# Help! 12 week puppy is growling/barking/nipping at the baby!



## flutterbye (Jun 16, 2011)

I don't ever leave the puppy with my 13 month old unattended. This has happened a few times even though I'm right there with them. The puppy has growled and snapped at the baby, but she has not done this with anyone else. 

Dh says we should get rid of her because it's not safe to have her around the baby. I don't know what to think! I thought goldens were supposed to beperfect with kids.  I need advice please.


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## CarolinaCasey (Jun 1, 2007)

Goldens can be perfect with kids... but they need to be taught. How will she know how to act if you don't teach her?

The puppy thinks that the baby is a littermate. She's on the floor with the baby, she's small like the puppy, the baby cries, it's intriguing for the puppy. You need to redirect the puppy to correct and acceptable behavior. If you aren't in a puppy class, get in one pronto! Do you have kongs? If not, buy 2-3 and fill them with a combination of goodies. Buy a buster cube, treat ball, bob-a-lot, everlasting treat ball, linkables. All of which will keep the puppy mentally stimulated. Hand feed 1/2 of each meal and put the other half of the kibble in one of the above mentioned toys. How much exercise is the pup getting? 30 minutes 2x a day of off leash play (constant motion) such as following you at a park is what she should be getting. Train! Train! Train! This is also mentally tiring and good for the puppy.

Read, read, read. I like How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With for 1st time pet owners.


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## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

Your Golden is a baby, too... At 12 weeks, you can't expect her to behave like a mature Golden (who has been trained...). I would keep them supervised at all times, and start puppy/obedience classes with your Golden asap. She needs you to teach her the limits , and if she is anything like my Golden, the mouthing will get worse because of teething in a few months. I don't believe "Goldens" are perfect with kids, I believe that well trained dogs are perfect with kids.


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## flutterbye (Jun 16, 2011)

I'm on my way to get those toys now! 

So you don't think this is an aggressive dog, right?


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## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

If you have an evening off, read all the threads in the puppy section about mouthing, nipping, biting, whatever you want to call it. One evening is probably not enough to read them all...


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## Jax's Mom (Oct 16, 2009)

None of us actually saw the incident, but what it SOUNDS like to me is regular puppy play. Puppies growl and nip when they play, so NO I dont think its aggression. You got some good suggestions above, but most importantly, supervise and re-direct bad behavior with above activities. Puppies naturally want to bite and chew since they are teething. Give him things he CAN chew on when he feels the need. Whenever he starts to be "nippy", let him play with a chew toy thats appropriate. Also, do not let your 13 month old just pull on the puppy etc. Good manners and behaviors go both ways. (not saying you do, just letting you know what not to let happen).


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## Discoverer (Feb 3, 2011)

flutterbye said:


> I'm on my way to get those toys now!
> 
> So you don't think this is an aggressive dog, right?


If she's barking and growling while playing, I won't be worry too much, it's normal puppy activities. But as others said you'll need to teach her a proper behavior. NEVER, EVER leave your small children unsupervised with a pup - they can damage each other badly! If you witness unwanted behavior, say firm and loud "No", give her 10-15 sec of the quit time (just turn around and ignore her) and then offer her some of the toys. Puppies need to be busy most of the time, if you can't keep them busy, they'll find something to do and very often something _wrong_


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## DreamingGold (Mar 16, 2011)

I have an 11 month old baby and a 15 week old puppy...and so far I can't let the puppy anywhere _near _the baby without jumping, nipping, licking so they are rarely 'together'. I don't think your pup is aggressive either- normal, just not good to put with a little one at this age. We have a gate between the kitchen/dining room area and the living room and so far, the two of them only meet with the gate between them. I'd prefer not to do it, but I don't see any other way just yet.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

flutterbye said:


> I'm on my way to get those toys now!
> 
> So you don't think this is an aggressive dog, right?


No, this is not an aggressive dog. This is a totaly normal Retriever puppy, breeds bred to use their mouth instinctively, and an INFANT puppy playing the way she would with her littermates.

You've gotten very good advice already. Goldens do not come "out of the box" perfect like Air Bud. It takes time, patience and good training to teach them to be the wonderful family pet they can become.

I would not have your puppy loose in the house while your child is on the floor, playpen for the child or for the puppy when either is down will keep them both safe.


