Feel completely overwhelmed and a failure with my 11.5 week old cocker spaniel puppy. She just got her second round of shots at the 11 week mark last Thursday and from then on she has been just unsettled, more bitey, reactive, sleeps worse and has started growling and going at at me when I want to put her leash/harness or pick her up (which I need to do to go outside as I live on the first floor of an apartment block) It doesn’t happen each time and I’m trying to do it as gently as possible and now with treats but even that today did not work. She was growling and tried to bite when I was picking her up. And it’s evident she doesn’t want to be picked up but I literally don’t have a choice for toilet training 🙁 broke down today crying as i haven’t changed anything to my behaviour. I have a personal positive reinforcement dog trainer since the day I got her and she attends a seperate puppy class to socialise with other pups. She is just so independent these last few days and it’s difficult to connect to her for me. She generally hasn’t been a cuddly dog and I haven’t forced that on her either as I’ve read that’s not behaviour they really understand and to do it on their terms. I’m more scared at this point in approaching her with a harness or to pick her up and I’m worried my worst fear is coming to life and that she is turning aggressive, and it’s something I’m doing wrong or have done wrong, when all I’ve done is try to give her the best start. I’ve done more than most of your dog owners out there and I feel like now a massive failure. However I do want to add in those good moments – it’s SO good and I definitely love her to bits. I’m just so sleep deprived (she wakes up on the clock at 5:40am) overwhelmed by her troublesome behaviour and all on my own in this!
submitted by /u/wandering_mp
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