Sweet New Grey Who Has Growled At Me A Couple Of Times

[Guest Frannie]

I should be a veteran at this - Yurtie is my 7th grey, and I kinda feel like I've seen it all in terms of funky behavior. He is the lovingest little boy in the world... 99% of the time. Last night he was on the couch with me, resting his head on my knee while I read. It was exactly how I wanted to spend my Sunday evening - good book, sweet new dog cuddled up. I must have shifted my weight just a little, making him feel like I was more in his space than he was comfortable with, because out of the blue, he curled his lip at me and let out that low, expressionless, "Don't forget I could eat you" growl. I have heard it many times before. And yet, it always undoes me.

 

I got him off the couch right away. I was firm with my NO GROWL but I didn't yell. He was back up and behaving well within a few minutes. What do you all do with this behavior, which I think is really pretty common and not anything to really flip out about - I just want to discourage it.

 

Thanks

Frannie

[TheFullHouse]

Sounds like you're right on top of it. He was probably comfortable, maybe dozing a bit and you disturbed him. I just tell mine to get down when they do that. I don't really scold, just remove them and tell them to go lay on their bed.

[Guest Clawsandpaws]

Sounds like you're right on top of it. He was probably comfortable, maybe dozing a bit and you disturbed him. I just tell mine to get down when they do that. I don't really scold, just remove them and tell them to go lay on their bed.

Yup! Just last night I went to cuddle with Dudley on the couch, he growled, I immediately tried to get him off (not scolding) and he wouldn't/couldn't move... why? I had sat right on his poor little footsies!! I have noticed that Dudley will growl if he thinks he's going to be hurt, not a space issue, but he's scared of being crushed, and rightfully so!

[greytpups]

Perhaps you are giving him too many privileges too soon if he's new. I would work on NILF training first and build some trust before letting him up on furniture.

[GreytNut]

Many dogs will growl if disturbed during sleep. If he's knocked out he's forgotten that it's you he's snuggling with. He just feels someone moving him or touching him during sleep.

 

Riley does this a lot with Raven. He'll let her crawl into his bed and snuggle with him, and then when he's deeply asleep he'll snarl at her if he feels her move. She just gets up and scoots away from him.

 

He might not be ready for couch snuggling yet.

[Guest Firedancer]

We've had issues with this as well. We decided to restrict her couch privileges and she can only get on the couch at night after we've all gone to bed. She hasn't growled at us since we did this. I'm hoping one day we will be able to let her snuggle with us on the couch, but not yet.

[scullysmum]

As others have said you seem to be on top of this.....if it makes you feel any better my girl Sadi who has now been with us 8 years still growls at DH every night when he says goodnight to her...if you saw /heard it you would swear she was going to rip his face off, but really it's just a habit that started as her being space aggressive and him laughing at her until it became a game between them, she will never stop doing it and we love her for it... I suppose I'm saying that a growl is not always as bad as it might seem, just a way of communicating.