Growling All Of A Sudden.

[BigBadPhil]

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I have an 8 year old Cocker Spaniel, Jack, which I got when I was with my ex girlfriend when he was 12 weeks old. My girlfriend and I split up 7 months ago and I got the pooch. I have since found a new girlfriend and she has a 10 year old daughter and I've moved in with them for now. Now the daughter and Jack get on great but he has recently started growling and barking at my new girlfriend. She only has to walk past him and he growls, sometimes a really aggressive bark comes out. He does not show his teeth and most of the time he'll growl but his tail wags too and nudges her for strokes. He does sleep in the bedroom from time to time and he'll snuggle into her no problem. He'll growl at me every now and then if I go down to stroke him but he is generally fine with me. This is just not like him. My new girlfriend is great with him, she feeds him, walks him, plays with him and everything. I just want to know if there is anything that can be done.

Thanks

Phil

 

[banana]

I would definitely get him a health check just to make sure all is okay.

I imagine he is just getting used to new people and his new surroundings but I am sure there are others on the board who will better advise you.

Welcome to Dog Forum btw!

 

[BigBadPhil]

Thanks for your reply. Funny you should mention a health check as I suspect he has a little bit of IBS. He also has a lump in his groin area which we had checked out and was ruled as just a fatty lump. It was only the size of a ping pong ball when we had it checked but its a lot bigger now. I'm going to see if I can get him in on Monday but what baffles me is to why it's only my girlfriend that he growls at.

Thanks again

Phil

 

[banana]

It might be (in the nicest possible way) a smell, or tone or anything he just isn't used to.

He may even be trying to assert his position in the pack or he isn't feeling great.

Nice to meet you

 

[BigBadPhil]

Nice to meet you too

He was fine for the first couple of months. I know there is a lot of confusion with him having been with me and his 'original mum' for years and then all change to a new house with new people. It must be hard on a spaniel who is very intelligent. I would have thought he would of had the intelligence to see she means well and lives him just as much as I do

 

[BigBadPhil]

Well we took him the vet and they don't seem to think that there are any underlying problems with his health which would cause him to growl. I have seeked advice from a behaviourist but they won't give me nothing until I cough up the £300 for advice.

At the moment, we are stoping the praise when he growls and starting it when he stops. He nudges for attention and he gets it but as soon as he growls we stop.

Any other tips would be helpful. I'm at my wits end. I've had this dog his whole life and its breaking my heart that he is starting to get like this. He was always such an affectionate dog.

Thanks in advance

Phil

 

[banana]

Are you sure its growling and not talking?

My Goldie 'talks' when she is excited or wants attention?

 

[BigBadPhil]

It may be some of the time. But bed times are a nightmare he has a real snorty growl. I'll have to try and video it an put it up on here

 

[gypsysmum]

Is he insured? Some insurances will cover you for behaviour problems.

It really does need properly diagnosing. Most dogs growl when they feel threatened or scared. Perhaps someone has inadvertently trodden on him or fallen over him and scared him?? Is he guarding a toy or favourite resting place??

Once you get it diagnosed you will know exactly what to do about it and feel so much better around him He, of course, will be happier too!

 

[Strix]

I'd start with looking for a different behaviourist then. Without knowing all the ins and outs of when he growls, and there may be subtleties you've not picked up on, it's impossible to assess via a forum

The other thing to note is that vets are fallible. It took six different ones to diagnose my beagle's paralysis as a spinal injury - and that was the specialist

 

[Wiseoldbird]

Hya. A ping pong ball is quite sizable a lump on any dog let alone a Cocker and you say its a lot bigger now? In the groin too, that must be so uncomfortable. Maybe a second opinion would be an idea. That with a change of home and people all at the same time? Bless him...

Good Luck

 

[BigBadPhil]

We came home last night to serious growling and snarling. My girlfriend has been trying a tactic of if he growls, he gets no strokes and if he nudges, he gets strokes. Now last night she only walked in the room and he was displaying severe aggression. She isn't frightened and walked up to him, came down to his level was softly speaking, went to stroke him and he bit her quite badly on the finger. I was so shocked, he went in the garden to cool off.

She wants the dog out, I don't blame her with the child around

 

[banana]

Oh no - thats awful.... Although I think if a dog is warning you not to come near it, that crouching down eye level with it is a bit silly.

I just don't know what to suggest as I agree that you cannot have a dog thats biting when you have a child in the house, but you had the dog first and he didn't do any of this before so it feels unfair

What are you going to do?

I wonder how it would be if the dog growls and your girlfriend offers him something as a treat, or gets his lead and takes him for a quick walk - so using distraction rather than head on 'You will bow to me'!

???

 

[Strix]

oh dear

Now what the heck kicked off the snarling? Was that going on even before you got in the door?

There has to be something triggering this that just hasn't registered yet. Think dog. Is it perhaps a perfume you girlfriend wears which he links with a significant event? Had you been out for a particular type of food?

Brude has episodes like this, but I can usually figure out the reason for them (usually not wanting to get off our bed on a cold damp morning when his back is particularly uncomfortable). It really doesn't help matters to get any closer, get down to the dog's level, or to lower your voice - you shouldn't even look at them as eye contact is throwing down the gauntlet in dog language. If your girlfriend has behaved as you describe, I suspect this scenario has been escalating progressively for some time as she has repeatedly confronted him

She hasn't been watching 'dog borstal' or 'the dog whisperer' has she?

 

[TTT]

This sounds quite dangerous now. I would not like to be living in this situation, especially with a child involved, it sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. Is the dog exhibiting any other bizarre behaviour? Could it perhaps be a case of something wrong with its brain?

 

[murphyrules]

If I was you I would get in touch with a reputable dog trainer or a behaviourist quickly and start working on this problem following one persons advice/guidance, If you take advice from too many people then the training will not be consistent. A decent trainer will come to your house and assess the situation one to one and sort out a training routine for you and give you ways to diffuse the situation before it escalates in to the dog having to bite again. I know these people may be expensive but you have loved this dog his entire life and you owe it to both of you to try and help him deal with whatever is upsetting him and get back to enjoying your lives together. Good Luck.

 

[banana]

Great advice!

 

[lurcherman]

for me once you rule out illness if a dog bites i normally pts, depends on a few things but i dont muck around, now before everyone gets carried away thats just me so if your gunna PULL ME DOWN then be ready lol :*

 

[Strix]

well I won't pull you down. I agree with you, from one direction - if you as an experienced dog owner/handler/trainer winds up with a dog who behaves like this, having been treated like all the rest who don't behave this way, then yep, the dog is the problem

I've fostered problem dogs for rescue. You can usually tell what you can work with and what's a lost cause - but not always... and I'd still rather pts and be wrong than not and be wrong

 

[lurcherman]

i remember when i was young my father came home with a lab x collie pup, sam, all was well until while out on a walk he jumped up and over a wall which had a 20 foot drop, never broke a bone but ended up a nasty dog, messed with his brain me thinks but living next to a kiddies park we took the decision to pts, we as dog owners have to think of the bigger picture, as of today more so.

just to add he was 4yr old when pts.