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Wow! Can't do that anymore!!

6K views 60 replies 11 participants last post by  Jag 
#1 ·
When I play tug with Layla, she growls and carries on like a maniac. We've always called her "psycho puppy" when she starts growling like this. It's all in play, though.

I was just playing like this with a stuffed toy of hers (then throwing it down the hall for her) and Grim heard her growling and saw that she was engaged with me (the stuffie was small... I don't know if he thought she was biting me or what) and he came running up and grabbed her by the scruff and pulled her away from me. He was NOT playing. :eek: When he got her off me, he moved to stand in front of me, blocking her. It wasn't resource guarding as he doesn't care if I pet her, etc. That's not the issue. I've NEVER seen him react to her like that. They are best buddies. He didn't growl at her or bark or anything... just pulled her off and then 'stood guard' over me. I know one thing now... if any dog comes at me, Grim will try to take them out. :shocked:
 
#58 ·
I had a hunch you were upset over the other thread. I know life can bombard us with too much crap all at once. I know all about loose stools from indulgences also, lol -dried liver in my case. So you're human, just like the rest of us. But next time (if there is one) when you post something, and someone replies with some advice, maybe just say, "Thanks" and realize that they only have the dogs' best interest in mind.
 
#59 ·
I will try to do that. For now, I'm just going to keep my pup to myself. I just thought something so shocking would be good to share. My bad. I will admit I'm very, very stressed right now, and have been for the past week or so. The house we're moving to is less than ideal. I can understand someone wanting what's in the dog's best interest, but if someone posts that they've got it... well, I trust that they've got it. Especially if they've posted that they've had other GSDs and aren't new to the breed, training, etc. Maybe I shouldn't have felt so insulted, and I didn't at first. The more it went on, though...

Good lesson here. Think before you post.
 
#60 ·
I guess maybe it just wasn't so shocking to us. But when it happens to us, it's a reflex action to grab the puppy and stop the behavior right that moment, not let the action play out. And by knowing the consequences that result from it. Like if the puppy gets the Thanksgiving tukey cooling on the counter, even just that one time, a counter surfer is now born. Nothing at all was meant to be taken personally, it was meant to be a heads up. I don't know about the other posters who were part of this "slam" idea, but I'd bet my life they feel the same way I do.
 
#61 ·
Well, this is where my frustration came into play. He's come trotting or running over before... to play. He and Layla will play tug together, also. So I had no reason to think there was going to be any trouble... or that he was upset. If he'd growled... or done anything other than what he'd done in the past, I'd have certainly stopped him. Going after food... it would be obvious to stop that. He's come over to join in play, though, hundreds of times without incident. He doesn't always... but sometimes he does. He isn't pushy about it, either. Sometimes my brain works in slow mode, especially when I'm in a flare. I'm in a flare now because of the moving stress. So maybe someone else could have reacted in that 2 seconds. I was just in a state of shock. If he was 'upset' I'd have expected him to growl at her or something. That was another reason I didn't react right off. However, I certainly won't allow it to happen again. I will assume he has bad intentions, and after we move and settle, I will leash him and play with her like this and correct his behavior. I don't usually play with her like this when he's out (to the point that she goes into her wild growling). It's usually something I do with her when he's crated and I have my 'alone time' with her. She doesn't always growl when you play with her. I honestly don't remember if she's done it in front of him or not. It's still not an excuse. He cannot be acting like that. She doesn't usually growl or anything when playing with him, either. He sounds like a bear cub, but she's quiet. She did make all kinds of noise when playing with our old lady mutt. I don't know why she's quiet when playing with him. They play really rough, too. She loves it. She doesn't know she's a 'small dog'.
 
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