I'm speaking to the behaviourist bloke at the rescue we got pup from, down the week. He knows pup because she was in his puppy socialisation class and I know he is very positive and practical. But I'd be interested what others think, in the meantime...
Pup is only 5 months. She is a staffy/JRT cross. I have had staffies before but never a JRT and think her more unfamiliar traits (being VERY vocal for example) are JRT, maybe so new to us.
In the past month, she has started growling if she wants to settle on a certain chair or on my lap, and I want to move her. Today she growled at my 14 year old and air snapped. It's weird because she is very affectionate and sweet. Has no issues guarding food or toys. If she has something 'forbidden' in her mouth she happily lets me prize her jaws open and take it out - no matter how much she loves the thing. But twice now she has growled when I went to shift her off my knee. I ignored it and gently moved her anyway. Haven't told her off or done anything negative. Which
She growls, yaps and air snaps a LOT in play and was very mouthy until recently. That is normal for staffy pups. But the growling throws me.
Anyone else had this? My husband is sure all our old dogs did this now and again and puppies and none of them turned into aggressive adults. I can't remember it is so long ago.
We love her very much and 99% of the time, she is a joy. So I want to head any issues off at the pass. And as I say I am getting advice from someone qualified who happens to know her, too.
She was only in rescue a week, and we rehomed her at 9 weeks. The rescue think she wasn't mistreated just an unwanted litter but I do wonder as she hates being watched when she wees/poos and did from day one. Which made me think she had been shouted at (or worse) in the house she came from.
Straight after growling at my son for trying to move her, I went and moved her anyway to show her she couldn't have her own way. She growled at me too but the second we put her on the floor she reverted to tail wagging, wanting to kiss us, and doing puppy yaps and very clearly being playful. She is generally VERY vocal. I am starting to wonder if the growling isn't just her 'talking'. (My last dog was silent - never barked and certainly never growled so any dog noise is still a bit freaky to us).
She always is playful and normal afterwards. She growls in a playful way when she plays with her toys, and that doesn't worry me at all. But should I be worried about this new thing of growling when moved ?
I guess what I'm asking is - is 5 mths too young for true aggression?
I should add, I know from all my reading that you don't want to stop a dog growling as it's a handy early warning system - and means it may be less likely to bite.
I am maybe a bit jumpy as years ago we had to have a dog PTS after it bit (not very hard but left a mark) my son and the vet diagnosed dog with a brain tumour. So this is difficult territory for me. My kids loved that dog and had to say goodbye to him when he was still young. And now my younger kids adore pup.
Any ideas?