Growling Around Kids

[Guest Ernest13]

Hi everyone

My name is Julie, I am a new greyhound owner.

 

Our 1.5 year old boy has been a pretty good companion so far. We have been happy with his attitude, listening skills and all so far.

 

Since we have had him, he has growled at my 10 year old daughter three times. Twice she was sitting with him while he was on his cushion and once last night when i was petting him, and she was petting him too.

 

This morning he was chewing on his rawhide bone and I came close to him, and he growled at me. This is the first time he does that.

I know he likes his bone and was only warning me that this is his and his only..... But I can't help but worry about what might happen.

He is a big dog with a big mouth, and I don't want to have any bites in this house. Especially not of my daughter.

 

She now knows not to touch him when he is on his bed and respects his space. But last night he was just standing while she and i were sitting on the couch, and he growled.

 

I read everywhere that Greyhounds are gentle and nice dogs, and I see that so far. I am just wondering how we deal with it, and if it can go from growling to biting if we let the growling happen.

 

Please help with any input you have

Thanks

 

[Sambuca]

It sounds like he has resource guarding issues. He was guarding his cushion, his bone, and possibly you. You need to work on "trading up". Also, no one should approach him when he's on his bed. Make sure you're daughter is petting him gently. Even if you were both petting him gently, it's possible something hurt him. Pay attention and if it happens again a vet visit may be in order to see if something's wrong. Have your daughter feed the pup, but make she walks away once he's eating. Have her give lots of treats and even help with some training.

[silverfish]

You say your daughter knows to respect his space and not touch him while he is on his bed, but also that he growled at her while they were both sitting on his cushion. This really does have to stop. I don't know where you are, but greyhounds in the US have never been used to being touched and crowded while they are resting, and neither here (England) or in the US are they used to children. They have so much to get used to all at once when they're adopted, and in the early days it is a very wise person who allows them to have their space and setlle in their own time.

It's worth you reading the Kathleen Gilley lecture which you will find here: click this link. I'd also strongly recommend that you read 'Living With Kids And Dogs Without Losing Your Mind' by Coleen Pelar. Click here for link to the book on Amazon.

 

Basically, your hound is very, very new. He'll need time to settle into your home without stress - this will set the tone for the whole of your future life together. Make it an unbreakable rule that nobody touches him or approaches him while he is resting, whether on his bed or not, even if he is awake and seemingly paying attention. The only exception should be an emergency situation and then ONLY an adult should approach him. Let him come to you for pets. In particular, please teach your little girl that dogs express affection in a different way to people. They don't do hugging or kissing, they don't like people gazing into their eyes (until they have earned their trust) and they don't appreciate anyone looming over them. All these things can be seen as threats by a dog.

 

Also, please do not even punish him for growling. Growling is communication. If you make him stop growling, that's when you tend to get bites 'without warning'. There is also a warning, whether you notice it or not is the thing. For this reason I would also suggest you and your daughter study canine body language and social signals together. There are various resources on the internet. There's quite a nice one here, aimed particularly at greyhounds. For various reasons, greyhounds often use more subtle signals than other breeds, so you need to pay attention.

But basically, yes, greyhounds are very nice, polite and gentle dogs. It's just that you do have to give them time and earn their trust. One day, your boy may be very happy to snuggle with you and your daughter, but some - it has to be said - never are. Your boy is just a pup. He'll need some training, perhaps some 'trading up' practice with treats etc. If you do a search here on Greytalk, you should find some good advice on that one.

[Guest Scouts_mom]

I agree that he was has resource guarding problems, but I also think he has decided that your daughter is below him in pack status. (I know not everyone believes in pack status issues, but I have seen it so often with my dogs.) He needs to learn that he needs to obey her, just as he obeys you. I would suggest that she be the one that feeds him, or at least gives him his dinner. You also might want to sign up for a dog obedience class and have your daughter take him (with you supervising of course).

[Guest Ernest13]

He growled at her the second and third day we had him. Once when petting him when on his bed, once on a cushion he was sitting on. Not his cushion but a cushion. All this happened in the first 3 days. She now doesn't touch him when he is on his bed. She now respects his space.

Last night he came to us to be petted, and my daughter was right beside me. We both petted him and then he growled.

 

 

 

You say your daughter knows to respect his space and not touch him while he is on his bed, but also that he growled at her while they were both sitting on his cushion.

[Guest Ernest13]

I agree that he was has resource guarding problems, but I also think he has decided that your daughter is below him in pack status. (I know not everyone believes in pack status issues, but I have seen it so often with my dogs.) He needs to learn that he needs to obey her, just as he obeys you.

