My puppy growls over treats. Is it aggression or play? How to stop?

Hi there. Many dogs will freeze and growl, snarl, or snap if they have something valuable (like a bone or bully stick) and they're afraid you might take it away. This is actually quite a normal behavior for dogs, and is just their way of trying to protect their stuff :) To help Sam learn that you're not a threat, you can try walking by and casually tossing him a treat occasionally while he's chewing on his bone. This way, he learns that good things happen when you approach - so no need to growl! NEVER reprimand him for growling, and never try to forcibly take the bone away, as this will only teach him that he was right to be wary of you approaching and is likely to make the problem worse. If you want more detailed information about how to work on this problem, I highly recommend the book "Mine!" by Jean Donaldson.

Resource guarding (growling, snapping, or even biting when food or toys are taken away) is a common problem. To some extent, yes - this is normal behavior for dogs, in that they are hard-wired to defend food and other high value items from other animals. However, it's definitely something that we want to try and work on, since this behavior can be a problem in human households. I would recommend teaching Huxley to come when you call him, so that you can call him away from things when needed instead of physically intervening to take them away - make sure to always reward with a treat when he listens. You can also teach him to "drop it!" when asked, which gives you an easy way to get items away from him when needed. This article gives more detailed information on how to teach both of these skills: https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-obedience-commands-every-dog-should-know/ If this behavior worsens as he gets older, then I would recommend getting in touch with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate Huxley in person and help you put together a more detailed plan for working with him. You can search for one in your area here, if needed: www.dacvb.org

Resource guarding over toys or other items is very common in groups of dogs, and is even considered to be fairly normal behavior by many trainers. Most dogs don't like to share valued possessions with other dogs! This is a very difficult thing to address successfully through training, so in most cases the simplest option is to simply keep toys, sticks, etc. picked up and put away when groups of dogs are playing to avoid any issues :)

Oh dear! Growling when you pick her up is a major red flag for future problems in a puppy this age - this is not normal, and needs more help than just socialization. From your description, it's hard to say if her behavior with the other puppy is normal play or aggression. I would strongly recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate her in person and help you put together a plan to work on these issues - it's best to do this as soon as possible, since early intervention gives you a much better chance of being able to change this behavior before she grows up. I'm not sure what part of Canada you're in, but your regular veterinarian should be able to help you find out where your nearest board-certified veterinary behaviorist is so that you can make an appointment. In the meantime, I would try and avoid doing anything that tends to make her growl - instead of picking her up, for example, use treats to encourage her to come to you. I would also not recommend any kind of punishment for this behavior, as this has a high risk of making things worse over time. The behaviorist can help you identify what kinds of situations tend to trigger the growling, and will put together a training plan to work on this issue.

Good for you for wanting to work on this behavior now, while Jax is young. Resource guarding is a common behavior in dogs. He acts this way because he's afraid you are going to take away his food or bone, and feels that he has to protect his stuff from you. Treatment for this problem is focused on changing the dog's emotional reaction to having you approach. Essentially, you want to teach him that great things happen when you come near - so there's no need to get upset and growl or snarl. You can start by standing at a distance and tossing treats to him while he's eating or chewing on a bone. From there, as long as he's comfortable, you can progress to walking by and dropping treats on the floor or into his bowl. Eventually, it's possible to work up to touching his bone or food bowl, praising and giving a handful of tasty treats, and walking away again. NEVER try to deal with this problem by punishing Jax or taking away his things, as this will only make him more tense and defensive around you in the future. If you have difficulty with this training plan or if you are not seeing improvement within a few weeks, I would recommend consulting with a veterinary behaviorist or a good reward-based trainer who can help you in person. I also highly recommend the book "Mine!" by Jean Donaldson - it's an excellent guide to dealing successfully with resource guarding in dogs. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here (www.dacvb.org) or a qualified trainer here (www.ccpdt.org)

Food aggression or toy aggression is a common behavioral concern that can often be worked through. I would recommend hand feeding Sadie for each meal and teach her to “wait for it” before allowing her to eat. Once she is sitting and listening then allow her to eat. Start with a small amount in your hand, then put some in her bowl from your hand, then desensitize her to your hand in her bowl. I would also train her to “wait for it” for any toys she may love. If she is food motivated then she will associate this training with lots of reward and will learn not to “guard” her food or toys. If she is fully vaccinated then she is at a great age to begin puppy kindergarten. These classes are a great way to bond with her, establish boundries, and strengthen your relationship.

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is not a normal behavior in puppies. I recommend you seek the help of a dog trainer or behaviorist to try to deal with this while he is still a puppy which is a lot easier than when he becomes an adult. Good luck!