Growling whippet

[Lisajireland]

I have a 20 month old whippet bitch, she is well socialised and gets on really well with most dogs. However, Lola has recently started growling at 3 different male dogs that she has previously played with when they were pups. She has had regular contact with these dogs all of her life and she is not reacting in the same way to any other dogs. Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts on the cause of this behaviour and if you have any suggestions to correct the behaviour?

 

[gypsysmum2]

Firstly a vet check to make sure that she is not carrying some discomfort somewhere.

If all is fine then I would think that it is just an age thing. She is maturing and may not tolerate the antics of silly boy dogs. It is common, in bitches, to control the behaviour of other dogs. Trainers often use older bitches to teach adolescent males some manners.

Mostly it is best to allow the group to work things out for themselves. The other dogs will know when they overstepped the boundary with her. They will learn that a look from her means "that's enough". If they do not heed her warning she will escalate it to a growl or a snap. The ball is in their court. They need to learn to leave her alone when she warns them. Often, after a short learning period, things settle down and play resumes but almost always when the bitch in the group says that she approves

 

[dogmatize]

Could she be coming on heat?