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## flutterbye (Jun 16, 2011)

Tonight the puppy growled again. It's not playing, she really seems serious. For example, the puppy was laying down chewing on a chew stick, and the baby sat close to her. The puppy froze and started to growl. When I tried to take the chewie away, the puppy did the same to me with growling. 

I got her a bunch of toys, walked her an extra half hour. 

I dont know why she's doing this, it's just been the past couple days, and we've only had her for 2 weeks.

I can put my hands in her food bowl while she's eating, and no problem. I'm really scared now that I've gotten a puppy that will bite my baby. 

I will try to figure out somehow to gate off an area to keep the baby from the puppy. The layout of my house makes this really difficult, it's a very open floor plan with big spaces. 

Thanks everyone for your advice.


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## jackie_hubert (Jun 2, 2010)

Looks like you have something more serious going on - some resource guarding. Definitely keep the baby behind a baby gate for now.

Resource guarding is very common in puppies and it's a much discussed issue around here so please know that many of us, including myself, have seen this behaviour in our Goldens, and that it can be overcome with some intervention. But it can also get worse if you don't do anything about it. 

Resource guarding stems from competition over resources that puppies experience in the litter and it is not unusal for puppies to use growls to communicate with other puppies. When they come into a human household they have to be shown that there is no need to guard food, that there is enough for everyone and that those around them can be trusted. That's why taking food away from a puppy randomly while they're eating can inadvertendly make resource guarding worse. You want to tell them that you can eat in peace and have nothing to worry about.

Please contact a good trainer that works with dogs in a positive way or a behaviourist. You can also start taking puppy to puppy socialization classes with the trainer or with someone he/she recommends.

Many forum members recommend the book "Mine". It is short and cheap. The best resource on resource guarding aside from a good professional. Mine! A Practical Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs: Amazon.ca: Jean Donaldson: Books 

For now, remove the chewie that triggered the growl and keep puppy and kids apart, especially around high value items. Feed in a separate area and either leave puppy alone during meals or hand feed one kibble at a time. You can also feed the whole meal as part of training exercises. 

Please keep us updated!


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## Discoverer (Feb 3, 2011)

flutterbye said:


> Tonight the puppy growled again. It's not playing, she really seems serious. For example, the puppy was laying down chewing on a chew stick, and the baby sat close to her. The puppy froze and started to growl. When I tried to take the chewie away, the puppy did the same to me with growling.
> 
> I got her a bunch of toys, walked her an extra half hour.
> 
> ...


Yes, it's not playing, it's called resource guarding. First of - for the God sake stop putting your hands in her food bowl !!! She is not feeling secure at your presence and growl because she sees your baby and you as a threat. DO NOT TAKE THE CHEWIE FROM HER !!! GIVE HER MORE CHEWIE WHEN SHE FINISHED THE FIRST ONE. All you do while putting hand in a bowl and taking the chew stick away is provoking her resource guarding. There is lots of discussion on GRF on this subject, just type "resource guarding." in the puppy thread and read all. Good luck and keep us posted.


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## nixietink (Apr 3, 2008)

flutterbye said:


> Tonight the puppy growled again. It's not playing, she really seems serious. For example, the puppy was laying down chewing on a chew stick, and the baby sat close to her. The puppy froze and started to growl. When I tried to take the chewie away, the puppy did the same to me with growling.
> 
> I got her a bunch of toys, walked her an extra half hour.
> 
> ...


This sounds like a bit of resource guarding, and it is TOTALLY workable. Search the forum for the term and up will pop hundreds of threads. Also, google nothing in life is free. Is your pup baring teeth?

The puppy should not be anywhere NEAR the baby EVER when the puppy has something of value. Even when the dog is an adult, they should have a safe place to consume their treat. Whether it be a bone, stick, whatever. Those need to be enjoyed alone in their crate. 

I would stop putting your hand in the dog's bowl. It is probably aggravating the situation. How would you like it if you were eating one of your few meals for the day and someone stuck their hand in the middle of your plate? It has the opposite intended effect. Start hand feeding your puppy every meal. Hand feeding is time consuming. If you can't hand feed every meal, walk by the dog's bowl and toss something yummy inside...something way yummier than kibble. Your puppy will begin to associate human presence and hands with good things. Sticking hands in food dishes and taking food away (not that you said you did this) shows that hands = bad things.

