Re: Growling when we leave room or close a door

In Reply to: Growling when we leave room or close a door
Category:   Aggression
Posted by:  Danielle Oppel
Posted on:  February 23, 2003 at 13:14:57

: I have a year old JRT named Chrissa and she has developed a habit of growling at our family when we leave the house or close a door. We are trying to break her of the habit have been unsuccessful so far. Do you know why she is doing this and how to fix the problem? Thanks.

Response:

Dear Danielle,

I'm sorry but I have no idea why Chrissa is growling at your family in these situations. What I can tell you is that a dog doesn't develop a habit/behavior without a reason...and you folks know the reason. Granted, the reason might not be as obvious as Chrissa accidently getting caught in a door or having been startled/scared by a slamming door, etc. but I assure there is a reason.

I appreciate that you understand that until you know why Chrissa is exhibiting this behavior, you can't fix it. I suggest your best course of action is to hire a behaviorist who can actually observe Chrissa and your family during these situations. The behaviorist will ask you to consider the same thing I'm suggesting -- "what" happened when the behavior first started.

Ask your vet or Chrissa's training school instructor to recommend a qualified behaviorist. It's certainly possible that Chrissa needs a refresher course in basic obedience (or an initial course?!) but before that, you all need to deal with this specific problem with a behaviorist.