# 'Muted' snarling at lights out!!



## hobbsy1010 (Jun 4, 2011)

Hi Guy's,

Your thoughts please.

Last night on turning in for the evening, switched the TV off, locked up, just before knocked the lights off, Bent down to smooth the head of our boy Brook (3yr m), who's head was resting just outside his crate and to my shock/amazement he gave a snarl all be it muted and sort of under his breath it was still a snarl.
I didn't correct or say anything to him but sat on the floor by the crate next to him for a few minutes, with no eye contact. After a couple of minutes he came out of his crate and laid across my legs as if nothing had happened.
My question's are should i just continue to ignore, I wouldn't want this to escalate to anything bigger. Also as when I feed him I sometimes lift his feeding bowl while he's eating, just to remind him who 'owns' the food always without a reaction from him. Should I be able to place my hands into his crate or stroke him inside his crate without a reaction from him?

On a final note his behaviour in the house is really very good with all the family and in hind sight maybe he was tired and felt 'cornered' when I approached him!!! :-\

Hobbsy1010


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## Aimless1 (Sep 25, 2011)

Perhaps you startled him or it may have been a low complaint because he was tired/almost asleep. Since there was no aggressive action and it is a one time event just let it pass.


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## kellygh (Oct 25, 2010)

The moment has passed. You can be hopeful it was a one time event; however, I'm the type who will test again & again to be sure. If it had been Pumpkin, I would be reaching into the crate each night with the lights out. I consider growls or snarls as a challenge. That is a major no-no regardless of being startled, tired, or whatever the reason behind the growl. With 3 young kids, I will be able to pat, touch, remove, take away, be "in" the crate etc. We do respect our dogs space & moods, but a repeat of a growl should not be allowed to continue, IMO. Think ahead, and plan your response in case it hapens again. I think you handled this 1st time incident quite well. You gave Brook a respectful, benefit-of-doubt. At 3 yrs old with no prior "offenses," he deserves leeway ONCE (assuming there are no health issues or injury).


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## DixiesMom (Feb 5, 2009)

I am going to play devil's advocate here. I have a terrier mix that will groan/growl if she is moved while she sleeps. The first time that she did it I was taken off guard by it. (I must say here that I do not accept any type of growling, nipping or stiffening by my dogs.) This happened in the middle of the night as I rolled over and jostled her. My first reaction was to toss her out of bed. Since then it has happened a few more times and I realized that she wasn't growling as a warning, she was groaning as a complaint of being moved. 

Maybe his head and throat were across the threshold of his crate and his groan got morphed into a growl by the pressure.


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

I agree with kellygh 100%. Having had a succession of dogs my entire adult life (since 1972), this is the one thing I will never allow. No growling or snarling directed at the humans... Unacceptable. I think you handled it well for a first offense, but from here on out, a quick and unambiguous correction would be best. Your dog shouldn't have any doubt in his mind about who's in charge. Once that is clear, I believe in being a kind and patient "boss".  There could be a number of explanations for the muted snarl, but none of them matter much, really. The behavior is just unacceptable.


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

Vizsla dogs are soft and there may be more levels of aggression/communication. I can only say it it was a different dog perhaps a Dobermann or German Shepherd and even began to snarl or growl that would escalate into biting in no time. I am amazed at the number of people who own powerful dogs and allow growling and even nipping. In the dog world snarling is a warning, DON'T BOTHER ME OR ELSE... So it must be seriously dealt with.

Personally, I would NOT accept him sitting on my lap after he snarled at me. I would administer a correction (I mean prongs or E-collar) and crate/kennel him immediately. That will get his attention.

Sorry if I sound harsh :'(


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## calum (Feb 13, 2008)

Phoebe, if she is a sleep or has been asleep, often will groan/moan if you try to move her or anything.

It is not aggressive at all, more like a human would groan if they were tired and being moved.


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## polkan (Dec 29, 2011)

Suzanne Clothier's book "Bones would rain from the sky" has two chapters that deal directly with situations like these: "12. Leadership is Action" and "13. Whose Couch Is It Anyway". I was actually re-reading it earlier this morning and couldn't recommend it highly enough.

She describes how dogs, both young and old, sometimes understand possession differently than people (and we can _really_ misunderstand each other) and that a snarl/growl is a normal and basic unit of a dog's language - a default response _if no other response has been taught_. Adult dogs use it all the time when teaching their puppies to be polite and respectful, especially when it comes to possession. 

To my mind, the real question here is to figure out what exactly is a problem: snarling at a human per se, objecting to your "intrusion" into a crate, or both; and then dealing with it accordingly.

Unless it's a one-off groan (and it's hard to tell from a single episode), I think kellygh is spot on and you may choose to teach Brook, constructively and wisely, that you have a right to pet him while he's in that crate (it belongs to you), and that he is perfectly capable of more constructive responses than snarling.


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

Riley always groans at us when we try to move her while she's sleeping. It does sound very similar to a growl, so maybe that's what you heard. You do know your dog best, so you will have to make the determination.


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## hobbsy1010 (Jun 4, 2011)

Hi Guy's 

Thanks for all your responses. Great to hear all your thoughts and idea's.
Polkan, how ironic we actually own the book you mentioned, 'Bones would rain from the sky' by Suzanne Clothier, which we imported from the US when brook was a pup!! If I'm honest with you I found it a bit 'heavy' going but having dug it out, this evenings reading is now sorted with chapters 12 & 13 as starters!! 

Kind Regards

Hobbsy1010


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