Greyhound Growling At My Husband

[Guest Norabloom]

Hi All,

I am a new greyhound owner and new to this forum. We adopted our greyhound Jake approximately three and a half months ago and have not had any problems with him growling until approximately two or three weeks ago. By way of background, my husband and I are the only people who live in the house and we have a 7 y.o. deerhound bitch and two cats. Probably after we had Jake for about a month, I started letting him up on the couch in our family room, where we spend the most time. He also has two dog beds in the room, one that is close to the couch and chair where my husband usually sits, and another bed that is a bit further removed. The room is fairly small but he seems like want to spend time in there with us.

 

My husband feeds and walks both dogs twice a day. We both play with the dogs in the backyard. A few weeks ago, I was on the couch with Jake and my husband stood up from his chair. Jake stood up, growled, got off the couch and walked about ten feet, growling the entire time. After this happened a few more times, we stopped allowing him on the couch. However, the growling seems to be escalating. The strangest part about it is that it only occurs at night, never during the day (my husband is home during the day several days a week). In the evening, Jake frequently will growl (and sometimes bark) at my husband if he walks by his dog bed. He also has growled at my husband while he (the dog) is standing. It seems like it usually occurs when my husband either gets up from the chair, or enters or leaves the room.

 

One final detail is that when Jake starts growling, he doesn't just stop. He will walk around while continuing a low growl and often ends up by our other dog (who's is laying down) while still growling (she barks sharply at him when he does this).

 

I read the earlier thread about growling and while I found it to be helpful, I wondered what we should do since he is growling at a person. Any ideas you have would be very much appreciated. So far we have been correcting him with a "ah ah" and then ignoring him. Still, it keeps occurring and it happens pretty much every night.

 

Thank you.

Edited October 29, 2011 by Norabloom

[Guest Norabloom]

I just wanted to add that I don't know that Jake has a ton of respect for me and that is something I am trying to work on. He likes to nibble on me (which I know is a sign of affection) and he will also "nip" (playfully) at me and try to grab my pant legs, etc. I usually say "ah ah" and try to redirect him to something appropriate to chew on. I have wondered if there is some weird dynamic going on between Jake, my husband, and me (who Jake might see himself as dominate over). The other piece I left out is that at night, Jake acts like he's a bit wary or maybe even a little afraid of my husband. I have no idea why this is since he's friendly as can be during the day and follows my husband around like his shadow.

[Houndtime]

I don't have any advice, but, I wanted to at least, keep your post up there for someone with some expertise to answer.

 

Our little girl, Idol, was very growly and snippy with the boys (dogs) when we first brought her home. I know people say let it go, but I didn't like it and let her know. I think your dog has to know who is in charge.

 

NILF, nothing in life is free. He should earn everything and respect you. My dogs have to sit for a biscuit, or wait outside the room. Even the most simple command can be rewarded, but the treat or the couch should be earned.

[3greytjoys]

Welcome to GreyTalk!

 

I agree with Houndtime. NoraBloom: It was smart of you to stop allowing Jake on the sofa (or any furniture). Your 7 yr. old girl's reaction is expected. I wouldn't worry about her. She has her own lessons to teach her new brother, Jake.

 

Is it possible that the sofa issue was true growling, but the nightly communication sound is any different? What you've described does sound like true growling. One slight possibility: Greyhounds do often talk by "rooing" for an extended period. Could your boy possibly be rooing (sort of like low howling) in happiness that his daddy is standing up and he's excited? (Videos of Greyhounds rooing are viewable here or YouTube.) Some Greys can be space protective or protective of people, but the latter is less common. I think "jjng" posted on a similar (growl) thread yesterday with a link to dog language signals, please take a look. It will help give more clues about Jake's communication.

 

In general, we humans need to earn our retired hounds' trust and respect while establishing family pack. Here are some general tips that may help. A key throughout these tips is positive, gentle human guidance/leadership.

