Angry when woken up?

[TheLost]

I want to try to fix this before it gets worse..

Every night Kevin (12 weeks old) falls asleep on our great-room floor around ~9pm. When we go to move him into his crate and wake him up he goes 'CRAZY'.. He'll growl, snap and attack for a split second until he realizes what he's doing then he's back to his normal passive self.

My kids are scared to wake him up now.. and last night gave me a nice little bite/bruise.

1) He only seems to do this at night.. during the day if he falls asleep outside his crate he just gives his normal little moan/grunt when you pick him up.

2) When he does 'freak out' he stops immediately when he's fully awake. Its almost like he's sleep growling/biting. Last night i think he knew he bit me because he was VERY submissive after (I let out a very manly yelp.. it didn't sound like a little girl at all!)

3) This is the only form of aggression I've ever seen from him.

Any ideas on how to fix this or what could be causing it?

[*edit*] Crap.. Forgot the required 'Kevin Picture of the day'

(Taken earlier this week while he was helping me clean my younger sons football gear.. Tip: Don't leave sweaty equipment in a dufflebag and expect it to smell any better months later)

 

[brutus77]

Well thanks for the pic. Now I can go on with my day! Is Kevin destructive? and is he fully potty trained? If the answer is no and yes in that order, I think I would leave him where he is. I'm not really sure why he is acting like that. It does sound like he is sleeping though. Maybe if you have to crate him, you can try to talk to him first and rouse him that way? Then at least he will be cohesive when you have to handle him.

 

[Manydogs]

Kevin must have had some bad "puppy" awakenings before you brought him home. Never heard of anything like this-in a pup. It's a mystery....I would take a baby blanket, and drag it across him-talking to him and saying his name-reassuring him as you wake him. Then when he is awake-take him where you want him. Let an adult do it, not the kids until he learns to wake up okay. Sounds like he has had to be defensive for some reason-or he is such a deep sleeper, he doesn't know what is happening to him at first.

 

[TheLost]

He is 'Mostly' potty trained.. and he is 'most definitely' destructive (he is his moms son)...

As long as he's watched he'll let us know he needs to go outside... but he'll give you only one chance to let him out before he'll head to the den.
He's also chewing monster unless supervised.

He has always slept in a nice, safe, crate.. It's only now that he's being given more freedom. I wonder if subconsciously he just doesn't feel safe outside his 'den'?

As part of my normal puppy training i'm always playing with his feet, opening his mouth, checking his ears and basically getting him used to being manhandled. I think im going to start doing the same thing while he's dozing off. Maybe try to get him used to be touched while sleeping outside his crate.

I think i'll also try to wake him up more slowly (i did rub his belly before i picked him up yesterday.. he seemed to like that.. but then i went to slide my hand under him and he went ape-shiz-crazy).

Or i'll just take a big 6 foot stick and strap a Mickey mouse hand on it... then poke him from a distance to wake him up.

 

[Lisabear123]

Brie does this as well, but only at night and only the in bed. If she is asleep and you try to move her, be it pick her up, move her w your leg etc.. she wakes up startled, growls n snaps. The snap is a rapid biting kind of thing. But as quick as she does it, she stops. It is really weird. What has seemed to work for us, is I talk w her n kind of gently pet her waking her up a little, then continue to talk to her as I move her. She is much better and does not seem to be as startled now.

 

[Manydogs]

That was my second thought-the stick with the hand on it!!!

 

[loveabully]

he is so cute!!! I never heard of that he's probably in a really deep sleep and startled when you wake him. sometimes franklin wakes up and I can tell he's scared like he doesn't know where he's at or what's going on and then when he's fully a wake he's fine I would work with him or say his name to wake him I would start feeding him by hand putting your hand in his bowl when he's eating so he doesn't get aggressive with that. hopefully you figure it out. good luck

 

[dieMuttivonBifi]

Or i'll just take a big 6 foot stick and strap a Mickey mouse hand on it... then poke him from a distance to wake him up.

Hahaha funny! You can try to use his nose to wake him up. Entice his sense of smell with his favorite treat that way it wouldn't be a "rude awakening" for both of you

 

[TheLost]

Kevin must have had some bad "puppy" awakenings before you brought him home. Never heard of anything like this-in a pup. It's a mystery....I would take a baby blanket, and drag it across him-talking to him and saying his name-reassuring him as you wake him. Then when he is awake-take him where you want him. Let an adult do it, not the kids until he learns to wake up okay. Sounds like he has had to be defensive for some reason-or he is such a deep sleeper, he doesn't know what is happening to him at first.

I really hope that Kevin didn't have any 'badd puppy awakenings' because he's been at our house since he was born . Also, Since i spent the first few months of his life waking him up every 2 hours to nurse i know its something he just started doing...

My philosophy as a dog owner is... "I own you and i can hold you any way i want... and you better not complain". My wife runs a small 'hair salon' out of our house so we have people coming and going all the time. I want my dogs to behave if they are picked up gently by an adult or rough-handled by a toddler.

The last thing i want is for a little kid to get bit

 

[Manydogs]

Since you know Kevin's history-it really IS a mystery. I agree with your philosophy totally! Certainly blew my theory about his "puppyhood!" Maybe he is just "mature " for his age,, and "asserting" himself! How about rubbing him with a back scratcher to wake him? Then pick him up? I know you have to stop that behavior. Worth a try...
I didn't know YOU raised him-didn't mean to insult you.

 

[TheLost]

Since you know Kevin's history-it really IS a mystery. I agree with your philosophy totally! Certainly blew my theory about his "puppyhood!" Maybe he is just "mature " for his age,, and "asserting" himself! How about rubbing him with a back scratcher to wake him? Then pick him up? I know you have to stop that behavior. Worth a try...
I didn't know YOU raised him-didn't mean to insult you.

haha.. i would have asked the same thing I picked him out of the litter because he was the 'lover not the fighter'.

 

[ddnene]

I'm SO glad we will be seeing Kevin daily… LOL I'm confused as well about this aggression, unless do you think he may just be a HEAVY sleeper?!! My boxer growls, barks & moans in her sleep and it takes us awhile to get her up...

 

[brutus77]

He is 'Mostly' potty trained.. and he is 'most definitely' destructive (he is his moms son)...

As long as he's watched he'll let us know he needs to go outside... but he'll give you only one chance to let him out before he'll head to the den.
He's also chewing monster unless supervised.

He has always slept in a nice, safe, crate.. It's only now that he's being given more freedom. I wonder if subconsciously he just doesn't feel safe outside his 'den'?

As part of my normal puppy training i'm always playing with his feet, opening his mouth, checking his ears and basically getting him used to being manhandled. I think im going to start doing the same thing while he's dozing off. Maybe try to get him used to be touched while sleeping outside his crate.

I think i'll also try to wake him up more slowly (i did rub his belly before i picked him up yesterday.. he seemed to like that.. but then i went to slide my hand under him and he went ape-shiz-crazy).

Or i'll just take a big 6 foot stick and strap a Mickey mouse hand on it... then poke him from a distance to wake him up.

I would try to wake him with voice before I tried to touch him. Just until he gets used to waking calmly

 

[Enjnene]

Omg Kevin is a doll baby !


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[Henry]

We had a deaf dog who reacted like that as a pup. We didn't realize she had gone deaf until she got a little older and she would startle and snap just like you described. Try banging on the floor with your foot so Kevin can feel you approaching, before reaching out and actually touching him to wake him up. You may want to get his ears checked.