# Biting and growling problem!



## Havanese711

Hi, my havanese is named Ricky and he is a few months shy of two years. He sometimes jumps up and mouths our hands. I think that is his way of saying he wants something. We do dog training with him. Sometimes he won't sit or lay down at training and he gets distracted by other dogs. I try to gently put him into the position like our trainer says to do but Ricky growls and bites me when I do. He also hates being moved when Ricky is laying down and will bite and growl if you move him. There are only certain times when you can pick him up or he'll bite and growl. Any he will usually bare his teeth as well. He has actually bitten at times. If you do something to Ricky he does not like, he will bite and growl. However, he seems to pick up the other obedience commands we've taught him.

Is biting common with havanese? He is a pretty good dog (sweet and lovable) but we really need to stop the biting and growling. If we did he would be a perfect dog. Ricky loves people, loves to be petted, enjoys walks, loves to lick, enjoys being with people and loves attention. How do you stop the biting? We try telling him "no bite!" and ignore him but that does not work. He has been socialized with other dogs since he was a young puppy in addition to dog training.

Thanks for reading this. Sorry it was so long. Any advice is appreciated!


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## krandall

Havanese711 said:


> Is biting common with havanese? He is a pretty good dog (sweet and lovable) but we really need to stop the biting and growling. If we did he would be a perfect dog. Ricky loves people, loves to be petted, enjoys walks, loves to lick, enjoys being with people and loves attention. How do you stop the biting? We try telling him "no bite!" and ignore him but that does not work.


When you say you are doing "dog training" with him, I assume you mean you are taking a training class? If so, have you addressed these specific issues with your instructor, if not, that't where I would start. It's probably not something that can be fixed in a class situation, but a good trainer should be willing and able to help you work on this problem. If not, I'd be looking for a different trainer. Being able to sit and down on command is all well and good, but biting and aggressive behavior is a serious problem that can lead to a dog being put down if they bite the wrong person.

And no, Biting isn't a "common" problem in Havanese... In general, they are known for their wonderful temperaments. But you can get a less stable dog in any breed, and this is particularly true among puppy mill dogs. You didn't say where your dog was from, but if you got him from a reputable breeder, another thing I would do is talk to them and ask if they have any advice.


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## davetgabby

Hello 711 . I think you need some one on one with a professional trainer. A fair bit going on here. If you need help finding a trainer let me know and I'll see if I can help find one for you.


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## Havanese711

Yes, we do have him in a training class. She has suggested we have a trainer come to our house who has experience training Havanese for a one-on-one training session. I'm not sure how much experience she has had, but she did say that biting and growling is fairly common in Havanese, which is something we had not read or heard about when we were researching which dog to buy. After hearing your comment about this not be common, I'm wondering about this trainer now. She charges $50/hr. so I'd like someone who "knows" about Havanese.

Thanks for your input. If think of anything else, we'd appreciate hearing it.


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## sashamom

Have you checked with your vet to see if he is being caused pain when you pick him up? Has he been dropped accidently and may be afraid of being hurt? Not all trainers are familiar with the Havs. I have not heard of a lot of aggression in the breed. However, any dog can have some aggression if frightened or in pain. I agree with sime one on one conversation. Linda


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## davetgabby

Havanese711 said:


> Yes, we do have him in a training class. She has suggested we have a trainer come to our house who has experience training Havanese for a one-on-one training session. I'm not sure how much experience she has had, but she did say that biting and growling is fairly common in Havanese, which is something we had not read or heard about when we were researching which dog to buy. After hearing your comment about this not be common, I'm wondering about this trainer now. She charges $50/hr. so I'd like someone who "knows" about Havanese.
> 
> Thanks for your input. If think of anything else, we'd appreciate hearing it.


I think she is right about one on one training. But I would question her statement about Havs. Don't worry about someone's experience with Havs. These problems are common in any breed. You need someone experienced with aggression issues. This problem has gone on too long. If you would like help finding a trainer, let me know. I would also question a trainer that recommends modeling a dog for basic commands . Not the most effective method.


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## krandall

Havanese711 said:


> Yes, we do have him in a training class. She has suggested we have a trainer come to our house who has experience training Havanese for a one-on-one training session. I'm not sure how much experience she has had, but she did say that biting and growling is fairly common in Havanese, which is something we had not read or heard about when we were researching which dog to buy. After hearing your comment about this not be common, I'm wondering about this trainer now. She charges $50/hr. so I'd like someone who "knows" about Havanese.
> 
> Thanks for your input. If think of anything else, we'd appreciate hearing it.


