# how can i train my pup to cuddle



## ZiggytheSheprador (May 6, 2015)

all i want from my mf hyper puppy is to to use him as a pillow, especially when he gets nice and fluffy. i've just been pinning him down when he gets too excited but i dont think that's working. 

does anyone have any suggestions on working my way up to being able to cuddle with ziggy?


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## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

I mentioned a trainer in one of your other threads in the Sac area...


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## Ellimaybel (Mar 16, 2014)

Not sure if this is helpful as I haven't ever had an issue with Gunther and cuddling. When Gunther is doing his zoomies I like to sit down on the floor. He won't crash into me and when I sit there long enough he wonders why and he comes up to me. After a few attempts at pulling me into the wildness he will finally just come up for a hug. Once I get that hug we go outside and work out some of his energy. But cuddling isn't a problem for Gunther, he's not the type to let me use him as a pillow, nor would I want to, but he's all for getting his head rubbed all over.


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## wick (Mar 7, 2015)

Until Wick was about 16 weeks he wasn't much of a cuddle bug either, but then over night he just started liking pets and kisses. From some threads I've read on here it sounds like many times they grow into it, but some just never like it. 

Does your pup sleep with you? Wick is all business in the day/night but in the morning he wakes up comes over to me and snuggles in as tight as he can, sometimes laying his head over my neck and falls back to sleep until I get up. 

Think of it like this... when your going on a run, skiing down a mountain, or playing football do you want a cuddle ? Nope you probably want keep "playing" that's how your puppy probably feels when you try to wrangle him up while he is having a blast. Gotta catch him during his down time or when he wants to cuddle


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## amburger16 (May 22, 2015)

Hes still young, hes more interested in adventure and play. Bear will cuddle at night, and when hes relatively calm I can pick him up and he will hug me and lay his head my shoulder, etc. He may grow into it, he may never be like that.. Some animals just don't get the cuddle thing.. Like my cat, Dexter and I have an arrangement.. I feed him and he doesn't bite me.


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## wick (Mar 7, 2015)

amburger16 said:


> Hes still young, hes more interested in adventure and play. Bear will cuddle at night, and when hes relatively calm I can pick him up and he will hug me and lay his head my shoulder, etc. He may grow into it, he may never be like that.. Some animals just don't get the cuddle thing.. Like my cat, Dexter and I have an arrangement.. I feed him and he doesn't bite me.



Haha your cat! So funny


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## amburger16 (May 22, 2015)

wick said:


> Haha your cat! So funny


haha, you see people with "beware of cat" signs as a joke.. I seriously need one. The first thing we say to people who have not met him before, "do not touch the cat" Been like that since I got him at 4 weeks, hes a killing machine. hence why I named him Dexter


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

Give it time, Delgado was much more interested in playing or training then actually sitting still and cuddling. But now he will actively jump on the couch and put his head on my lap to ask for pets, the more you force it the less chance you have of it succeeding IMO


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## CroMacster (Oct 23, 2013)

So it sounds like your solution is to grab your dog, pin him on the ground, and try to cuddle with him. In my head I picture you screaming "CUDDLE WITH ME YOU LITTLE *******".

That's probably not the best way to go about it even if you aren't screaming at him. Some dogs don't like to cuddle. The best you can do is trick your dog. Train him similarly to how you should be training him to be handled by a vet. He may cuddle with you one day if you train, even if he doesn't enjoy it.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Some dogs are cuddly, and some are not. You can train a dog to accept being handled in ways they don't particularly like, which can be helpful for vet visits. But you can't really make a puppy like hugs and such if he's not so inclined. 

And as others have mentioned, pinning him down when he gets too excited is not the best strategy. Reinforcing calm behavior by marking and rewarding it, and working on impulse control with games like It's Yer Choice can be helpful with excitable puppies. But sometimes puppies just get the zoomies, and it's best to let him get that excess energy out rather than trying to suppress it. Use that opportunity to play with him.


