Growling Lab!!

[Jemimafuckingpuddleduck]

We have, what I thought successfully rehomed a 10 month old lab and she has been here a few months!

She has been an absolute joy and fit in with our hectic and very outdoorsy lifestyle
so well, we have 3 girls and all though they are very enthusiastic to have the dog here they have all been taught to have respect and all are over 7 so not silly...

We have over the last few weeks had a few growling issues, the 1st we put down to my youngests fault as she had patted her while sleeping (all be it at out feet and not on her safe place/bed) we told her no and went over the doggy ground rules with the girls again.

However since then it's progressed and although never more than a soft growl not just when sleeping, once when my middle daughter came downstairs in the morning and once when the same daughter was emptying the dishwasher and dog was in the kitchen, I think hoping for a cheeky after dinner scrap. (not often but an occasional treat)

My husband and I are both united on how to deal with the issue and it's certainly not one softer on her than the other however he doesn't think it's as big of a deal as I do and I have came particularly anxious about it particularly as my middle child's bedroom is down stairs.

The advice is so mixed on how to deal with it from ignoring the dog/to a sharp no and time out and I could really do with some advice to nip it in the bud and getting back to enjoying owning and being around new pouch!!

[Jemimafuckingpuddleduck]

Ahh ok, can you explain the difference for me please.

And I'm sorry too for being narky, think I'm just really invested in getting this right and was feeling a bit swamped with all the varying advice online.

[Zaphodsotherhead]

Just chiming in to say that when my terrier bitch is in heat she is far more 'guardy' than at other times. Not with me, but with my other dog, she will guard food and generally be a bit more 'tetchy'.

But she's a terrier and they are back-chatty bastards at the best of times.

[Jemimafuckingpuddleduck]

Right I'm getting somewhere...

Just had a brief look at appeasing signs and our dog does all of them, the yawning, licking, scratching etc...

I watched my daughter give her a snuggle on the floor last night and her face was quite near the dogs face, there was no tense body language but the dog yawned so I asked my daughter to come away from her face, I have came to see this as a "I'm not really sure how I feel or deal with this situation"

That however is the only time I have ever seen her show appeasing characteristics out of anything other than sheer excitement, happiness, it tends to be be when we tell her she is going for a walk or if we 1st greet her when we come in the door or down the stairs in the morning...

[MudCity]

My Lab did this, often if we stroked or petted her. Turned out she had an inflammatory bowel condition. She would have been in discomfort, poor girl. We just thought she was getting grumpy. We sought advice from a vet and changed her diet and she has been fine since. She can’t have any human food though otherwise the IBD will flare up.

Good luck and don’t worry. She sounds fabulous!

[Jemimafuckingpuddleduck]

Oh really @MudCity that's interesting, definitely think a vet check up will be on the cards too to check she is happy and healthy...did you have any other reasons to think she had the condition or was it just the growling?

Something else I should maybe mention is we have changed her food since she came do us to a more expensive brand with less fillers and rubbish in, we have also weaned her off her wet food (she was getting half in half) at the advice of the pet shop.

[FairfaxAikman]

I suspect when you say submission you mean she's not overly boisterous?

But appeasement is generally fear-based in response to a perceived threat (even if you don't perceive it as a threat)
Rolling on back can be a positive thing but it can be appeasement - especially combined with the "sloping" behaviour.
Wagging tails can also be positive or negative- depends on the rest of the body language.

positively.com/dog-training/understanding-dogs/canine-body-language/

(Victoria Stillwells site is actually quite good - she used to adhere to pack theory but has completely turned around since)

I say all this with the caveat that I am not a professional - I'm just someone who was forced to reevaluate all I "knew" in the face of a situation not dissimilar to your own.
I found it really hard to admit I was wrong but learning has been the most amazing experience and everyone who knows her sees how different a dog she is five years on.

Don't give up on her - you will get there, even if the road seems hard.

[FairfaxAikman]

Maybe try to get the girls to pay her on the chest and avoid her head in the meantime. Many dogs are headshy and some really don't like cuddles.

Others on the other hand....

As for the food, which brand is it and how quickly did you change?
You'd be surprised at what can irritate a dog's stomach - some can't take chicken, and yet chicken and rice is the first thing vets suggest for upset tummies.

[Laurel543]

Brilliant advice on here. And kudos to you OP for being so receptive and open to ideas. It is very obvious you care a lot about the dog.

I found this video really useful .

It shows how to 'ask' a dog if they want to be stroked and gives a good, clear explanation of how subtle the 'No' signs can be.

May be good to watch with your kids (depending on their ages?) I have shown it to my young nephews and they now take great pride in 'checking in' with my dog and are really pleased when she shows them that yes, she does want to be stroked. If not, they are happy to leave her be.

[MudCity]

No particular other signs OP.

However, I agree with other posters regarding the possibility of her coming up to a season. That could be a factor,

I do remember as a puppy my Lab used to growl (low murmuring sound) when she didn’t want to do something (move off the sofa for example). It was as though she was answering back at us. We just maintained consistent boundaries and she was fine. She could be quite wilful and we needed to look at what we were doing, rather than her behaviour as consistency was the key.

Her inflammatory bowel symptoms started a bit later on, not helped by members of the family (who shall remain nameless) giving her scraps of human food which she was clearly sensitive to. Now she eats a special diet with no treats or snacks. No more growling.

It could be a range of things but eliminate the possible physical causes first.

Enjoy her. She sounds beautiful. They do go through an ‘adolescence’ though so please don’t worry if that submissive dog you met initially does turn into an obstinate pickle for a while, She may simply be finding her feet and testing out boundaries as they do. She’s sussed you out, is feeling more secure and may push a little bit just to see how you respond (and to figure out who is the soft touch of the family)....

[Hoppinggreen]

I know pack theory has been ( quite rightly) discredited but I do think that some dogs can have an opinion on their place in the household if that makes sense?
Our Goldie got a lot less bolshy when he was banned from the sofa and upstairs without an invitation. He could get quite growly when being told to get off the furniture so we simply banned him and now if he does get on he gets off again straight away when told to
He also reacts differently to DS ( youngest in the house). He doesn’t do what DS tells him as often or as quickly as he does with the rest of us and sometimes guards his things from DS ( slight growl if he has a chew for example) but not the rest of us. I always keep an eye on it and get DS to call him over rather than approach when he’s asleep for example whereas I know that dd can snuggle up to him and he’s fine with it. He has never been aggressive with DS but he certainly doesn’t respect him in the way he does rest of us
I think that because Labs and Retrievers have such a great reputation as soppy family dogs people forget that they are large powerful animals. I have had to peel children off my dog at the park but I doubt their parents would be so happy about them grabbing a breed that seen traditionally as less friendly such as a German Shepherd or a Rottie.
Ddog looks like a big teddy and has a very smiley looking face but his boundayshouid still be respected