rescue dog

[Roara]

Hi,

we have rescued an Irish Staffie who so far has been a brilliant dog. He has a lovely temperament and gets on well with all the members of our rather large family. He can be quite boistrous and still jumps up at people when they come into the house, although once over his initial excitement he calms down and leaves them alone.

However, Christmas presented itself with two problems. We have a largish ( by British standards) house which was full of people this year. My sister-in-law is a complete townie and hates all animals, even those in the wild, so we knew the dog would be a problem - particularly as she now has a 6 month old baby. However, she coped by turning her back on the dog and he soon got to ignore her. Problem 1 sorted.

The next problem was the baby who thought the dog was wonderful and loved to watch him. He was fine with her until I had her on my lap. He growled and then went for her hand. He didn't close his mouth or hurt her, just a warning I guess. Obviously I was mortified as were my brother and his wife. We had already decided that there was no way on God's earth that the baby will ever ever be left alone with the dog. And now it seems I can't give my neice a cuddle without the dog being jealous. Is this normal? Shall I just keep the two apart... what shall I do?

Finally, a bigger problem. We know that Bryn was badly treated because he has cigarette burn scars on his back. However, this has not made him at all a 'nasty' dog. He's just gorgeous. My dad, however, thinks otherwise. He thinks we need to sort out the dog's behaviour. The reason for this is that the dog does not like older grey haired people. He had a right go at my partner's dad in the summer and still barks at him if my partner's dad makes a sudden movement or stands up, he does the same to my partner's mum as well. However, he will not leave my dad alone. My dad opened up a newspaper and rustled it, Bryn began to bark like mad. He nips my dad's feet when he walks and his hands. My dad is convinced that it's all the dog's fault and will not accept what I say about his own behaviour. My dad actually squares up to the dog and maintains eye contact with him - he makes very little attempt at getting to know the dog.

This is the only time my dog displays such behaviour - ay suggestions as to what we can do??

[emmabeth]

Well, firstly, keep your Dad away from your dog.

What your dad is doing by squaring up to him and staring at him, is INCREDIBLY threatening and aggressive and it is testament to your dogs general good nature that he hasnt bitten him.

I fully understand that this is incredibly difficult - I also have a Dad who is pigheaded and threatening towards one of my dogs (and interestingly, none of my dogs are particularly comfortable around him, and even his lodgers dogs who lived with them for 5 years have bitten him!) and he will even go so far as to bark back at my dog when he barks!

Until your Dad is willing to listen to what you say and do as you ask, your only safe option is to never let the two of them meet. It is that simple.

So, moving on (you could give your dad some books to read... but if hes not interested and thinks hes right you are preeeeetty much on a hiding to nothing!)..

Babies... are freaky. They smell funny, they move funny, they make really odd noises and.. they STARE.

Not hugely surprising that a baby closer to eye level with a dog who isnt familiar with babies might snap at one - it is a VERY good sign that he did no damage, you only need to see a dog eat a raw chicken wing or crunch through a lamb rib to know that one could take a babies arm off in a single snap with no bother at all. Your dog has bite inhibition and some degree of self control, thats GREAT!

For now I would not cuddle the baby near the dog, stick to doggy having some fun time with a Kong toy in another room or in a crate when its baby cuddling time.

Its totally possible to get your dog to be more comfortable around babies but babies dont stay babies for very long, and you need to retrain each situation.... so crawling, then toddling etc etc... all bring about their own challenges and it is definately NOT a case of if a dogs fine with a baby, theyw ill be fine with that baby when he/she is a toddler.

This is where you need to ask yourself, is your dog going to be around babies enough that you MUST specifically train 'babyproof' things. If he is you need the babies parents on side which is going to be hard since hes growled and snapped already.

There are things you can do without a real baby, teaching him to stay off the sofa until asked up (and to get off on command), teaching him more self control, just generally improving his confidence in himself and his trust and confidence in you and your partner will do wonders.

