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Posted by Margaret on January 30, 2008, 5:33 am, in reply to "Karen -- advice on issue with Ricky?"
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a. had an issue with petting him on his hindquarters, especially when he has to evacuate. If I or hubby would pet him there, he would turn his head towards the area, and if the petting continued, would growl. We stopped the action and took no corrective measures.
As Karen says, it could be pain etc. but why are you petting him there when he is evacuating?
b. had toy/stick/greenie/rawhide aggression (but no food guarding or aggression). He growls when playing tug of war, so we discontinue the tug of war when he begins to growl.
What type of growl is it? Several of my dogs growl when playing both with myself and each other, it is part of the play and sounds different to aggressive growling. Children make a lot of noise when they are playing, far more noise than dogs do.
Only of late has he begun this:
a. when petting him when he was in a deep sleep on the bed, for television viewing only, he awakes with a growl -- he is no longer allowed on the bed.
I snap if someone wakes me up so I wouldn't expect my dogs to be any different
Before I got my Greyhound, I was told never to touch a Greyhound when they are asleep you are likely to be bitten but I don't touch my dogs when asleep anyway, I make noises first to wake them up.
b. when petting him on hindquarters or trying to move him off the couch, where he and I rested, he growls and now snaps -- he is no longer allowed on the couch.
What do you mean by petting? Are you stroking him or gently patting?
c. when being forcibly moved off of a carpet area that he ate on, he growled and his teeth met my hand, but did not break the skin.
How are you forcibly moving him off the carpet? Dogs don't like their collars grabbed and many will react to this. I find the best way is a house lead, I can then get them off without stressing them by grabbing their collar.
I work at home, and he is with me in the room where I work. I am using NILIF with him now. He used to go up onto the couch, but is now instructed to lie in his bed instead. When I leave the room, I come back to find him on the couch, but he quickly goes to the dog bed on command.
Of course he will get on the couch when you are not in the room, that is natural especially as he has been allowed to in the past. You cannot train or stop a dog if you are not in the room. If he is getting off as soon as you either come in or tell him, he is being good.
As Karen says, a full vet check to see if there is a problem with his back end, pain does change our dogs considerably.
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