Need advice -growling at family

[Skb]

Lately Skynyrd, my 2 yr old male has been growling at family members again when they go to pet him and he is laying on my bed. He used to do this with my 10 yr old son but had stopped. Now he is doing it again to my son and my mom. It is usually when he is on my bed. As soon as I hear him growl I tell him "NO" in a sharp voice but he is still doing it. Should I be making him get off my bed entirely? He sleeps in it everynight with me. Why is he doing this?

 

[AnnV]

That is alpha dog behavior. I'd get him off any furniture as long as he does that. Ask family members to make him obey some commands before feeding or play. Review NILIF and let your family read/learn it also.

 

[Lizbeli]

No more bed time at all I would suggest. Put a dog bed on the floor or better yet use a crate.

 

[Ddski5]

Alpha dog behavior guarding his space from others. Wish this didn’t happen, if you don’t want it to escalate- you have to knock him down from him thinking Alpha.

1. Get him off of the bed
2. Re-establish family members as pack leaders over him.

I kinda have the same issue with Ragnar. He does not sleep with us but wife gets up 30mins earlier than me. He is on time every morning as soon as she goes to the bathroom- here he comes. Or if I go to bed early, he will come in and sleep with me. But when wife comes in, we make him get off. He does not want to, he loves laying in our bed.

He has not growled or showed disobedience but I will not be surprised when it happens. I don’t know though, the wife having a verbal hissy fit and chasing him off the bed may be establishing herself as higher in the pack order.....so it may be a good thing.

 

[Skb]

Is there anything else I should do the moment I catch him growling besides a sharp no? Also, if I dont let him sleep in the bed with me at night how does he understand that it is bc of the growling that happened hours before? Or that doesnt matter it is just to establish hierarchy and who is alpha? I hope that made sense

 

[HappyJoe]

I would tell him NO! and take him off the bed. Having family do obedience with him is a good idea.He needs to know his place in your pack.
My dog has a dominate personality and has never been allowed on the bed or furniture. He has a crate in my room where he sleeps. Generally, I leave the crate door open, but I do close it now and then when I want some alone time. I will feed him in it occasionally so he doesn't mind going into his crate. That is his space and if he goes in it I don't bother him. He also has a dog bed in the family room.

 

[Oh Little Oji]

No dogs on furniture, people!

 

[HappyJoe]

Or that doesnt matter it is just to establish hierarchy and who is alpha? I hope that made sense

It is not a punishment. It is so he understands his place in the pack. Knowing his place is for his safety and the safety of the family. He gets plenty of pets and love. I sit next to him on the dog bed and give belly rubs all the time.
I have noticed that many biting and growling problems start with dogs on furniture/beds.

 

[Kaiser2016]

No dogs on furniture, people!

I always said this and then my hb let Kaiser up on the sofa. Now we are working on keeping him off again It really is a slippery slope - we let him up just a handful of times before he starting acting all entitled the one day we didn't want him up there. Now K makes himself a pest and waits for my hb to become annoyed enough to leave and then jumps up onto HIS established spot on the sofa because he thinks I won't reprimand him for it. Using that brain of his for all the wrong things! Way easier to avoid all this instead of having to start over

 

[jazzies mum]

I found that there could be no wriggle room for the no dog on furniture rule for those first few years. Now I can relax that a little as when I go camping with my girl Jazz she is sleeping on the same level as me and sort of "creeps" across onto a bit of my bedroll! She is 3 1/2yrs old now and doesn't take advantage of the privilege like she once did. I have never tolerated dominant behaviour from her, but she was quite determined to try for position quite regularly until about 2. You just have to keep an eagle eye out for the first sign and never let it slide. They are happy to have your leadership once it is well established!

 

[Skb]

It sounds like the no bed, no furniture is what I will have to do. Its going to be hard bc he has slept with me in my bed for as long as I have had him. It will probably be harder for me then him! I thought he had stopped this behavior but it just started again after months of not doing it. Thank you all for the advice and help

 

[Ryanferro92]

Hand feed! Hand feed! Hand feed!

It will create a bond between your son and your mom and your dobbie they will have a different view and bond when hand fed!

 

[NamVetJoe]

I told this story before. My first Doberman was on the bed. I told him to get down. He just looked at me. I went to push him off and he growled at me and showed me his teeth. Testing me as to my ability to remain the Alpha. I just walked out of the bedroom. I am sure in his mind he was now the new alpha. I went into the garage got a pair of welding gloves and returned to the bedroom. I was sure if he actually bit me it would hurt but not break the skin. I grabbed him by the neck and yanked him off the bed. Saying in my most intimidating voice I am the alpha. I am sure he did not know the words but I am sure he understood what was going on. We have to understand that they are pack animals and we the family are the pack. They are only doing what they are genetically programmed to do. Challenge to see if they need to take control of the pack to keep it safe