[monib1969]

Hi,

For one without actually seeing him in "action" I would have to just guess that with the baby your dog is not really jealous but looking at you as his possession and this baby is interfereing wiht what is his. Dogs are pack animals and you are part of his pack, this new "member" is an outside threat to him. You absolutely need to control this situation, you are lucky he didn't bite this baby. I personally at that moment, or since iam experenced i would have noticed any preemptive aggressive/dominant behavior and nipped it in the bud, and placed this dog immediately in a crate or kennel. Staffie's can become dominant, possessive and pig headed. They really need FIRM leadership from you, and need to learn that any bad or dominant/aggressive displays will not be tolerated. And I definitely would not even have him out with you when the baby is around. It only takes a milisecond for a dog to snatch a bay out of your arms and do some real damage. If the child is fearful or his parents are fearful this breed will pick up on it and use it to his advantage. And a 6 months old should most definitely not be around this guy if he is displaying any aggression PERIOD!! He needs to be correctedt he instant he begins to display any unwarranted behaviors and put away.

as far as your Dad, sounds like he is doing the worst thin he could do. Staring down, submissive rollings, andother "methods" of showing your on dominance over a dog is ridiculous. Your Dad is very lucky that he hasn't been attacked or bitten. I can tell you with 100% certainty if he tried this with any of my male shepherds they'd rip his face off in a second. You cannot attempt to make a dominant dog that display aggression submit by staring him down. You do it through methods the do understands to lower his rank in the family. You do this by, crating him when he misbehaves. You make him sit for everything. You and everyone else walks through doors first, up and down stairs. He must sit to be fed, he must sit for affection. And definitely do not let him up on the furniture EVER!!! this is a quick place for people to lose control of their dogs, especially dominant ones. They stay on the floor. I cannot tell you how many people we get that have dogs that attack them and will not allow them on the couch or bed. Furniture is simply a big no-no, especially for a staffie.

You should also begin marker training him. this will open up a line of communication you both understand and help him fit into the family better. He is very intelligent and this will help to get him thinking. Just google "marker training" and you find some site that have excellent information to get you started. But it isooperant conditioning. To start you simply have him with you, andhave treat with you. we use cutup hotdogs, no bigger than your pinky or thumb nail. In thebeginnin you use NO commands. You jut want to charge your mark and get him to learn the behaviors adn actions and burnthem into memory before naming them.

So, you have him inthe kitchen with you andhave treats handy. Start with and "are you ready" to start the trainin session, which at first should only be 5-7 minutes. If he looks at you, you say YES (or use a click of a clicker) and immediately treat one treat. If he sits, you say YES and treat. If he looks at you, YES again and treat. If he lays down YES and treat. This period of charging the mark gets him used to the word YES or sound of the clicker as a reward point. And this gets every action ingrained into his memory so it becomes a learned behavior. when you are out of hotdog the end of session phrase is "all done" this let shim know training isover for now. Then after a while, with a pup as smart as he is, his lightbulb should go off in a day or two, if you've done it several times a day in small intervals. So when you start a session after his lightbulb has gone off adn he ahs "gotten" the method, when you say "are you ready" he will begin to go through his repitoire of actions that got him a treat in the past. So you say "are you ready," he sits, looks, downs, heels, walks around you, whatever you have marked before that got him his rewards. Once this happens then you can begin to name the actions. Sit is always easy to start with. You say sit, and if he sits then YES adn treat. If he doesn't sit you can lure him into sit by having a treat in your hand and pushing yourhand over his head toward his ears. This forces the nose to go up and butt to go down. then once he sits, mark (YES) and reward. After a while the words meld with actions.

this method helps build a bond, helps him know his place in the family,and most importantly gets him thinking and opens up the line of communication both you and he can understand. But google marker training for sites that go into more detail to help you out.

This breed really needs someone that is experienced in handling strong dogs that can tend to become dominant if their leaders do not exhibit the proper leadership and firm handling they need. SO you need to become a firm but fair leader to him to help tone down the aggression before he gets out of control.

As far as being damaged by the burns ... nah. Dogs live in the present here and now, they don't carry around emotional baggage like we do. This is why you can take an abused dog and retrain him. The only dogs that do tend to carry baggage are those with genetic issues. So him not liking men is more likely a male reacting to another male in his territory or aggressor against aggressor. they sense the testosterone in men. With him not liking the Mom, well she's a new person in his territory and this is a breed from the molosser family which are bred for territorial protection. He may or may not like her ever. You can have her treat him some, like if you are all in the kitchen together or living room hanging out and ifbhe does something good she can say YES and treat him. Marker training works well for everyone that you want to interact with him, even your Dad. Especially with his breed you need to have all family members train him a little so he connects that these guys are good.

Good luck!!!

[monib1969]

Hi again,

Sorry about all the typos before but I accidentally hit submit before proofreading.

