Little Growling

[Ahdeeos]

Friends could you please help me out. I have a 13 week old Cane Corso who likes to be up under me 24/7. When Im not home my brother watches her for me and they are good together. When I come home she gets back under me we play and everything. But when my brother comes back in the room she growls at him. They were just together 5 min before but when I get home she wants no part of him. She has growled at him since the moment I got her but only when im around. Why is that and how do I stop this. I have joint custody of my daughter whom is 5 years old and she growled at her once too. Not an agressive growl so I told her no she stops but if they come back again and they walk slow. She growls. Help please.

 

[Rugers-Kris]

In my opinion, growling at family members is an absolute NO, however you need to handle it correctly because growling is a warning and if you teach them to not warn (stop the growl) then they may go straight to the bite when they are over stressed. It is tricky because the reality is that it is absolutely unacceptable IMO for my dogs to EVER growl at my immediate family...Children, granchildren, people living in the house. First, be sure that the growl is a warning. As an example, I have a 8 month old Great Dane who growls like crazy when he is happy! My kids and grandkids come over on Sundays and he is super excited and he runs all over the house growling like a nut but he is super happy and there is nothig at all threatening about the behavior. Also, when playing, my dogs growl like crazy even when they are playing with me. Second, you need to work on the bond between your dog and these people...especially your child. The biggest concern is your little girl. Have her help with training, give treats and give basic commands like sit, stop and such so that the dog understands that she is his person and in charge and that it is unacceptable to even consider threatening her. Also, be sure that neither person is doing anything that scares or threatens your pup. Maybe yelling, hitting, picking her up, pulling his tail, etc.....any behavior that he may think she needs to protect himself from.You need to teach the pup what is and is not acceptable. Growling at a stranger is ok if she will stop when told but that should never carry over into her immediate family. Teach her a "be nice" command because not only will that help her to understand what you want her to do, it will come in handy when she is a much bigger girl. Last but not least, remember that she is just a baby and still learning and it is super important that she learn what is and is not acceptable. Good luck and keep us updated.

 

[Ahdeeos]

Wow...Thank you so much. Yes I have to start letting my daughter in the training part. I told my daughter to tell her to sit and to stay a few times. But yes i must have her more involved in the training. Thank you so much. I understood totally what you were saying. The only part I don't understand is she doesn't growl at anyone when Im not around. Only when im around does she feel she needs to growl.

 

[Rugers-Kris]

I think there is a good chance she is resource guarding and you are the resource. She loves the others but you are her "person" so she feels the need to "claim" you when others are around. Once she sees your daughter as an equal to you (and your brother) all of that nonsense will stop. You just want to make sure that you are consistent with it. I can't wait to watch her grow and see how she matures in your family.

 

[Ahdeeos]

Thank you. Me too. Thank you for your insight it has been so helpful....Oh and by the way Panama Beach fl, has great beaches. I used to be stationed in Pensacola.

 

[Rugers-Kris]

You are more than welcome. If you have any other questions feel free to ask. This forum is great place to get your questions answered. I DO love the beaches here. I moved here from Ohio 20+ years ago and I consider this home.

 

[DennasMom]

I double the resource-guarding thought... sounds to me like she has adopted you, and does not want to share. If she starts guarding you, move away from her... let her know you are not hers...

Then, keep working on the training and including all the family members, like Kris suggested, so she learns that she is the low-man on the totem pole, and all the humans get to tell her what to do (and she gets rewarded for it all, too... so it's all good!!).

I normally acknowledge growls - with a "really??" or a "what!?!" - so Denna knows I heard her, then we try and find the trigger for the growl to take care of it. I want her to know I respect her warnings. But, if this is a "mine!" growl (puppy claiming you)... then, I would ignore it and leave the area, so every time she claims you, you disappear.

Beaches in my neck of the woods (WA/OR coast) normally mean cold, windy and rainy. But I still love them.

 

[Ahdeeos]

Thank you Dennasmom im going to try that tonight when I get home. Thanks for the info as well. I really appreciated everyones info. Yea its cold down here in Va. We have beaches all around me but the best one is Va Beach its ok.

 

[musicdeb]

Does your brother play with the pup? Did you ask your brother if the pup growls at him when he's playing with the pup? Growling can also be a play tactic. Titan growls are me when we are playing. I had to learn the difference between the play and I mean business growls.

 

[Ahdeeos]

Hello...Yes she does play and growl with my brother i told him to stop playing with her like that because once she gets bigger he is not going to want her all up on him like that, nor do I want her to think its okay to do that with other people. But she now growls and barks at her own reflection in my TV and she barks and goes crazy at anyone who knocks on the door. But she shows no agression towards my daughter or my neice at all which is wonderful she just wants to go in the room with them and lick them and grab her baby dolls.

 

[Rugers-Kris]

I am so glad to hear that you resolved the issue with the pup and your daughter. That has to be a major relief. You need to post some pictures of the growly butt!

 

[STEVSH]

Topaz does this for me as well. I definitely think it's resource guarding. Laying at my feet, she will growl/bark at my husband when he comes down the stairs to the family room, only when he's been gone for like a minute. I have been trying to work on her going and laying down somewhere else in the room and not at my feet. It's tough in winter though because she's so nice and warm on my feet! But I want to curb that behavior. Hubby also plays with her constantly and she growls menacingly the whole time. He thinks it's funny (I don't at all but he doesn't listen), and we now know that she isn't going to do anything. She has just learned to growl like that while playing with him. Funny how we subconsciously teach them to do these odd behaviors isn't it?
When I had my back surgery, my mom was leaning over her (laying at my feet) and putting my socks on for me, and Topaz jumped up and nipped her face. It was out of the blue. Luckily she really didn't connect. But I learned my lesson that day. No more laying at my feet, especially with other people that don't live with us are around.