3 month old dobe growling...

snapcase · 10-12-2007, 01:38 PM

my three month old dobe growled at my wife this morning. my wife took her to the backyard so that the pup could relieve herself. she got back on the deck and hid under a patio chair so that my wife couldn't leash her and bring her back into the house. when my wife tried to grab her from under the chair she began growling at her. we don't know if she was playing, but i thought i would ask your opinion.

peter

Lexxsmom · 10-12-2007, 01:41 PM

mmm i'm not an expert, but that wouldnt make me comfortable ...

reddobes · 10-12-2007, 01:52 PM

I would seek help from an animal behaviorist (veterinary or otherwise). Many people make the mistake of waiting far too long with behavior issues to seek help. You don't want this to get out of control. It sounds like she is fearful, but w/o being there, it is difficult to assess. Talk to your vet, many do have behavior training, if not, he/she should be able to refer you to someone who does. We are lucky in that we have 2 veterinary behaviorists close by at the U of MN and have a trainer/behaviorist who works next door to our clinic to refer really problematic cases too.

natdobe · 10-12-2007, 01:54 PM

Growling should not be allowed, but it doesn't necessarily mean you have an aggression problem on your hands. Your pup may have been scared, maybe she didn't want to come in. Who knows exactly? You can usually tell the difference between a play growl and a non play growl. When our girl was around that age she would sometimes growl at us if we picked her up when she was sleeping and also if we grabbed her so she wouldn't go under our bed. We started squirting her in the face with water and giving a firm NO! and she soon stopped growling. Now, she is the most lovable, non-aggressive dog I've ever owned. Don't worry, but don't let her get away with it. If you're not already in obedience class, you should enroll in one to start on basic commands and to socialize her. Use treats and also lots of praise. Good luck with your new baby!

snapcase · 10-12-2007, 02:02 PM

my wife did the right thing and gave her a firm no and brought her inside. i believe that my pup has a problem with coming inside because she feels that the backyard is hers (we let her run free in the fenced yard), so when my wife tried to bring her in she challenged and said no. not sure if that makes any sense, but she hasn't done this any other time and we've had her for 5 weeks now.

reddobes · 10-12-2007, 02:17 PM

You may want to try only taking her out on a leash so you have more control over the situation. Obedience classes should also help. Be sure to be consistent w/ rules/boundaries and when training.