For a while, now she just simply won't let my sister or I pick her up. Whenever Mandy (my cockapoo) even has the slightest feeling that my sister or I want to pick her up, she immediately growls. Then, if you try to physically move her, she'll go crazy like an ill dog and sometimes even bite.
I've already tried picking her up and shouting, "no," whenever she growls, but it didn't work. I then tried to reward her with treats every time she didn't growl/bite, but that didn't work because - you guessed it - I can't even pick her up. Ever.
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Your dog AND you both need some basic obedience lessons. Sign up for classes today. They will teach you how to handle the problem and how to make your dog more obedient.
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- Sounds like a physical problem in that she may be in pain and your handling her hurts her. Make an appointment with the vet real, real soon.
- Has mandy ever been in a fight with another dog you do not know about? I would highly recommend bringing her to the vet, she may have something wrong, like she could have some sort of bruise, which when you accidentally touch without knowing, triggers her to be aggressive towards both you and your sister. She could also somehow, be pregnant. But I would say going to the vet to find out what is wrong is the best solution.
- Start slower, generally when you have problems like this it means that you are moving too quickly for the dog. Start by just putting your hands on her and giving her a treat for that. Then put your hands in the position like you are going to pick her up and give her a treat. If she tries to growl/bite you moved too quickly and you need to take a step back. This is called desensitization. This may take several weeks/months to fix, but if you are diligent you will prevail!
- Will Mandy let your Mom &/or Dad pick her up? If so, then it's not a physical problem with Mandy. It's just that Mandy doesn't respect you.
If you've ruled out any physical ailments with Mandy, and you know it's just a "personality problem," then you need to get serious with Mandy, and show her that you are boss, just like Mom &/or Dad.
Put on the thickest coats/jackets and heaviest gloves you can find (so that, if she tries to bite, it won't hurt you), then practice picking her up. Reward her with treats ONLY if she allows you to pick her up and put her in your lap without snarling or snapping. If she snarls and snaps, just take a deep breath, keep a tight hold on her, and start thinking about happy, calm things, like a favorite song or something funny a friend said that day, and wait for her to calm down. It's important that you be calm yourself, because she will feel if you're upset, and it will make her feel anxious. (Do NOT give her treats when she's snappy and snarly, or when you're feeling anxious.)
When she calms down and behaves, give her some treats. Put her down quickly, then again pick her right up and repeat, over and over and over (extending the amount of time between when you pick her up and give her treats, each time).
DO NOT SHY AWAY when she growls or snaps during the above exercise. Keep your grip on her, and keep her in your lap until she stops being nasty. (That's why you're wearing a thick jacket and gloves :-) The only way to stop this is for her to realize that she won't get her way by being nasty, and that she'll get rewarded if she allows you to pick her up and sit her quietly on your lap.
And then, you can lose the heavy coat and gloves. :-)
If I were you, for my next birthday, I'd ask my parents to give me the gift of Dog Obedience Lessons, so I could learn how to be a good dog owner, and I could teach my dog better. Just a thought....
Best wishes & good luck! - If the behavior is only recent, take her to the vet and make sure she is not in pain.
Many dogs don't like being picked up. They're busy, doing what they want or relaxing, and we expect them to let us swoop in and lift them in the air -- sort of odd, when you think about it.
It may be that, once, she growled because she didn't want to be picked up, and it worked -- the person backed off, even momentarily. That reinforced the growling and protesting, so now she's in the habit.
Certainly don't force her, or shout "no." That will only make things worse.
If the vet gives her a clean bill of health, work on very gradual desensitization and counter-conditioning. Give her lots of treats for letting you touch her, over and over, then slide a hand near her as if you were going to lift her for some reps, then touch her lightly on the belly, etc.
Do this over the course of many 5-10 minute sessions, and never let her get "over threshold" -- to the point of being even the least bit stressed. If she even looks intently at your hand, go back to the previous level.
And, consider not picking her up very often, even after doing the training. I know people get very accustomed to doing that with small dogs. But it isn't necessary, as long as they are safe getting on and off of the surfaces they are permitted on.
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