ETA: I agree with Jackie...contract a trainer asap who can help you with the resource guarding issue and help find a GOOD puppy class.


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Supervised does not mean that the baby and puppy are in the same room and you are watching them both...IMHO, supervised means you have your hands on your puppy so you have complete control over his paws and mouth...


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## CarolinaCasey (Jun 1, 2007)

flutterbye said:


> Tonight the puppy growled again. It's not playing, she really seems serious. For example, the puppy was laying down chewing on a chew stick, and the baby sat close to her. The puppy froze and started to growl. When I tried to take the chewie away, the puppy did the same to me with growling.
> 
> I got her a bunch of toys, walked her an extra half hour.
> 
> ...


 
Some of the things you've done last night are exactly what not to do with a resource guarding puppy. Now you'll know better!

First, find a trainer- preferably a behaviorist so they can assist you. We can't see every dynamic between you, the puppy, and the baby. That person can.

Second, NEVER (really, never!) put your hands in the dog food bowl again. 

Third, start to hand feed each piece of kibble for every meal. It takes time but the payout will be big. You'll need to do this for the forseeable future. A month or two maybe??

Do not ever just reach down and take something high value from the dog again. High value to my dog is a bully stick chews, raw marrow bones, pig ear. You need to begin to teach your puppy that when any hand comes near, it isn't a threat to it's food or valued item. 

To start, you might need to stand several feet away and throw hot dog pieces, chunks of cheese, liver bites, favorite treats near the dog while he's enjoying his high value item. Over time, you can build up to bringing your hand closer and putting the treat beside the dog or let her eat it from your open palm. You aren't there yet. 

When she's eating a chewie, you can also hold the other end and let her chew it. 

When you want her to be finished eating the chewie or high value item, take a handful of hot dog chunks/cheese/whatever and throw them the other direction so that the puppy leaves the item and you can pick it up.

This is all about association. She needs to understand that when a hand approaches it is not going to take anything away that she values. You will get to a point where she'll spit out the high value item when you approach because she's looking for what goody you'll be passing out to her. 

Get busy reading about resource guarding, buy the book "Mine!"


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

First you need to know that growling is communication for dogs, "this is mine, don't take it". Putting your hands in her food teaches her you might take her food, so instead of doing that bring a nice treat to her bowl and drop it in, do it often so she learns you approaching her food is a good thing.

Start practicing trade with her, she has a bone you offer her something yummy in trade, but don't just "take" the bone without offering something in return. Just taking her chewy teaches her she was right to growl, you took it away.

Never let your child sit near her while she is chewing on a bone or other edible things. I agree find a good trainer to come to your home to help you. She is not a bad puppy, she is just a puppy who needs to be taught how to interact with people the way we want dogs to.


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## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

It's going to be a very long time before you should let your puppy have a high value treat while your child is near, and this would go for any puppy, not just yours.

Do you have a crate? That's a perfect place for letting a puppy have high value food items.


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

flutterbye said:


> So you don't think this is an aggressive dog, right?


No, this doesn't sound like aggression, just normal puppy behavior. Just like children, puppies need to be taught proper behavior. Your puppy thinks your baby is a littermate and is playing the only way it knows how. Honestly, I'd be more worried is puppy was aloof and was fearful which can lead to fear-biting.

When your baby is playing on the floor, keep puppy in another room or in a pen until he learns his manners. Even then, don't leave them alone until your baby is much older. Goldens can be wonderful family pets but they are dogs and that is something you should never forget. 

My Hank is 2 y.o. and is the perfect family pet. The only worry we have is he tends to 'bull doze' people when excited. My 6 y.o. granddaughter lives here and we need to be careful on the stairs.


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## flutterbye (Jun 16, 2011)

I'm so glad I have you guys. See, I was doing exactly what not to do! I feel so stupid! 

I'm going to read and read and read, then come up with a solid plan. I'll keep posting. Thanks SOOO much!


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

I think your puppies world just expanded exponentially when you reached out.... _and_ listened without becoming defensive (defensive is easy to do when a bunch of strangers are pointing to a mistake). 
When you start reading through the many threads you gonna see the potential your pup has to be a _great_ dog with your patience, persistence and a plan!


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