2-3 year old red male almost snapped at me this morning

[crisko777]

I'm like a step dad to him. I'm the strongest in the house and he knows it. I will sometimes man handle him gently, not like abuse but to make him sit, pick him up - playfully - and half the time he jokingly nips in that playful way. I never hit or push rudely...always gentle or playful and he always takes it as rough housing and he always play bites back.

This is the second time he has seemed genuinely aggressive and it scared me. I've always known where dogs stand and I've never got to the point where they straight up snap that fast. Usually it's a gentle growl or light nip to let me know I've gone too far (trying to pick them up, etc)

Here is the exact situation this morning:

1. I go outside and see him laying in thee yard.
2. He's a bit sleepy and does the usual head down almost in a scared manner and walks toward me with tail wagging - seems a little like he's cowering but again I have never beat him or even raised my voice much at him...
3. he rolls over on his back (as usual)
4. I pet his face, massaging it. (Trying to get him out of the habit of rolling over when he sees me)
5. His belly is dusty so I avoid it.
6. I pat my legs and get him to sit up.
7. He sits down and tries to put his paws on my stomach so I go behind him and hold his chest a little and pet him.
8. He growled in a serious manner and showed teeth.
9. I calm him down till he stops growling and let him go.
10. He then jumps up on me and I let him and then walk away and he walks a few feet back and then eagerly follows me into the garage.

I'm legit scared at this point as I've never had any dog growl at me like that...even dogs where the owner says he growls at everyone, etc....

Any ideas what is going?

He also hates my girlfriend and does this weird ass suppressed growling where his bark seems half-assed...

Apparently no one else has a problem with him.

 

[aspiegrace]

@crisko777

This is the second time he has seemed genuinely aggressive

Was the other situation in which this happened similar to the one you described here?

 

[crisko777]

@aspiegrace I actually can't recall it exactly but he genuinely seemed like he turned on me and wanted to really bite and attack me.

 

[aspiegrace]

@crisko777 Do you think it might have been related to where you were touching him?

 

[crisko777]

@aspiegrace Maybe? I heard dogs don't like being touched on the neck area?

 

[aspiegrace]

@crisko777 A lot of dogs can be sensitive about where and how they are touched. It's really hard to say without seeing it and with only having a couple instances where it's been a problem, but this is my first thought. Mine doesn't like being touched or handled in many ways (touching her feet or back legs, putting things around her chest, etc.) and will definitely growl to let me know. She'll move away if she can, but barring that, I wouldn't put a bite past her (which is why she's muzzled at the vet).

It's good to keep in mind that growling is an important form of communication for dogs. We often take it as a personal affront, but for them it's just clearly telling you that they don't like that and please stop doing it. If we fail to listen, they may resort to sending the message clearer.

Here's a good overview about how to tackle growling: https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/12_10/features/Dealing-With-Dog-Growling_16163-1.html

Hope some of that helps!

 

[crisko777]

@aspiegrace The growling I experience isn't playful or like a warning. It's like he's ready to attack me. As if he turned into a stray dog for the moment. I grab his feet all the time and he play bites and wags his tail.

I'll get a video next time if I can

 

[aspiegrace]

@crisko777 A video would definitely help in trying to read the situation. But it's also usually advised to try as best we can to prevent situations in which we think the dog will likely exhibit unwanted behavior, such as growling.

Growling can generally be divided into two categories: play and warning. Warning growls can range from the slightest of lip curls to far scarier and menacing sounds full of teeth. For what it's worth, I think if your dog wanted to attack you, he would have. Not that I'd put biting past him (or any dog), but the growling was communicating something, even if we don't fully know what the growling was in reaction to. For perspective, it would be worse to have a dog who doesn't give growls at all and bites without warning.

If it starts to happen more frequently, you might look into a couple things. 1. A vet visit to see if he's hurting. I don't think it's likely from what you've said, but a dog in pain will often exhibit fear, growling, and biting behavior. 2. Don't be afraid to consult a good behaviorist if you become worried about your dog's behavior. Better than us, they can observe you and your dog to try to figure out exactly what's going on.

Best of luck!

 

[ovis90]

@crisko777 he's just hard bp. thinking there are "special" connections and shit like that.

 

[crisko777]

@ovis90 Bp?

 

[trainlady]

@crisko777 We have had similar issues with our ACD mix. He was my husband's dog before I even moved in with him while dating and it has taken almost 2 years to him to warm up to me completely. We find he will roll over and act like he wanted his belly rubbed but then growl/show his teeth. We have found training and 'working' together helps him create a better bond with me. ACDs are work dogs and they love to know their role and be praised when they do it right. I'm not sure quite what I'm saying but once we understood him more, we were able to get it under control.

Edit: I reread your post and you mentioned that you never raise your voice or anything towards him, I would increase your verbal praise of him when he is good. We found our rescue (who had time as a stray) just had low self esteem too. We give him daily walks and he seems to take pride in 'helping' my husband take out the trash or work in the yard. We found him to be fair more pleasant after a good day of 'work'.