7 Month Old Lucy Growls at New Dogs

[kschneider 0]

Hi Everyone,

I was hoping to get some thoughts on my 7 month old pup's recent behavior. Lately, she has been growling at new dogs when she sees them. When they come up to her and she sniffs them she gets happy and starts wagging her tail and want to play. She goes to doggie daycare and has always been great with other dogs. Should I be concerned with this new behavior? Any suggestions on how to correct it if it is a cause for concern.

Thanks!

Katelyn

[spygirl 0]

Couple of questions for ya...

Is she on a leash when she growls? Is she on her "home turf" or out in public? What's your behavior like? Are you tense, nervous, etc.?

Most dogs have "issues" on a leash. I always tell clients to be careful how they hold the leash. Try to pretend that your emotions are like an electric current, running down the leash into your dog. If your dog sees you calm and acting like a leader, they'll generally act calmer.

Another thing that could be causing the growling is if you're holding the leash tight and she's straining to get to the dog. Most of the time, dogs see the leash holding them back from their goal and then will growl, bark, etc. in frustration to get to their goal. Try not to reward your dog by letting them get to their goal when they're straining on the leash.

For example...

I'm taking Sophie for a walk. She sees another dog approaching, who is giving off friendly vibes. She wants to go play with the other dog. She starts to strain on her leash. When she doesn't get her way, she barks and growls. So what do I do? I make her do a command and if she can calmly walk to the other dog, she can play. If she can't be calm, we pass the other dog by. She gets the reward of playing when she acts calm but gets no reward when she barks.

Sophie is an extremely vocal dog and is very stubborn. She barks like mad when she sees another dog, generally because she wants to play. But by not giving in to her, we're over coming the bad behavior. Not correcting this can lead to more barking, whining, or growling when the pup doesn't get what they want.

I hope that helps. Sometimes this stuff is hard to explain over the internet!