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Jrh258
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22-04-2013, 05:45 AM

How to handle a growling puppy?

Hi, I have a 6 month old puppy. I found her in the street, alone, when she was 3 weeks old and I took her in. Last week, she started growling at me when she was eating and tried to bite me when she was chewing on a bone. I immediately began hand feeding her and dropping treats near her when she was eating. She seems to have improved, and now I can sit right next to her and put my hand near her bowl and she's fine. However, she was spayed 4 days ago. Now she growls at me when I try to move her(off the couch, for example). She's never bared her teeth or snapped, and she moves, but she's not happy about it! She also tried to bite the vet on her follow up visit. He cleaned her incision and then gave her two injections - it was the second injection where she lost it. My question is, is it normal for a dog to growl after a spay due to discomfort, or is this growling related to the prior resource guarding? She's tiny now, but only going to get bigger and if this is aggression, I want to deal with it ASAP! Does anyone have any advice??
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BlueJay
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22-04-2013, 08:50 AM
Many dogs don't like the vets (understandably if they are always getting poked and prodded lol!). Growling now may be down to feeling a bit off or sore from surgery, but even so.
Maybe being away from her mum and siblings far too early has had a bad effect on her manners/temperament?
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Jrh258
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22-04-2013, 09:03 AM
Yes, she was definitely separated from her mom too early...I assume her mom simply abandoned her as I found her alone. It happens often with the street dogs here I made an effort to socialize her with other pet dogs and people, but perhaps that wasn't enough. Anything I can do to overcome this?
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JoedeeUK
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22-04-2013, 11:22 AM
Many dogs growl whilst eating, it's a survival behaviour to warn off other dogs from it's food. It's not being directed at you & feeding by hand by dropping food into the puppy's dish teaches the puppy that you are a provider not a taker. Did you try to take the bone from her ? Bones are far higher in value to dogs than food & if you want to be able to take a bone from her you will have to offer something that is of even higher value.

If you do not want your dog to be on the furniture then you will have to reward her for getting off & not punish her for being on the furniture

Growling is not a threatening behaviour, it's a warning behaviour to leave the dog alone.

I have dogs that don't like vet visits, one goes absolutely rigid in fear & the other has to be muzzled & held very firmly by me. Another of my dogs loves the vets & will allow the to do anything to him. Vets understand(or they should do)that not all the animals will be happy at being handled by them-it's part & parcel of their jobs
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Julie
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22-04-2013, 01:49 PM
Earliest puppy we ever had was a 5 week old terrier, he was never quite the same as our others and tolerated my husband but was really bonded to me. It was according to vet and behaviourist because he was away from his mum too soon. It wasn't easy ride with him but he was my best friend for a long time just had to be careful with my husband.
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Baxter8
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27-04-2013, 11:06 AM
Sorry I've no further advice because i think you're doing a wonderful job for this pup already.

Absolute respect to you for taking this girl in and giving her a home.

There are lots of lots of people on her that really will try their hardest to give you top quality advice - it's got me out of a few scraps I can tell you. Very welcome to the world of dogs and their owners.


Originally Posted by Jrh258 View Post
Hi, I have a 6 month old puppy. I found her in the street, alone, when she was 3 weeks old and I took her in. Last week, she started growling at me when she was eating and tried to bite me when she was chewing on a bone. I immediately began hand feeding her and dropping treats near her when she was eating. She seems to have improved, and now I can sit right next to her and put my hand near her bowl and she's fine. However, she was spayed 4 days ago. Now she growls at me when I try to move her(off the couch, for example). She's never bared her teeth or snapped, and she moves, but she's not happy about it! She also tried to bite the vet on her follow up visit. He cleaned her incision and then gave her two injections - it was the second injection where she lost it. My question is, is it normal for a dog to growl after a spay due to discomfort, or is this growling related to the prior resource guarding? She's tiny now, but only going to get bigger and if this is aggression, I want to deal with it ASAP! Does anyone have any advice??
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Tang
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27-04-2013, 01:21 PM
My little dog has only bitten two people in her 3+ yrs. No growling or warning - just rapid bite!

Me - when I tried to cut her belly bandage off with scissors.

The vet when he tried to give her a worm pill (just after he had squeezed an ingrown hair bump until it bled and then pulled the contents of the bump out with some tweezers - she didn't murmur or move while he was doing that!) He didn't hold it against her he said she was probably telling him 'not to push his luck'.

I agree that growling is not necessarily 'aggression'. Some dogs don't seem to ever growl.
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Baxter8
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27-04-2013, 04:04 PM
I agree - my boy doesn't growl at other dogs just launches himself at them. How I wish he growled and then I'd have time to do something.

He gives a token quiet growl if I've ever tried to hug him - easily resolved, I didn't try again.

Originally Posted by Tangutica View Post
My little dog has only bitten two people in her 3+ yrs. No growling or warning - just rapid bite!

Me - when I tried to cut her belly bandage off with scissors.

The vet when he tried to give her a worm pill (just after he had squeezed an ingrown hair bump until it bled and then pulled the contents of the bump out with some tweezers - she didn't murmur or move while he was doing that!) He didn't hold it against her he said she was probably telling him 'not to push his luck'.

I agree that growling is not necessarily 'aggression'. Some dogs don't seem to ever growl.
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