Does your dog growl at you from time to time?

[Wcross]

This is Buddy. I took him in about a year & a half ago after his owners home burned down and they were forced to move to an apartment with no pets allowed. He is a good friend and seems to always want to be near me. He follows me around the property, where I go buddy will be there.

He has two annoying habits. I have six dogs in all and I buy those rawhide bones for them. When I hand them out Buddy goes and collects the other dogs bones for himself. He ends up with all the pups bones and when I take them back he growls at me. Not and serious growl but a low "what are you doing" type of growl.

He also likes to sleep in the bed. I don't care because he stays at the foot and doesn't get in the way- unless I get up in the middle of the night. He will move to the center of the bed where its warm. When I come back he will growl when I move him to make room for myself.

What do you make of the growling? He has never done his serious growl, just his annoyed growl. Anybody else experience that from a pet?

[mopinko]

1. buddy is the leader of the pack

not good, especially if you have 5 other dogs. chances of an ugly incident in the future are good.
good thread here in the pets group about this very thing,
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=243&topic_id=1544&mesg_id=1544

[Wcross]

7. He is the alpha dog....

He sired four of the five other dogs. He has firmly established the fact with the pups, all he has to do is growl at them and they are on their backs in submission.

[LDS Jock]

9. his growling is a display that he thinks

he is alpha over you too. It is not a good sign. It might seem harmless enough, but you never want any dog to have that attitude with people.

[Pirate Smile]

2. I get the annoyed bed growl/moan also. They are bed hogs and

don't want to move. There is never any aggression, just irritation.

But hey, I'd be pissy too if someone woke me up and made me move.

[radwriter0555]

17. My lil Joe, the dachsund mix growls at us too when we move his furry

little butt from the center of the bed.

It's amazing how a 13 lb dog can take up SO MUCH ROOM in a KING SIZED bed. **sigh**

Our big dog Blue is a chewie hog too. To counter it, I put out 2 chewies for each dog so she has a really hard time hogging them. They will spend the whole day in chewie tag... which is more amusing for us than anything else, of course.

[Pirate Smile]

19. My dog is a Bassett Hound and he can truly take up half of the bed.

The good part is he is a little furnace.

The battle between my Hubby and I is who will get the long, soft, warm, furry back toward them and who gets the scratchy paws. I usually get the back because the dog loves me more.:-)

[Richardo]

3. Be the alpha dog.

We also have six pups and while Mrs R is DEFINITELY the alpha, I find I have to constantly assert myself to move up from gamma or epsilon :)

The challenges are always low-key (like taking other dogs' treats, going through the door first, etc) but they say you've got to re-assert your priority every time or the dog thinks he won.

[CottonBear]

4. This could be a "bad" growl.

My good friend had a dog who slept in her bed. He was very large and dominant. One day she tried to get him to move over and he bit her in the face. She had to have plastic surgery to repair her cheek. You must not let him sleep with you and you must consult a dog trainer immediately. My friend had to have her dog put down after he was still more aggressive towards her and her other older dog.

[Wcross]

11. Buddy is a beagle/mix....

He has never been aggressive, just a low growl. I've noticed the other dogs will growl at eachother in a similar manner as a warning.

[CottonBear]

15. I'd still have a dog trainer evaluate him.

This would be for your safety and his. I had a beagle. He once snarled at someone who startled him while he was eating. He growled at me when I tried to pu doll clothes on him. I probably deserved that growl.

[Burma Jones]

5. No, but my children do....................n/t

[xchrom]

6. my dog, sport, and i used to

have out and out fights.
especially when it came to which way to go on a walk.
he'd want to go one direction -- and me another -- i'd pull, he'd tug.
then the barking and growling would start -- i'd yell back -- he'd bark more and stand his ground -- i'd yell and tug.
this could go on for 5 minutes until one of us gave in.
it was about 50/50.
buddy sounds like he's talkin to ya -- tellin ya what's on his mind.
he worked hard to steal those bones -- and he wants to tell you off.

[funkybutt]

8. I reprimand my dog everytime she growls at me

It's never been a serious growl, usually during rough play. As soon as she growls, play stops and she gets yelled at. She does NOT like getting reprimanded at all. It really upsets her and she knows she's not the alpha. She usually won't even come near me after I correct her and I don't hit her or anything. She's just really sensitive. I figure that since she weighs over 70 lbs, she could easily hurt someone if she wanted to. It's my responsibility to make sure that doesn't happen.

[Aiptasia]

10. It's an alpha dog growl

A lot of dogs think that they're the leaders of the pack and will exhibit alpha behaviors over food, toys or territory. It helps establish a pecking order in the dog universe but it should not be tolerated when it comes to dog/human relationships.

Look in your local bookstore for dog psychology and training manuals. There are several good ones that'll help you deal with alpha behavior in a non-violent manner.

Usually, what i'd do is to place myself as a barrier between his bones (or other treasured object) by just standing between him and his treats, gradually backing the dog up. Nothing more than that, no hitting, no shaking my hands or fingers, just simply deny access to the object.

You can then reward the dog with a kibble or other treat for stepping off and allowing you to assume the alpha role. The more the dog is re-inforced that his/her humans are "alpha dogs" in a positive manner, the better and more secure they'll feel.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

12. Not without getting pinned to the ground and stared at

you have to keep control.

If you are not the lead dog, the view is all the same!

[Joe Power]

13. As others have suggested...

...you're heading for possible disaster. He does indeed believe that he is the alpha dog and you are part of his pack. You need to reverse this situation and keep it reversed. Some things that you can do immediately, particularly if seeing a trainer is not an option right now.

1. Walk him on a choke collar, make sure that it is placed as high on his neck as it will stay. He is not likely to enjoy this, but you have to remain calm and firm. Wrap most of the leash around your non-dominant hand and keep your dominant hand very low, almost to where the leash connects to the collar. Force him to walk directly next to you. Make unexpected turns so that he has to follow your lead. Make him sit at unexpected times. Do this daily. It makes him follow you and asserts your position as the leader.
2. Before entering a door, make him sit and stay until you have entered the door, then release him to follow you. Vary the times you make him sit.
3. Do not ever allow him onto the bed again.
4. Grasp him firmly by the back of his neck. Mother dogs do this to get their pups to do as they wish, and pack leaders do it to assert dominance. Be careful of this one, and only attempt it after you've done the others successfully for awhile. This one could draw retaliation if you have not fully asserted your place in the pack.

Good luck, and keep in mind that your dog will eventually be much happier once he has been "put in his place."

[mopinko]

18. one more

control who eats when. ALWAYS eat before feeding the dogs, and make this dog wait to eat last.
food is the root of all dog power.

[seriousstan]

14. Every day place him on his back and hold him there with your hand

on his chest for about a minute. If he struggles, overpower him and continue to hold him. You must establish the pecking order, although I would think it is almost too late.

I have large, 100#+, dogs and young children and we do this daily.

Some of the more headstrong dogs also require a hand to the chest and throat, not choking..more symbolic, to get the message across initially. If you cant get this done and he nips or bites, you have troubles.

NOTE: WOOOOHOOOO 800!

[mopinko]

16. do you have kids?

of your own, or that visit your house?
if the answer is yes, then this is about 10 times as serious as we all think.

[Wcross]

20. No kids...

No children visit nor are there any children within a mile of my house. (I live in a rural area,nearest house is 1/2 mile away)

BTW- I really don't care to be around children- they are annoying.