Havanese aren't that common a breed, so you may not find a trainer who as a lot of experience with the breed. That said, I WOULDN'T want one who had a preconceived and WRONG impression of the breed. Growly, snappy Havs do occur (just like in ANY breed) but they are the exception rather than the rule. Any good trainer who knows how to use positive training methods to influence reactive dogs should be able to help you.


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## HavaneseSoon

What is the history of your dog? Have you had Ricky since he was a little puppy? Is this a recent problem with biting and growling? How long has the behavior been going on? 

Is Ricky neutered? 

We likes lots of history and pictures around here....

Linda


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## Mojo's Mom

I agree with everyone who said you need professional one on one help with this dog. You don't need a trainer who is experienced in Havanese; a dog is a dog is a dog. I wouldn't feel comfortable with a trainer who said that biting is common in Havanese, because it is not. As someone else said, a trainer who comes with preconceptions about certain behaviors in certain breeds may not help you.

Just out of curiosity, can you take his food away while he is eating? And what are the "certain times" you can pick him up without him reacting?


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## Havanese711

sashamom, we have not checked had to vet check him for that but i doubt he is in any pain. He will let us pick him up at certain times with no problem at all. Like today I had to pick him up real quick because there was two other bigger dogs that looked like they might get away from their owners. He let me pick him up with no problems. Still we are going to have him checked out. A couple thanksgivings ago my cosin who is used to cats, was holding Ricky and dropped him like she did with her cats. He had gotten really freaked out but showed no signs of pain. Within less than an hour he was fine. Still we will have the vet check him out.
HavaneseSoon, we have had him since he was seven and a half weeks old. He has always had the problem of biting and growling. He was cheaper than the other puppies in his liter by $100. He was $900. The breeder dropped Ricky off at our house so we had never went to go see the breeder's home (which was a big mistake because i now know you are supposed to go). Yes, he is neutered. 
Mojo's Mom, we can take his food away when he is eating. He's mainly aggressive over toys. The times we can pick him up are when we first come home and he jumps up on our legs. He wants to be picked up then actually. He also lets me pick him up if we are on a walk and i see a dog that the owner is struggling with that could get lose. 
We are gonna try and call the Havanese Trainer and try a one on one session. We'll see how she is. I will tell you all how it goes. Also i'm beginning to think maybe the reason Ricky bites sometimes is because he did not get enough time with his litter mates and mom. He came to our house when he was seven and a half weeks and he was the last one sold. Maybe that's it or maybe it was bad breeding because we never visited the breeder's home. I don't know. I am gonna try to contact the breeder and ask why Ricky was cheaper than his siblings.
Thanks for all your help and I'll tell you how things go.


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## davetgabby

Just be prepared ,this training is going to take more than one session. Keep us posted.


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## ama0722

Unfortuantely I am seeing more and more Havanese without the outgoing joyful temperment and many who are fearful. In fact the last time I went for a rescue id, the person at the shelter said the dog was a hav because it was shy and nippy! Whether it be to genetics of the parents temperment or not getting what they needed from the breeder or not getting enough socialization as puppies, there seem to be more and more. I can't say enough about getting a puppy from a good breeder and keeping up on the socialization.

Is this trainer the same one you are using in class? My Dora wasn't very socialized as a pup but she was never a fear bitter (something I would take very serious) but I submerged her in socialization and classes as a younger dog. I would highly recommend you finding someone whose methods you are comfortable with. It may be someone who doesn't know "havs" but knows little dogs and is very positive. Unfortunately, you may not get much help from your breeder but if you give your location someone on the forum might have trainer suggestions near you.


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## davetgabby

I agree with you Amanda, I tend to think of Havs as no different that any other breed when it comes to behavioral issues. I have not met a lot of havs but half of the ones I've met ,had issues. Breeding does factor into the equation but from day one so does everything the dog encounters.


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## Mojo's Mom

Well, we can't know about your breeder, and it doesn't matter now...but $900 is a LOT less than normal, and you say that was only discounted $100 because he was the last to be chosen. 7 1/2 weeks old isn't terribly too young to leave the litter, but the fact that he was the last one makes me wonder how young the others went. I have noticed that many good Hav breeders won't let their pups go until 10 weeks or more.

