# Growling?



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Growling is a tricky one - on the one hand you don't want to reward him for growling, on the other you definitely don't want him to learn to go straight to snapping! I know there are people who believe no dog should ever growl at a human - I would far rather they growled than learned the only way of getting the message across was to bite!

I think I would avoid pushing him as far as growling for a while, and really insist that your daughter avoids it, too - when we were children, we were told very firmly that if we did not leave the dog alone when she didn't want to play, it was our own fault if we got hurt. Encourage him to come to you with a treat; let him make the running for a while, and ignore him sometimes when he wants attention. If attention is something he has to work for, he will value it far more. Add in lots of bite inhibition work - this is where you set him up for a lifetime of taking care with his teeth.

Los of helpful info on puppy raising on the Dog Star Daily site: Dog Star Daily


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

Hmmm. I think fjm gave you good advice. He is trying to figure out how to tell you guys that he doesn't like being picked up. Growling is a way to do that without biting, a warning. You should nip this in the bud now. 

You must have a dominant puppy, which makes for a great watch dog, but you must be the pack leader. Since he is a baby, it shouldn't be hard to set up the pecking order, but if he growls at you and you stop then it reinforces the behavior.

You can do the puppy temperment tests on him so you know what you have as far as personality. They usually do this a little younger than he is, but it should still give you a great idea of his dominance level. 

Here is the test (sorry it didn't copy well):


puppy____________ (sex) ___ litter _____________________________ date ____________ 

TEST PURPOSE SCORE 1 
SOCIAL ATTRACTION:
Place puppy in test area. From a few
feet away the tester coaxes the pup
to her/him by clapping hands gently
and kneeling down. Tester must coax in a direction away from the point where it entered the testing area. Degree of social
attraction, confidence
or dependence. 
-Came readily, tail up, jumped, bit at hands. 1
-Came readily, tail up, pawed, licked at hands. 2
-Came readily, tail up. 3
-Came readily, tail down 4
-Came hesitantly, tail down. 5
-Didn't come at all. 6

FOLLOWING:
Stand up and walk away from the
pup in a normal manner. Make sure
the pup sees you walk away. Degree of following
attraction. Not
following indicates
independence. 
-Followed readily, tail up, got underfoot, 1
bit at feet.
-Followed readily, tail up, got underfoot. 2
-Followed readily, tail up 3
-Followed readily, tail down. 4
-Followed hesitantly, tail down. 5
-No follow or went away. 6

RESTRAINT:
Crouch down and gently roll the pup
on his back and hold it with one
hand for a full 30 seconds. Degree of dominant or
submissive tendency.
How it accepts stress
when socially/
physically dominated. 
-Struggled fiercely, flailed, bit. 1
-Struggled fiercely, flailed. 2
-Settled, struggled, settled with some
eye contact. 3
-Struggled then settled. 4
-No struggle. 5
-No struggle, straining to avoid eye contact. 6


SOCIAL DOMINANCE:
Let pup standup and gently stroke
him from the head to back while
you crouch beside him.
Continue stroking until a
recognizable behavior is established. Degree of acceptance
of social dominance.
Pup may try to
dominate by jumping
and nipping or is
independent and walks away. 
-Jumped, pawed, bit, growled. 1
-Jumped, pawed. 2
-Cuddles up to tester and tries to lick
face. 3
-Squirmed, licked at hands. 4
-Rolled over, licked at hands. 5
-Went away and stayed away. 6

ELEVATION DOMINANCE:
Bend over and cradle the pup under
its belly, fingers interlaced, palms
up and elevate it just off the ground.
Hold it there for 30 seconds. Degree of accepting
dominance while in
position of no control. 
-Struggled fiercely, bit, growled. 1
-Struggled fiercely.2
-No struggle, relaxed 3
-Struggled, settled, licked 4
-No struggle, licked at hands. 5
-No struggle, froze. 6

PART II - OBEDIENCE APTITUDE TEST

RETRIEVING:
Crouch beside pup and attract
his attention with crumpled up
paper ball. When the pup shows
interest and is watching, toss the
object 4-6 feet in front of pup. Degree of willingness
to work with a human.
High correlation
between ability to
retrieve and successful
guide dogs, obedience
dogs, field trial dogs. 
-Chases object, picks up object and
runs away. 1
-Chases object, stands over object,
does not return. 2
-Chases object and returns with object
to tester.3
-Chases object and returns without
object to tester. 4
-Starts to chase object, loses interest. 5
-Does not chase object. 6