 

When your husband feeds Jake for the next few days, ask him to divide Jake's meal into fourths. Feed Jake 1/4 of food at a time while husband is sitting and holding his bowl. When Jake finishes first portion, place the bowl on the counter for a minute or two. Husband ignores Jake. Then, feed Jake portion #2 while holding his bowl. Husband repeats until Jake's meal is finished.

 

Next meal, offer 1/4 portions. The first portion by holding the bowl, then begin placing bowl in Jake's feeding stand instead of holding the bowl each time.

 

Another day of meal times. Husband places 1 or 2 pieces of kibble in bowl and places bowl in Jake's feeding stand. Walk several feet away and pause. Jake will probably look at husband like "where's the rest of my breakfast???" Return, pick up bowl, add a 2-3 more kibbles in the bowl, and place bowl in his feeding stand. On third or fourth repeat give Jake his full meal. Repeat this exercise for the next meal.

 

If your schedule permits for feeding meals, please do the same exercises with Jake for a couple of days. It's important for pack hierarchy that you feed (and walk) Jake periodically also.

 

Great that your husband is walking Jake twice a day. If that's not enough to really tire him out, it often helps to extend walk duration or increase speed to faster "power walks" (not meandering/sniffing every passing bush). Tired dogs are happy dogs.

 

(Side note for others: Newly retired hounds often have tender paw pads that take weeks (or more) to toughen/harden up. Sidewalks and pavement are new to hounds' pads. Good to build distance slowly and examine pads every couple of days to ensure they aren't wearing down, becoming sore.)

Very important for Jake:

Please try to teach a few basic obedience lessons (positive, gentle training methods) to help build Jake's positive confidence, give him a strength to combat negative behavior, and help him respect that you are both family leaders. (Come, sit, down, wait, stay are great.) If Jake doesn't have any painful rear leg racing injuries, he could learn to sit before each meal, treat, or when being leashed for a walk, etc.

 

When your husband stands up to leave the room, before Jake begins growling, you can distract Jake by giving him a few obedience actions to follow (sit, down, stay) and have treats ready to reward him. (I'll add my favorite methods for teaching "sit" at end of post.) When relaxing at night, your husband could practice standing up and tossing a few treats far away from your seating cluster in a "find it" game.

 

Encourage gentle, fun games like fetch the toy (if he has interest in fetching), or play "Find it" by letting him watch you toss treats outside in yard, or on leashed walks.

Please do NOT play tug-of-war (encourages aggression and is terrible on teeth/gums - tooth breakage etc.). No rough games.

 

Greyhounds are a very sensitive breed and usually respond well to verbal "no" corrections. (They should not be handled with any physical or forceful methods.) Greyhounds often feed off our moods, and can be sensitive to loud sounds, including loud voices TV/movies, etc.

 

I'd suggest letting your adoption group know about Jake's behavior too. They may be able to recommend a local Greyhound savvy behavior specialist to work with you in person.

 

---

Gently Teaching a Greyhound to Sit: (Two options.)

(Please AVOID using physical force. Please do not press down on rump, or force fold legs when teaching a Greyhound to sit.)

 

1. Work with the Greyhound's natural behavior by watching for the hound to begin to lie down on his dog bed (or carpet). Have a yummy high-value treat in hand (Chicken, turkey, beef meat, lowfat string cheese, hot dog pieces, etc.)

 

The instant he places his rear end on the bed/ground, immediately move your body directly in front him to block his body from lying all the way down.

 

Immediately say "sit" and instantly give the treat reward. (He will quickly connect the word sit to the feeling.)

 

Offer him tons of happy praise!!

 

"Side sits" are fine. That position is more comfortable for some hounds than a "straight sit" with their long legs. They often do straight sits later on their own. (BTW, I don't expect Greyhounds to sit for long lengths of time.)

 

2. Alternative option: While hound is lying down, guide the high-value treat upwards in front of his face to encourage him UP to a sit. Then treat and highly praise!!

Edited October 29, 2011 by 3greytjoys

[Guest sja5032]

Has he been to the vet recently? Where everything is happening at night I would be curious if there was an eyesight problem.