I think so too. I want to encourage communication but don't feel like backing down will help with not allowing him to be the pack leader.

 

She gives him his food, makes him wait for it, walks him.... and he listens to her pretty well. He heels when she walks him and stays when she asks him.

Not as good as us, but pretty good.

 

I think training classes is a great idea.

 

What should she do when he growls? My priority is her safety.

 

thank you.

[silverfish]

 

What should she do when he growls? My priority is her safety.

 

thank you.

 

She should back off without saying anything.

 

It's nice to involve children with the care of dogs, but if a dog is growling you really need to be cautious. Ten years is not tiny, but she will not have the same presence that you do, and she is vulnerable.

 

I am always rather wary about the pack order thing. Yes, dogs do have their pack order, but recent research suggests that it only really exists between dogs; if you have two or more dogs you'll see 'pack order' behaviour, but if there's just one dog and a human family, well, not really. What you'll see there is the dog trying his best to communicate and the humans trying their best to communicate, and a heck of a lot of confusion. What you really need to be doing in this situation is understanding your dog and listening to what he is saying to you. The very best dog/human relationships are based on mutual trust.

 

Training classes are a GREAT idea, especially for a pup like yours. They need discipline, and the best sort of discipline is self-discipline. This is what training classes can offer.

Edited January 10, 2015 by silverfish

[cleptogrey]

not all dogs come from the "kid friendly" mold. one of mine is fantastic with children of any age the other needs not to be with them. it's not your fault, not your daughter's fault. not all dogs are equal, make sure you check in and discuss this with your adoption group.

 

i would eliminate all his prize items- bones,chewy toys, etc. he can have them in his crate. beds are for dogs, not kids,even though my last saluki gladly shared his dog bed with our daughter as a toddler, she napped on it. have you considered, once your dog is comfortable in his new home, taking your daughter to obedience classes w/ him? it's a win-win situation and she will learn how to handle him properly.

 

i personally look for a dog- any breed- who can easily have something removed from their mouth when i had a child in the house. what kind of evaluation did your adoption group do? it sounds like if you can designate his space and control the flow of chew items your situation should work out. but they should be given when you can control them to avoid any incidents.

[greysmom]

Some good advice above, I will just reiterate that you have not had your dog for very long and they can sometimes take several weeks to several months to really be comfortable and trusting in their new home situation. On top of that, you have a *very* young dog. One who likely has a lot of energy and very little self-discipline - like all puppies!

 

A couple things - sometimes a growl is just a growl. It's almost never aggressive and usually more of a warning. But sometyimes it can just be the only way he knows to communicate with humans. Learn to understand his body language and attitude and you can better respond to these incidents. Urge your daughter to do the same - don't take his rumbling personally, and instead examine the situation to see what it might be about. Dogs read us way better than we can read them.

 

Next thing - he's young and was likely only recently neutered. Hormones will still be raging and may take a while to calm down. His behavior will be a bit erratic, even if he was neutered months ago due to continueing to grow and change. Our greyhound puppy went through stages of being a complete butthead - growling, biting, jumping - for a few months, and then she would be an angel again for a while. These swings went on between a year old and about 2 1/2 years old. It's only been since she's turned three that she has finally seemed to mature into an adult behavior level.

[Guest Ernest13]

Thank you so much to all of you for your generous feedback.

We still have a lot to learn and it is comforting to know you guys are here and so helpful

 

:-)

[sobesmom]

You dog is VERY NEW. This is a super confusing time. You've actually done all the things I'd suggest with your DD - respect his space, have her feed him, walk him, etc. You've either done your research or you have amazing instincts. Those are all really great things to do. All the right things. You've done all the things that I tell new owners with kids to do.

 

So - great job. You did it by the book. But - now you have to adjust. Doesn't it just stink when you try to set up everything for success and it don't work out perfect!?!!? I hate that! But life happens. Every dog is different.

 

So now I'm going to give advice I've never given before. Ask you DD to back off. Greys are usually awesome with kids, and I'm sure your dog will be, but the fact is he doesn't really know what she is right now. She's a short human that he doesn't know how to take. Maybe it's too much for him. Back off on her involvement for right now until he gets comfortable with you as his leader, and comfort person. Maybe just have her feed him, and make sure it's a fun, happy experience. No pressure. Just - here's your supper! He might actually be freaking out a little that a small person is now a leader in his pack.

 

Back off her involvement. Let him settle in for a couple weeks. Then get DD more involved. Some grey need some time to get used to kids. My Sobe was never a fan of them. But once he settled in, he was just fine.

 

Relax. Don't push it. If the dog growls - get your kid away. Her safety is the first priority.