But also, your Dad is correct to some extent, that this dog should not bark or display aggression toward him period. Like nip his feet and ankles, this is all dominant behavior which needs to be corrected. I forgot to add this before,but the easiest way to control this is by having him leashed to you via a 6ft leash. If he starts to go after your dad or bark at him he needs to get a NO from you and you need to redirect him away, even into another room or kennel or crate until he calms down. Kennels and crates are invaluable training tools, and a dog, especially a smart Staffie gets the "time out" idea REAL quick!!!

If I had this dog I could fix him in a week. These guys are sooooo intelligent, if you work on it several times a day and have him leashed to you always while you are at home. It will take no time to sort this out. But it will take work and most importantly consistency. So remember to be consistent. You can't send mixed signals by allowing him to nip at your dad one time and not another. It must be a consistent NO all the time.

Good luck again!!

[emmabeth]

Monib1969 - Im really sorry but you need to go do some reading and research.

In a couple of posts now you have stated that dogs are pack animals and that the problem lies with where the dog views himself within the pack.

Categorically - dogs are NOT pack animals.

Feral dogs, being the closest to 'wild' we have that is relevant to domestic dogs, do NOT form packs unless its beneficial to do so - in comparison to this, wolves will stay in their family groups where it is NOT beneficial to do so and the individual members might stand more chance of survival as loners.

Feral dogs form loose groups, splitting up and reforming as the advantages and disadvantages change. If theres a bully in the group the other dogs ignore and avoid it, so any one dog throwing his or her weight around would not be a part of the group for long.

For the most part feral dogs are scavengers and there is little to no benefit in forming a close knit, strict ruled 'pack' at all - instead it is every dog for his or her self with the exception of bitches feeding very young pups, as they will obviously hand over part of their food to their pups.

Even wolves do not have the rigid pack structure you seem to believe in, this theory is over 40 years out of date and has long been shown to be false.

Have a look at the following articles:

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=600

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=3372

http://www.wolf.org/wolves/news/iwmag/2 ... hawolf.pdf

http://www.apbc.org.uk/blog/severe_aggr ... thout_harm

Theres a lot more out there than this though, so do Google the subject.

I fully believe that yelling NO at a dog who is fearful and aggressive is NOT going to solve the problem. This is a confrontational and aggressive way of forcing a dog to submit and stop showing his fear - it will NOT cure the root cause of the problem, it may very very well make the problem much much worse.

This forum is for the discussion and advice based on positive dog training - dominance theory and pack theory are outdated and dangerous and have no part to play in the safe, up to date, forward thinking treatment of dog behaviour problems.

[Mattie]

Hi,

For one without actually seeing him in "action" I would have to just guess that with the baby your dog is not really jealous but looking at you as his possession and this baby is interfereing wiht what is his. Dogs are pack animals and you are part of his pack, this new "member" is an outside threat to him. You absolutely need to control this situation, you are lucky he didn't bite this baby. I personally at that moment, or since iam experenced i would have noticed any preemptive aggressive/dominant behavior and nipped it in the bud, and placed this dog immediately in a crate or kennel.

Rubbish, dogs do not form packs, they do have family groups, mum, dad and offspring, the older offspring help look after the younger ones until they are mature enough to be kicked out to fend for themselves. If the dog had really wanted to bite the baby he could have, it was a warning, why he gave the warning is another matter. You don't understand aggression or dominant behaviour and nipping it in the bud could be dangerous, more people get bitten because they didn't understand what the dog was saying and nipped it in the bud. Putting him in a crate as a punishment would make this worse and not teach the dog anything.

Staffie's can become dominant, possessive and pig headed. They really need FIRM leadership from you, and need to learn that any bad or dominant/aggressive displays will not be tolerated.

Staffies are wonderful dogs, they are terriers and need to be trained as terriers, understanding why a breed of dog was bred for is the first thing to take into account when you are training a dog. They are not more dominant, possessive and pig headed than other breeds, they are often made that way because the owner or trainer doesn’t understand dogs or can read their body language. This attitude of not tolerating any behaviour is setting the dog up to fail and gradually become aggressive because the dog hasn’t been trained properly.

And I definitely would not even have him out with you when the baby is around. It only takes a milisecond for a dog to snatch a bay out of your arms and do some real damage. If the child is fearful or his parents are fearful this breed will pick up on it and use it to his advantage. And a 6 months old should most definitely not be around this guy if he is displaying any aggression PERIOD!! He needs to be correctedt he instant he begins to display any unwarranted behaviors and put away.

