growling pup when picked up...
#32594 - 10/14/2004 01:56 AM |
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Hi ALL:
I have a 10 week old English Bulldog pup who tends to growl when picked up, but especially at night when his kennel is moved from the kitchen to the bedroom and I pick him up to go to the kennel. He does growl other times when picked up, but not consistently. He does not growl when he eats (I can pet him when he eats), plays or is being groomed. He appears to be responding to the sit command and the off command. I am not sure what to do with this as his growling is concerning me. I need some advice as to what to do when he growls. Can anyone help me.
Thanks.
Stan
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Re: growling pup when picked up...
[Re: stan evanowski ]
#32595 - 10/14/2004 03:50 AM |
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Im not sure why a 10 week old puppy would be growling at you, but if he is he needs to be corrected for it.
You shouldnt really be picking the dog up anyway - he has legs - have him walk to his kennel, hes a dog so dont treat him like a doll. Sure pet him and play with him etc, but unless you really have to pick him up ie, at the vets, into the car etc etc, then dont.
Regarding the seeming aggression towards being picked up, IMO hes giving you a warning that hes not comfortable being picked up, so you have to desensitise him to this, get him used to being handled, again this doesnt mean that you need to carry him everywhere.
Regarding his growling at you, he needs to know that this is unacceptable, when he growls at you take him by the scruff of the neck and give a quick shake - but not to hard, and give a firm 'NO'. Try not to deliberatly make him growl so that you can punish him, after all he is only 10 weeks old and is probably still getting used to his surroundings and most importantly you, dont make the pup scared of you.
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Re: growling pup when picked up...
[Re: stan evanowski ]
#32596 - 10/14/2004 08:17 AM |
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10 wk old pups don't usually growl at their caretakers. He needs to be corrected for it, but you need to rule out a medical problem first.
lord, please help me be the person my dog thinks I am |
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Re: growling pup when picked up...
[Re: stan evanowski ]
#32597 - 10/14/2004 10:31 AM |
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Check with some people who are familiar with the breed. I'm not, but make sure what the growling you hear means.
I had a very "conversational" rottie. She muttered, grumbled and "growled" when she wanted to tell or show me things that weren't urgent, when she was petted, or when she leant on me for petting, etc. More than one obedience person (and I'm not a novice in AKC obedience or with dogs in general) told me to "correct her dominance" based on her "growling". In reality, she was a very compliant, gentle and submissive bitch who never showed any attempt at dominance with me (she was a very good girl).
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Re: growling pup when picked up...
[Re: stan evanowski ]
#32598 - 10/14/2004 05:53 PM |
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10 weeks seems pretty young to me for 'real' aggression. I sure heard alot of play growling from my young pups though.
BUT here's a site you may want to look at with information on Inappropriate Aggressive Responses in Puppies
Intelligent dogs rarely want to please people whom they do not respect --- W.R. Koehler |
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Re: growling pup when picked up...
[Re: stan evanowski ]
#32599 - 10/14/2004 06:22 PM |
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I was involved with the placement of a PBT( came to me at 8 weeks old) not long ago that had the same type of behavior as you describe. The rescue group was afraid it was a sign of aggression, BUT close observation showed that it was as Stephan described, a sort of "talk". He took a while to be placed, since I was concerned that someone not used to dogs might misinterperet the vocalizations. At 16 weeks he was placed with a man who had extensive PBT experience and the dog lives happily ever after now....
So, take your time and try to evaluate the root of this growling, and enlist more experienced help if need be.
Good Luck!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
No one ever said life was supposed to be easy, life is what you make of it!! |
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Re: growling pup when picked up...
[Re: Jeannette Polowski ]
#32600 - 02/01/2006 12:56 AM |
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Carrying him elevates his status, don't think because he is a pup, he does think of you as just another pack member,
I would not pick him up at all, make sure he waits for everything including food, he must not be allowed to rush through doors first either, he must learn you are the leader,picking him up is reinforcing that he can be on your level,the growling is the challenge, stamp it out now, I wouldn't want my dog doing this under any circumstances.
Even if it is seen as "play talking"
Sitz.. platz...Daiquiri anyone?
"Bart Humperdink Simpson"
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Re: growling pup when picked up...
[Re: Michelle Overall ]
#32601 - 02/01/2006 05:46 PM |
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If it's talking, I wouldn't see a need to correct it. My Collie learned to "talk" from the Husky we had when she was young, but she can't make the same sounds as he does, so she uses a soft little growl. I know it's not a dominance thing because this a very submissive dog--if I look at her cross eyed, she backs her ears and tucks her tail. Obviously different dogs, different scenerio, but if it's the same kind of talking...I've heard that the bully breeds are "talkers".
But I agree with not carrying him--even at 7 wks, Siris had to walk everywhere on a leash (he didn't want to at first, but he was leashed at every potty break, and he wasn't going to refuse on principle for THAT, so he learned *lol*). Same with my sister's JRT mix puppy--I never carried her and advised them not to. Don't want to wind up with a dog that prefers to be carried that walk on his own--then you get problems learning to walk on a leash.
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Re: growling pup when picked up...
[Re: Sabrina_Borgstede ]
#32602 - 02/01/2006 09:28 PM |
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knowing that bulldogs often have health/skeletal issues, i would certainly have the pup examined thoroughly by a vet before doing any correcting, and certainly not by correcting in any way that might hurt if he has a skeletal problem (such as grabbing by the neck).
the pup is either hurt or uncomfortable from being picked up, or else it is some form of purring! if there are no other demonstrations of dominance or aggression, it's hard to imagine that that is what this is.
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