# New rescue golden is growling....I'm nervous



## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

She needs some time to settle in. As a safety precaution, suggest feeding the dogs in separate rooms or one of them in a crate to prevent possible food bowl related issues - dogs are not generally keen on 'sharing'. Hand feeding the new dog can also help to start to build the trust and the bond.The growling could well be uncertainty/fear related to the upheaval in her life, and past social isolation (too much crate time),try to avoid direct eye contact, which can make her feel threatened. Crouch down and offer her treats from your hand, approach from the side rather than 'head on', or preferably allow her to do the approaching. The humping may have been a 'one time' thing - a 'displacement' behavior as she was not sure what else to do. Perhaps keep a short leash on her, so that if it happens again you can gently guide her away from him resist the urge to 'reprimand/punish' the behavior.
Most of she needs time to get to know you and for you to get to know her. Keep things low key and give her the time and space to adjust.


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## Chrystyne731 (Dec 10, 2012)

Thank you! I was just going to post that she did it again and I do notice she doesn't seem to feel comfortable with direct eye contact. I turn my back when she growls and ask her nicely to lay down. She will lay down when asked, but it made me very nervous. She can probably sense my anxiety as well.


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## drloripalooza (Jan 7, 2012)

Try not to be nervous. Do not punish for growling. Growling is just a warning, and precedes a snarl, then air snap, then a bite, so growling is a GOOD THING. When she settles down, she will growl less and less. . I have a rescue, very timid, just like this. 

As I said, do NOT punish for growling. She is just uncomfortable.

You received very good advice from the other posters.


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## Chrystyne731 (Dec 10, 2012)

Thank you! She does it sometimes when I am not even looking at her. It's like she's trying to get my attention. She never does this around my husband...only me. She looks like she tends to favor males. I don't think she was physically abused because I was given her vet records. They had her at the vet a lot so her health care wasn't neglected. 

I will continue to be patient and give her time to adjust. Thanks for all your tips. It's much appreciated!


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

It sounds to me as if she hasn't been very well socialized. As others said, it will take her a while to feel settled and right now she's figuring out where she fits in and if she's permanent. I've always found it can take a dog 2-6 weeks to realize they are in a permanent home. Sometimes longer. Good luck with her. You don't need to punish her for growling but you can let out a little sound of displeasure...sort of "uh!" or "ah!". Just don't say no if you can...often dogs react badly to that. Hope you'll post some pictures of her soon.


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## SheetsSM (Jan 17, 2008)

Did you adopt her from a rescue and was she in a foster home prior to being adopted out? Did they mention her growling? I agree with others, remain calm/confident (difficult I know given the situation).


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

just throwing this out there....could she be a 'talkie' golden that is rumbling to get your attention?


What is the rest of her body looking like....is she stiff all over?
Tail up or down?
Eyes/face relaxed or tight?
Mouth open or closed?

To add mud to the mix..
I am a big believer in TRUSTING your gut...if you feel unsafe...then you MUST respect that feeling...


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## Chrystyne731 (Dec 10, 2012)

Actually, the petfinder listing said she was the perfect dog-good with all kids, dogs and cats. They said she was with a pet sitter when her other owners were in Fla and she stayed with other dogs and cats. I'll have to pay attention to her body language. Usually when she growls I turn my back and break any eye contact. 

She did go after our cat, but now she seems to know the cat lives here and doesn't bother with her. We're working on her jumping up too. I think she has been great transitioning so far other than the growling. She could be a talker because sometimes she does it if I'm not looking at her. She does seem to like belly rubs .


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Chrystyne*

Chrystyne

I think she could be talking. Can you talk to the rescue and ask if she did this with them? Is she fixed? I think she needs time to adjust.


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## Chrystyne731 (Dec 10, 2012)

I will do that Karen-thank you. The rescue group has been following up with me and they have told me to keep in touch with them if there are any problems. I do think she's starting to feel more comfortable. She's verrry attached to my son and seems to have some separation anxiety when he leaves for school. She's been staying in hs room. From what I've learned she was crated 10+hours a day.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Very sad to hear she had been crated for 10 hours or more a day........

