What is the right reaction when dog growls at ds?

[allhailtheaubergine]

Dog is 11 month old rescue pup. Has spent some time living on the streets. Saluki cross with ?collie maybe?

Essentially a very sweet girl and adjusting really well to family life. She can't quite decide where to place 3yo ds in the family pecking order. Mostly they get on fine together, but occasionally he will give her a hug and she growls.

What is the best way to react?

and it is not teaching a child fear of dogs, it is teaching a child respect for the needs of another living creature.

i 'growl' at my dd's if they hug me and i dont want to be hugged.

I ocasionally feel threatened by my DD hugging me! There are the GentleLovingHugs and then there are the TryingToInitiateABitOfRoughAndTumbleHugs, not to mention the AlreadyOverExcitedThereforeNotEntirelyAbleToJudgeWhereMyArmsAreOrHowHardIAmSqueezingHugs! The former is accepted readily by both me and my dogs, the later two are definitely greeted with suspicion. My dogs are perfectly entitled to not trust the actions of my unpredictable 2 yo at the moment. It is my job to protect them all from that and allowing my dogs to tell me and her they are unhappy is in my opinion part of that.

Realhousewife I am not putting the dog before the child far from it.

However it is important to see why the dog is reacting like he is.

I do not know the OP DC but many children in dogs eyes are unpredictable, they move quickly, they make loud noises, they sometimes give the dogs treats, other times they make a fuss if the dog trys to take food off them etc.

So when this bouncy noisey unpredictable person comes up to the dog and gives then a hug the dog is understandably wary. What is the DC going to do next?

So the dog gently tells the DC that you are making me feel uncomfortable so please stop what you are doing. Now obviously if the dog could talk he would say that but his only means of communication is to growl. Growling is not aggressive it is just a way of communicating.

Believe me a truly aggressive dog never growls they go straight in for a bite.

Shall we all just leave these thread if it turns into another doghouse hating children one ?

Most dogs don't like being hugged. It's not a natural experience for a dog and not a way in which they show affection to each other. More details on how it might be interpreted here. As others have said, a growl is good. A growl is communication. It's impossible to know exactly what she's saying without seeing her in action though - it may be 'Bog off, I was sleeping' or it may be 'My hip hurts'. A veterinary referral to a good behaviourist (not one who's still clinging to the outdated pack/dominance approach, though!) would probably be the best and safest way to go.

My trainer said that some dogs dislike having arms put across their back because it feels like a threat. We've been 'hugging' our puppies and giving them treats at the same time at puppy school. Jasper isn't remotely bothered by hugging and is therefore justscoffing vast amounts of hotdog sausage.

I think you're all barking tbh. Feel free to leave, cos you're not giving OP advice from the perspective of the child, just from the perspective of the dog and for the convenience of it owner. If you can't cope with training a dog, you need to seek help. I shall think twice about letting my children anywhere near a dog in public from now on, if dog owners think a dog has a right to 'warn' a child, half its size and age.

Umm we have given advice to the OP about her son. Don't hug the dog.

I am glad that you are taking care out and about in public. It is always sensible to check with an owner before letting your child approach an unknown dog. I am glad that you can see the sense in that.

Also I will come and give you a great big hug when I meet you ok

tbh, you should always ask a dog owner before your child approaches a dog.

i had to send children away when they were trying to hug and stroke ralph when i was on the way to the vets with him for an ear infection.

what the actual fuck. of course it has the right to warn a child, an adult, another dog, it doesnt have the right to bite them, that is the point, if you teach a dog it cant warn then how is it going to ask you to stop what you are doing? what if you are hurting it? should it just put up with it becaue it is only a dog after all. children need to be taught not to do things to others that they dont like.

I think the idea is to try and make sure that the dog never growls because it is perfectly happy in all situations as the DC are always gentle/kind. But if for any reason that doesn't happen, the dog should have the growl as its first line of defence. Otherwise it only has its teeth left. I'd much rather a dog growled at my DC than bit them.

I think someone's a reallunatic.

OP, thank your dog. It's chosen to talk first, bite later. If you listen then later won't come :)

'realhousewife' exactly! a child is not a threat. a child should be trained yes, to respect the dog! but that doesnt mean she cant show affection to the dog. unless shes intentionally squeezing the dog, then why shouldnt she feel the need to show how much she loves her dog? otherwise you are sending wrong signals to the dog. if the child hugs, then the dog growls. you correct the dog not the child! to all you that believe 'she should leave the dog alone, teach her not to hug the dog' you are nuturing that bad behaviour from the dog. jeez why dont you just stroke the damn dog while its growling! might as well its the same thing.

OP, you have said it's a boundaries issue. This is especially important with a rehomed dog. I've had them in the past and have friends that have them now, but if the boundaries are in any way blurred you need to be extremely clear to show dog who's boss.

On the other hand you could take advice from someone who says this i 'growl' at my dd's if they hug me and i dont want to be hugged. Hardly the kind of person who understands children.

Ah realhousewife - I see what has happened! You are confusing a dog (a living mammal with genuine emotions and needs) with a teddy bear (a stuffed simulacrum of an animal with no consciousness at all). Easy mistake to make

What happens if the non-threatening child kicks the dog, or hits it with a stick? Must the dog simply sit and put up with it?

and as for teaching children to never be fearful of dogs is absolutely right. my children are never scared of a dog, but weve also taught them that you dont just go running up to and touch a random dog. neither children or adults should think they can just go and touch a strange dog! thats one of the most irritating things is when im out with my dogs and someone thinks they can touch without asking first

''On the other hand you could take advice from someone who says this i 'growl' at my dd's if they hug me and i dont want to be hugged. Hardly the kind of person who understands children'' am lol-ing at ths

fyi i have been sat down all day cuddling a poorly baby giving him all the love and attention he needs. i havent put him down since 3.30am, except for gping for a wee. i am what is considered an attachment parent in todays society. i follow what they need.

but if their hugging me is causing me pain by them being ever exercubate i will tell them off and ask them to leave me alone. the same as my dog does when one of them does it to him when they forget their training.

i really cant believe some people ignorance. no wonder there are so many children hurt and some times killed. because people who shouldnt have dogs, do. a dog is an animal, a pack animal. your child is your child. what comes first? respect needs to be on both sides. children need to respect dogs, visa versa. its not hard my children respect animals and in turn we have well balanced dogs

misslala exactly respect the dog, eg dont keep hugging it.

That was at OrmIrian. Misslala, absolutely. Most dogs are lovely, but this has seriously opened my eyes to the ignorance of some dog owners.

I'm out of this thread as it's not going anywhere. OP, I hope you have some advice but I suspect you should contact the rehoming centre to get more balanced advice. Good luck, with both your child and your dog!

I would imagine that people would end up getting bitten if a dog was not allowed to express that it is uncomfortable with a situation.

For the last time PACK THEORY HAS BEEN DISCREDITED

and dogs DO NOT HUG EACH OTHER teach your daughter other ways to show her dog she loves her.

(Oh God, You're a Ceaser-ite aren't you?)