How to stop GROWLING?????

[Harriet]

Raven did this to me yesterday. 
I had gotten her a bone and it was smaller than I normally give her.  She took it and went under the bed and I heard it crack,  so I got her from under the bed and she started growling at me    .  She did not want to give that     to me.  SOOOOOOOOOOOO   we had a confutation,  she was actually growing at me.  A deep growl and I was actually afraid to get the bone away,  but I did.  Her teeth are so huge for a schnauzer.   I have never had a dog that would not allow me to take anything out of their mouth.  I finally got it away from her.  But it was a struggle.  I was so upset    .  Don't know how to stop this. 
Any suggestions PLEASE.  THANKS
Harriet
 

[MicheleZ]

Below is an article about resource guarding which is what she was doing.

http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/2002b/objectguarding.htm

[Annette]

I can understand your frustration with this.  When we first got Kyra and Kaizer I gave them a bone and I tried to get the bone away from Kyra and she growled at me as I tried to remove it from her mouth.  I was absolutely shocked when it happened because my last schnauzer never growled at anything.  Luckily all I had to do is to tell her no in a firm voice (she was a very young pup though) and she has never done anything like it since.  Now I can take anything out of her mouth and believe me, I have to take alot of things out of her mouth.  

I hope you can get this figured out soon, I know how frustrating it can be to have your own dog growling at you.

[Harriet]

Thanks for all the info.  Will start working on these suggestions.
Harriet

[Debbie]

Harriet has she done this with other things? can you pick stuff out of her mouth that she isn't suppose to have? Just wondering if it was just that bone. The only time we have this problem is with a bully stick and dried sweet potatoes. I can bribe him with a tiny piece of really sharp cheese and he will drop it, finally gave up with the dried sweet potato slice and hoped he wouldn't choke on it.

[Peter]

First of all, to respond to the title of the topic, you don't want to:

Don't Teach Your Dog Not to Growl

But to get to the real problem here... I can take Muka's dinner or anything else away from him and we should be able to do that with our dogs without any problem.

This week I'll be re-reading the text I've been studying for Muka's Dog Scouts test and I know there was something in there about how to handle this... so I hope to post back in a few days. And of course you've already gotten some good responses.

Anyway, I think it suggested a method where you take something away and then give them something better as a reward for good behavior. That's of course if their behavior is good! I'll post back when I find it.

Peter

P.S.

Muka growls everytime I remove him from his comfortable bed, say to put him on my lap. He's just saying, "I want to stay here, leave me alone."

He can't speak -- we haven't gotten that far yet, LOL! -- so I don't know what else he could do and I don't really mind it at all.

But... I never feel threatened by it. I think it's significant that Raven didn't bite you.

[Akvile]

it's tough but possible..the complicated part is having them still growl when appropriate but just not at you. i wish you luck on solving this problem! you can do it!

[Peter]

Akvile,

I'm just learning about all this so I don't mean to sound like I know what I'm talking about... just sharing my thoughts. But I'm suggesting that it's even okay if they growl at us. It's how they communicate they don't like something. Just so they obey us and never bite.

Before I learned how to trim Muka's nails properly, he'd sometimes even play-bite at me. By that I mean he'd snap his head around and open his mouth and put his teeth on my arm, but not actually bite down in any way. I couldn't blame him... I would have done the same to him! LOL

This is also how dogs communicate. They usually do this type of correction on the other dog's jaw. Again, it's a way to communicate something like "stop that" and it's not harmful.

Peter

[Harriet]

Thanks everyone.
  I did try the suggestion that MicheleZ sent this morning with a skewn(sp)  She didn't growl at me when I dropped the treat beside her.  She did roll those  eyes at me.  I was able to reach down and pet her.    It could have been the bone, as she does let me take all the kleenex/papers/kleenex/pieces of paper/kleenex out of her mouth.  She doesn't like it but she never growls at me. I can take food out of her dish and no problem.  I will keep working on the problem,  cause I DON't LIKE IT    Any more suggestions will be appreciated.
Harriet

[Dotty]

It all goes back to 'drop it' ... or in some cases, and I say this after I've had them awhile..'give it to momma'....