[Guest iconsmum]

I just wanted to add that I don't know that Jake has a ton of respect for me and that is something I am trying to work on. He likes to nibble on me (which I know is a sign of affection) and he will also "nip" (playfully) at me and try to grab my pant legs, etc. I usually say "ah ah" and try to redirect him to something appropriate to chew on. I have wondered if there is some weird dynamic going on between Jake, my husband, and me (who Jake might see himself as dominate over). The other piece I left out is that at night, Jake acts like he's a bit wary or maybe even a little afraid of my husband. I have no idea why this is since he's friendly as can be during the day and follows my husband around like his shadow.

 

 

 

 

You might take another look at the way your dog is following your husband so closely in case he's resource guarding you or something in the room from him...

 

Secondly, I wouldn't get into your husband feeding the dog in four stages unless you are perfectly sure the first issue doesn't exist, and I'm thinking maybe you better get a trainer in for a look, or at least someone who can tell the difference...you don't want your husband to be misinterpreted as withholding a resource (especially a primary, which is food) and wind up getting bitten.

[TheFullHouse]

Has he been to the vet recently? Where everything is happening at night I would be curious if there was an eyesight problem.

 

 

This is something to have checked out. He could be having problems seeing in low light or at night. It might be worth a vet check to make sure there are no vision problems.

[GeorgeofNE]

I agree. This dog needs to be seen by a vet. I had a dog with very bad night vision. Nothing they could do for him, but at least I understood why he was so spooked at night.

[3greytjoys]

Please be careful not to put yourselves in harms way. If Jake is repeating/escalating this behavior every night in the family/living room, it's really safer to take him out of the problem situation until you're able to diagnose/address the root cause, and improve Jake's perception of family dynamics. Probably safer to have him rest outside that room by baby-gating him on the other side of the doorway, which may reduce his triggered behavior. If you try that, be prepared with high value treats for the toss and "find it" game as a distraction (if you feel trapped in the room). You didn't mention how your husband reacts to Jake's growling, but hopefully, he's not reacting in a "canine challenging" way towards Jake. Direct eye contact is challenging to dogs. Safer for your husband to diffuse the situation by retreating slowly, sitting back down until Jake's tension calms. (Similar to humans, dominance begets dominance like anger begets anger.)

Not sure if you thought of setting up a video camera in a corner to capture Jake's behavior, growl level, body language, and the family's positioning within the room (if he's not fearful of a camera). It could be helpful to a behaviorist.

 

Response to iconsmum's thoughtful comment: I, too, was thinking resource, space (or human) guarding. There was no mention of food guarding in the original post; however, the food portioning exercise is used for similar resource guarding behavior. The humans would be giving Jake food, not taking food away. So it should be safe when food is offered cheerfully (like offering a treat). The reason for breaking his full meal into portions is to help teach Jake that those caring human hands control his food source, and to realize those hands are necessary and will provide for his survival. It would help Jake understand in a gentle way that he's not top leader of the family. It builds trust that those loving human hands offer all things good. The primary food source is a key to Jake learning his position in the family pack (and working for reward).That said, it's completely understandable if the OP prefers to wait to create an action plan with a local professional behaviorist.

 

One clarification re: teaching "sit." Specifically for Jake, I meant to suggest "alternate option #2" first : Trying to lure Jake UP (with a high value treat) to a "sit" from a down position (before trying the reverse method). Care should be taken in teaching Jake new obedience, and should be viewed by the dog as a positive and fun game. Please try to select a "neutral" carpeted room where Jake will be most willing/receptive to having a human close to him (better to avoid his favorite bed "territory" in the family room). I'm guessing he will respond better to you (a female) teaching new obedience. Once Jake understands the action, both people can ask Jake to "sit" (or "down") before rewards (meals, treats, walks). Jake may have had a negative experience with a male in his previous life that will take time to overcome.

 

Be careful of sudden movement startling Jake awake from a deep sleep. If he has any reactive sleep aggression, having sleeping area boundaries could be helpful during this adjustment period (again, baby-gate, ex-pen or crate) to give him undisturbed personal resting space.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide. Please let us know how Jake progresses.

