My dog has a habit that, if i get up from the sofa for any reason, she will jump straight up in my place.
I have no probs with her being on the sofa, thats fine, but not in my spot!
When i go to sit back down she will not move, so i have to pick her up and physically move her.
However, tonight when i went to move her she growled at me. I was shocked by this cos she has never moaned about it before. I just said to her. "Don't you growl at me madam", and moved her over.
Now, my question is this. Having never been growled at before, obviously she is warning me not to touch her cos i may bite you, what is the best way to deal with this? Should i just assert my dominance over her and move her or is there a better way?

Hi Ruby Tuesday love your username, in my opinion i wouldn;t let her on the couch anymore, because she needs to learn it is a priviledge and not something that should be taken for granted, she will soon stop growling.  You dont need to be harsh just dont let her on the sofa Dogs are like kids they need boundaries.

warm regards Susan

The thing is, to the dog the couch is the couch and she won't understand being allowed on part of it but not another part. Your spot will smell most of you so will be most interesting. :)

Its all very well not letting the dog on the sofa, but can you enforce that when you arent there?

I would guess that the dog is probably more unhappy abut being picked up, than about not being allowed to remain in that spot on the sofa.

You have done the right thing in not backing off, or over reacting or anything.

If she does it AGAIN, i would attach a trailing line to her collar so she can be removed without any part of you being in biting range.

I would also work on training an 'off' command for rewards.

If you want her to just sit on one spot on the sofa, tha IS possible but you will make it easier by making that spot notably different from any other spot.

Put a blanket on her end of the sofa, reward her for lying there well, and saying nothing, oik her out of your spot whenever she is there.

I def. dont recommend picking dogs up, they do not like it!

Em

Personally, I wouldn't wait for her to do it again - I'd work straight away on teaching her the 'off' command with the use of a long line to reinforce it and plenty of rewards and even a small food lure in the initial stages.  Make sure she has somewhere warm and equally comfortable herself to settle and that she gets rewarded for staying in that place when you get up.  I suspect she's seeking the warmth in the spot you've just left, and lets face it, sofas MUST be comfortable, otherwise we wouldn't spend such long period on them, so Em's idea of marking one area of the sofa with a blanket for her is a good one :)

my dog does the same for my spot on the bed- although she doesnt growl she moves reluctantly, i just give her a hard stare and go to sit on her- that moves her over fast and you wont have to touch her and risk getting bitten.

My dogs do it.

(An yes digger actually on reflection i wouldnt wait for a second go at being growled at!).

I get in bed and the dogs are alreadly there, and i say 'off' and they go 'huh wha?? me? nooooo, theres room, squidge up'.... and i say OFF and they say 'hmmm hey ok ill curl up the other way rounda nd shove my nose REALLY far up my bum'... and i say 'shift yer bleedin arse furface' (or words to that effect) and they say 'humph well if you reallyl WANTED me to move why didnt you say that in the first place'.

None of them object to being removed, none of them growl at me, BUT i suspect if i tried to pick one up they wouldnt like it very much.

My dogs have also learned (they think haha) that i actually WILL sit on them.... its a rare and very dim dog that doesnt shift its bottom when it sees mine descending!

My dogs dont move first time off the bed because i have trained them not to. Not on purpose, but they know i dont MEAN it until i really really MEAN it!
They move first time off the sofa because they think i will sit on them if they dont. I wont, but with the size of my bum they arent really willing to risk it!

Em

Ha Ha I do that too just aim my rear in thier direction and they dont want to risk it so theyre ..gone!

To growl at you is lack of respect I was having this problem but it was more of a grumble than a growl when I want to get her in the position to groom .
My trainer friend told me I must have changed something usually very small that has made her suddenly decide that she didnt want grooming ...I realised I had as I was grooming pup first to get her out of the way as Ellie took longer we presume she must have taken umbridge to this ...I now groom Ellie first always and guess what the grumbling has ceased.

Roni

ROFL theemx, that's just what I get from my dogs when I tell them to move over on the sofa! Mind you, although 2 of them will budge when they sit my bum approaching, the 3rd one will be sat on rather than move, so I have to pick him up and move him. He doesn't object or growl or anything, just lies there looking rather uncomfortable with you sitting on him! :-D

Hi Ruby

The best way to deal with this is to train your dog to move herself, so that you don't move her.  If you get into a physical battle with her to move her, that's when you're setting yourself up as her opponent.  Better to treat train her to jump on and off the sofa.

Show her a treat and then chuck it on the sofa.  Say "On", just before she jumps.  Then chuck a treat on the floor, say "Off" just before she jumps off to get that treat.  Do this several more times.

Then say "On" without throwing the treat first.  When she jumps on, give the treat and lots of fuss.  Then say "Off" without throwing the treat first - when she jumps off, give the treat and lots of fuss.

Keep doing this, a bit every day, with treats, until she is totally reliable and moves immediately you tell her to.  Then you can cut down on the treats and just give them sometimes, to keep the behaviour strong.  When you don't treat, remember to praise lots when she obeys.

brill :)

SNAP!!!  I have a female just like this, it's not something I have been able to train out of her she is now 13 and believe me my dogs are highly trained in all other aspects, this is not my alpha female which is why I think she treasures being able to get in my spot on the sofa and guards it venemantly.  But I just show my dominance to her and verbally demand that she moves over, she will move immediately with a sheepish look, but I know if I were to physically pick her up and move her she certainly would growl, but in all these years she has never once attempted to nip at me and only ever shows a growl for this one and only thing, other wise she is a complete sweetie. Just show no nonsense and order her to move verbally. Never, ever, let a dog control you!

P.S. Hubby just calls me to move her. :-D

Thank you all for the good advice and different options.
I will def be teaching the off command. Once these things are pointed out it is so blatantly obvious what to do.
Not allowing her on the sofa full stop would be far to difficult to inforce in my house, because i work some evenings and i know hubby would let her up plus, having 2 kids they too would not stop her.
Starting Monday when kids at school and hubby back at work, i shall follow onetwothree's plan of action!!

Let us know how it goes, Ruby Tuesday.

Also - once you yourself can do it no problem, and she's jumping on and off immediately for you, then you need to get each member of the family to do it too, to make sure she understands the command from everyone and not just you.

Okey doke onetwothree, will let you know how it goes and thanks again for the good advice.