help with my puppy

[MollysMum 0]

hi everyone ...im so upset molly has been growling at me again for the last 2 days when i pick her up ,i feel like i must be doing something wrong ,im picking her up the right way but she's still doing it ,she hasnt actually bitten me like last time but when she growls she sounds quite nasty ,im still waiting for the lady to ring me about the puppy classes and i rang someone else and left them a message on the answerphone but other than that i dont know what to do ...when i pick her up i say NO in a stern voice and just put her down and face the other way , and when i pick her up and she doesnt growl (which hasnt been very often today !)i make a big fuss of her and give her a treat ... ive waited all this time to have a little puppy i can give all my time too but to be honest she just doesnt want to be near me and just likes being on her own which im finding hard to deal with at the moment ,sorry for the gloomy post but i just had to say how i was feeling , i gave up work so i could be here and give all my time to her and i read about so many different breeds of dogs and so many people said get a shih tzu as they are very friendly sweet natured and loving dogs ,what happened to molly she's like the devil dog somethimes! i rang a few breeders when she bit me and most advised me to give her back to the breeder and find another shih tzu as they was worried about her behaviour and thats when i joined this forum ,but when it came to it i couldnt give her back as ive become too attached and decided that maybe she wasnt going to be a lapdog and just wanted her own space ,but then this isnt the dog i wanted ,i really want to get another shih tzu but i really dont know what to do ..please help im so confused and upset x

[MisterMom 11]

Puppies don't come trained. You have to teach them. AND a Tzu can be very hard headed

Try getting some very small pieces of treats and get on the floor with her. Pet her & give treat. Rub her tummy and give a treat. Lay her on your chest & give her a treat. Snuggle & give treat. Get a toy, play with her & give a treat. Repeat several times a day. She may not have been handled by the breeder and is just uncomfortable with being picked up.

G/L

[Maz&Oozy 0]

Hiyas hun

if you wanna chat then feel free to pm me and will send you my mobile number

Maz x

[Maz&Oozy 0]

just had a quick word with my friend, is it only when you pick her up that she is like this?? and I read on other forum its since her microchipping and vacination, my friend said it may be because of the chipping, ok sounds mad but my vet would only do it under general as small dog and its quite a big needle and does hurt, maybe she is associating the pain with you and vet and is angry about it, I know nuts but pups do this, my lad HATES my daughters boyfriend and barks from moment he arrives till moment he leaves, all because when they first met he pretended to growl and bark at oozy in return when oozy did it to him, he does it to all people on arrival 2 barks then done, now its murder when Paul is in house, so could be a similar thing... which can be sorted but may take time hun... Tzu's are amazing dogs, very clever and adorable, but stubborn as hell, so this may take a time to sort...

just an idea and hope ive made sense typing it, im in a rush as a appointment...

Maz x

[MollysMum 0]

thanks maz she only does it to me and i think your friends right i really think that she associates me with the pain of the microchip ..i couldnt pick her up at all straight after she had it as she yelped so much..when i rang the vets they said it was usual for them to feel sore after ,i am always playing on the floor with her and giving cuddles and treats etc ,she used to really nip everyone but she has calmed down so much these last few days its just when i pick her up ,the only time ive picked her up lately is when im opening the front door and when she goes to bed ill give her a kiss and put her in her cage just to see if that helps as someone mentioned i might be picking her up too much..i didnt think you could pick a puppy up too much i thought they loved the affection and cuddles and thats why i picked this breed of dog in the first place xx

[Maz&Oozy 0]

well we pick up, hold, cuddle our lad loads and always have since we got him, but yep souds like that may be the problem then she is thinking bad thought not good when you pick her up, so basically we need to turn it around that your pick up equals something nice.

Now if your lads same as mine and many other they LOVE steamed sweet potato (I norm steam then cut to slices and then cube then store in frisge) and or green beans, I found both of these brill for teaching and wasnt fattening like giving norm treats, how about seeing if she loves these as something new, or if she isnt mad about it some plain white fish, you can pick some up from asda or similar in the little frozen blocks, let her try it see which is fav and then, try maybe picking her up and putting her next to you on the chair or sofa then giving her a tiny piece, then stroke then pop her down.. try it again later on, if she snaps any time etc just ignore or gently say no and pop her down without the treat, then try again a bit later. If this works gradaully move her to your lap... if this works after a week or 2 you could try picking her up holding her for a minute, giving her a treat while she's in your arms then pop her down and then gradually build up time, but buy using a special treat, one she doesnt norm get hopefully this will turn a bad time/thought into a good yummy one...

well thats what I would try hun, slowly and gradually, they are clever little things and she will soon gather she gets something nice and not pain.

Hugs which shud hopefully be from your girl soon and hun mean it if you want to chat, im often around :)

Edited July 13, 2010 by Maz&Oozy

[MisterMom 11]

My vet chips when they are anesthetized for spaying. Yes, in a small pup it hurts.

[MollysMum 0]

hi ya ,the vet wouldnt even do it in front of me because he knew she wouldnt like it ..and i even heard her yelp from the other room ,she bled a bit as well ,i suppose me saying good girl isnt enough at the moment but ill defo try that thanks maz ,shes so good with everything else ,as soon as i take her outside and tell her to "be clean " she does it straight away which im so pleased about as this is something i was worrying about with shih tzus ,ive just been to PAH and got her another toy ,she loves playing fetch and she loves this one ! shes just had a mad figure of eight momentin the living room ..lol thanks again hunnie xxxxx

[Maz&Oozy 0]

Hey no worries hun, having a pup is hard work and worrying, I know I worry about things and they become such a big part of the family its just like having a baby and when things dont go as you hope its so upsetting, so really understand how you feel, but im sure with a bit of work, love and coaxing everything will get sorted.

and the vet well im surprised he did it, mine refused when I asked and said to wait till I had him neutered and under a GA as better for pooch as tho the chip is small, in comparison to the pup its not, but hey im sure in a month all this will be forgotten and you'll have a cuddly happy pup :)

[FairyTail Josette 14]

You've already received some great advice. Just wanted to let you know, Denice, that we are here to support and help in any way we can. I think in time with a lot of patience and perseverance you and Molly will work through this. :)

[Little Molly 0]

Just wanted to let you know that my Molly (must be the name) is reluctant to come to me too. She does not growl, but I can't get her to come to me for the life of me! I don't know what I did wrong, but I guess I must transmit some kind of negative message to her. She will run to my kids in a heartbeat.

I was very disappointed with her at first. After all, I wanted a live teddy bear that I could hug and cuddle with, right? Wrong! Molly has let me know that she is VERY independant. But at the same time, she loves me/us to death. She will bring me toys to play with and drop them at my feet. She sleeps at the foot of our bed. And when we come home after being out for a couple of hours, she will greet me with those serious eyes of hers and will let out a howl or two, which I cannot resist!

So maybe your Molly and mine, just have a different way of showing there affection?

Someone here said that maybe these puppies were never held when they were still with the mother, thus not used to human contact. That may explain why your pup reacts the way she does.

Either way, I would just have patience with her. It took me 7 months to get where I am today. Molly loves me, and I know this. There is just something that keeps her from coming to me when called. Sigh.. And she is definitely not a lap dog!

Things should get better! :)

Edited July 14, 2010 by Little Molly

[mom2Gizmo 24]

My Gizmo gives a complaining grunt (I don't call it a growl as it doesn't sound the same as when he actually growls at something, like when he's outside) sometimes when my one daughter picks him up. The rest of us he never does it to. It's usually when he's "busy" I think, and not in the mood. And as far as shih tzu's go, they are the most affectionate and loving dogs I've ever met. Gizmo loves hugs and kisses and all that, but he is NOT a lap dog. He will lay next to me or at my feet but I would not consider him a lapdog in the true sense of the word. And to be honest, that seems to be how most shih tzu's are. And as a puppy, he definetely was not a lap dog. Now at 2 years old he is a little moreso, but definetely not when he was a baby!

