# Mollys in trouble



## mollys dad (Apr 21, 2015)

Molly is 15 weeks old. She will let us pick her up ONLY when we have her movements restricted, like in the laundry room or her pen, the other times (5%) when she is tired. She is also growling and nipping at her Moms dressing gown and my pajama in the morning and our heel the rest of the day. When we try to pick her up she will do her chewing on you (teething???) and run a few feet and look at you. She is very vocal about things and growls alot (playing??)
Now to the real problem Mollys Mom is running out of patients with her nipping and not letting us pick her up. I have been given a deadline to get her trained or else. HELP

Thanks for all the previous advice


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

mollys dad said:


> Molly is 15 weeks old. She will let us pick her up ONLY when we have her movements restricted, like in the laundry room or her pen, the other times (5%) when she is tired. She is also growling and nipping at her Moms dressing gown and my pajama in the morning and our heel the rest of the day. When we try to pick her up she will do her chewing on you (teething???) and run a few feet and look at you. She is very vocal about things and growls alot (playing??)
> Now to the real problem Mollys Mom is running out of patients with her nipping and not letting us pick her up. I have been given a deadline to get her trained or else. HELP
> 
> Thanks for all the previous advice


All of what Molly is doing is absolutely normal puppy behavior. Most of it can be modified fairly easily with consistent work on your part and that of your wife. But it's really not something that can easily be taught to you long-distance. I STRONGLY urge you to find a local, positive based trainer to come into your home, watch the family dynamics and help you develop a positive training system to help Molly grow into the wonderful pet she was meant to be.

Fifteen weeks is still VERY young. Please tell your wife that she needs to be patient. Molly will continue to do "puppy things" (various sorts of behaviors that wax and wane) for at least the next 18 months or so. Puppies do not arrive knowing the rules any more than children do.


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## DaisyMommy (Feb 28, 2015)

mollys dad said:


> Molly is 15 weeks old. She will let us pick her up ONLY when we have her movements restricted, like in the laundry room or her pen, the other times (5%) when she is tired. She is also growling and nipping at her Moms dressing gown and my pajama in the morning and our heel the rest of the day. When we try to pick her up she will do her chewing on you (teething???) and run a few feet and look at you. She is very vocal about things and growls alot (playing??)
> Now to the real problem Mollys Mom is running out of patients with her nipping and not letting us pick her up. I have been given a deadline to get her trained or else. HELP
> 
> Thanks for all the previous advice


Aww! It's very typical puppy behavior! Daisy grew out of it eventually at around 5 or 6 months. Anytime she nipped at our ankles or tried to pull at my pajama pants, I would stop and ignore her. I also started diverting her attention to a really long rope toy that I started dragging around so she would chase that and pull at it instead of my pants leg. It takes a lot of patience going through this stage. Hang in there! Karen is right, I would call a positive based trainer or even start taking her to group puppy classes where they teach you in detail how to deal with it.


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## JoePat (May 2, 2015)

You just might need to change out your wife, ha just kidding. Get down on Molly's level, like lay out on the floor, and play with her. Let her fully understand that you mean no harm and never will harm her. Just imagined someone 20 times taller than you reaching down to pick you up. It would freak you out too. Be patient, hold her gently, play with her at her speed, touch every part of her little body, set routines and keep to them. Molly is looking for stability, routines she can handle, love and most importantly guidance. Believe me this breed only wants to please it owners in every way. Wish you the best and if all fails just let me know and I will fly to you and pick her up. I just love all havanese!


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

Have you done any training with Molly yet? If you can teach her simple commands like sit, down, stay, and come, it will help you when you need to get her. Find a treat that she likes. Most puppies are eager to learn, especially when there is food involved. My husband and I trained Molly to come by using treats and sitting on opposite sides of the room. We would take turns calling her to us and treating her when she did. I would carry treats in my pocket and randomly call her to me from different spots in the house. In no time at all she would come to us when we called her. You can also have a word that you use when you want to pick her up (like UP) so she knows what you are going to do. You can also treat her when she lets you pick her up. Having a new puppy is a challenge and I hope your wife can be patient because it will be so worth it in the end. Good luck!


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## 31818 (Oct 29, 2014)

mollys dad said:


> I have been given a deadline to get her trained or else. HELP


How is your leash training going?

besos, Ricky Ricardo


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## SJ1998 (Feb 4, 2013)

Any kind of training will help. Just grab some treats Molly likes (my dog loves the freeze dried liver and also chicken) and work on things like sit, coming when called etc. It doesnt have to be anything sophisticated, just the interaction between you and Molly will help a lot. It will give her something to do. My boy is 2 1/2 and while he is past a lot of the puppy behaviors, he needs a lot of exercise and playtime. If he doesnt get it from us he will create it himself (throws his own toy as far as he can and then goes it get it, pretty funny). You may have a high energy hav! Games of fetch can help too.