[MicheleZ]

I am sure it is the bone - she values that a lot more than toilet paper  .  Make sure when you eventually try to take the bone from her, that you give her something she values even more in return for the bone - like a REALLY loved treat.

I taught Grady drop it with toys and now he drops it with anything he has in his mouth - even if it is something he wants to eat badly.  He is such an obedient dog - it boggles my mind.  Once when he was really really young, he got some goose poop in his mouth.  Without even thinking about it, I swiped my finger WAY back in his throat trying to get it all out.  He didn't even blink an eye or try to move or close his mouth.  It wasn't until after I was done that I realized just how obedient he was.   He even walks into the shower when I ask and he knows what is going to happen because his ears are drooped but he still comes in.  I asked Alain why he thought Grady did that (come in so easy) and Alain said "You are asking him to do it and even though he knows what is going to happen, because you are asking, he does it."  BTW, I ask very nicely - never yell or anything.  I think Grady just trusts me and knows I am never going to do anything to hurt him.

[BennyBear]

your dogs should NOT growl at you if you are taking a bone away!   Or for any other reason.  We are their master, and they are not to bite you. They are trying to put YOU in your place and not give the bone back- so , you LOSE.


Try taking other things away. After successful times where she doesn't growl, give her a treat.   Tell her she's a good dog. So understanding giving up her things does earn rewards. 


A girl i know had a dog (passed away for a while now) that used to be very food aggressive.  You couldn't take anything away from it, so they would put it's food on the porch so it wouldn't get bothered.   And it would happily eat out there.   The owner (who is NOT so bright) did some really bad teaching with this one.  He would have a bone- they each (she had 2) got one.  The one dog would get one, and then the aggressive one would get one.  If the other dog came over to take the other dogs, it would growl and snarl, and the mom would take the bone and say no, and GIVE IT TO THE OTHER DOG making him really mad.  I remember he was getting worse and worse- soon she couldn't take bones away from him either.

The last time i was there - he was sitting with me because he was my buddy and i loved that dog dearly, and the other one came over just to say hi, and the one on my lap LUNGED forward and ripped the other dogs neck because he didn't want him touching me.


Now, that's an extreme- but my point is, don't let it escalate!  teach her it's not ok now.  They can growl and other things- intruders, whatever, but NOT at their owners.  OR other dogs they live with.

[Annette]

Bennybear, I'm in complete agreement with you, I don't believe our dogs should ever growl at us for any reason either.  Peter, if I picked my dogs up and they growled, I would still probably correct them.  Now, if they made a grunt sound, like saying "Please leave me alone," that would be a different story.  That's just my opinion, remember, we all have them.

[Peter]

Peter, if I picked my dogs up and they growled, I would still probably correct them.  Now, if they made a grunt sound, like saying "Please leave me alone," that would be a different story.

That's what I feel Muka is doing when I pick him up out of his sleep in his cozy bed. It's a growl rather than a grunt, but it's not threatening.

Peter

[Debbie]

she does let me take all the kleenex/papers/kleenex/pieces of paper/kleenex out of her mouth. 
Harriet

So .....does Raven like kleenex. LOL

Paper towels/napkins here, but he has slacked off this week, only just because we are being more mindful of things! Now if anything is on the counter and in his sight, he wants it, dish towels, hand towels.....

[Peter]

Three times I have found a Bounce (Costco version) clothes dryer thingy in Muka's poop. They can't be too poisonous as they cover our clothes. But they can't be healthy, either. I don't like consumption of any chemicals. Well, as few as possible.

Makes me upset with myself every time. I just have to do a better job of keeping them off the ground... account for the one I put in each load of wash.