Staffies are the only breed of dog that the Kennel Club recommend as good with children, a lot does have to be taken into account like how they were brought up but when they were used for fighting, if they were injured they were taken home in the pram with the baby, they are bred to be good with children, it is part of them.

Correcting any dog for unwarranted behaviour will only make matters worse because it doesn’t teach the dog anything, all it does is punish the dog, as the dog only understands dog language and not English, he doesn’t know why he is being punished, all he knows is that he has been punished. The way a dog’s brain works the chances of him thinking the punishment is because of something else is very high.

as far as your Dad, sounds like he is doing the worst thin he could do. Staring down, submissive rollings, andother "methods" of showing your on dominance over a dog is ridiculous. Your Dad is very lucky that he hasn't been attacked or bitten. I can tell you with 100% certainty if he tried this with any of my male shepherds they'd rip his face off in a second. You cannot attempt to make a dominant dog that display aggression submit by staring him down.

This will be for ANY dog not just a Staffy.

You can’t make ANY dog submit by staring him down.

You do it through methods the do understands to lower his rank in the family. You do this by, crating him when he misbehaves. You make him sit for everything. You and everyone else walks through doors first, up and down stairs. He must sit to be fed, he must sit for affection. And definitely do not let him up on the furniture EVER!!! this is a quick place for people to lose control of their dogs, especially dominant ones. They stay on the floor. I cannot tell you how many people we get that have dogs that attack them and will not allow them on the couch or bed. Furniture is simply a big no-no, especially for a staffie.

Very dangerous advice, crating him when he misbehaves, how does the dog know he has misbehaved when he is just put into a crate?

Why should I walk through doors first, or go up and down stairs first? Anyone who has several dogs like I have will tell you that this does nothing because dogs don’t do it to each other, first there goes first. Dogs do need to learn manners, they can go through first but not barge through, they have to do this in a well mannered way.

Withdrawing affection is a terrible thing to do to any animal especially dogs, how would you feel if you were upset and wanted a cuddle but was pushed away because you had done something but didn’t know what it was? If I want a cuddle I expect to get one. If my dogs want a cuddle they know they can have one, if I am busy it will just be a quick cuddle but not busy they have a longer one. My dogs quickly accept this and their need for cuddles greatly reduces.

Why shouldn’t the dog be allowed on the furniture, it is one thing not to want dogs on furniture because of choice, another to teach the dog a lesson which is why you are trying to do. It won’t work, all my dogs are allowed on the furniture, 4 sleep on my bed at night but all dogs will get off when I ask, I never have to ask twice.

This breed really needs someone that is experienced in handling strong dogs that can tend to become dominant if their leaders do not exhibit the proper leadership and firm handling they need. SO you need to become a firm but fair leader to him to help tone down the aggression before he gets out of control.

This shows your lack of understanding of this breed of dog, they don’t need any firmer handling than any other breed of dog, they do need someone to understand why they were bred so they can be trained in a positive way by setting them up to succeed, but that should happen with all breeds of dogs.

As far as being damaged by the burns ... nah. Dogs live in the present here and now, they don't carry around emotional baggage like we do. This is why you can take an abused dog and retrain him. The only dogs that do tend to carry baggage are those with genetic issues. So him not liking men is more likely a male reacting to another male in his territory or aggressor against aggressor. they sense the testosterone in men. With him not liking the Mom, well she's a new person in his territory and this is a breed from the molosser family which are bred for territorial protection. He may or may not like her ever. You can have her treat him some, like if you are all in the kitchen together or living room hanging out and ifbhe does something good she can say YES and treat him. Marker training works well for everyone that you want to interact with him, even your Dad. Especially with his breed you need to have all family members train him a little so he connects that these guys are good.

Good luck!!!

Have you any experience of an dog that has been abused? It certainly doesn’t look like it, my Greyhound will still scream if I move my hand quickly, he has never had a hand abuse him since he came here 6.5 years ago, hands are nice things, gently and make him feel nice but he will still react if I move my had quickly.

Another of my dogs is terrified of big, tall men, she came at 20 weeks old and is now 3 years old.

Yes a new home new life for a dog, but don’t make the big mistake of thinking that they have forgotten what has hurt them in the past

Monib, you are giving very dangerous information out, if this is the methods you use you have been very lucky, I will always carry scars from several of my dogs when they first came, if I had tried to train them by your methods I would have been put in hospital several times and lost out on some very loving dogs.