Still, you say he was well socialized as a puppy....Whatever might have happened isn't important now, but what you do now is important. Let us know how it goes with the trainer.


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## Havanese711

My daughter posted the comment about him being the last one to go in the litter, I'm not sure that was exactly true. They were all spoken for, but may not have been picked up yet. We were specifically looking for a black/white havanese boy. I do think the breeder is reputable. She was very attentive and helpful, answering questions, etc. We even talked with people who purchased havanese puppies from her in the past. They were all very pleased and recommended her highly. I just think this issue has continued since he was a puppy and we haven't found the right technique yet to control it. We've tried different things, and he might be a bit confused now.

We only have two more sessions in our current training program, which is level 2, for dog obedience. Then we're done with that. He's great with basic commands. He's a very smart dog! 

As far as the private trainer, it would be interesting to see if she has any new techniques and how she approaches the issue. However, if anyone knows of a trainer in our area that has trained Havanese or specifically small dogs, we'd be open to talking with them too. We live in Fairport, NY, near Rochester.

Thanks for all of your comments and advice. I'm so glad we found this forum. We want the best for our "Ricky".


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## Sheri

Where do you live?


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## HavaneseSoon

Havanese711 said:


> My daughter posted the comment about him being the last one to go in the litter, I'm not sure that was exactly true. They were all spoken for, but may not have been picked up yet. We were specifically looking for a black/white havanese boy. I do think the breeder is reputable. She was very attentive and helpful, answering questions, etc. We even talked with people who purchased havanese puppies from her in the past. They were all very pleased and recommended her highly. I just think this issue has continued since he was a puppy and we haven't found the right technique yet to control it. We've tried different things, and he might be a bit confused now.
> 
> We only have two more sessions in our current training program, which is level 2, for dog obedience. Then we're done with that. He's great with basic commands. He's a very smart dog!
> 
> As far as the private trainer, it would be interesting to see if she has any new techniques and how she approaches the issue. However, if anyone knows of a trainer in our area that has trained Havanese or specifically small dogs, we'd be open to talking with them too. *We live in Fairport, NY, near Rochester.*
> 
> Thanks for all of your comments and advice. I'm so glad we found this forum. We want the best for our "Ricky".


Anyone live near Rochester, NY who could help out?


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## Sheri

Aha, Linda, I obviously missed that. Thanks.


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## krandall

Sheri said:


> Aha, Linda, I obviously missed that. Thanks.


I was wondering if you were looking for a street address. (only kidding)


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## davetgabby

Hi 711,by the way what is your first name. ? I will see what I can come up with. Get back to you ASAP.


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## KGjelaj

Havanese711 said:


> Hi, my havanese is named Ricky and he is a few months shy of two years. He sometimes jumps up and mouths our hands. I think that is his way of saying he wants something. We do dog training with him. Sometimes he won't sit or lay down at training and he gets distracted by other dogs. I try to gently put him into the position like our trainer says to do but Ricky growls and bites me when I do. He also hates being moved when Ricky is laying down and will bite and growl if you move him. There are only certain times when you can pick him up or he'll bite and growl. Any he will usually bare his teeth as well. He has actually bitten at times. If you do something to Ricky he does not like, he will bite and growl. However, he seems to pick up the other obedience commands we've taught him.
> 
> Is biting common with havanese? He is a pretty good dog (sweet and lovable) but we really need to stop the biting and growling. If we did he would be a perfect dog. Ricky loves people, loves to be petted, enjoys walks, loves to lick, enjoys being with people and loves attention. How do you stop the biting? We try telling him "no bite!" and ignore him but that does not work. He has been socialized with other dogs since he was a young puppy in addition to dog training.
> 
> Thanks for reading this. Sorry it was so long. Any advice is appreciated!
> [/QUOTE
> Hi My Havenese is 3 years old but I got her when she was a few wks old she was a biter when I got her because she didn’t know any better but I taught her not to bite when I first got her it took a minute but it worked u have to make a fist bring it towards there mouth and if they try to bite u say No every time but again I did it when she was a few wks old not sure how this works now that your dog is older but my dog never bites because I did it every day until she finally got it she got yelled at a lot when she would blert an bite but when she didn’t she always got a treat then eventually she just got it but anyway Hope this helps good luck 👍


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