Edited October 30, 2011 by 3greytjoys

[Guest PhillyPups]

Is the family room large enough for a crate for Jake? He would still be in the room with you. If, when in the crate he growls, a squirt bottle with water in it works wonders. He can then learn to trust you and earn his trust to come out of the crate. I am thinking in the kennel when everyone is settled in for the night, he dd not have movement around him much. This is just a thought, as I havent had experience in this area.

[Guest Norabloom]

Welcome to GreyTalk!

 

I agree with Houndtime. NoraBloom: It was smart of you to stop allowing Jake on the sofa (or any furniture). Your 7 yr. old girl's reaction is expected. I wouldn't worry about her. She has her own lessons to teach her new brother, Jake.

 

Is it possible that the sofa issue was true growling, but the nightly communication sound is any different? What you've described does sound like true growling. One slight possibility: Greyhounds do often talk by "rooing" for an extended period. Could your boy possibly be rooing (sort of like low howling) in happiness that his daddy is standing up and he's excited? (Videos of Greyhounds rooing are viewable here or YouTube.) Some Greys can be space protective or protective of people, but the latter is less common. I think "jjng" posted on a similar (growl) thread yesterday with a link to dog language signals, please take a look. It will help give more clues about Jake's communication.

 

In general, we humans need to earn our retired hounds' trust and respect while establishing family pack. Here are some general tips that may help. A key throughout these tips is positive, gentle human guidance/leadership.

 

When your husband feeds Jake for the next few days, ask him to divide Jake's meal into fourths. Feed Jake 1/4 of food at a time while husband is sitting and holding his bowl. When Jake finishes first portion, place the bowl on the counter for a minute or two. Husband ignores Jake. Then, feed Jake portion #2 while holding his bowl. Husband repeats until Jake's meal is finished.

 

Next meal, offer 1/4 portions. The first portion by holding the bowl, then begin placing bowl in Jake's feeding stand instead of holding the bowl each time.

 

Another day of meal times. Husband places 1 or 2 pieces of kibble in bowl and places bowl in Jake's feeding stand. Walk several feet away and pause. Jake will probably look at husband like "where's the rest of my breakfast???" Return, pick up bowl, add a 2-3 more kibbles in the bowl, and place bowl in his feeding stand. On third or fourth repeat give Jake his full meal. Repeat this exercise for the next meal.

 

If your schedule permits for feeding meals, please do the same exercises with Jake for a couple of days. It's important for pack hierarchy that you feed (and walk) Jake periodically also.

 

Great that your husband is walking Jake twice a day. If that's not enough to really tire him out, it often helps to extend walk duration or increase speed to faster "power walks" (not meandering/sniffing every passing bush). Tired dogs are happy dogs.

 

(Side note for others: Newly retired hounds often have tender paw pads that take weeks (or more) to toughen/harden up. Sidewalks and pavement are new to hounds' pads. Good to build distance slowly and examine pads every couple of days to ensure they aren't wearing down, becoming sore.)

Very important for Jake:

Please try to teach a few basic obedience lessons (positive, gentle training methods) to help build Jake's positive confidence, give him a strength to combat negative behavior, and help him respect that you are both family leaders. (Come, sit, down, wait, stay are great.) If Jake doesn't have any painful rear leg racing injuries, he could learn to sit before each meal, treat, or when being leashed for a walk, etc.

 

When your husband stands up to leave the room, before Jake begins growling, you can distract Jake by giving him a few obedience actions to follow (sit, down, stay) and have treats ready to reward him. (I'll add my favorite methods for teaching "sit" at end of post.) When relaxing at night, your husband could practice standing up and tossing a few treats far away from your seating cluster in a "find it" game.

 

Encourage gentle, fun games like fetch the toy (if he has interest in fetching), or play "Find it" by letting him watch you toss treats outside in yard, or on leashed walks.

Please do NOT play tug-of-war (encourages aggression and is terrible on teeth/gums - tooth breakage etc.). No rough games.