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## JoePat (May 2, 2015)

This is my second re-reading and one thing stands out to me. Your statement of "I have been given a deadline to get her trained or else. HELP" tells me a lot. 

Dogs can pickup on emotions of it owners, If an owner is not emotionally committed to a relationship that dog will avoid that person and not respect them. It sounds like the pup is yours and totally yours. Unfortunatly there are some people that are just not dog people and your wife just might be one. Not bad, not good just how it is. Yes your pup needs some training but I have found that the people need more training than the dog. Dogs are so east to train, people is another issue totally. Best of luck and hoping all is well as this breed is so rewarding and loving that it is hard to believe. But first you must open your heart and mind to them.


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## Hsusa (Dec 21, 2014)

Try giving her a warning, saying "Molly, I am going to pet you" or "Molly, I am going to pick you up" before you reach down to pet her or pick her up. You can also try teaching Molly to sit, then asking her to sit before you pet her.
It is disconcerting to have your dog run away when you want to give her affection, but as others have said, this is normal behavior, especially for puppies. Good luck!


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## DaisyMommy (Feb 28, 2015)

I totally agree with Diane and Helene. For sure try rewarding her A LOT for wanted behavior, completely ignoring unwanted ones, and giving her a vocal warning for what you're about to do. Also, a heartfelt, "Good girl!" definitely helps! :wink: They're smarter than we give them credit for and can pick up on our tone of voice. I would start showering her with treats when she comes when called, treats when she gets picked up, & treats when she lets you pet her so she can start having a positive association for all of them. It's amazing what this can do! Best of luck and hang in there! :biggrin1:


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## bubarkanpssi (Apr 18, 2015)

JoePat said:


> You just might need to change out your wife, ha just kidding. Get down on Molly's level, like lay out on the floor, and play with her. Let her fully understand that you mean no harm and never will harm her. Just imagined someone 20 times taller than you reaching down to pick you up. It would freak you out too. Be patient, hold her gently, play with her at her speed, touch every part of her little body, set routines and keep to them. Molly is looking for stability, routines she can handle, love and most importantly guidance. Believe me this breed only wants to please it owners in every way. Wish you the best and if all fails just let me know and I will fly to you and pick her up. I just love all havanese!


agreed with you


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## MWilson (May 22, 2015)

I totally agree with plying her with treats. My little Bogey, the Bandit, is a very active little guy. He can be sweet for about a second and a half and then he turns into Shark Attack 5: Bite, Chew, Gnaw! It hurts because he really has no filter in terms of biting, but it will get better. I know this because my other dogs were the same way. Molly will grow out of it. Be stern, be consistent, reward good behavior, ignore or give a stern warning for bad behavior. My little guy is exhibiting some of the exact same behaviors as your little Molly. He pulls at my gown and pants, he growls (playing, yes), he barks when he wants his way, and he chews on me like I am made of juicy fried chicken. He chews on my son's ankles so much we have nicknamed our son "Sweet Ankles." He is 16 and refused to assert his dominance in the relationship, so don't feel sorry for him!

My little guy tends to get better when I ignore, give a stern no, or put him in his ex pen. When he gets wound up, I put him in the pen or take him outside to exert some energy. Exercise is extremely important, and some dogs require it more than others, even though they may be of the same breed or even of the same litter. We joke that our little guy is ADHD (fortunately, so am I). You may need to exercise Molly a couple times a day until she is really tired. Tired dogs don't generally engage in bad behavior...because they are just too tired. Remember, do not give treats until you see desired behavior and be quick to treat when you do see it. Otherwise, she may not know what she is rewarded for. Hope it gets better soon!


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## Zoe093014 (Jan 27, 2015)

I agree with all of the above. What worked for us was when she was nippy and obnoxious, we would stay "stop" in an annoyed tone and just walk away without even making eye contact. Then, after a little while, we would reward her with a game of fetch, teaching her "drop it", and "bring it" to show her alternate positive behaviors and play. We would praise her for getting the ball and bringing it back to us. Everyone was consistent with this and eventually she figured out that her growling and nipping wasn't getting the reaction she wanted. Believe me, these puppy behaviors will pass and she will be a good dog!


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