.

If you continue to allow your son to pick him up and Baxter is forced to growl and you try to stare him down - one of you will end up being bitten.

How about showing your son how to play fetch with the pup or teach him how to sit using treats? Even very young kids can manage this and get a kick out of it.

If it were my schnauzer I'd be slightly concerned because your puppy has begun to try to solve his own problems through his teeth. Since a mini schnauzer has a lifetime of pretty direct uncomfortable handling to get used to it means you need to start now to help him get over his issues before you really feel it in your wallet.

First off I'm not sure how old your kid is. If we're talking under 15 then in my eyes he should not be picking up the dog. A child doesn't have the coordination to make handling like this a comfortable experience.

You need to work on picking up the puppy, getting him used to standing politely on the groom table, getting him used to direct handling of his feet, his ears, etc. If you don't plan on grooming him yourself you need to start taking him sooner rather than later at fairly tight intervals so he can learn what's expected of him in grooming. Starting ear plucking young and frequently can make a vital difference later in life.

If you're not familiar with clicker training now is the time to start.

Best of luck! and welcome to the boards.

He might have had a bad experience. Kids tend to treat puppies like rag dolls. Maybe this poor little guy was lifted up by his front legs too many times.

Melissa and Tanith have both given you great advice!

Another thing to consider is that he might just prefer to get around on his own. The most well adjusted small dog I know is owned by a man that treats him just like a big dog. The dog is never carried around, and in fact is never picked up unless something is genuinely too big an obstacle for him to navigate, like being lifted onto a grooming table. I think its better for the dog this way.

Plus, I think it will be easier to get him used to being handled if its not a constant. If he is uncomfortable, save picking him up for the marker training sessions.

Hi Andrea, I'm glad you found Leerburg.

This may not be a popular response, but I have to admit to questioning the reasoning of bringing home a pup which has exhibited growling toward children, when there are children in the new home. The eyes might be cute, but the teeth are sharp. JMHO...

Hello, yes, it is an actual, mean sounding growl! I've worked with dogs in the past and can tell between the sleepy moans and the defensive growls. It is odd to hear that from an 8 week old puppy.
ANdrea

Has the puppy seen the vet?

How old is your son?



PS
And welcome!

Odd but not unheard of, especially when they are in a position when they they feel they have to be defensive

Hello, thank you for your reply. I will continue to educate my son to let him sleep when he needs to and to play with him the correct way. I watch my son when he interacts with Baxter and so far have no compaints other than reminding him to leave him alone when he is asleep. He understands that Baxter is still a puppy. This is a learning process for both the puppy and my son and take every opportunity to involve him in Baxter's development. I do have a crate for Baxter, but lately he would rather sleep on my lap or at my feet or near my son instead of the crate. Baxter actually runs after Grayson outside and inside the house. It seems as though he has become a tag-along puppy.