# Puppy growling at nothing



## alison11 (Jul 11, 2012)

Hi there,

I have an 8 month lab puppy who has just recently started to bark and give low growls to what seems to be nothing. I know his hearing is much more acute than ours but he doesn't even seem to be focused on anything in particular, sometimes he will just be lying down and start growling on and off for 5 minutes or so then he stops.

I don't think he is doing it for attention, he is not a noisy dog and rarely barked up until this started. Firstly we tried totally ignoring it but it still continues so since then I have tried issuing a command like lie down or go to bed to get his focus on something else but he will just do what I've asked and continue the growling. 

Our puppy trainer suggested spraying lemon juice in his mouth when he does it but I'm not keen and I would like to try and understand why he's doing it first so that I can think of alternative options.

Thanks in advance for any help,

Alison


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## Jobeth (May 23, 2010)

First I'd find another trainer! If you start squirting lemon juice in his mouth then you'll be the one that is being growled at. My 6 month yorkie puppy is usually quiet, but can start to growl at what appears to be nothing. I just assume she has heard something I haven't and distract her.


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## Pindonkey (Feb 5, 2012)

What a lovely idea,spray lemon juice at him that means he will have something to growl at,the bottle! 
I don't think thats a good idea. 

But likewise i don't know why he could be doing it either. Maybe he can see something that we cannot see? Maybe you have mice,not trying to berude or anything,but its a possibility. Have you tried encouraging him to 'find it',then he may find it for you?
Maybe its a ghost??


Finding out why he is doing it is a good idea,then the solution will not be far away. 
Perhaps its something to do with his eyes?


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## alison11 (Jul 11, 2012)

Thanks for the replies, although I don't agree with the lemon juice idea otherwise he is a very good trainer. We actually trained him ourselves up until he was 6 months after being unimpressed by a different puppy class but found we were still struggling with leash training so decided to start back puppy classes with a different trainer.

We've tried distracting and it will work for a few seconds while he obeys the command but the growling will carry on until he stops himself. I might keep some treats handy and try watch me to keep his attention for longer.

Pindonkey, I hadn't thought of that, I'll have to listen more carefully next time to see if I can hear anything in the loft and no offence taken  I know what you mean about find it but he isn't riled up when he's doing the growling, he looks quite passive (except for the noises!), often lying down and isn't focused on anywhere in particular, just sort of lying there casually growling lol!


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## Guest (Jul 11, 2012)

At the risk of asking what may seem an odd question: are you sure it's a growl and not a sort of....purr.......? I only ask because my Lab sometimes gives a sort of purr when he's lying down and very relaxed.

Assuming it's definitely a growl:

1 - he's hearing something that you can't hear and it's disturbing him

2 - something going on in the home, at that moment, is distressing him

If it carries on and you're worried, you could take him to the vet for a check up, just to be totally sure he's not in some sort of discomfort.

As for the GHASTLY idea involving the lemon juice - I recommend trying it on that 'trainer' and seeing how they like it!


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## alison11 (Jul 11, 2012)

Haha yes I know what you mean, our lab has lots of strange noises in his repertoire! It is definitely different to his relaxed noise and usually starts off with a bark and then turns into low growls and sometimes quiet, short barks. Just wondering if maybe its his stage of development and he's just picking up lots of new sounds or could it be territorial? It doesn't particularly annoy us or anything but just worried it might escalate as it already has - he's now doing it at least a few times most days whereas it was only once in a while a few weeks ago.

And not using the lemon juice - we've had really good success with positive reinforcement so far and want to continue down that path!

Dexter is a gorgeous dog!

P.S I love how he has a shoe in the pic! For Duke its socks that are his thing, loves to have a sock in his mouth!!


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## 912142 (Mar 28, 2011)

You are right dogs can hear more than us, so he is definitely hearing something or someone that he doesn't like.

Is it happening at a certain time? Could it be a fox entering the garden or similar?


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## Kiwi (Nov 18, 2010)

Agree with the 'unheard' noise bit - do you live in a 'spooky' house with lots of loft/wood/creaky noises??

I can stop my dog barking with a vibrating collar which I out on her when she goes into a barking-fest and works great (but I only put it on for a few minutes to break her out of the barking because I do want her to bark at anything unusual happeneing near our home). Otherwise, I your dog is suffering anxiety generally, I'd try him on a Amazon.co.uk: thundershirt: Pet Supplies It has worked great foe a couple of my friends and is supposed to help with 'anxiety barking' as well xx


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## Jobeth (May 23, 2010)

Is he always in the same place when it happens? My older dog used to growl at his reflection in the fireplace at night. Thundershirts are really good and you can return them if they dont work.


