A dog that growls at and/or bites its owner does so for some reason, even if the behavior appears to be "unreasonable" to the owner.
Call your vet right away and schedule an appointment for a complete medical examination. Talk with your vet about testing your dogs hormonal balance, neurophysiologic functions and allergies. The test results may reveal the underlying cause. This has been especially helpful in dogs that have mood swings.
When growling or biting has erupted as a consequence of scolding or punishment for behavior such as chewing, jumping, general unruliness, or overprotection of food, these problems must be dealt with swiftly and firmly to correct the aggression it is initiating.
The dogs owner must understand that their dog growls or bites at them as a result of defensive feelings. Even the dog that growls when ordered off the couch is reacting defensively, as it feels its dominance status has been threatened.
If scolding and punishment provoke aggression, the dog is reacting to a perceived threat to its physical safety. In either of these situations, the owners threatening behavior is producing negative results.
If the results of a medical examination show no signs of a medical condition that would be causing this behavior, the owner will have to examine his or her own behavior closely to determine what he or she is doing to make the dog feel threatened.
If you cant hire the services of a professional, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer! by Adam Katz for indepth instructions on dog behavior training.
Copyright 2006 by Dick Colman - All Rights Reserved
Dog Behavior Training
