Hiya everyone, I was wondering whether anyone has come across this behaviour before. My chocolate labrador every evening will jump on the sofa and grab a cushion. Also he jumps on the bed and steals the pillow and when we try to get it off him he growls at us, wagging his tail. Then he will jump on my husband and push the cushion in his face also wagging his tail. I dont know how to control him. He is not aggressive but we have little one who stay over and although he has not done it to them it makes me a little wary. Thanks - Gail
Yep every night he loves soft furnishings . Usually when he's tired and had his tea. He parades around with them too there are certain times of the day when he does it. I have my treat bag strapped on and we do leave it. He's fine I just take them calmly reward calmness not pillow grabbing and he stops and usually goes to sleep. He's just playing being silly so I just distract him and get him to relax.He's just excited and feels the need to have something on his mouth. I found some dogs just feel they need some thing to tease or present . My friends lab also does it but my other labs never have I don't get excited or angry just ask him to leave it and don't get concerned about it. He wants to make a game of it he wants to be chased so if you stay calm don't make a fuss and get him to leave it it not as much fun. I also have a toy a giant squeeky toad which he has to go and get instead of a cushion. Rorys nearly 4 and still a soft finishing fool, but I hes so much better.
Quinn grabs pillows and throw blankets when she is feeling playful...she's not a growler (doesn't make much noise other than whining), but I can imagine if she was, she would be play growling at us. She usually grabs a pillow and falls over with it and bites it and paws at it, then runs around a bit jumping on furniture, bringing us toys. Almost always in the evening when she is feeling bored before her last walk. It doesn't bother me, so I let her do her thing or I take it as my cue that it's time for a walk. You could ask for a leave it and engage in something else - like a sit and reward, or pull out a tug toy. Quinn will stop immediately if I engage her in something else.
It sounds like he's trying to start a game. I see this behaviour in my dogs when they're trying to get each other to play. They all do it, but Willow is the only one that growls when she does it - she can sound quite ferocious. She grabs a toy, parades it and shoves it into the other dogs' faces, growling all the time, until they relent and try to take it off her, at which time, she'll prance away. If you want to stop it, you can train a "give" cue, start some other training, or just ignore him - which might lead to an escalation at first. It's normally born of boredom, though, so maybe introducing some more interaction around the time he's likely to start would help.
Obi does what Willow does but in the absence of other dogs he does it to people - like your dog does, Gail. The growling too, though it's more of a rumble than a growl (an actual threatening growl is different and comes with a hard stare, lips pressed together, and a stiff body). The behaviour with the toy is a 'party invitation'. We are naughty and usually join in the game. But it can be prevented with a short training session in the early evening.
Thank you - what we are starting to do is two fold, we just ignore him if he does it with pillows in lounge. If he does it on bed we now have squeaky toy at the ready. Its all about small steps. Fingers crossed we get it sorted
Thank you. What you describe is Bailey down to a tee. Im sorting a new approach with ignoring him or getting a toy to distract him.
