Growling

stephbeau444

My 6 month old has been growling and has even bit me. For the past 6 weeks he started becoming grouchy.
First, when he's sleepy....he doesn't like anyone petting him. He will grow, and if you don't stop he will show his teeth. Does anyone else's dog do this? Once he's passed out I can pick him up and move him to his crate or bed.
Second, I think he's possessive of me. If he has his head on my lap and my husband goes to pet him he growls and lunges. He was being so sweet for awhile. This is all new stuff. We have been making him sleep on the floor of our bed. No more couch priviledges.
He is getting neutered next week, but I don't think this will help.
Any suggestions. I pinned him when he lunged and he got the msg. But what if this continues. How can I help?

Djammy

I have written some pretty comprehensive thoughts on possible tactics to deal with aggression besides pinning in this discussion:
http://www.bulliesofnc.com/BTforum/discussion/2371/agression

Maybe if you browse through it, you'll find something in it that can help you.

Just in case you've missed doing that so far and because doggie seems to make a huge difference between you and your husband: The most important thing when disciplining or ignoring him - whichever - for growling at either one of you, is that both of you need to pull at the same string. He does not get the chance to still turn to the one he did not growl at for hugs and attention. If he shows unwanted behavior, both of you are not available to him for a moment. And the first one allowing him to make up with and "apologize" should be the person that has been growled at. He needs to learn that if he doesn't behave, all of you will disapprove.

stephbeau444

I made an error. He didn't bite ME. He bit my husband.

So, when we pet him and he growls....that's a good thing, right? We just leave him alone until he gets up and wants to be "normal" again. But if he's planted somewhere and doesn't want to move, we just leave him. Is this correct? If my husband goes to pet him while he's lying down & he growls... Should I leave the room too, you are saying? Just want to do the right thing.

stephbeau444

I meant "growling is a good thing" because it's a Warning . Right? I'd rather he growl, than not, and lunge without warning.

Quinnofhearts

A dog should not growl at his human. A dog should trust his human and most certainly should not believe that he is an alpha over his human. So no, I don't think that growling is a good thing, just because he didn't bite. I think you're well aware though that the growling is still a problem either way, we just need to figure out how to fix it.

I think what Djammy meant about the ignoring is that both you and your husband must practice the same tactics - you must either BOTH ignore or BOTH discipline. It can't be a situation where you discipline and the husband ignores. On the other side of that, your last sentence, yes, if the dog growls at your husband because he is laying on or near you, the dog should lose privileges to you as well. Then when the dog is allowed back in the room or is taken out of timeout or whatever, your husband needs to be the one he has nice contact with first.

Marx

I agree with all of the above, have you tried having your husband hand feed mr attitude ? If not it worked great for our family with our last Bullie who started off life as a very arrogant puppy.

Take the food dish in your lap, sit your Bullie and wait for eye contact then let it eat a bit out of your palm, wait for eye contact again and repeat. Have your husband keep this up until your puppy has a change of attitude.

Should not be too difficult to turn your puppy around, good luck. 

Djammy

I meant it almost as Quinnofhearts has explained it. I don't think it matters, if one actually ignores the dog and the other one disciplines it. In my opinion it's hard to give such detailed schedules or patent remedies about training and obedience. Because every family works differently, so does every dog and every owner.

That also means that every owner is different with regard to being comfortable with certain methods of correction.

But what definitely SHOULD go with EVERY correction is that the dog needs to feel consequences from ALL people in the household.
Not saying that you are doing this, just an example: Say the dog is on your lap and growls at your husband. Your husband yells at the dog and then ignores it for a moment. If you now would just let the dog continue to sit on your lap and pet it, your husband's measures would be in vain. You need to support your husband’s efforts and the dog needs to know that no matter WHO is being growled at, EVERYONE in the family will disapprove.
So the correct thing to do for you would be to send your dog off your lap immediately and ignore it for a moment yourself OR YOU should even be the one actively correcting the behavior - whichever you choose in the given situation.
This way you are supporting the message your husband tries to send to your dog. And the dog will understand that, if he pi***s off one of you, there's nobody left to turn to for hugs for a while. So he can make his mind up about, if he likes this kind of trouble or rather chooses to avoid going against single members of the household.
Was that explanation a little more clear? Sorry, sometimes I'm having trouble finding the words for it.