hi all. i just got a 5 month old blue doberman who is just about perfect in every way. really even keel, mild manners, pays well attention to commands (for his age anyway) and isnt too rambunctuous. he is very affectionate and likes to cuddle on my bed, lays on me and sometimes cosies up and sleeps on me. however, we have a slight issue that if i get on him and put my face on his (if he's laying down) he'll start to growl. i can be over him in a dominating way and hold him down or anything else, but if i lay over him like in a spoons like of way and put my face on his neck and head the growling starts.
i've gotten to where a loud voice and telling him "NO" when it starts makes him stop. i think it's a feeling of confinement he hates, but also it seems to be a dominance thing. my worries are it's just a cuddling position that most people would cuddle a dog, and the other night at my brother's (who had several people over and several dogs) Doug (my doberman) was REALLY aggressive in this way when i put my face near his. i dont think he'd bite but he made me think he was sure capable of it.
so. do i just break it the hard way or is there a deeper issue at play here?
thanks.
i've gotten to where a loud voice and telling him "NO" when it starts makes him stop. i think it's a feeling of confinement he hates, but also it seems to be a dominance thing. my worries are it's just a cuddling position that most people would cuddle a dog, and the other night at my brother's (who had several people over and several dogs) Doug (my doberman) was REALLY aggressive in this way when i put my face near his. i dont think he'd bite but he made me think he was sure capable of it.
so. do i just break it the hard way or is there a deeper issue at play here?
thanks.