So i was at the store with my 9wk old Gus we where sitting in the car just letting him see people and cars go past, then i saw my friend and she came rushing over to see Gus and he growled at her! He didnt show teeth but it was clear he wanted her to not pet him. Then 20 mins later i see another friend and he again goes to pet Gus and i tell him to be calm when petting him and then Gus growls at him again. This has never happend before and i have no idea what to do. Have any of you experienced this? Did they grow out of it?
To a small 9 week old puppy, strangers no matter how well-meaning, are absolutely terrifying! Dogs aren't like humans who are naturally very tactile, dogs communicate in an entirely different way. So in the scenario above, when unable to flee, you got a scared puppy growl instead. A better way is to give your puppy the choice of meeting people or not. The person can throw small treats towards your puppy THEN move away. If the puppy chooses then to meet the person all well and good.
Double ditto Beanwood. To add, if you were sitting in your car and a friend rushed over, was she looking in the window at him? Up above him? Looming over him? That could be pretty scary for even you if you hadn't met the great big person before.
I think this is quite normal, even in adult dogs. Just today we were in a museum car park with Monty in the boot, and a steward approached the open window and talked to us. Monty barked a lot at the man, though I know if he'd approached us outside the car he would have been full of tail wags and licks, not barks (Monty, not the car park steward! ) For a tiny puppy this is probably even more fear inducing than for an adult dog.
Yes, I agree. As a kid I always wanted to talk to every dog I saw, I remember my Dad saying never to approach any dog unasked, and especially if they were in a car. He always said it wasn't fair, that a dog could feel threatened, with no means of escape for one thing, and that for another it may feel compelled to protect the car. @Isaac. I agree with others, let Gus have some say in the matter as to wether he wants to interact.
I agree with everyone above. At 9 weeks old he doesn’t know what aggression is, but will show this type of behaviour is scared or unsure about something.
In addition to all the very sensible advice above I would like to add that growling isn’t aggression, it’s communication. It’s a polite way of telling you (or someone else) that he is uncomfortable and please stop what you’re doing. It is a perfectly normal part of “conversation” and you should never tell your dog off for expressing how he feels, as that’s where bigger issues can arise. Not saying you did or would tell him off for growling, but people do, all the time. There’s a saying “telling a dog off for growling is like removing the batteries from a fire alarm”. Stopping the dog being able to tell you politely that he doesn’t like what you’re doing takes away that early warning system.
