Puppy Growling

[Sophies Mama]

Hi There, I need help...my Sophie has only been with us for 4 days and those days have been super busy for her and us...she is growling at me and only me when I pick her up and try to cuddle her...what is up with that...she is 7.5 weeks old and we are a family of 3 my daughter who is 17 and my partner and she does not growl at them just me...what can I do...I have read that being aloof would be helpful but surely there must be some other solution...aloof is not really me...I will try it if that is what it will take, but I feel terrible that she is growling at me...help!!

 

[BxrMommieNAZ]

A puppy at that age doesn't growl to be mean. So she probably wants to play with you. Have you tried putting her down and playing instead of picking her up? Some pups just aren't huge cuddlers and would rather be on the go and play play play and then drop and sleep sleep sleep and pick it up and play play play some more.

 

[LILYLARUE]

I agree, a lot of puppies would rather play with you than cuddle. Heck, Lily just started her cuddling and she's 2 1/2! Try playing with her next time and see if she immediately responds. If she does, then growling was her way of telling you that's what she wanted.

If she gets a little bitey, and or more growly, let us know. It could be time for some NILIF training.

 

[gmacleod]

I think it is worth bearing in mind that picking puppies up, cuddling, and especially the act of enclosing them in arms is a very threatening gesture. You may not mean it in a threatening way (I'm sure you don't), but hugging/cuddling/holding are warm fuzzy gestures only to primates. It has the exact opposite connotation to dogs.

That doesn't mean that, over time, dogs can't learn that that sort of behaviour from humans is NOT the threatening or overbearing gesture that they think it is, or that it *would* be if it came from a canine. But at the same time, it doesn't hurt to show a little sensitivity to your pup's perceptions and restrict your hugging/picking up actions to those she is comfortable with. Why is it different for you versus your husband or daughter? Impossible to know. Maybe you hug a bit tighter, or bend your upper body more completely over her, and hence appear more of a threat. Maybe its the opposite, and she's braver with you, hence more inclined to let you know that she's uncomfortable with it. The reason isn't that important really, but listening to her objections is She's not a furry human, she's a dog - human gestures of affection just aren't perceived the same way by dogs, and it's only right that we recognise that and adapt to it.

My suggestion would thus be not to force it, but rather to restrict the picking up, etc to that which she is comfortable with. Over time, she will likely learn to be more comfortable with hugging-type gestures from humans.