[Sarah83]

my Greyhound will still scream if I move my hand quickly, he has never had a hand abuse him since he came here 6.5 years ago, hands are nice things, gently and make him feel nice but he will still react if I move my had quickly.

Rupert too, he's been with me almost 6 years now yet will still go into meltdown if I move in certain ways. If I'm in a bad mood I simply can't speak to him because he cowers and trembles and acts like I regularly beat him to within an inch of his life. Dogs may live in the present but they certainly don't forget things that have hurt or scared them. When you think about it, remembering things that have hurt you or frightened you is a matter of survival for any creature.

[dezzi77]

Alright ... I am in need of some major help. About three years ago my son and I rescued a dog (Golden/hound mix) her name is Madi. As time passed I got married and we had a baby. This do WQ2g who came from a pretty bad place is NOT handling the baby very well. Te baby is now a year and running along and is VERY interested in Madi (the dog) but everytime he approaches the Dog she growls at him. NOW, here is my predicament. My eldest son is eleven and in reality this is his dog.... with the help of the family... it is a little hard for her to be a family dog since the baby arrived a year ago because of her aggression toward him. Honestly, I probably would have found a new home for Madi if my eldest son would not be COMPLETELY devestated. So, I REALLY need some help if anyone has any advice on how I can train this dog to be around young children so that she CAN be a family dog again! PLEASE HELP.... we don't know what else to do... or if there is a way to handle this so that all can be happy again.

Thanks to any that can help!!!!
Dezzi77

[Roara]

I have to admit - I personally don't like or agree with crating. My dog is part of my family, and a very loved part of my family - hence why he often sleeps on my son's bed or at the bottom of the bed. And yes - he does get on the furniture, and curls up with us for cuddles. He is a very very affectionate dog and I love it.

Dezzi - I am far too inexperienced with dogs to offer you any advice, but I am certain that with the help of others on here you will be able to turn it around.

[Mattie]

Many dogs don't handle toddlers very well, they are far too unpredictable for dogs, it is up to you to keep both your baby and dog safe, this means teaching your baby not to run up to Madi but to leave here alone. It can be done, I had 3 sons who never ran up to my dog, they were taught to waite until my dog approached them then they had to be gentle with her and was under supervision all the time.

You are lucky your dog is growling, this is not aggression but your dog telling you that she is frightened of your baby so get them apart quickly, do not punish your dog for growling, she is communicating with you and you need her to growl and tell you when she is frightened because your baby is approaching her. I also had a place of safety for my dog, when she was there my sons had to stay away, Madi needs a place of safety where your baby won't get to her. This can be anything, bed, crate etc.

The best way to teach Madi that there is no need to be frightened of your baby is to keep your baby away from her, as your baby grows and matures, you will find that they will become good friends if you handle it right now. Never let your baby pull Madi's ears, fur, tail etc, just keep them apart until your baby becomes less unpredictable. Baby gates are very good for dogs as well as babies, and of course, never leave Madi and your baby alone together, that is when dogs turn on babies because there is nobody there to stop the baby attacking the dog. Sounds stupid, but this is the main reason dogs turn on toddlers and small children.

[Mattie]

I have to admit - I personally don't like or agree with crating. My dog is part of my family, and a very loved part of my family - hence why he often sleeps on my son's bed or at the bottom of the bed. And yes - he does get on the furniture, and curls up with us for cuddles. He is a very very affectionate dog and I love it.

Roara, some dogs love crates, it is their bedroom were they feel safe, my little Joe wasn't taught to be in a crate but when I got Gracie she kept trying to attack him so I had to go and buy a crate to keep both dogs safe. Since then Joe is rarely seen outside his crate, I had to buy one specially for him because he loves being in one so much. A lot depends on how a dog is taught to accept a crate, done properly most enjoy being in one. They really need to be able to be crated, if they have to stay in the vets the dog will be crated.

[Sarah83]

I have to admit - I personally don't like or agree with crating. My dog is part of my family, and a very loved part of my family - hence why he often sleeps on my son's bed or at the bottom of the bed. And yes - he does get on the furniture, and curls up with us for cuddles. He is a very very affectionate dog and I love it.