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## ZiggytheSheprador (May 6, 2015)

mspiker03 said:


> I mentioned a trainer in one of your other threads in the Sac area...


i will be signing up with a trainer next month when he turns 4months. 

thanks for the tips and comments. so far we've only been able to hold him when he's sleeping, i hope he comes around because we have a house that hugs. 

and yes i am calmly screaming at him to let me hug (pin) him down. it works until i let go and then he bolts out of my reach.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Why are you waiting for him to be 4 months old before doing any training?


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## wick (Mar 7, 2015)

Cassidy's Mom said:


> Why are you waiting for him to be 4 months old before doing any training?


We actually waited that long too because we were in an area that had such incredibly high parvo rate that it was recommended by the vet. They were seeing around 5 parvo cases a day, and puppies were expected to not step outside your yard until they had 4 shots. 

We brought him places to socialize that we were almost positive dogs wouldn't be/don't go, but because it was so prevalent they said to take your shoes off at the door and wipe your other dogs feet...idk if that's why they are but its a possibility, we did training at home all day everyday though.


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## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

Agree with Cassidy's mom - especially since you have had multiple threads asking about help and trainers. 

Also agree that some dogs just aren't cuddlers. My Leyna is almost 11 and will still get up and walk away 90% of the time if I try to cuddle with her/hug her. Half the time she doesn't want to be pet either - it is just who she is.


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## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

Never mind and can't delete from phone. Oops


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## HOBY (Aug 12, 2013)

Hold on to a bully stick or something similar as he chews. Lightly smooth his shoulders or chest, rub lightly behind the ears. Do it at his level, sit on the floor. Avoid making a tug out of it. If he tugs feed him some treats from your hand and continue to handle him at the same time. Be patient, he may not be a cuddler but it will get him closer to you.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Hugging has a complete different meaning for dogs than for humans. Your approach of holding on to him, then letting go after which he bolts, will only teach him to avoid physical contact.
Just accept him for who he is. If you still want a cuddler after a while, you can always get a needy Golden retriever.


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## ZiggytheSheprador (May 6, 2015)

wick said:


> We actually waited that long too because we were in an area that had such incredibly high parvo rate that it was recommended by the vet. They were seeing around 5 parvo cases a day, and puppies were expected to not step outside your yard until they had 4 shots.
> 
> We brought him places to socialize that we were almost positive dogs wouldn't be/don't go, but because it was so prevalent they said to take your shoes off at the door and wipe your other dogs feet...idk if that's why they are but its a possibility, we did training at home all day everyday though.


similar reasons for me, the group trainers here meet a local park that are dog rich environments. and private trainers are out of my budget. we do pretty well with some at home training from the dog whisperer shows, utube and pirated books but i still could use some professional guidance. 

i think he enjoys me laying on him but definitely not for the whole time... since i can't hold him down with one hand anymore i have to use my body to calm him down. i apply firm pressure initially then slowly ease up when i feel him settle down or stressed out. i'll start incorporating treats to make him stay longer. 

again i appreciate all the comments. raising ziggy has been a a pain in the ass but his character and livelihood making it worth the effort.


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## BoyOhBoy!! (Apr 30, 2015)

You're joking right? About holding him down with your body?


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## ZiggytheSheprador (May 6, 2015)

BoyOhBoy!! said:


> You're joking right? About holding him down with your body?


maybe?


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## BoyOhBoy!! (Apr 30, 2015)

** comments removed by ADMIN. Sarcasm is neither helpful nor does it add to the discussion.**

FWIW, I don't think you should be forcing your dog to cuddle with you.


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## wick (Mar 7, 2015)

A great way to help your puppy calm down is to teach the place command, or to crate train him. Also I have found that for at home training spca has wonderful tips for training and shaping your puppy/dog without force. 

If the dog whisperer works for you that's fine, but in our situation Wick responds far faster with positive training that sets him up to make the decision himself. For example every time he goes into his crate we give him a high value treat, so now while we are cooking instead of being underfoot he goes in his crate and lays down hoping that we will give him a treat. 

If you get up early and exercise him first thing in the morning he will be calmer all day long, this will up your chances of cuddle time and also keep you from needing to squish him to get him to calm down. 