Peter

[Sue]

I guess the good thing is they outgrow all those Kleenex/dryer sheets/paper issues.  I always found used Kleenex in Nitro's living room bed that he stole from the bathroom garbage.  Taught me to empty the bin more often, too!

Resource guarding can be a real issue with dogs and pretty dangerous too.  I like Deb's idea of giving them something more "important" to get the first item away.  Every once in a while I will take Nitro's food away (have to be fast tho, he's a hoover) and we always make him sit and wait until we give the OK to dive into his meal.  That just reinforces that we are in charge.  So far, so good.

[MicheleZ]

I do the same thing, make Grady sit and stay while I sit his meal in front of him.  Once he looks up at me and makes eye contact, I give him the release word.  That teaches him to pay attention to me in order to get what he wants, not to stare at the meal.  He doesn't even look at his meal anymore, he just stares directly at me until I release him 

[Harriet]

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions. 
I really think it was just that  .  I had gotten it at wally world and it had been cooked with some sauce and I think she really liked the smell.  The bone had splintered and I didn't want her eating that.  I have always given her raw buffalo bones that I get locally.  I got some yesterday and gave her one today and she let me pick her up when she had it in her mouth and never made a peep.  I didn't try to take it away.  but I was very close to her mouth and she was okay. 
When I feed her I also make her sit and wait until I tell her Good Morning Raven and then release her.  I have no trouble with her food and moving her dish if I have to. 
Yes Debbie she has an obsession with kleenex or any paper.  She even sneaks in my housecoat pocket and steals the kleenex before I even know she has gotten it.  She also lets me take it out of her mouth and she is getting better about chewing it up.  Yesterday I had put the instructions for our homework for class on my book and I saw her in the front B R and she was tearing it up.  So now I have an excuse for not doing all the homework.  ha ha 
I know that Raven is the most curious and stubborn dog I have ever had.  I think my age and her age are a big factor.  She is not a laid back/calm/quiet dog.  I have had white Sheppard's/black tan Sheppard's/4 schnauzers/beagles, and Raven has become my challenge.  My kids keep telling me  "Mom she is just a puppy still".  I pray that God will give me the patience to meet this challenge.
Any more suggestions will be appreciated.  Harriet

[Linda]

Three times I have found a Bounce (Costco version) clothes dryer thingy in Muka's poop.

Peter, you just have to stop letting Muka fold the clothes!

[Debbie]

My kids keep telling me  "Mom she is just a puppy still".  I pray that God will give me the patience to meet this challenge.
Any more suggestions will be appreciated.  Harriet

Well dear woman, that is it in a nutshell! Things will calm down and she will be a dog before you know it, I think about this and it almost makes me sad, despite all of their shenanigans there is nothing like a curious puppy.

[BennyBear]

our dogs shouldn't ever growl at us. If ben growls if we pick him up, he gets a stern 'no' a swat on the butt and is returned to the floor.  We hadn't been correcting it for a while- when he was a pup.  If you took him off the sofa at night time, he would growl when you picked him up.

For a few weeks he just did that, not threatening really- just a small growl.  Then it would get deeper, and longer, and one day he would NOT let me touch him on the couch. He got into a terrible position and growled and looked at me. Telling me mom, i'm not moving. And i- in fear of being bitten as i've seen that face before, froze.  i couldn't believe it. 

My husband came up from behind him and startled him and swatted his butt and put him in the kennel.  We learned pretty fast he would take advantage.   I talk to one of our vets who is a behaviorist and she said keep him off the couch for like a week, he's not allowed up there.   So, we did that, then anytime he growls he's told no. And we haven't had any trouble in a REALLY long time.

[Robert]

Abby also growls when i pick her up when she is resting.......But that's where it stops....I'm sure she is saying that she is comfortable....

[Peter]

I was thinking about this more and I'm not so sure Muka isn't groaning more than he is growling. It certainly doesn't sound vicious!

Peter