Crating a dog doesn't make it any less a part of the family. My dog sleeps upstairs with us, cuddles up on the sofa with us and is most definitely part of the family. His crate has been a godsend though. If I need to leave the front door open for some reason I can put him in there and not worry about him opening the door to whatever room I've shut him in or jumping a baby gate, if I've got someone working in the house I can put him in there so he's not in the way, when I go out I don't have to worry about him destroying my house or being a nuisance barking at something he's seen out of the window. It also means that he's used to being confined in a crate which will make it easier on him if he ever has to be put on bed rest after surgery or whatever. His crate is just another bed to him. Crating a dog doesn't make it any less a part of the family and in a situation like yours could actually save a lot of heartache.

[dezzi77]

I agree with crating... we leave the crate open for our dog to go into as she pleases and honestly she spends the majority of her day in there BY CHOICE. But then I start to feel sad for her that she feels as though that is the only safe place that she has. My son and I rescued her from a place that resembled hell. I have worked very hard to make sure she knows she is safe. She really is a good dog. She was a perfect family dog before baby. Now I just feel so guilty that she isn't able to roam the house or come into the livingroom with the family anymore. It's like she's segregated from being a part of the family since babies arrival .... it's been a year now and the thought of having to continue this for years to come breaks my heart.

And I agree that they will become best of friends "Some Day" but.... when will that day come? My oldest son was 8 when we got her and she displayed dominant behavior with him for quite some time. We sought help and nipped it in the bud while she was young but it will be a while before the baby can show her that he is the dominant one.

Another quick thought is that through this past year she has become closer and closer to the older son and she sleeps with him and watches out for him... NOW I will walk into my son's room at night to check on him and she will be on his bed growling at me. Its as though she views my son as hers and is becoming more and more possessive of him... but I don't want to have to crate her at night and segregate her from her friend too! Is that what I should do or HAVE to do?

[Mattie]

I agree with crating... we leave the crate open for our dog to go into as she pleases and honestly she spends the majority of her day in there BY CHOICE. But then I start to feel sad for her that she feels as though that is the only safe place that she has. My son and I rescued her from a place that resembled hell. I have worked very hard to make sure she knows she is safe. She really is a good dog. She was a perfect family dog before baby. Now I just feel so guilty that she isn't able to roam the house or come into the livingroom with the family anymore. It's like she's segregated from being a part of the family since babies arrival .... it's been a year now and the thought of having to continue this for years to come breaks my heart.

I used to have a dog that would have nothing to do with my children, he would sleep on the landing all day but once my children were in bed, he was in the living room with us, usually on my knee. This was his choice not ours so we let him. Your baby goes to bed, your dog can then be part of your family, she will probably prefer it this way.

And I agree that they will become best of friends "Some Day" but.... when will that day come? My oldest son was 8 when we got her and she displayed dominant behavior with him for quite some time. We sought help and nipped it in the bud while she was young but it will be a while before the baby can show her that he is the dominant one.

What was this dominant behaviour she was showing towards him? Many dogs are labelled as dominant when there is another reason for their behaviour, handled wrong it can cause more problems.

Another quick thought is that through this past year she has become closer and closer to the older son and she sleeps with him and watches out for him... NOW I will walk into my son's room at night to check on him and she will be on his bed growling at me. Its as though she views my son as hers and is becoming more and more possessive of him... but I don't want to have to crate her at night and segregate her from her friend too! Is that what I should do or HAVE to do?

Can you give more information on this please? How far in the bedroom do you go? What are her ears doing when she is growling? I know it is a very strange question but it can tell lots, are they up, flat against her head or somewhere else? The more information you can give the better.

[dezzi77]

When My eleven year old was 8 Madi would mount him then bring him down to the ground and mouth him... but she never hurt him. He ended up being the main food provider for her and he was taught how to walk her and control her with a leash. She is a very strong dog... smaller in size but all muscle.

Regarding her growling at me when she is sleeping with my son... I would just barely walk in the doorway and she would lunge toward me and growl. Again, she never hurt me and stopped when I told her to. Honestly, I don't think I have ever really noticed her ears because of the darkness. She has been sleeping with my son for years now and it is my nightly routine to go in and kiss his head before I go to sleep... and say goodnite Madi. This behavior of hers has come so abruptly.... this is very new to us. Also, she will be in her crate and my husband will go to the fridge to grab an orange or whatever and she will growl at him.

We are so confused. She is the most loveable dog with us normally. But this bahavior has been progressing in the past year and we don't know what to do. We have tried to crate her when she does this or put her outside on her run to get some exercise...