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My Lab mix puppy growls at just about everyone.



 
 
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  #1  
Old December 5th 05, 04:47 PM posted to rec.pets.dogs.behavior
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Default My Lab mix puppy growls at just about everyone.

I have a Lab/ Newfoundland 10 month old puppy. In the past two months
or so, he has been growling at other dogs and people.He wasn't this way
before. He has never been mistreated, in fact my wife and i tend to
spoil him. I take him out almost every day for a two mile run and to
socialize with people. The vet seems to think it is because he is
maturing and demonstrating his "manliness". He was recently neutered. I
thought this might change his behavior. He's a great dog, but i want to
cure him of the growling.I don't know if this matters, but we have
another male dog. Any suggetstions?

  #2  
Old December 5th 05, 04:53 PM posted to rec.pets.dogs.behavior
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Default My Lab mix puppy growls at just about everyone.

On 5 Dec 2005 07:47:09 -0800, , clicked
their heels and said:

my wife and i tend to
spoil him.


There's good spoiling and bad spoiling. Good spoiling is a nice thing
for dogs who are well behaved and obedient. Bad spoiling is letting
dogs make the rules, not giving them the structure that they need, and
not understanding dogs.

I take him out almost every day for a two mile run and to
socialize with people.


He's too young to be going on a 2 mile run. He's a large breed mix
and should wait until about 18 months.

The vet seems to think it is because he is
maturing and demonstrating his "manliness". He was recently neutered. I
thought this might change his behavior.


Towards other dogs, generally it helps a lot. It won't be much
different for 1-2 months after neuter though. Have you been in
obedience classes? Great structured social environment.

He's a great dog, but i want to
cure him of the growling.I don't know if this matters, but we have
another male dog. Any suggetstions?


What is your other dog and is he intact? How old is he?

Growling at people and growling at dogs are different problems to some
extent. You really need to have an in person evaluation with
recommendations (and from a trainer, not a vet).
..

--
Janet B
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bestfr...bedience/album
  #3  
Old December 5th 05, 05:25 PM posted to rec.pets.dogs.behavior
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Default My Lab mix puppy growls at just about everyone.

Hi Janet-Thanks for your replies. He has not been to obedience class
yet. This is something we want to do. Our other dog is a 4 year old
male terrier mix, also neutered. They get along fine except when they
play with toys.The small one growls when the Lab tries to take a toy
from him. Maybe this is one of the reasons for the Labs growling.The
Lab also barks at almost every sound. I would rather train him to only
bark at the sign of a threat, not just to bark at any foreign sound.

  #4  
Old December 5th 05, 06:32 PM posted to rec.pets.dogs.behavior
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Default My Lab mix puppy growls at just about everyone.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi Janet-Thanks for your replies. He has not been to obedience class
yet. This is something we want to do.


This will help you more than you think it will. You really do need to find
the time and do a series of classes. It will help socialize your dog and it
will teach you how to better handle him - and give you more of an idea of
what other dogs and other handlers consider good manners. I know SO many
people who say they intend to go but they just never find the time in their
busy lives. A beginning class is just a few weeks and it will pay off for
the dog's whole life. Really. Even if you've had dogs before.

My SIL found the time for a round of classes when they got their golden.
She and my brother have the ultimate busy lives. Both have extremely busy
careers and their two boys were involved in hockey - both in travel leagues,
twelve months out of the year. They had no free time. If *she* could find
the time, anyone can.

Our other dog is a 4 year old
male terrier mix, also neutered. They get along fine except when they
play with toys.The small one growls when the Lab tries to take a toy
from him. Maybe this is one of the reasons for the Labs growling.


Growling in play is not growling at everything. If he is growling at a
person when there is no reason for alarm then you need to tell him to stop
it. It is not cute and it's getting less cute each day. Start with a quiet
"uh-uh" and escalate from there to an outright "no growling" if necessary.
His puppy license has expired and growling at people is not acceptable
behavior. Grab his muzzle, look him in the eye and tell him "no". If he's
out on a leash, back him off, make him sit, make him down. Anything of that
sort will remind him that you make the rules, not him.

Lab also barks at almost every sound. I would rather train him to only
bark at the sign of a threat, not just to bark at any foreign sound.


Some dogs are more high alert than others. It sounds like yours thinks he
needs to raise an alarm in the household for every foreign sound. If it's a
common sound - the mailman, perhaps - then you can progress quickly quieting
him. If it's a different sort of thing - say a squirrel in the yard or a
banging noise coming from the next apartment - then my reaction is to thank
the dogs for pointing it out to me (Yes, I see the squirrel right outside
the window. I'll take care of it now.) and then to make them quiet down. I
allow them to alarm bark at "foreign sounds" because until it's identified,
it *may* be a threat. (The neighbor pounding on the wall with a hammer
might not just be hanging a picture.) But after they have alerted me, then
I'm in charge of determining the threat level, not them. So no further
barking is needed.

He's still young and I would expect him to settle down and learn that many
of the things that he's alerting on can be ignored by dog and human alike.
Some of this will probably happen naturally but I would be taking steps to
move it along (and just in case he's one of those that *doesn't*).

And definitely do those puppy classes.

~~Judy



  #5  
Old December 5th 05, 06:42 PM posted to rec.pets.dogs.behavior
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Default My Lab mix puppy growls at just about everyone.

on 2005-12-05 at 12:32 wrote:

Start with a quiet "uh-uh" and escalate from there to an
outright "no growling" if necessary. His puppy license has
expired and growling at people is not acceptable behavior.
Grab his muzzle, look him in the eye and tell him "no". If
he's out on a leash, back him off, make him sit, make him
down.


i think that's a really bad idea, given that we do not know
anything about this dog's temperament or socialization. the
potential for making the problem worse is just too great.
the best advice is seek out a good trainer or behaviorist
ASAP, as this requires in-person help.

Anything of that sort will remind him that you make the
rules, not him.


that can be done without forcing a confrontation.

i will second the advice to get the dog into obedience
training, though. if the dog is lacking in confidence--and
the growling could certainly be a symptom of that--then
obedience training should help improve his confidence level.

--
shelly
http://www.cat-sidh.net
http://cat-sidh.blogspot.com/
 




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