 

Greyhounds are a very sensitive breed and usually respond well to verbal "no" corrections. (They should not be handled with any physical or forceful methods.) Greyhounds often feed off our moods, and can be sensitive to loud sounds, including loud voices TV/movies, etc.

 

I'd suggest letting your adoption group know about Jake's behavior too. They may be able to recommend a local Greyhound savvy behavior specialist to work with you in person.

 

---

Gently Teaching a Greyhound to Sit: (Two options.)

(Please AVOID using physical force. Please do not press down on rump, or force fold legs when teaching a Greyhound to sit.)

 

1. Work with the Greyhound's natural behavior by watching for the hound to begin to lie down on his dog bed (or carpet). Have a yummy high-value treat in hand (Chicken, turkey, beef meat, lowfat string cheese, hot dog pieces, etc.)

 

The instant he places his rear end on the bed/ground, immediately move your body directly in front him to block his body from lying all the way down.

 

Immediately say "sit" and instantly give the treat reward. (He will quickly connect the word sit to the feeling.)

 

Offer him tons of happy praise!!

 

"Side sits" are fine. That position is more comfortable for some hounds than a "straight sit" with their long legs. They often do straight sits later on their own. (BTW, I don't expect Greyhounds to sit for long lengths of time.)

 

2. Alternative option: While hound is lying down, guide the high-value treat upwards in front of his face to encourage him UP to a sit. Then treat and highly praise!!

 

 

Thank you for warm welcome and the good advice. I think the tips about feeding Jake will work well because he is extremely food motivated (the growling always occurs sometime after dinner). Thanks also for the training tips; I think it's very important that Jake learn some commands that we can then use to make him "work" for treats and to establish that he's not at the top of the pack!

 

I just wanted to add that I don't know that Jake has a ton of respect for me and that is something I am trying to work on. He likes to nibble on me (which I know is a sign of affection) and he will also "nip" (playfully) at me and try to grab my pant legs, etc. I usually say "ah ah" and try to redirect him to something appropriate to chew on. I have wondered if there is some weird dynamic going on between Jake, my husband, and me (who Jake might see himself as dominate over). The other piece I left out is that at night, Jake acts like he's a bit wary or maybe even a little afraid of my husband. I have no idea why this is since he's friendly as can be during the day and follows my husband around like his shadow.

 

 

You might take another look at the way your dog is following your husband so closely in case he's resource guarding you or something in the room from him...

 

Secondly, I wouldn't get into your husband feeding the dog in four stages unless you are perfectly sure the first issue doesn't exist, and I'm thinking maybe you better get a trainer in for a look, or at least someone who can tell the difference...you don't want your husband to be misinterpreted as withholding a resource (especially a primary, which is food) and wind up getting bitten.

 

Hi,

The problem does seem to have escalated (from the occasional growl to growling every night, at least several times) so I think a trainer / behaviorist is warranted at this point. Thank you for your input. Much appreciated.

 

Has he been to the vet recently? Where everything is happening at night I would be curious if there was an eyesight problem.

 

He has been to the vet in the last two months or so, but that was before this growling issue arose. I think you're right that it's worth having the vet check him out just to make sure that nothing physical is going on.

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

Nora,

There is a possibility that your hound is growling at your hubby out of fear. I wouldn't be so quick to assume that any growling from a dog is because they are trying to assert their dominance, or a position of agression. Quite the opposite, generally when greyhounds growl at humans it is often out of fear. If you do end up getting a behaviorist, not just a trainer, then he/she will be able to determine the root cause of the growling and establish effective behavior modification to fix the situation. The reason I say a behaviorist and not a trainer is because a behaviorist is a PHD, not many of them around. Be sure to see qualifications first.

 

Chad

[Guest Snazzy_Chloe]

The dog sounds scared to me - especially as he goes to lay down by your other dog and then barks (as he now has renewed courage). I would second the eye test - cararacts possibly something causing more shadows in what he is viewing in the evening. I really don't think that this falls into the rooing catagory - this sounds like a fear reflex to me.