Growling issues

Was playing with Barney last night and rubbing his belly when he started growling at me. When i moved away (without turning my back) he follwed but still growling. He has done this once when i stood on his tail (growl expected in this case) but again he kept it going for longer than i would expect and another time when he came to play with me and i pushed him playfully away which i have done times before. It gave me a bit of a fright last night (which i didnt show him.) He doesnt do this with OH and was wondering what could cause him to be like that with me?

Hi there,
How old is he and how long have you had him?

he is 6 and we have had him nearly 10weeks. i do understand that it may be that he doesnt know how to react

It also may be that in such a short time you do not yet know [a] what Barney likes and does not like, and [b] you do not understand his body language and the meanings of his reactions. Just as he probably does not yet understand your body language and the meanings of your actions/reactions.

Just take it slow and easy with him until you both know each other a bit better.

Good luck!

thanks Malka, i wa more concerned as he doesnt do it with OH, however, he does spend alot more time with Barney during the day due to his job type as he can be in the house most of the day or he can take Barney with him alot of the time.

He was really sooky with me this morning when he came into the room to see us because he knew he had done wrong last night. He tried to courie up on the bed beside me! I never shouted at him last night just told him off and went to bed without petting him as it was getting late on. I have made of fuss of him before i left for work today and gave him his breakfast and some chicken as a "mummy forgives the growl" treat.

I think that explains why Barney is not like that with your OH - because both of them are together a lot more than Barney has been with you, and have probably already learned how to "read" each other.

But if I were you I would have petted Barney last night as usual. I do not think that he knew he had done something wrong - he would not have understood that it was wrong due to neither of you being able to "read" each other as yet, and had probably forgotten all about being told off - and for the same reason he would not have understood why he was being told off in the first place.

Both you and Barney will soon learn - and keep up with the petting and cuddles, and do not forget to lavish loads of praise on him when he is good!

Are you sure that he was growling aggressively ? Did he raise & draw back his lips showing his teeth ?

Growling is usually a warming that the dog is not comfortable with it's situation. However some dogs make a growling like noise that is actually an indication of enjoying the situation

thanks he gets loads of treats when he is good. Iam working on his training just now so hopefully that will help him build a stringer bond with me. The reason i never continued petting him is to be honest, he gave me a bit of a fright which i didnt show to him. I have been bitten on my face by a dog i had as a kid and it brought that back for the first time in a long time. I dont for a moment think he would biten, he is really good natured but it did get to me when he done it

Jodee, his lips were trembling a bit but he wasnt bearing teeth.

Always worth checking to see that you didn't touch him in a place where he has a pain. Only time my GSD ever growled at me in her life was when I was rubbing her tum and she had a tumour on her breast that I was unaware of until then.

But to be honest you took him on as an adult dog and you don't know enough 'history' of him to be sure that it isn't down to some bad experience in the past. It's early days yet.

*would add that I don't think a dog would understand that you didn't give it a cuddle as some sort of punishment nor do I think they suffer from guilty conscience or remember things they 'did wrong' from the day before.