[_Linda_]

The girls had rawhide chews and Twixie bless her is not the fastest eater, Cori kept on trying to pinch Twix's and she did, so we took it back off her (she already had hers and Jana's :roll: ) and she growled at me and OH

Got the chews off her and she was put into her crate for 10 minutes time out, my OH was all for her going to be rehomed, but I think it was just one of those one time things :? I know it was just the shock of it and most definitely am never going to rehome her, she is my dope

She was let out after 10 minutes and was all apologetic looking after being ignored for 10 minutes but I am worried if she might do this to my son, I think I am blowing this out of proportion, am I right?

My gut feeling is the testing the boundaries stage and she has never done anything like this before, in fact she is a none too bright dope normally :?:

 

[_Donna_]

hope it was just a one off, no advise for you, and she was just testing the boundaries.x

 

[Mosey]

Sounds like perfectly normal food guarding. She just needs to be reminded who's boss - sounds like she's getting a bit 'too' confident. Lola sometimes needs to be given extra boundaries too for similar reactions.

Glad you were sensible though - deffo not a reason to rehome. It'd break your heart later.

 

[_Linda_]

Sounds like perfectly normal food guarding. She just needs to be reminded who's boss - sounds like she's getting a bit 'too' confident. Lola sometimes needs to be given extra boundaries too for similar reactions.

Glad you were sensible though - deffo not a reason to rehome. It'd break your heart later.

You are so right Mo, she is just a cocky little devil and needed reminded who is boss ( ie my son ) but in her eyes it has to be me, she has been a wee darling up until now so I was just so shocked She is a confident wee devil so I know this is a little blip but it was just I have to protect my son, though she is angel around him

Just been a funny day but tomorrow is another day and happily (though as teacher not for you) the schools are back on Wednesday My son will love it and the girls routine can get back to normal

The other two were a bit shocked too I think, Jana gave her a right telling off when she was out of her 10 minute time out :lol: :lol: :lol:

Cori is now again cuddled up to Twix, cleaning her ears as if to say sorry :lol: You have got to love these adorable labs

 

[...]

Try not to panic too much. Growling is just a dogs polite way of saying "Gerroff". I'd much rather a dog growl and give that warning, than one that just lunged and bit and in my experience, growling does not lead to that.

Look at it from Coris point of view....Twix's chew was obviously the BEST (like someone elses bag of chips :wink: ) and it took her a while to relieve Twix of it.....and then you came along and took it off her after all that effort. No wonder she grumbled really :wink: .

My girls growl at each other if one tries to nab the others bones. That's all it is though, they sort of growl and turn away in an evasive move, there is no snapping, or lip curling, or standing over the bone and posturing, just a sort of "Bog Off it's MINE". Ok they haven't done the same to me or any person since they were tiny (I think they all did it when they were tiny) because they know I'm not going to take it away until they have finished with it and if I do have to take it away (because they have broken off a chokable sized chunk) then I swap it for something nice....but I can see how in the heat of the moment, especially if everything was happening fast, instincts could kick in and they could easily make a mistake and grumble at us too.

If you can't train Cori to leave Twix alone while eating, then it may be a good idea to put them in seperate rooms until Twix has finished, as whatever she has will always be of higher value, so Cori will be more likely to grumble if you take that chew away from her rather than her own one.

If growling really meant trying to be the Boss or that the dog was viscious, then Mojo would have been rehomed or even PTS years ago, as she is the grumbliest dog I know, yet the least likely dog to do anything other than just grumble because she just hasn't got the balls to back it up. :lol:

 

[EvelynH]

I admit, i would die if one of my dogs ever would growl....

so i try to avoid such situations....
when mine are little and are eating.. i go to them and give them some extra thing (pasta, bread, little pieces of butter) into the food bowl...

after about a week they relax........
and when i go now, they just do a step beside...
because they are awaiting something nice...

if cori would be mine....
i would feed her right out of my hand for about a week.....
would not let her to the other dogs... just mind every dog at their place....
and would start to go at the food bowl as i did with the pups....
not go their and take her food away.....

evelyn

 

[Blypark]

Can I just put in my fourpenny worth? Putting a dog in a crate as 'punishment' is not a good idea.
The crate is meant to be a 'safe haven'.
Dogs don't understand the principle of the 'naughty step'
As Jules said, the dogs were being dogs.
Put your slow eater in the crate to eat - nice place and safe place.
if your dog is possessive over bones etc, don't just take away, swop.
It is the taking away which makes the situation worse. keep swopping, so that your dog is getting something out of it.
Sherry

 

[Triona]

Can I just put in my fourpenny worth? Putting a dog in a crate as 'punishment' is not a good idea.
The crate is meant to be a 'safe haven'.
Dogs don't understand the principle of the 'naughty step'
As Jules said, the dogs were being dogs.
Put your slow eater in the crate to eat - nice place and safe place.
if your dog is possessive over bones etc, don't just take away, swop.
It is the taking away which makes the situation worse. keep swopping, so that your dog is getting something out of it.
Sherry

I just wanted to say that I agree with everything you said, Sherry

 

[_Linda_]

Thank you for your comments and I appreciate the advice I was a bit shocked as she has never growled before but I have to say she did not snap which really would have worried me

Twix is always fed seperately to the other two at all time, she is a slow eater and at her age she does not need the hassle :roll: :roll:

IF they get the treats, Twix usually does get seperated from the hooligans but my son would not allow it, but I will make sure that they seperated at all times in the future

Sherry, I do agree putting her in the crate was a very bad idea and a mistake, though it was a one off but certainly will not make the same mistake again. In future I will just ignore her for 10 minutes as that is what she hates the most :?

Cori is normally nothing like this so to be honest it was my fault and I will learn from it, the younger two have been tought to leave Twix in peace but I will need to reinforce it strictly

We live and learn dont we :roll: