I received a phone call from a new client. She has had her 5 month old puppy since she was 9 weeks old. During that time, the puppy has shown herself to be timid with new people, avoidant of other puppies in puppy class, and "snappy" with her children, ages 8 and 10. When the client visited her veterinarian for the puppy's next round of vaccines, she told her vet all of this and said, "She'll outgrow this, right? This is just how puppies are when they are little, right? That's what I've read online." Her veterinarian handed her my card and suggested she reach out to me immediately for guidance and I'm really glad that she did!
While puppies most certainly outgrow their collars (and often their dog beds!), they do no outgrow their personalities or burgeoning behavior problems. While it certainly isn't unheard of for a puppy to avoid other puppies or hide during puppy class at times (I've written on the topic before), adding in being timid with people too AND snappy with kids and I've got some real concerns about this puppy in this home. We set a time to meet when her children weren't home, just in case what I had to say wouldn't be what they wanted to hear about their new puppy.
This puppy wasn't timid, so much as she was uninterested in people. She would take treats from me, when offered, but then went right back to looking out the window or chewing on her toy. I asked the owner if she was hiding during puppy class or avoiding everyone and doing her own thing, like I was seeing there at home. She said the puppy just did her own thing while the others ran around and played; if they approached her she would freeze and stare at them, or move away slowly until they lost interest in her. She also moved away from interacting with other people or the instructor during class. I asked the owner to show me what things they had worked on with the puppy as I really wanted to see if this puppy would engage with her owner. My client approached her puppy and then called her; this puppy looked up from the toy and went right back to chewing on it. I told the owner to go ahead and take the toy away so the puppy could focus on her. She hesitated and that's when I knew. This puppy is already showing resource guarding in this home as well. She is snappy not just with the kids, but with anyone who tries to take a toy or bone from her, or move her when she's laying down. I asked if anyone had actually been bitten, and the owner reluctantly admitted that they all had.
Dogs that bite people are deal-breakers for me, particularly in homes with children as it isn't safe for them or their friends and really puts a lot of undue stress on the family to micromanage their dogs with issues in aggression toward people. While I often suggest confidence building exercises for timid puppies, controlled social experiences for those lacking the skills to explore on their own, lots of mental exercise, and an enforced nap schedule, none of these activities will change this puppy, and she most certainly will not be outgrowing these issues. This is a purposefully bred puppy, so this aloof personality and resource guarding aggression most likely have a genetic component. It certainly isn't anything my client or her children have done. It was time to contact the breeder and return this puppy in order to keep everyone safe.
I feel bad for her kids as they really wanted a puppy and have been doing "everything right," from attending puppy classes as a family, to a white board at home dividing up puppy related tasks among all family members. The problem isn't the family, it's this puppy. And while that's a hard pill to swallow, it's the truth. No amount of love, classes, naps, or schedules will change the temperament of this puppy.
I do feel that this family is ready for a puppy. My hope is that they will let me help them find the next one and we'll be able to choose one whose personality and temperament are better suited to family life.
As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.
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