I don’t trust my dog

[GrumpyPup]

Just that really. She has always been very mellow and brilliant with the kids but today she growled at my 5 year old son. I was in the room and he did nothing to provoke her. It’s really worried me. She is only 1. I don’t know what to do

Consult a reputable behaviourist asap.

It is likely that your dog is still in the teenage phase, and good quality intervention now will make all the difference.

In the mean time, separate the dog from the DC as far a possible (different rooms, stair gates etc), and make sure the dog is getting enough exercises and mental stimulation

Training and learning her body language.
Growling is a message, what was she trying to tell you? What was the situation?
He might have done nothing from your point of view, but what about from hers?

She's still very young, lots of time to help her mature into a trustworthy dog - good training & socialisation is vital through teenage years too.

I would take her to the vet ensure she isn't in pain or sick. Then consult a behaviourist. A good one.

Did the dog have something a toy? Treat? What was your son doing?

What breed is it?

Sorry what breed is she. For some reason I thought you hadn't mentioned the sex

Never leave your dog in the same room as DC. We had our dog 7 years before our DC arrived, he was such a lovely dog, but he had repeated ear infections, and would obviously react if he was in pain etc, we never put him in that position, a dog is for life, it’s a responsibility. You need to ensure safety for your child, of course. But it’s entirely possible to ensure your dog has a good life too.

She is a retriever. They weren’t alone together, I was in the room. He went to stroke her head and she growled. I will take her to the vet to check she is not in pain.
I know I am responsible for the dog and I will do my best for her, but I have to put my children first.

I was going to ask how big the dog was, age and what was going on at the time but you've said its a young retriever. I'd check if its feeling poorly. Otherwise it might be deciding it's superior to your 5 year old and that needs training out.

My Bichon is bombproof unless she has a bone and then children are instructed to stay away from her. Of course idiot DCs test the boundaries and she growls. But I quite like growling because it shows the dog is considerate enough to warn and not just go straight to attack.

You say he did nothing to provoke her, but then you say he went to stroke her head. Was she resting? Did she have a toy? Was she feeling anxious because it was nearly walk/meal time? Did he catch her unawares? Did he approach her gently or boisterously? Was he noisy or quiet?

She will have had a reason to growl - you just need to work out what it was.

Agree with Rick that growling is a warning. You should make sure your ds understands what this means. And also that he recognises other signs of stress - lip licking, yawning, flattening ears etc. Though he's probably a bit young to remember.

Reaching out to a dogs head can feel like a threat to the dog. Read up on interpreting dog behaviour/ body language.

What was she doing when he stroked her?

A growl in itself isn't a reason not to trust your dog - it's a warning. I would be much more concerned if she hadn't growled and had snapped instead.

Have you read up on the ladder of aggression and the signs of stress and fear in dogs?

A growl is a "I don't want that to happen" it's better she growls and you teach your child that's the way the dog tells you "no"

Our pup (9months) growls at our son (4.5 years) when he is annoying her or she is trying to sleep and he wants to play. It's pups way of saying leave me alone, she does have the right to be left alone when she wants and she can't blooming talk, so this is her way,

Get her checked though if it's quite out of character.

She's telling him that she wants him to leave her alone at that moment.
You have to work with them both to build good communication & a safe relationship, it doesn't just happen by accident.
Unless there's a lot more going on in terms of any anxiety/reactivity & if your DC is respectful of the dog, then this is just part of having a young dog & young children together
Don't ignore what she is trying to tell you though, help them both.

My dog will either do a soft growl or small lip curl if anyone other than me pets him when he’s asleep in the evening or particularly tired after a long walk.

We view it as his way of saying leave me alone and I expect my kids to leave him alone in these situations. He’s done it for the last 4 years and has never snapped or tried to bite. I wouldn’t leave a small, impulsive child alone with him but that’s because I don’t trust small impulsive children to read and respect his signals. Mine are teenagers so old enough to know better