Growling 9 month old

[3AndADog]

I’m not sure if I should be worried? She often sleeps on the sofa during the late pm/evening but it can happen if she’s asleep on the floor too. She’ll be asleep and then a noise will wake her, eg DH coming into the room, (it happened just now while I was curled up with her on the sofa), and she’ll startle and bark a few times, then growl and bark alternately a few times until she’s calmed down then she lies back down.
Is the growl here aggression (at whoever is disturbing her) or just a sleep startle like a human would have a night terror or something?

It sounds like sleep startle rather than aggression to me :)

Most likely sleep startle but you can help her to feel better.

Sleep startle is a common behaviour but can be seen in dogs that are not totally relaxed and chilled. So sometimes looking at your dogs life and day and making minor changes may help.

more info here

It feels to me like a sleep startle. She would never growl at a similar noise if fully awake.

She is an anxious dog. Very hyper attached to me and struggling with separation anxiety. So she is jumpy when she relaxes as I think she is afraid I will leave.

It’s a nightmare tbh but we are working on it - very very slowly!

Doesn’t sound like she is growling at anything in particular? Just a grumble about a noise she needs a minute to work out what it was? My dog does something similar I would say

Also, she’s never done this when someone has stroked her or patted her in her sleep - only from external noises. Sometimes it happens and we don’t even hear a sound, she jumps up out of sleep and runs to the window barking and growling at it as if something outside has spooked her - but it’s always from sleep (and the window is to the enclosed garden where nothing new could catch her attention!)

@Ripepear

Doesn’t sound like she is growling at anything in particular? Just a grumble about a noise she needs a minute to work out what it was? My dog does something similar I would say

Yes, feels like growling at nothing in particular (apart from the occasions she does it at the window!)

Depends on ddog's personality ime. 1 of mine was asleep on her pouffe - I touched her with my foot and nearly lost a toe!! 2 of the others love a massage while asleep! Other one opens an eye, gives a kiss and goes back to sleep!! Know your ddog funny 'ways' and don't make the same mistake!! As a similar age dpuppy 1 growled at a dc on the sofa and we banned her altogether.. Been back up now but was off for about 4 years!

Our boy does the same, he's 18 months. It's never escalated or got worse, he just has a little grumble/a couple of barks and we say thank you and he lays back down.

I'm beginning to think she may be coming in to her first season, actually. She's been jumpier than ever today, barely falling asleep and jumping up frequently with the growl/huff/growl/bark sequence before lying back down, but always on high alert. I hope there is a reason for this though as if it's a long term behaviour I want to get on top of it - today has been exhausting with her on edge all the time.

Ours does that sometimes if he's asleep and someone bangs upstairs/runs down the stairs and he's startled awake. He's not being aggressive, he's just been woken with a bit of a shock.