growling

[Ronnie & Emma]

so Emma once in a while she would growl slightly if i try to pick her up and bring her to the crate at bedtime. For the past times, I have just ignored te growling and just picked her up and brought her to the crate. Today she did it again just from asking her to get out under the table..so i can supervise her better. seh started growling..so i read from somewhere that you should hit the muzzle slightly and say no. so i tried that today. she got abit scared..what do you guys suggest?

[Cindy Herrod]

Well, I would never hit Belle. I just tell her no firmly and pick her up anyway. I never give into the growl by letting her get her way.

[Lynne B]

dogs usually growl because they are frightened, hitting her will just make her more afraid. What kind of training techniques do you use? I would suggest that you start working on come so that she will not hide under tables or anywhere else and will be glad to come to you when called.

If she doesn't know come, I would start teaching it on a lead, just put her lead on her stand a few feet away and call her to you when she comes to you give her a treat. If she doesn't come right away, gently reel her in on the lead and give her a treat and praise her just as if she had come to you on her own. Do this for about 5-10 minutes at a time a few times a day. When she always comes to you on the lead, then try it off lead at short distances. Over time, you can quit giving the treat every time she comes, and only give it occasionally.

The goal is to get her to think that when she comes to you, something really cool is going to happen. Most of the dogs that I have seen that cower or growl have been exposed to something scary and now they think every time you call them it's going to be a fearful or negative experience. My trainer suggests not using 'come' if you have to take the do to do something that it hates- like a bath, just pick him up, or keep a short piece of lead on his collar and take him to the bath or where ever else it is he doesn't want to be, otherwise he might always avoid coming when called.

[Ronnie & Emma]

for the last few times i did not give in to her. today her growl actually scared me. .
lynne B, I have been teaching her positive reinforcement training..she also just started going to class. her next class is this coming thursday i'm planning to ask the instructor.

Emma usually comes when i ask her to ( that she is under the table) ..its just when it is nighttime..she knows it is bedtime in the crate. i just go and pick her up.. but now she's a bit heavy soshe is not that easy to pick up.

earlier when she chooses not come out and growled at me.. after i few times of no. igrabbed the leash na dbrought her out back to the kitchen.

[Lynne B]

just take her where you want her to go, you might put a 1' piece of lead on her collar and keep it there to give you a handy way to get her to go with you. sometimes making a sharp noise like a loud EH EH!! the second they growl will get them to stop and then you can redirect their attention.

Another thing you might try is to take her to the crate, then throw in a few treats or a special chew toy or bone and try to get her to like going in the crate, if you intend to keep crating her it will be much easier if you can get her to look forward to getting in the crate.

[Ronnie & Emma]

its funny cus sometimes she will go into the crate herself..during her naps. it is not like she doesnt like the crate. I have given her treats..in her kong. but i guess i should reinforce the positive-ness of the crate. with more treats.
i'll try the EH EH sound tonight ..and see waht happens. thanks for your tips. keep you guys updated !

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Reinforce with treats - that will do the trick. Trust me. Peri is trained so well now that when I have work clothes on, she knows she gets a few hours in the crate. She runs DIRECTLY in the crate (in another room) as soon as she hears me open the treat jar. She and Taquito both get special treats on those occasions. When I go out of town and she stays with my parents, they put her in her crate at night (which we don't ever do anymore). They do the treat trick and say "go to your crate" and immediately, Peri runs inside. It is her den, she loves it and best of all, she gets a "special" treat.

[Carol and Banjo]

Banjo has always been very happy to go into his crate, however, on the days he knows I'm leaving for work he is very resistant. We always have a frozen Kong stuffed with cream cheese and kibble or peanut butter and oatmeal. Now we just go to the freezer and he runs right for his crate. It sure makes leaving him easier for us!

[Jaime and Barley Barker]

Barley doesn't growl at me, but he can become obstinate when it's bedtime. He'll roll over on his back and become really floppy so he's difficult to move. His behavior has changed since I've started using high reward treats. I'll wave it under his nose and then walk to his crate. Slowly but surely, he now comes along so he doesn't miss out. The highest reward food treat for him is a cube of Velveeta cheese. He comes running for that. I switch up food rewards with showing him his favorite "crate only" toy and squeaking it, and then walking to his crate. When he's being especially obstinate and doesn't want to move, I've had to get his leash, attach it to his collar, and just start walking. He gets the message. However, the super-duper high reward treat usually works now.

Also, before you pick her up, are you grabbing Emma by the collar? If you go over the dog's head to grab her collar or pick her up, she might feel threatened. If I need to take Barley by the collar, I usually touch or pet his shoulder first with one hand and then take his collar from the side. Sudden, over-the-head movements can scare a dog.

I wouldn't give into the growl. I also wouldn't try to stop the growl. A growl is the least threatening way for a dog to say "I'm scared" or "I really don't like what you're doing; back off." If a dog learns it's bad to growl, it might stop giving the warning and just bite.

[Minga & Malu & Costa]

In addition, you can play the grab 'em game. (Your trainer may introduce this). This is where you will randomly get Emma by the collar and give her a treat, then release her back to doing whatever she was doing. This way she does not associate the collar grab with losing her freedom or bad things. This is really helpful to do when she is playing with other dogs too, that way they learn it doesn't mean that they will lose their playmates.

If you have been using positive reinforcement, I wouldn't start hitting or using any sort of negative punishments. You might try putting her in her crate throughout the time when you are home in the evening, but before bedtime, just get her in the crate, give her a tasty treat, then let her right back out. Also, use a treat to lure her out from under the table and then give her lots of praise when she comes out on her own. It is a better learning experience for the dog if you made it seem like it was their idea to come out from under the table.

You already said you were going to ask your trainer, so don't forget to do that also!

[Ronnie & Emma]

last night she did not growl when i was about to pick her up..this time i picked her up and brought her into the living room ( where the crate is).and i cuddled her for a bit ..and played with her belly. then i grabbed some treats to lure her into the crate. she went in fine.

definitely i will try with the treat luring when im trying to get herout the table.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I think you're received some great advice here. The only thing I would add is to try not to give her any indication that you are afraid of her. You mentioned that her growl actually scared you. She needs to see you as her leader, so you really don't want her to sense your fear. It's great that you're in training. I'll be interested in what feedback you receive from your trainer.

[Ronnie & Emma]

hi guys,
so emma and I went to her make up traning class becasue she was feeling well taht week. ..I asked the instructor about emma's growling and going to the crate. She said exactly the same things you guys suggested. have a special toy for her specifically when it is crate time. with the growling..to give a ' eh ' ' no' or something to indicate that is not tolerable.

so i have been using the kong and with her treats in it. .as the special toy. somehow when it is not me bringing her in the crate. she does not respond as well. my mom was telling me she had trouble bringing her in the crate this morning ..she says it seems like emma knows it was crate time. so she wlaked over to somewhere else and layed down. my mom had to get to work so left it with my sister ..which she had trouble with it as well. my mom said te treat luring does not necessarily work.