Growls At Night If Anyone Tries To Cuddle With Him While He Is Laying

[Guest Rocket]

Hi,

I've heard that Greyson can have issues with being disturbed when they are trying to sleep. He has growled at me and my son. We didn't push him and just let him be. This only seems to be an issue during the late evening- after 9.

Anyone else have this issue??

How aggressive can he get? Should I have him rest with his muzzle on until I crate him for bedtime?

Amy

[Guest jetska]

Rocket sounds like sleep space aggression or a sleep startle - really common with greyhounds as they never have anyone intruding into their sleeping space in the kennel. My girl was particularly scary when i first got her, she would awaken snapping. I actually threw treats at her whilst she was sleeping so she learned that being woken up unexpectantly was a good thing. It worked quite well with her. There are a lot of threads on this forum on this problem if you want to find out how others have dealt with it.

[Guest DeniseL]

Give him his space. Miami has snarled, snapped, growled, etc. He would have bitten if we were close enough. We crated for a while and left him baby gated in the hallway at times. It is getting better as time goes on. But...it's just him and how he is and we just respect it and give him space. We have tried the treat thing, which worked ok. And tossing light pillows at him, etc. All the usual suggestions. Not sure if it really helped. I just think as he settles and gets more comfortable and more used to sharing space, he will improve. The funny thing is, he only does it at night upstairs. He lounges on the couch and sleeps on dog beds downstairs and we never had an issue. But the moment he lays down for bed upstairs, he turns into another dog. We call it Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hound.

[Guest PiagetsMom]

He's trying to let you know that he's not comfortable with cuddling when he's trying to sleep at night. He may or may not always be this way, but I don't think it's necessary to use a muzzle or a crate - just respect his space and "let sleeping dogs lie". Save your cuddiling for other times when Rocket does welcome and enjoy it.

[silverfish]

This can be an issue with any dog, hence (as Lisa said) the saying 'let sleeping dogs lie'. Greyhounds are just more disposed to react since while they are racing nobody ever touches them while they are sleeping. When someone enters the kennel, or barn, or wherever they are kept, every dog is awake before a single door is opened.

 

Greyhounds in England suffer less from this than American dogs because 1) they are kept in pairs so another dog is always touching them while they sleep, and 2) they are often kept in someone's home while they are racing, as pets.

 

Well done for realising that the wise thing is not to tell him off, but to keep your distance. In time he may relax, but to be honest, I would never - ever - let a child approach any dog while he is sleeping.

 

We had a firm 'do not disturb the dog while he is on his bed' rule when the boys were young. Also 'do not lean over the dog', and 'do not hug the dog and stare into his eyes (you'll make him nervous)', 'do not tease the dog' (you'll teach him to be bad-tempered and he may snap), 'be gentle with the dog' (as you would wish someone so much bigger to be gentle to you), etc etc.

 

I would not call your dog aggressive - he's reacting as a normal dog. I think all you really need to do is continue to have your son leave him alone while he is sleeping (and do so yourself, unless there is very good reason to disturb him). I don't know how old your son is, but if he's very young, you might want to provide your dog with protection in the form of a baby-gate or something to keep the two separate at this time of day, or whenever the dog needs a bit of peace.

 

There is a lot of good information in the form of books and leaflets about a greyhound's life before adoption and how to help him adapt. If you'd like some links, just ask!

[Charlies_Dad]

How long have you had your Grey? Very often especially when first adopted, it is highly recommended you do not go down and lay with them on their beds. It's their 'safe zone' and some do not like to be bothered there. A growl is a warning and their way of communicating to you that they are not comfortable with what you are doing. Our angel Charlie did this for the first few months but then he gradually got used to us and his surroundings and stopped it altogether. He was the gentlest of Greys but it took him some time to get comfortable and allow us to lay with him. Your pup my end up being the same or may just want to be left alone when he/she is on their bed. That is something you and your family have to respect. I hope it's a temporary thing only, patience is key.

[Guest Rocket]

Thanks for all of the suggestions:) Rocket is super mellow and sweet. He doesn't seem to mind if I sit next to him on his bed during the day but at night I think he is tired and just wants to be left alone. I guess he is like me ))