Growls at puppies!?

[fillcee85]

hi guys, i have a 13 month old male neutered rottie. Hes a great dog, well socialized and gets along with ALL dogs, BUT recently and i have only noticed this after he was neutered which is about 2 months ago, my dog will sometimes growl and jump on top of a puppy. I dont get it, because he never does this to other dogs. I was at petsmart yesterday and these 5 yrold children were playing with my dog and they were getting along great. no sort of aggression, but once a puppy came out my rottie started growling. I dont understand why he does this. He goes to pet day cares and is well socialized but ive witnessed this growling and puppies like five times now. ANy reason why he is doing this to puppies and not other dogs??

he is a sweetheart but these last encounters have worried me.

thanks

[Nishasmom]

A LOT of dogs, hate puppies. They are annoying with absolutely no manners. This trait is common to all breeds. It is best to keep grown dogs away from hyper, pushy, ill-mannered puppies. .

Don't worry, there is nothing wrong with your dog. Its like a grown up who doesn't like wild kids jumping in their laps!

Your dog is communicating in dog language back-off; they can't really do this in a nice way .

[bliss7373]

I agree with Nishasmom. Quite a few older dogs are not tolerant of puppy antics. Nothing wrong with that, it just means that you should keep your boy away from puppies - for both his sake and theirs. Given how crucial dog socialization is, you don't want your boy to be a bad experience for a puppy!

I will say, however, that even older dogs who tolerate puppies will often correct them for their rudeness - it can sound loud and scary, but is rarely truly physical. It is just the older dog instructing the pup on what is, and what is not, acceptable dog behavior. Having one of those dogs - that you trust to safely instill some manners - is a godsend when you have a pup!

Bottom line - your dog is making his feelings on this subject crystal clear. Respect that. It's perfectly normal and there is no reason to try and make him like puppies. While I wouldn't let him act like a jerk when he should just be ignorning them (in a store, in class), I certainly wouldn't ask him to meet them up close if you know he's not a "puppy" kind of dog.

[jlhnokc]

If your dog is growling at the puppies just at first sight, that is not good behavior and should be corrected. If a puppy is jumping all over him, then that is different.

[sweetlee]

Originally Posted by jlhnokc

If your dog is growling at the puppies just at first sight, that is not good behavior and should be corrected. If a puppy is jumping all over him, then that is different.

I agree with the above statement. I know that adults will correct puppies who are bothering them, but should not be growling just at the sight of one.
My boy loves puppies, and other dogs, but once at the pet store there was a HUGE St. Bernard who was loose and really getting into Dodge's face. He was only 7 months old and weighed 140 and still a very rowdy puppy. Dodge was on lead and we allowed them to meet, but when this guy got a little too rowdy, Dodge did growl at him. Just to warn him to back off. Good boy Dodge. The St. Bernard's owner who works at the store, said he gets growled at often because he is so in your face with all other dogs. I believe that if Dodge were off leash, or they were outside he would have played hard with the guy.
Just seeing a baby should not make your dog growl, I have actually found that most males are a little MORE tolerant of puppies, it is the bitches who who get snappy with them. Maybe because it is their job to "train" them? I think your dog needs some work on not growling until he has a reason to. Has a puppy ever "snapped" him hard in the nose or anything? Weird that he would react that way.

[fillcee85]

Yes, He only growls at puppies when theyre all in his face jumpin and putting their heads in his mouth lol! I can understand it now, because the dog at the petsmart was jumping on him like crazy which is natural the dog was only like 5 months old. anyways thanks for the insight guys