please help,
my 7 month rottie has recently become more reserved.over the last couple of weeks, he has started growling when being stroked when he is simply lying down(especially at me- ? as i stroke him the most).it doesnt matter where on his body which would suggest it is not a medical problem. i feel a failure as i thought he was becoming a well balanced dog- good with leave, wait, come etc, i now feel i cannot enjoy him unless he is in play mode and i am starting to feel apprehensive about going to stroke him when hes lying down. it is definately not rottie talk as if i ignore him and continue stroking, it becomes a snarl. i feel that our bond is starting to suffer. how do i train this out of him?

If this is very sudden, you need to take him to the vet for a check up, a general illness, not necessarily specific to a part of the body, can be enough to upset a dog and cause him to behave like that.

If it isn't a medical problem, you'd be well advised to ask your vet to refer you to a reputable behaviourist, a grumpy rottie is not good news!

Does the growling only happen when he's lying down? If so it could be that he's a bit afraid of you, lying down is a vulnerable position for a dog to be in, and he may be feeling a need to protect himself. What's your relationship like in every other sense? Watch out for signs of stress or unease that you might be missing. Lip licking, yawning, holding the ears back, panting, freezing, and showing the whites of his eyes are all signs that he is unhappy. You will probably find he's been giving these signals first, and then stepped up to growling when they don't work. If it's been going on a while, he may learnt to trot through those signals first and then straight onto the one that works. That would explain why he starts snarling if it's ignored.

Have you always been tactile with him? Dogs need to be taught to accept stroking and physical contact, it's not something they do to each other.

If illness has been ruled out (make sure your vet does a thorough check, especially with a rottie because if you get a funny vet they could let breed prejudice influence their decision) then you should assess the relationship you have with the dog. Does he trust you? Do you play together?

You need to build up a closer relationship with your dog. Play lots of games together, do simple training exercises round the house (make sure they are positive experiences for the dog, clicker training could be helpful). Become more involved in dinner time. Maybe use his food as training treats, or play games of 'hide and seek' with it. You want everything good in his life to come from you, and he needs to know it.

When you feel that he trusts you more, start stroking him, but take it at his own pace. Stroke his chest very gently at first, he can see your hand and it's much less threatening than bearing down upon him and stroking his back and the top of his head. When he likes having his chest stroked, move round his sides, and build up to being able to very gently touch the areas he is sensitive about. You might need to couple that with giving him some nice treats so he realises it's a really rewarding thing and he doesn't have to feel uncomfortable.

I am only able to guess as to what the cause of his behaviour is, I would strongly advise seeing a good behaviourist who will be lucky enough to meet the dog and will be able to tell you for sure why he is behaving like that.

Remember he is at a funny age, he's going to become a teenager for a while, but perservere and be assured it wont last forever!

best of luck,

Jo

thank you, jo
what you have said is much appreciated and has made sence- i had been away from him for a couple of days and perhaps not playing as much as i normally do.(we also spent a couple of days staying with a friends dog which may have disrupted him). the last couple of days have been better and i have been playing fun games with lots of rewards and gradually stroking him and offering treats, as well as giving him his own space in the hot weather. one question though- if he does start again, do i say 'NO GROWL' and isolate him for 10 mins as i have been (which does make both of us upset and seems to prolong the misscommunication) or do i stop stroking and leave him be - but will he feel dominant with this move?
very greatful for you knowledge and experience,
thanks cath