My dog won't stop growling!?

Question

I have this adorable 2 year old west highland terrier. He's pretty big for his type of dog, but I love him anyway and find that's what makes him unique from the rest of the dogs.
The problem? He will NOT stop growling! He likes to sleep at the end of my bed at night and if I pull the sheets up, he growls. He growls if the carpet he's lying on gets lifted up a bit. He growls when he THINKS somebody's trying to steal his toy. He growls when you won't let him outside. He growls for no reason at all sometimes. You get the picture. Anyway, I've tried telling him "no!" loudly and I've tried letting him outside when he doesn't want to go but he never stops growling! He is not neglected nor abused, and please don't tell me to abuse him. I love him too much. And I also REFUSE to put a muzzle on my dog. I am not a cruel owner-though putting a muzzle on your dog if he bites isn't cruel, my dog doesn't bite.

He's neutered.

Answer 1

He is resource guarding, likely because he is confused about who is the pack leader. Try NILIF (nothing in life is free) to establish leadership in a non-confrontational way. Used consistently, it should change his behavior within days.
see links for more on how to use NILIF.

Answer 2

A dog growls for different reason.s They can growl out of fear of a situation. They can growl when they are protecting. He obviously thinks he is the boss in the house and he is protecting you. He is alpha in your pack.

It's a process but you need to take back the pack leader spot so he can learn to relax. Get a good book. It's too complicated to do you lesson in this format. You can go to a website www.cesarmillan.com and learn a lot. Discipline is the most important thing in being a dog. food and love are next. In a dog pack there is comfort in the status and your dog as assumed he is the pack leader and that requires a lot of work.

Answer 3

Dominance rolls should NEVER be done. There is a reason why there is a viewer warning before each episode of "the dog whisperer." Dominance rolls do not exist in the dog world. One dog may knock another over on accident, or one may willingly submit, but a dominant dog forcing another over and then holding it there is a myth. A much better show is on Animal Planet called "It's me or the dog" with Victoria Stilwell. Your dog does need to learn that you are in charge and that everything in his world is really yours, but aggression on your part will only encourage aggression on his part. The NILIF suggestion is best. Your dog needs to sit to say please for everything. Stop letting him guard the bed by putting him out of the bedroom completely. Give him a nice soft place to sleep, then put up a baby gate or close the door. This shows him that while he can have a nice place to sleep, the best place to sleep is reserved for you. Make him sit for his food, but only feed him after you have eaten. Measure out a proper amount of food in the morning and evening. Make him sit and pretend to eat a few pieces, then set the bowl down. If he leaves the sit before you give him permission, pick the bowl back up and tell him to sit again. Don't allow him to have the food until YOU decide he can leave the sit. You control his food and by feeding him after you have eaten, you show him that you get the best food first. Do the same with his toys. When he wants to play, he has to sit. When you are ready to stop playing, just stop and put the toy away. Make sure to wear him out, Westies need a lot of exercise and a tired dog is a good dog. To take a toy, teach him the "give" command. If he has the toy, say give and offer him a treat in trade. If he thinks he will get something better than the toy, you are less likely to get bit than if you try to forcefully take it. Don't let him decide when it is time to go outside. Put him in a sit at the door. If he growls, walk away, don't say anything. Come back a few minutes later and try again. If he gets ANY attention for growling, even what you consider to be a punishment, he will learn that growling gets him attention and frequently gets him what he wants. By gently asserting that you are in charge, you will get no aggressive reactions from him and you will have a much better relationship with him since you will gain his trust by taking care of his needs. People who have to resort to physically dominating their dogs have no understanding of dog behavior and have dogs who neither trust nor respect them. If he has not been neutered, please do so soon. This is not the type of temperament that should be passed on. Ask around and see if you can get recommendations for a local trainer. Obedience training with a professional (ask for their qualifications) will help you to have a dog that is a joy to live with.

Answer 4

Absolutely consider what learning curve said in the first reply.

Another thing to think about... because you say that he's growling for "no reason". You may want to take him to the vet and have him checked out for any underlying health issues that aren't apparent. Dogs will sometimes show "aggressive" or dominate behaviors if they are injured or ill, whether we humans can see symptoms of health problems or not.

Answer 5

I second the NILIF idea. Your dog may be behaving the way it is because it's afraid, and has learned that growling gets him left alone. Instead of yelling at the dog (only proving in his mind that you might in fact hurt him), use food treats as lures to get him to do what you want.

Also check out www.fearfuldogs.com to learn about conditioning and counter conditioning.

Answer 6

They are right. your dog thinks he is the boss of you! You need to ALWAYS be the alpha leader in your home or it will result in problems later.
Here is a quick tip to re-establish dominance over your dog. You must be firm and confident when you do this, but not rough or aggressive. When your dog growls at you you, immediately roll him over on his back and grab the loose skin on the front of his neck. Hold him in this position (firmly gripping the skin) until his facial expression changes and he begins to relax/submit. Naturally, don't hurt or choke the dog, just hold him there. When he relaxes, let him up and praise him briefly.
When you see dogs at play you will see them do this to each other to establish pack order.
NatinalGeographicchannel.com has some great video of Cesar Millan on his Dog Whisperer show. I can't recommend him enough.

Answer 7

sometimes if you dog isn't neutered he will show aggression and he'll think hes the dominate one, so if he's not neutered neuter him.