TOUCH SENSITIVITY:
Take puppy's webbing of one
front foot and press between *finger
and thumb lightly then more firmly
till you get a response, while you
count slowly to 10. Stop as soon as
puppy pulls away, or shows
discomfort. 
*Do NOT use fingernail.
Degree of sensitivity to
touch. 
8-10 counts before response. 1
6-7 counts before response. 2
5-6 counts before response. 3
2-4 counts before response. 4
1-2 counts before response. 5

SOUND SENSITIVITY:
Place pup in the center of area,
tester or assistant makes a sharp
noise a few feet from the puppy.
A large metal spoon struck
sharply on a metal pan twice
works well. Degree of sensitivity to
sound. (Also can be a
rudimentary test for
deafness.) 
-Listens, locates sound, walks toward
it barking. 1
-Listens, locates sound, barks. 2
-Listens, locates sound, shows 3
curiosity and walks toward sound.
-Listens, locates the sound. 4
-Cringes, backs off, hides. 5
-Ignores sound, shows no curiosity. 6

SIGHT SENSITIVITY:
Place pup in center of room. Tie
a string around a large towel and
jerk it across the floor a few feet
away from puppy. Degree of intelligent
response to strange
object. 
-Looks, attacks and bites.1
-Looks, barks and tail up.2
-Looks curiously, attempts to
investigate.3
-Looks, barks, tail-tuck.4
-Runs away, hides. 5

Comments: 

Interpreting the Scores 


Mostly 1's A puppy that consistently scores a 1 in the temperament section of the test is an extremely dominant, aggressive puppy who can easily be provoked to bite. His dominant nature will attempt to resist human leadership, thus requiring only the most experienced of handlers. This puppy is a poor choice for most individuals and will do best in a working situation as a guard or police dog.

Mostly 2's This pup is dominant and self-assured. He can be provoked to bite; however he readily accepts human leadership that is firm, consistent and knowledgeable. This is not a dog for a tentative, indecisive individual. In the right hands, he has the potential to become a fine working or show dog and could fit into an adult household, provided the owners know what they are doing. 

Mostly 3's This pup is outgoing and friendly and will adjust well in situations in which he receives regular training and exercise. He has a flexible temperament that adapts well to different types of environment, provided he is handled correctly. May be too much dog for a family with small children or an elderly couple who are sedentary. 

Mostly 4's A pup that scores a majority of 4's is an easily controlled, adaptable puppy whose submissive nature will make him continually look to his master for leadership. This pup is easy to train, reliable with kids, and, though he lacks self-confidence, makes a high-quality family pet. He is usually less outgoing than a pup scoring in the 3's, but his demeanor is gentle and affectionate. 

Mostly 5's This is a pup who is extremely submissive and lacking in self-confidence. He bonds very closely with his owner and requires regular companionship and encouragement to bring him out of himself. If handled incorrectly, this pup will grow up very shy and fearful. For this reason, he will do best in a predictable, structured lifestyle with owners who are patient and not overly demanding, such as an elderly couple. 

Mostly 6's A puppy that scores 6 consistently is independent and uninterested in people. He will mature into a dog who is not demonstrably affectionate and who has a low need for human companionship. In general, it is rare to see properly socialized pups test this way; however there are several breeds that have been bred for specific tasks (such as basenjis, hounds, and some northern breeds) which can exhibit this level of independence. To perform as intended, these dogs require a singularity of purpose that is not compromised by strong attachments to their owner. 

The remainder of the puppy test is an evaluation of obedience aptitude and working ability and provides a general picture of a pup's intelligence, spirit, and willingness to work with a human being. For most owners, a good companion dog will score in the 3 to 4 range in this section of the test. Puppies scoring a combination of 1's and 2's require experienced handlers who will be able to draw the best aspects of their potential from them. 
Important note from Wendy Volhard...regarding the Touch Sensitivity test - Do not use your fingernail when performing this test. Press between the finger and thumb lightly then more firmly until you get a response.


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## Rayah-QualitySPs (Aug 31, 2010)

*Temperament testing/growling*

This test is meant to be done on puppies at 49 days of age to give you a true picture of their nature.

