Why is my dog growling?

Question

Ok my dog used to be totally friendly and would never growl, only like 2 years ago she started to get kind of mean. She is totally happy during the day, but at night, if you approach her she will growl and snap if you try to touch her. Why is she doing this? Is she scared of us? Because after she is finished growling she comes up to me with her tail wagging fine and happy. Sometimes i think she's schitzophrenic lol. Any advice?

Answer 1

How old is your dog? Where is she when you approach her? When was the last time she was at the vet?

If your dog has any health issues (mental, eyes, hearing, arthritis, etc.), this can cause problems. She may simply not want anyone touching because she's in pain. Please ensure her health is good.

Alternatively, she may be very protective of an area or a person. See if there's something specific she is protecting.

However, my guess is that there is an "alpha dog" issue. She probably thinks she's the alpha, or top dog in the house. A top dog will let the other pack members, of which you would be one, know when it's acceptable to approach. Her growls are warning growls that an alpha dog gives to another dog to show she doesn't want to be bothered. You need more severe obedience and behavioral training to establish (or re-establish) yourself as the "alpha" in the household. This way, you are free to approach her at any time.

I had this issue a bit with my last dog (who passed), but he always still respected me - but just barely. I didn't do proper obedience training with him and as he aged, I think he felt he was an "alpha minus" in the house - that is, very close to me in rank. Like I said, he still respected me, but he would growl at certain times (usually when I moved him when he was resting on the couch or bed). I would win, these "battles", but other people were afraid of him because of this. I've since taken my two new pups for obedience training and have firmly established myself as the alpha dog. They listen without question. And this is key. You shouldn't be afraid of your own dog!

If she's far too old for this type of training (and by old, I mean 12+), they you just have to be respectful of her and let her live out her life. Treat her as you would an older relative - asking for permission before doing something. This is not something I recommend, but if your dog is very old, she's well past the training phase of her life. Just ensure that you do proper obedience training (which trains both the dog AND you) with your next pup.

I'm editing my reply to add that although my dog was growling when on the couch or bed, he was otherwise very loving, playful and even obedient. In other words, a dog could still be an alpha (or near alpha) in a home, but also prove to be loving and obedient at times. It's these other times, like when your dog growls, that you have to train.

Good luck!

Answer 2

your dog is prob growling because it might want to warn you of some case or it is UN happy or maybe you might want to get it on a leash and show her u are the boss. what i mean is that you want to walk her and play with her more. she must be very unhappy. go to the park during the day. when you get home spend some quality time with her. she must feel left out.

another thing is put a night light were she sleeps because it might be she is a afraid of the dark. did u get the dog from a shelter. if u did it was maybe a abused and that might be another problem. also if u have a job get some toys and put food inside to keep them happy and intertained.

Answer 3

how old is she? if she's an older dog, could be common aches and pains after the day. if she was psychotic or schitzo, i would think it would happen at random times, not just at night. she's not scared of you i guarantee that. but there's something going on.

take notes that you can present to your vet.
does she growl when
you touch her head?
her back?
when she's laying down?
when she's eating?
etc., etc.

is she having trouble seeing? at night her vision may be worse.
How's her hearing? Does she seem to ingnore you sometimes, then seem startled when you approach her?
If she's not an older dog, then i'm assuming it's a dominance thing in which she is showing that you can only touch her if she gives permission to do so. if that's the case, better get that "in check" with a professional.

dogs do suffer from mental and nervous system disorders. if diagnosed correctly, they can be helped with medication. but sinse your dog can't tell you what's going on, you have to go through the painstaking journey of figuring it out.

And your vet cannot usually diagnose with just 1 20 minute visit. you have to provide him with as much information as you can, such as taking notes. so you can discuss these things with him

Answer 4

Dogs are not schizophrenic - that's a human condition. How old is your dog? As dogs age, their eyesight and other senses aren't as sharp, dogs fall into a deeper sleep than they did when they were younger. So - when you come up to them when they're sound asleep, they don't hear or see you coming and you startle them awake. It's only common sense to let your dog know you're approaching, then you won't get growled at. Call the dog's name, quietly but so she can hear you, before coming up to her, especially at night.

Answer 5

If its really dark in your house (you did say it was only at night), she may not notice that it is you. Or she may just see your shadow or silouette and get frightened (my dog does the same thing). Also, poor eyesight could be a factor. It's nothing to freak out about, animals have poor eyesight just like we do, but if things are a little blurry then she might get scared from that also. Just make sure you talk to her as you approach her and she'll recognize your voice and know there is nothing to be scared of.

Answer 6

Did you approach her in the dark? Did you sneak up and startle her? Sometimes when dogs are half asleep, they get confused and will bark or growl first. Afterwards, they're like, "oops, it's you?" You can tell when a dog is embarrassed.

Answer 7

There are a bunch of things you should know about dog training but we are going to discuss what I feel are some the most important. Keep in mind that these are only some of the things you should know. Go here http://OnlineDogTraining.enle.info/?7907

1. Repetition is the number 1 principle of dog training. Dogs just like humans learn by doing things over and over in order to get better.

2. Dog Training can and should be fun for both you and your new pet.

3. Training sessions should always be short but sweet. I never work a dog more than 15 minutes in a session to keep from losing the dog's attention. You should train you dog at least once a day but never more than three formal sessions a day.

4. Your goal should be that each training session is just a little bit better than the last one. You need to always strive to make the training better, slowly. I mention this because quite often I see people who do daily training sessions but the dog never gets better and it is not the dogs fault.

5. Having patients is very important in dog training. Losing your temper does not work with a canine it simply makes things worse.

6. Exercise is very important in the training process to get rid of all the dogs nervous energy.

7. Taking your pet for walks is very important because it develops serotonin which gives your dog a feeling of well being.

8. Always be sure to give your dog a bunch of praise in your training. It is your dog's paycheck for doing a great job.

9. Never hit your dog. I have heard people say I never hit my dog instead I roll up a magazine and swat it. It's the same thing... hitting is hitting.

10. After each training session be sure to do something that your dog will enjoy. Take it for a walk, throw the ball or maybe even rub its belly. Just do something that makes the dog look forward to the next training session.

These are things that I teach my dog training students as well as my dog training clients. I hope these things will give you something to think about when training your dog. Spend some time training your dog daily and you will both reap the benefits.

Answer 8

My dog is something like this but he calms down and he always growls when I'm alone with him because they think ghosts are in the house or they think someone bad is out there...

Answer 9

she is mad about something !!
is someone else around at night is it loud ??? you should take her to the vet and see if the vet knows whats up!! just remember to be very gentle and kind to her

Answer 10

I think you should talk with a professinal