She needs time to adjust and settle in, stay in contact with the Rescue as much as you need to. Do you know how long she was in Foster Care? Were you able to speak with the Foster family? If she was with them for sometime, they could be very helpful providing information about her. 

Be very patient with her and try to remain as calm and relaxed as possible because she will be able to sense your fear or frustration. Give her the time she needs to adjust to her new surroundings and family. It's going to take time for her to feel comfortable and safe. I would suggest you let her to do so on her terms. The suggestion you were given by another member saying to let her come to you to get a treat is a very good idea. She needs to learn to trust you, once she does, you should see a very relaxed happy girl.

I have a former breeder girl that was not socialized and had been abused both physcially and verbally-it took a very long time to get her to trust us and to feel safe with us. We let her do so on her terms, let her approach us. It takes time, a lot of love and patience, but it's very well worth it when you see the end results. 

Looking forward to your updates, hope you'll share pictures of her too.


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## Selli-Belle (Jan 28, 2009)

Definitely could be a talker! Talk to the rescue or have someone who knows Goldens well interact with her and see what they say.


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## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

My MacKenzie is a growl talker. She comes up to you and growls and sometimes barks when she wants to eat, wants to go outside, etc but you can definitely tell it is not an aggressive growl.


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## Braccarius (Sep 8, 2008)

If you didn't know my dog you'd think he was exceptionally aggressive. He grumbles / growls every time I come home or start talking to him. (Normally when he has a toy in his mouth and he's acting silly). I don't think the sound a dog makes matters as much as the body language of the dog making the sound. If she is stiff and making eye contact with you and then growling... thats something entirely different.


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## Chrystyne731 (Dec 10, 2012)

Thanks all. I was probably just over analyzing the growling. It seems like she growls or barks whenever she needs to go to the bathroom. I did notice her tail was wagging when she growled today. She very well could be a talker. I've never had a vocal one before.  She does seem to be enjoying her new freedom. 

The rescue group picked her up from her actual owner, but learned about her from the owners dog sitter. They said she was socialized with her own animals. We're patient and I know it will take time. Our other rescue took a few months to trust and to be good pals with our first golden. I will share pictures soon!  Now if I could just get her to stop trying to hump my 13 year old son....we'll all be happy.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Chrystyne*



Chrystyne731 said:


> Thanks all. I was probably just over analyzing the growling. It seems like she growls or barks whenever she needs to go to the bathroom. I did notice her tail was wagging when she growled today. She very well could be a talker. I've never had a vocal one before.  She does seem to be enjoying her new freedom.
> 
> The rescue group picked her up from her actual owner, but learned about her from the owners dog sitter. They said she was socialized with her own animals. We're patient and I know it will take time. Our other rescue took a few months to trust and to be good pals with our first golden. I will share pictures soon!  Now if I could just get her to stop trying to hump my 13 year old son....we'll all be happy.


Chrystene

Would love to see pictures of her-did you say what her name is? I had a female Golden Retriever who growled (talked) and she was as gentle as a lamb! Is she spayed?


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

Braccarius said:


> If you didn't know my dog you'd think he was exceptionally aggressive. He grumbles / growls every time I come home or start talking to him. (Normally when he has a toy in his mouth and he's acting silly). I don't think the sound a dog makes matters as much as the body language of the dog making the sound. If she is stiff and making eye contact with you and then growling... thats something entirely different.


This describes my Maggie, I was constantly telling visitors that she wasn't growling but talking to them. But not seeing your girl's body language, it's impossible to say. 

A thought...Since you said she was crated 10+ hours/day, maybe it was the female of the house that crated her so she's suspicious of you.


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## Chrystyne731 (Dec 10, 2012)

Her name is Gracie. I will try to get pictures uploaded ths week. I think you're right about her being a talker. We discovered she knows how to roll over and when we give her the cue she stars making those growling noises, barks and then kinds of makes a noise like chewbacca from Star Wars. It's quite comical now to watch. Her tail is wagging when she's doing this. Now we just need to work on her jumping on people coming through the door and tugging on their clothes.


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