Puppy Question

[Ivy]

I just got a 8 week old male puppy. I have noticed that he really does not like to be held down. I really noticed it when it was feeding time. All my other dogs eat in the same room (they each have their own bowls) They know not to bother eachother if one finishes eating earlier than the others.
I also feed the pup in the same room because I would like for him to learn the same behaviours during feeding time.
Needless to say, this boy has an appetite, so he finishes his food quite faster than the rest. He kept trying to get too close to one dog so I held him in a sit position. He didn't like that. He is screaming bloody murder. I kept holding him until he calmed down. Is this normal puppy behaviour? If so, am I doing it right?
(It has been so long since I have had a puppy that it all feels new to me)

 

[Barb04]

Why don't you feed the puppy in another room for now until he is older and understands not to go to the other bowls.

 

[Ivy]

How will he learn if he is not placed in the situation?

It's not the fact that he is trying to get too close. That is expected from a pup. He really does not like to be held down; that is what the question is refering to.

 

[gecko_mom]

Why don't you feed the puppy in another room for now until he is older and understands not to go to the other bowls.

I agree. At 8 weeks there's no way he can understand what you want, and it's pretty unfair to him for you to expect that.

If it were my pup, he'd be fed separate until he learns how to sit, come to his name, and the 'leave it' command. Once you have those then you can teach him to stay at his bowl.

And puppies shouldn't be allowed to scarf their food that fast, so maybe you could start with hand feeding and only putting a few kibbles in his bowl at a time - this way he also knows you control the food and you are the leader.

 

[gecko_mom]

As for holding him down, I don't know a single animal that likes that. Plus if you really have to fight him to hold him down, you could injure him. It really doesn't teach him anything positive, imo. I would never hold a puppy down the way you are describing.

 

[Criosphynx]

I would instill basic commands first before putting him in a situation like that. You want him to never be set up to fail...if you have to restrain him or force him into a sit...hes failing.


most puppies would be upset at being restrained.

 

[corgipower]

Is this normal puppy behaviour?

Yup. Completely normal.

If so, am I doing it right?

Not in my opinion.

I agree. Feed him in a separate room until he's older. Meanwhile, teach him a sit, stay, leave it, to come to you and self control in stimulating environments.

How will he learn if he is not placed in the situation?

He can learn when he's older and he can learn gradually and without being caused so much distress.

Also he can learn to accept restraint through gradually introducing and increasing it and always rewarding him for allowing it. Starting out with slowly reaching for him and giving a reward, working up to grabbing his collar and releasing him with a reward, to grabbing his collar and holding onto it for increasing lengths of time and rewarding, to being able to hold the dog without a collar again for increasing lengths of time and always rewarding.

Accepting restraint will also be easier in a less stimulating environment.

 

[Ivy]

Thank you everybody for your answers. That's why I like to ask questions here.

 

[theresa92841]

For my puppy, I always started out feeding the puppy in the ex-pen. When they were done, they had to wait to be let out. Until the other dogs were done. I would work on sit and stay. They had to sit before I would open the ex-pen. And they had to stay or I would close the pen, again.

 

[Dekka]

Remember he's a baby. Would you expect a human baby to understand such a concept?

He's not to old though to learn sit etc so when he is older and has the ability to exert self control (and has an attention span longer than a distracted gnat lol) he will be able to learn with less stress how you want feeding time to go.

 

[Ivy]

Remember he's a baby. Would you expect a human baby to understand such a concept?

He's not to old though to learn sit etc so when he is older and has the ability to exert self control (and has an attention span longer than a distracted gnat lol) he will be able to learn with less stress how you want feeding time to go.

Yes I understand that now. Last night I fed him in the other room while the others ate. And I got him to sit before I put the bowl down. Every once in a while I would take the bowl away and get him to sit again (I would like for him to get used to me handling his food) He is already getting the hang of it. He is so smart.

 

[SisMorphine]

You've gotten good advice.

For me, though it can be "common" for a puppy to protest at being physically restrained or manipulated, I do not find it acceptable. My litter was imprinted with loads of handling and puppy massage. I have pictures of them passed out on their backs in children's laps at 5 weeks old. In my puppy classes I also teach a puppy massage (based on some ttouch techniques) because I think it's very important for you to be able to handle your pup in any way possible. My adult dogs will offer up their belly to me, and I can roll them over in play (NOT alpha rolling, very different thing). So I would work on your pup's tolerance of being restrained so you don't end up with a monster as an adult.

 

[Ivy]

You've gotten good advice.

For me, though it can be "common" for a puppy to protest at being physically restrained or manipulated, I do not find it acceptable. My litter was imprinted with loads of handling and puppy massage. I have pictures of them passed out on their backs in children's laps at 5 weeks old. In my puppy classes I also teach a puppy massage (based on some ttouch techniques) because I think it's very important for you to be able to handle your pup in any way possible. My adult dogs will offer up their belly to me, and I can roll them over in play (NOT alpha rolling, very different thing). So I would work on your pup's tolerance of being restrained so you don't end up with a monster as an adult.

That was my intention, but I guess I was going about it in the wrong way.
I will be enrolling Tynan in puppy classes, but he is too young and has to get all his booster shots first as well.

Could you give me some suggestions how to go about to building up tolerance of being restrained for the time being? (or would it be recommended to wait?)

 

[SisMorphine]

Start by picking him up. If he is wiggling and struggling just hold onto him. The second he stops, then you can put him down and praise him. Eventually you'll get to the point where he isn't wiggling and struggling when you pick him up, but may be stiff. Again just keep holding him until you feel his body relax, and then put him down and praise him (and treat him and do whatever).

 

[Ivy]

He is okay when I pick him up most of the time. Sometimes he is wiggly because he wants to get down to play with the other dogs (I am assuming because right when I put him down he runs to the dogs and begins to play) Other times he is perfectly still and gives me kisses and snuggles into my neck.