Why does my dog growl in bed when guests are over? How to stop?

Do not let her into your room at bedtime. After she goes out for the last time give her a yummy treat or chew and put her in a crate to sleep in her bed in another room that you can confine her in. This behavior may get worse if you don’t stop it now. Please do not discipline her, it’s best to not let a confrontation happen by teaching her that your bed is not allowed ever, and she has her own place to sleep where she gets treats and her own space. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Nellie.

This sounds like a difficult situation for all of you. Dogs can growl for a variety of reasons as a warning to other animals or people. Behavior issues are complex because there is rarely a cut and dry type of answer that fits all situations. It's possible that Blue is territorial around his bed and/or feels threatened by your daughter. I strongly recommend consulting a veterinary behaviorist (https://www.dacvb.org/search/custom.asp?id=4709) before the situation escalates. Until your behaviorist consult, be sure to keep Blue and your daughter separated with physical barriers (e.g. doors and gates), and remind your daughter not to approach him. The main goal is maintaining everyone's safety.

If this is new, try to think of anything in your normal household routine that may have changed. Chances are that Tinkerbell is reacting to something she finds upsetting or threatening. The other possibility is that she is sick, so I would have her checked by a vet just to rule out that factor. If she is healthy, then the cause is behavioral. You can click on the prompt to initiate a consult so we can discuss this in more depth and get to the bottom of it and what to do about it.

My concern is more that he growled at you when you tried to get him off the bed. Some dogs begin to feel they are our equals when they are on our level, such as on the couch or in the bed. If he is becoming “bossy” or obstinate, then I would recommend keeping him off the bed. Also, if you need to get him off the bed then entice with a treat, or have a leash on. Do not grab or pull his collar as the growl may escalate to a bite. If the crate worked well then I recommend going back to it. Good luck, and thanks for using Pet Coach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Simba is either resource (you and/or the bed) guarding or trying to assert dominance over your husband. I would not allow Simba on the bed until your husband is in the bed OR Simba isn't allowed in the bed at all! the second is my recommendation. This is unacceptable behavior and should be taken seriously. Growling may lead to biting and that is not acceptable. You can also have a light leash on him so that you can pull him from in between the 2 of you to prevent a bite. Personally Simba should be removed from the bed permanently and trained to sleep on a bed on the floor or trained to sleep at the bottom of the bed. I wish you the best!

It's very common for dogs to growl or show other types of resource guarding behavior towards other dogs when they are eating. This is probably causing stress for both dogs, so I would recommend feeding them in separate rooms or in their crates (if they are crate-trained) to avoid this problem :)

This is more likely to be a significant dominance and defiance behaviour and needs immediate action to prevent escalation. It is important to start basic obedience training (sit, wait, come) by everyone in the house and also to define clear boundaries so he can understand and predict what is acceptable. In order to help create clear rules for him i recommend nit allowing dogs onto human beds or chairs and preferable out of bedrooms also