From Volhard Dog training: Volhard Dog Training and Nutrition: Behavior and Training: Behavior

_Top Dog Tips: The ideal age to test the puppy is at 49 days of age when the puppy is neurologically complete and it has the brain of an adult dog. With *each* passing day *after* the *49*th day the responses will be tainted by prior learning. _

Using it this way is not really an *appropriate* way to find out if you have a dominant puppy.

Here are some websites to help you with the growling:

Puppy Growling | Growling Puppy
Puppy Growling---It's causes and effects | Newpuppytrainingtips

From New Puppy Owner Blues This is a perfect example of problems with **normal** puppy behavior. Often *bright, confident puppies* are mistaken for "dominant" - a *label *which triggers alarm and a need to 'take them down a peg' via confrontational and physical means. :act-up:

Be consistent and patient with your puppy as he learns to control his growling. It is a natural behavior; you only want to control* inappropriate* growling. He should not be corrected for growling if he is being hurt or legitimately threatened.

Make sure your daughter does not play with the puppy unless _you_ can actively _watch_ her and the puppy. You puppy is trying to tell you loud and clear that he is/was picked up by hands that did not hold him confidently and he was\is scared of being picked up. 

IMHO your daughter should not be picking up the puppy at all. 13 weeks is very young age for the puppy and it is when he learns about people - how much to trust them or not. Growling is often a precursor to a bite or nip, and your child could be seriously injured.

Teach your daughter to sit and pet the puppy only when he is sitting or laying down. You should be available to demonstrate and watch that she does not inadvertently pinch or pull his fur. The more time you spend now with the puppy and his training the better a pet he will be in the future.

Try and change it so your puppy *wants* to be picked up by you. 

Only pick him up when you can provide a _full_ minute of *attention*. Time it with a watch if you have to.

Be firm and when he doesn't growl provide him with a special treat - that he only gets for training. Try to do this a _lot_ -15 times per day if you can -but remember to make sure you have time to provide one full minute of *undivided* attention - no phone, no watching TV - just pet nicely when he is not growling. Remember *be consistent*.

When he is growling hang on to him and do not *look* at him. Easier said then done I know but stare at the ceiling if you have to. Ignoring him is a punishment - even if you are still making him sit on your lap. 

If he is mouthing, a separate issue from growling, gently hold his mouth away from you. Release when he is calm. Never discipline your puppy with physical abuse - hitting, shaking. This will only increase fear issues and possibly amplify your original problem.

Good luck and remember the more time you put into him now the better a pet you will have.


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

What a helpful answer you gave! I know the puppy test should be given at 49 days, but I thought it would still be helpful. Most puppies don't growl at that age. Having a dominant dog doesn't mean physical means. I don't know any poodles that need more than a stern word from their masters.


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## Tnola (Jun 21, 2010)

I swear I wrote a lengthy post earlier. I don't know what happened to it. Grrr. 

Thank you so much for your replies. I'm going to read more on bite inhibition and those other links RQ posted. Thank you so much.

I really appreciate all you said, RQ. I just want to say that he is supervised with my daughter. And I tell her not to pick him up, and for the most part, she doesn't anymore. Occasionally she tries but I'm right there telling her not to. I do tell her to sit on the floor and call him to her. But sometimes when she puts her hands around him as if she were going to pick him up is when he growls and she pulls away. THAT'S what I'm not sure how to correct. I don't want y'all to think I'm not a good parent and not supervising their interactions.  

I work at a local college and classes have been out since the first week of May, so I've been home with him every day since then. I've been working with him daily on different things. I go back the middle of next week, but I'll only be gone 3-4 hours M-TH. I'm really glad I have this time with him while he's so young to work with him. I'm eventually going to do obedience with him. His parents have titles in obedience as well.

He's also a very zealous puppy. I just really want to do this training-the-puppy thing right. He is my first as an adult


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## JE-UK (Mar 10, 2010)

Not sure why it's necessary to categorise the dog as dominant ... he's telling you he doesn't like to be picked up. Pretty simple. Mine was much the same. At about 5 months, he decided he was too grown up to be picked up, so we had speed training on navigating the stairs. 

Two choices: you can use positive reinforcement and lots of yummy treats to change his mind, or just don't pick him up. He's not going to turn into monster dog on the occasional times you need to pick him up for something.


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