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## alison11 (Jul 11, 2012)

Thanks for all the replies, he doesn't just do it in our house, my partner is in the military and every now and then has to stay in a house for a week at the end of a runway and takes Duke with him and he does it there aswell. He can be anywhere and he'll do it, for example he is lying at my feet and lifted his head up and growled twice then put his head back down and is sleeping now.

Our house is not particularly noisy, also because of the runway and where we live he is used to fast, noisy jets taking off and doesn't blink an eyelid anymore. Whatever he is hearing is very quiet but maybe it is just a ghost giving him a wee pat every now and then!!!

Thanks for the suggestion of the thundershirt - I'll look into that. It doesn't seem to distress him, its just a bit odd and otherwise he's a very laid back dog


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## Guest (Jul 12, 2012)

alison11 said:


> Haha yes I know what you mean, our lab has lots of strange noises in his repertoire! It is definitely different to his relaxed noise and usually starts off with a bark and then turns into low growls and sometimes quiet, short barks. Just wondering if maybe its his stage of development and he's just picking up lots of new sounds or could it be territorial? It doesn't particularly annoy us or anything but just worried it might escalate as it already has - he's now doing it at least a few times most days whereas it was only once in a while a few weeks ago.
> 
> And not using the lemon juice - we've had really good success with positive reinforcement so far and want to continue down that path!
> 
> ...


Thank you very much 

From what you say, I suspect your boy is hearing something and that is why he is growling etc. Dex sits staring out into the garden quite a bit, and when he sees certain things (squirrels for instance) he too will emit a low growl.

Another possibility is that your dog is wanting a bit of extra attention: Labs love attention  So maybe make a note of what the rest of you are doing when the growling happens - for example, if I have a prolonged conversation with someone in the house, Dex will quite often find a way of bringing my focus back to him......

Re shoes and socks - oh my goodness, the number of socks that Dex has stolen.....!!! And he makes off with any shoe he can grab, looking soooo pleased with himself as he goes galloping past


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## alison11 (Jul 11, 2012)

Haha, same with Duke, its like he does a victory lap with his stolen sock!

I think we'll just wait it out and see if it calms down and if not maybe take him to the vet just to check it out. He's just started scent marking so I'm wondering if lots of things are going on with all that testosterone going round!

Thanks for all the advice!


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## doglover6969 (May 5, 2015)

Owned By A Yellow Lab 2 said:


> At the risk of asking what may seem an odd question: are you sure it's a growl and not a sort of....purr.......? I only ask because my Lab sometimes gives a sort of purr when he's lying down and very relaxed.
> 
> Assuming it's definitely a growl:
> 
> ...





Jobeth said:


> First I'd find another trainer! If you start squirting lemon juice in his mouth then you'll be the one that is being growled at. My 6 month yorkie puppy is usually quiet, but can start to growl at what appears to be nothing. I just assume she has heard something I haven't and distract her.





Jobeth said:


> First I'd find another trainer! If you start squirting lemon juice in his mouth then you'll be the one that is being growled at. My 6 month yorkie puppy is usually quiet, but can start to growl at what appears to be nothing. I just assume she has heard something I haven't and distract her.


My dog likes lemon juice ain't that bad


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## Muttly (Oct 1, 2014)

Muttly sits and does a low growl at the fireplace sometimes. It will bug him until the next day, sometimes for a few days.

My parents Golden Retriever does a low growl when she wants to be stroked lol


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## Rott lover (Jan 2, 2015)

I agree with all above.Lemon juice sprayed in his mouth!!!!!!!!!really!!!!! Oliver used to do the same thing.I started doing the what is it?lets find it?I would then walk the house with him with me.I realized it could be anything from someone across the street to the neighbors.After doing this for a couple weeks i started saying to him i hear it it is ok stop growling.Even if i didnt hear it it let him know i was aware and he would stop growling.


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## Jobeth (May 23, 2010)

Rott lover said:


> I agree with all above.Lemon juice sprayed in his mouth!!!!!!!!!really!!!!! .


I'd ignore them as the thread is so old that my Yorkie is now 3!


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## Rott lover (Jan 2, 2015)

lol ok jobeth


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