My Dog Is Growling At Me

I encounter a lot of dog owners that are concerned that their dogs are growling and snapping at them. In some cases, the dogs are biting.

Not good.

So, I will ask them to make up a list of every situation that provokes this kind of response. From there I can ask questions about each incident and determine the motivation for the growling/ snapping/ biting, and then propose solutions.

For example. Let’s say the dog growls and bares its teeth when made to do this or that. First, I want to know the history of the dog. Then, when did this behavior start up? What did the owner do about it?

A recent call illustrates this. The owner had a 9-month-old dog that was not wanting to go in its crate. Apparently, this had been going on for a while. So, they were using a prong collar and leash to force the dog into the crate. They were now becoming scared of their dog.

All puppies start out happy go lucky. Yes, there are a few puppies that are born which are abnormal, but I’m not talking about that. Puppies are happy. How does a 9-month-old puppy get to the state that it is now frightening the owner?

Rough treatment.

People get these ideas on how to deal with dogs by asking friends, surfing the web, calling the breeder, and asking their vets. None of which know much about dog behavior.

This dog is in a no-win situation. The crate has become something to fear, and the owner is escalating the fear by forcing the dog into the crate. The entire experience is threatening to the dog.

Worse, the dog growled in another circumstance, and a family member flipped the dog on its back and pinned it down for 10 minutes. The dog is also now guarding the food bowl. And growling at people who hover over the dog. The dog is shaking all over when brushed. Isn’t Sitting on walks any more when commanded. All trust has been lost. I didn’t hear anything that indicated that this dog is enjoying life.

Look, I get that there is a lot of bad advice out there. That includes so-called dog trainers who see every situation as a signal to bully a dog into submission, and owners who buy into that philosophy. Good dog trainers don’t do this stuff.

Before things go this route, you need a good dog trainer. I NEVER have students develop these problems with their dogs, if they start out with me from the beginning. Every dog loves the crate. We never flip dogs on their backs and pin them down. The above-mentioned dog is now becoming dangerous because of rough treatment. I told them this. Either they change what they are doing, or they will either get rid of the dog, or the dog will eventually bite someone, and they will be forced to put the dog down. A happy puppy is becoming a dangerous dog.

My method is to get dogs to do what I want them to do, and to like doing it. That is the solution for this dog, but the owners would have to change their beliefs and ways 100%. I don’t know if this person will call me back or not. I told them that what they were doing is threatening to their dog. They asked how I would approach solving this. I said we’d start with making a list of every situation that is turning out this way. Then coming up with a plan to change how they worked with their dog and to get the dog to not perceive those situations as being threatening. I don’t think they believed this was the right solution. I haven’t heard back.

I feel sorry for the dog.

Get better advice.

Plan accordingly.

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