Another great way you can get touch time in is to play the "let me see" game where you ask him to lay down and every time you say "let me see -----" and touch the ---- (paw, tummy, ears) if he does good you treat and click (or say your word for "correct" ) this will teach him that being still and getting touched is a good thing as opposed to a bad thing (ie being forced). You can also hold treats while grooming him with a brush which kills two birds with one stone. No matter what though, right now you are teaching your puppy that cuddle time means the end of freedom and play time... Which is pretty much the puppy devil! So you will be doing the opposite of what you want :/


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## ZiggytheSheprador (May 6, 2015)

BoyOhBoy!! said:


> ** comments removed by ADMIN. Sarcasm is neither helpful nor does it add to the discussion.**
> 
> FWIW, I don't think you should be forcing your dog to cuddle with you.


apparently we can't play together anymore.


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## ZiggytheSheprador (May 6, 2015)

wick said:


> A great way to help your puppy calm down is to teach the place command, or to crate train him. Also I have found that for at home training spca has wonderful tips for training and shaping your puppy/dog without force.
> 
> If the dog whisperer works for you that's fine, but in our situation Wick responds far faster with positive training that sets him up to make the decision himself. For example every time he goes into his crate we give him a high value treat, so now while we are cooking instead of being underfoot he goes in his crate and lays down hoping that we will give him a treat.
> 
> ...


noted. THANKS WICK!!! some great info there. i'll let you know how ziggy responds to it. 

as for boyohboy!! i did look into "helpful" comment and learned what alpha rolling is, so thanks for that.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

There's a ton of good information on this site: Free downloads | Dog Star Daily

You have to create a (free) account to access the digital download of After You Get Your Puppy, but's in an excellent resource. We went through Dr. Dunbar's Sirius Puppy classes with Dena, Keefer, and Halo, and I got a paperback copy of the book when I signed up for the first two classes, which I don't believe is in print any longer. 

You don't even need an account to view these articles: Dog Training Digital Textbook | Dog Star Daily

We got our last 3 puppies at 9 weeks, 9 weeks, and 10 weeks, and I started training each of them at home right away. They started puppy classes a few weeks later.


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## BoyOhBoy!! (Apr 30, 2015)

I saw that Ziggy! In light of some recent posts I've seen with people personally attacking each other and getting banned, I need to mind my P's and Q's for sure. None of it was meant as a personal attack though, and I didn't see your response as an issue either! (I've been called worse, lol). 

Mom to Remi


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## ZiggytheSheprador (May 6, 2015)

Me neither..

No stay commands worked when I got home. Ugh.. Terrible 2s today


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## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

Westons prices are very reasonable, especially for what I have paid for privates with other trainers. He will have group again soon. Plus with privates I have found you get so much out of it in one session that you don't necessarily have to go every week. 

And if you are struggling now, getting help sooner rather than later will be so worth it. Said from experience.


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## newlie (Feb 12, 2013)

I got Newlie when he was maybe 2 1/2 years old and he really wasn't into cuddling at first. Maybe a small part had to do with him getting used to me but I believe the bigger part was his age. All he wanted to do was play, I used to swear he had springs instead of legs. But as some time passed, he started coming to me for cuddles, particularly at night or if he wasn't feeling well. Currently, he still likes to play, but he is much more of a lovebug altogether, at night and during the day.

There are times though, even now, when I will approach Newlie to pet him and he will pull away, he is just not in the mood. I figure dogs have their moods just like we do, so we go play and I 'll wait till the next time.


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## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

Patricia B. McConnell in her book "The Other End of the Leash" say 'Because of our primate heritage, we seek what's called "ventral ventral" contact - pressing our chests together - as a way of expressing affection and feeling connected. ...and... Chimpanzees and humans often express affection by putting an arm around one another. But to a dog, a front leg over another's shoulder is usually a display of social status... But dogs don't hug. And they often don't react kindly to those who do. Your own dog may benevolently put up with it, but I've seen hundreds of dogs who growled or bit when someone hugged them.' 

If you wanted to use dog language, I guess you could sniff his butt....  weak joke


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

mspiker03 said:


> And if you are struggling now, getting help sooner rather than later will be so worth it. Said from experience.


:thumbup: I'd much rather train pro-actively than have to fix behavior that's already becoming firmly entrenched. A problem prevented is a problem you won't have to deal with somewhere down the road.


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