Just returned from our morning walk. My 2 year old very sociable, submissive golden retriever found a massive branch that she tried to carry along with her. One of her friends, a male black lab got hold of the other end. Usually this would be her idea of a great game - another dog pulling on the other end and she normally makes growly noises while the other dog tugs one end and her the other. Today,out of the blue, she did a nasty growl and sort of snapped at him so he dropped it and backed off.
I have never seen this behaviour in her before.
I took the branch away from her and said 'no' in a firm voice, sat her down and made her look at me and said 'no' firmly again. She didn't try to retrieve the branch and seemed a bit subdued after.
Just want some advice on how to deal with this if it happens again.
Thanks

To be honest I wouldn't worry, as she is normally submissive she was probably just letting her friend know that this was hers and she didn't want to share it.

Agree. That must have been one choice stick and all she was doing is tell her pal it was all hers this time.

Same here, our girl will growl at any dog who tries to take her ball and if they keep on or if she just isnt in the mood for play she will let them know!
I wouldnt worry hun, she just wasnt in the mood for a play in this hot unpredictable weather probably :)

We have two goldies and they sometimes share a stick and other times want their own stick,with a little growl the other seems to know,i let them sort them selfs out.

Blimey, it was her branch and some other dog tried to muscle in.  If it were me I think I would have told them to bog off too!  If she growled, the other dog backed off then don't worry ... they obviously understood each other perfectly. ;-)

Please may I use this thread to say once again do not let your dog play with sticks and never encourage it. I'm no being a spoilsport but have seen a dog killed with a stick and heard of several others who have been killed or badly injured.

To answer the question IMO she did nothing wrong and behaved as you did with a firm NO.

Yes, I agree with the stick issue, good website here if there are any doubters:

http://www.stick-to-toys.com

Also just need to look at the photo of the GSD in, I think, the current issue of Dogs Today.  Even just chomping on a thin twig when your back is turned, I think nearly all my dogs at some time have done this, the twig's broken off at the teeth line leaving a horrible twig stuck across the roof of the dog's mouth. This is extremely alarming for both dog and owner as it's not obviously apparent what's happened and looks like your dog is choking (which it probably is) or having some sort of fit. Though it is very hard to stop dogs picking up sticks/branches, specially if someone else has chomped it. My lot quite often run around 3 attached to a large branch ... usually rushing up from the rear to get me in the back of the knee with an end that's dogless!!! Only thing I can do is remove it and find them something better to play with ...

Sounds pretty usual to me - she wasn't in the mood to share this time, thats all!  I wouldn't let it alarm you, in doggy language that was a fairly polite way of saying get knotted.  Blimey, you should have seen my Patterdale when another terrier tried to muscle in on her ball.  She climbed on his back and yelled in his ear to leave her bl**dy ball alone!  I was sooo embarrassed....