[Seastar 44]

That's a good point, Pam. Puppies need to be socialized and held by humans from Day 1. Years ago I got a dog (a beautiful field spaniel/English setter cross) who I now suspect was born and raised in a barn with little human interaction. He was the worst dog I ever had--terrorized the place, destructive, sneaky, etc. I loved him but he was just impossible. I rehomed him with someone who ran every day and wanted a very active dog. Breeders should make it a high priority to spend time with each puppy they produce, allowing them contact with children, cats, and other dogs. That's something you want to check on, also, when you buy a new dog--what were the conditions during puppyhood, and what are the breeder's socialization practices and beliefs?

I suspect that both Mollys will be fine over time. Shih tzu are forgiving and such sweet dogs by nature, that working with them and giving delicious treats (they are SO food-oriented) will bring them around to being just what you hoped for. Good luck~

[MollysMum 0]

hi all , i took molly to the vets and he couldnt feel or find anything wrong and said that she seems fine ..he picked her up and she went to lick him..lol he said it may be connected to the microchip as she was so tiny when she had it done (so why did he do it grrrrrr )since we came back ive ignored her most of the time but i picked her up just now and she was fine ,im glad theres nothing physically wrong with her and ill just have to work on the growling ...and i did wonder if maybe i was making her jump when i picked her up and she wasnt ready for it, i sit on the floor with her a lot and she does come and lay next to me but then i think she gets hot and goes and lays in the conservatory where the floor is cooler ,she loves to play fetch so we do spend quite a bit of time playing ..maybe she gets sick of me during the day and just wants her space so ill just wait for her to come to me and see how it goes ..she was really socialised by the breeder as she had 2 other dogs that were pregnant a couple of cats and 4 children but she was the last puppy so maybe its quiter here and she enjoys her own space i dont know ...ill just have to work on it ,thank you so much for your replies though xx

[mom2Gizmo 24]

I think that sounds like a great plan! We people seem to want to hug and kiss and cuddle these "living teddy bears" constantly, but we need to remember that they are living beings. I wouldn't want to be hugged, kissed, and restrained on someone's lap constantly either! Especially when I was a child and wanted to run and play! All dogs also have different personalities, just like all people do. And we should love and respect them for their uniqueness.

[FairyTail Josette 14]

How old was Molly when she left her mother and littermates? Puppies learn a lot from their mothers/littermates regarding behavior. After thinking about this, I really feel in all honesty it's not so much an issue with the vet microchipping, but, more of a dominance issue. I think a puppy class would be great for Molly. Molly would really benefit from the interaction with the other pups. Also, the instructor or a trainer can give you some hands on training to establish your dominance as the leader, (stop the growling/biting). I think the positive training of treats is wonderful advice, but, I would also try to establish that you are the leader of the pack....by teaching Molly she's subordinate to you. I've always been taught to place a puppy on their back when they growl at you. I've never done it, as, I haven't personally experienced this. Just some food for thought and throwing out some ideas here.....please, keep us posted. :)

[MollysMum 0]

hi ya molly was the last of the litter and she was 8 weeks old when we picked her up but i think all the other pups went the week before ,she was well socialised as the breeder had 4 children although one was quite young (about 3-4) and there was also 2 other dogs that were due to have pups and 2 cats and mollys mum ,maybe she just enoys the peace here lol i was sitting on the floor today and she was lying next to me and when she woke up i called her and she tried to scramble onto my lap ,i stroked her said good girl picked her up and she just licked my face . when she did growl at me thats what i used to do lay her on her back and say NO BITING in a stern voice then put her on the floor x

[Carolina Girl 2]

Mowgli is not much of a cuddler. He just wants his own space. Their are moments where he wants and enjoys being held. He had an excellent breeder who along with her children handled him quite a bit. I just think that it's his spunky little personality. He enjoys playing and interacting with us, he just doesn't want to be confined to someone's lap. I'm hoping that as he gets older, he'll maybe slow down a little and want to be held more.