Growling Puppy

[Jant72]

Hey, i was wondering if anyone had any suggestions. We just adopted a puppy and she has been growling at me. She has not bitten anyone but do not want her to think that this is acceptable behavior. Any input or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. She is well behaved otherwise.

[Dana MarcoVecchio]

How old is the pup? Does it seem like she is trying to play?

[Jant72]

She is 10 weeks old. The first time it happened to me she was stuck behind the couch and i tried to get her out. And then today she growled at my 7 year old son and her lip went up. She didn't seem like she was going to bit him, but she just kept growling every time he tried to pet her. Thanks

[jo]

awwww she is just scared! and she is way too young to know how else to communicate -

i would definitely supervise her interaction with your son - she may be afraid/unsure of him right now too - she will surely adapt and feel secure over time -

i had a 5 wk old foster pup who growled a lot (didnt bite) because she was afraid of everything and people - i took her everywhere with me and socialized her with people and dogs but made sure that she felt secure while doing so and knew that i would 'protect' her -

it took a little over a month for her to completely stop growling - so im sure your little girl will be fine in time -

and i hope others will chime in here too!!!!!

[SuzyMak]

Hey John,
I talked to Missy earlier and heard about this situation. I wouldn't be overly worried about it since she is still a babe.
She may be scared as she has been with her brothers and sisters for so long!
I'll try and stop by this weekend.
Maybe we should get Tyler or Josh (the trainers) in on this too?

[heather]

I agree with what has been stated above. I would also make sure you help your son learn proper ways to interact with the pup. Formal trainings are always good, I am not sure how common or uncommin they are, but in finding a good class for myself and Blue Belle, I found some that worked with kids too. Wishing you the best!

[Tyler Muto]

It is definitely good to nip this in the bud now. that way if she does bite, it won't really do any harm. It is important to understand that the growling is her way of telling you that she is uncomfortable and likely just wants some space. however, if she learns early on that growling is a good way of solving her problems, than it can become worse. So. . . If she growls at you, do not continue forward and do not punish her, but also do not not retreat. Stay doing exactly what you are doing and act as though her growling does't phase you, stay patient and when her growling stops, then give her more space. You want her to see that subtle forms of communication are more effective at achieving her goals (gaining more space) than using her teeth.

[SuzyMak]

Thanks for your input Tyler! It's much appreciated...

[lduda]

Hey Jo, are we talking about our Savannah (Trinka)???

[jo]

no laura - savannah never had that issue at all with me that i can recall - indy had growling issues when she came to us due to her fear and probably pain that she was in - savannah only had typical play-growl

[Jant72]

Thank you everyone for your input, i really appreciate it, we will keep working on this...