# Dog growling when i take the ball



## harrypotter (Jan 29, 2010)

Hello everybody! 

1. My dog is about 3 months old. He like to play with the ball, but the problem is that sometimes my friend comes and we try to take the ball from him but he growls even at me. My question is do i have to just ignore that or do i have to do anything about it?

2. I trained him to sit and i trained him today to lay down, but he rarely sit or lay down if i don't have food, he always sit if he knows that i have food. sometimes i let him smell it and the he does what i want him to do. Is this normal or do i have to do anything about it?

3. Some people say that you don't give the dogs treats(food) when training them at 6 months and that you can just pet them. Is this true?

(My dog is a guard dog though)


----------



## TooneyDogs (Aug 6, 2007)

Try not to take things from your dog unless it's dangerous for them to have.
The whole idea of training is to teach the dog to drop or give things on command.....they don't have to guard or protect them....that's where the bites happen.

Do object exchanges....get two balls (make the one in your hand the 'better' ball to have)....when he drops his, give yours and pick up the one he dropped...repeat. Or, exchange for a good treat....this is not bribery....you're teaching him he doesn't have to protect it.

I don't know what you mean in #3.....


----------



## harrypotter (Jan 29, 2010)

So about 2 its normal that he doesn't do my command if he knows that i don't have food?


----------



## FilleBelle (Aug 1, 2007)

It is normal that a dog will not respond if you do not have a treat, but it's also an indication that you need to continue to work on training. Start to fade out the treats. Give one every other time the dog performs the task, then every three times, then every five. Eventually you'll only be giving a treat once in a very long while.


----------



## harrypotter (Jan 29, 2010)

So when can i stop giving him treats? And when i tell the dog to sit he sits and stands after a while, how can i teach him to stand after i give him a treat or pet him?


----------



## Bugsy (Jul 2, 2009)

How long are you having him sit? Maybe you can also teach stay to hold a position.

Maybe after a few weeks of training every day with treats, you can start to fade the treats gradually. It all depends on your dog's progress.

Also, what kind of growling is he doing? I know my dog growls a little when playing tug. But I know he's not being aggressive because of his body language and how he continually intices me to play tug. A growl is not always a sign of aggression.


----------



## harrypotter (Jan 29, 2010)

Bugsy said:


> How long are you having him sit? Maybe you can also teach stay to hold a position.
> 
> Maybe after a few weeks of training every day with treats, you can start to fade the treats gradually. It all depends on your dog's progress.
> 
> Also, what kind of growling is he doing? I know my dog growls a little when playing tug. But I know he's not being aggressive because of his body language and how he continually intices me to play tug. A growl is not always a sign of aggression.


He growls and when i put my leg near the ball he tries to bite it.


----------



## TooneyDogs (Aug 6, 2007)

harrypotter said:


> So when can i stop giving him treats? And when i tell the dog to sit he sits and stands after a while, how can i teach him to stand after i give him a treat or pet him?


When can you stop getting a paycheck for the work you do?
There's no reason to stop treats.....just don't overuse them. Make them sporadic/random/special. 

Sits start out with a reward for sitting quickly....then sitting for 2 seconds, then 5, then 10, etc. If you wait too long to reward/reinforce the pup will try to do something else, like stand to get that treat. You don't want to make the pup do that.


----------



## harrypotter (Jan 29, 2010)

I still couldnt teach him to stay and the other thing i couldnt teach him to get up and come after i give him a treat, how can i teach him that?


----------



## Marsh Muppet (Nov 29, 2008)

A 3 month old puppy only knows what he's been taught, and only does what he's been trained to do. Don't expect more.

Start now with consistent and gradual training. Start with sit, and reward every time. Work with lengthening the sits in very small increments until he'll hold for a minute or more. Do short sessions many times a day. You can increase the length of sessions as your pup ages and develops an attention span that lasts longer than the time it takes to snap your fingers. Once the pup learns a command, don't give it unless you are prepared to get it from him.

I wouldn't worry too much about the growling with the ball. It may just be a play growl (and I suspect it is). That's perfectly normal, and anything that gets your pup fired up is something you can use in training. Even if your pup never comes close to biting you, snatching an important (to the dog) item from him will only complicate the "drop" command. Pull him to you while he's holding the ball and pet him around the neck and face for a while. Touch the ball in his mouth without trying to take it. Do that for half a minute before offering the trade with a "drop" or "give" command. Occasionally release him to parade around with his prize.

Even dogs who never get testy about people trying to take "their" stuff will clam up tight and not release, or will do the "try to catch me" dance a couple of yards beyond your reach. The idea is that he brings things to you rather than requiring you to tackle him and wrestle items from him.


----------



## rosemaryninja (Sep 28, 2007)

Have you thought about checking out a puppy obedience class in your area? They will cover all these basic commands like sit, stay, come, lay down and more in a structure and supervised environment. 

If you don't want to consider a training class then you need to check out some training books and websites. Let me know if you need suggestions.

Training a dog is something you need to learn how to do. It's not intuitive (for 99% of people I'd say). You're communicating with a member of another species, and the messages you send can be confusing unless you figure out when to reward, when not to, and what you project through body language.


----------



## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

harrypotter said:


> I still couldnt teach him to stay and the other thing i couldnt teach him to get up and come after i give him a treat, how can i teach him that?


Quit bribing him with food (don't show him the treat while you give a cue). Keep the food hidden in your pocket and reward when he complies...


----------



## FilleBelle (Aug 1, 2007)

LazyGRanch713 said:


> Quit bribing him with food (don't show him the treat while you give a cue). Keep the food hidden in your pocket and reward when he complies...


Mmm...you might want to clarify this. While you are correct that bribing is not useful, it is also not the same as luring, which IS useful. Lure the action until the dog understands it and then fade the lure.


----------

