Should I worry about a growling puppy?

[Janalle]

What are signs of aggression in puppies? I know it's normal for a puppy to growl and bite but sometimes when my daughter is bothering him, he growls at her.. It's mostly when he's eating or trying to sleep.. I know I would growl too but he doesn't do that to me if I bother him.. He's 9 weeks old.. Should I worry?

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

Others with way more experience will chime in, but our trainer has told us to reach into our puppies bowl when he is eating and put in a treat or something that he likes to get him accustomed to having us in his food/bowl. Also suggested having others do it as well. Now he could care less who reaches in his bowl. We were told to keep this up for many months, so we even do it at other peoples homes per his advise

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

We did that too - and we also used to take away her food periodically while she was eating, chew toys while she was chewing etc.  Now you can take anything away from her and she just kinda looks at you :p (assuming you can catch her, she will run away if she's onto you though!)

Basically we taught her that anything that is "hers" is only hers if we allow it to be.  Other dogs even can take her stuff and she doesn't try to get it back.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I would teach your daughter to leave the pup alone at those times. In the meantime you can continue to train your pup to allow you to take away food, and disturb him sometimes. But for now he sees your daughter as a peer and a growl is a warning and he may snap is she persists. Eventually you can work on your pup accepting your daughter as someone higher up than he is.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

I agree with all those comments below. Do the training yourself. I always make a puppy wait for their food, I make them sit. I put the bowl on the floor and if they move without me saying the release word (ok) I lift it. They have to wait for that release word. I do that from 9 weeks on-wards. I also put bits of high quality food into the bowl periodically while they are eating and touch them as I do it. Tiny pieces of chicken are great to use. Eventually the puppy will not mind being touched while eating. You must also train your daughter to leave the puppy alone while he is eating or sleeping, this is very important. It's not ok for your puppy to growl but understandable and the work you do now will be important for the future. 

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I really think the advice you got in your last discussion about the puppy and the kids also applies here.  Your puppy is not aggressive...he is just a baby.  For now I would teach the children that they need to respect the dog and not interfere when he's eating or sleeping.  Certainly I think it's fine for you to get him used to putting your hands into his food bowl...you are his leader and you "own" the food.  When he's a little older and capable of real learning and focus, you can bring the children into the training process and teach him what he can and can't do around the kids.....while teaching the children how to be respectful "leaders" in the process.

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Agreed with all the advice you have been given. We also made a point of sticking our hands into food bowls while Enz was eating. Taking away bones and toys. We had our adult son and friends do the same when they would visit. We never did hear a growl or get the least bit of resistance from her, but heard or growl one time when one of the cats tried to get I to her food. We then, continued doing the same...hands in bowls, but with a cat right there too. It took about 4 or 5 times and she now backs off her food if a cat tries to steal her food,

[Jess & Stewart]

I agree with everything said here--if you see a previous discussion of mine "Stew bit me this morning". My 15 week old min GD bit me as I was trying to get a sock from his mouth. He'd recently started testing his limits, I think. He'd be charging out of doors and to his food bowl, barking while I was making up his food, growling when got his hand on something of mine (seems to be socks and gloves are most desirable).

Now I give him NO attention while I'm preparing his food. Set it down, make him sit and wait until I say "ok!". I also touch and pet him while he's eating, pick up his bowl/KONG or put my hand in the bowl or on the KONG. I do the same when I open doors or go down my stairs, I go out FIRST, he's behind me. Now, when I make him sit to put on his leash, he'll sit and wait at the door for me to say "ok!". I vary the amount of time I make him wait for his food or to go through doors, sometimes 30 seconds or shorter, sometimes 1 minute or longer.

I'm working very hard on "drop it', although most of the time as soon as he sees me with a treat, he drops before I can give the command. I treat ASAP anyway- it seems to be working, although he still growls if he gets a sock/glove. He actually jumps up to grab them as I'm putting them on, but I assert myself that they are MINE.

[Miss Ellie]

All great advice...we too have always put our hands and faces into our puppy's food bowls...they learn from an early age not to become possessive of their food or treats this way.