Dog Behaviour

[paulseawind]

Given there is no particular 'Animal Behaviour' forum, I will use this one.

Maybe someone will know this. I certainly do not and I have researched but haven't yet found the answer.

My female dog growls at me. Every morning. When I first took delivery of these 2 dogs (14 Feb 2013) the woman handing them over (she was a totally hot Russian woman) said the female growls at you but it doesn't seem to mean much. I said OK and took the dogs in the car from Seminyak to North Bali, and they are 110% happy here for sure. They never try to run away and are given the run of the place all the time.

But, each morning, this is a usual event. I finally decide to get up so I get out of bed and visit the bathroom. While in there, the female will come and growl at me, while wagging her tail, She is a 'daddy's girl' and wants to be near me most of the time. After almost 2 years of this I tried to find out why she growls. Apparently she is talking to me but I have no idea about what. I just ask her if she is a nice girl today.

Does anyone have any idea of this? I'd love to know what she wants to tell me so I can respond. She can also do it around meal time (6pm every night). During the normal day - nope - nothing. Although, sometimes when I return from having been out, she might do it then.

One time I said to her 'You are a cross-breed - get over it'. I have noticed some slight imperfections in these dogs and I put that down to cross-breeding. A mix of Bali dog and Rottweiler. But I really do not know about the growling. Can anyone help me understand this situation at all? It's not agro growling so I am not afraid or concerned, even though she could give me some serious wounds. She can be pretty savage. In reality, she gets along well with anyone who gets to know her.

 

[tintin]

You don't have to be a dog psychologist to diagnose this behavior. Her growling in the morning when you get up is her way of telling you "what's the f&$k, I could be starving, I could be dead and you wouldn't care, you sleep." At 6 pm, it's another complaint about your like of caring about her stomach. As for the growling when you absent yourself during the day, she is obviously insecure and jealous of your running around. Nothing new here, typical female!

 

[paulseawind]

You don't have to be a dog psychologist to diagnose this behavior. Her growling in the morning when you get up is her way of telling you "what's the f&$k, I could be starving, I could be dead and you wouldn't care, you sleep."

TT, if you are correct then why does she come back inside when I open the door. The dogs have been inside since (let's say) 7pm the night before. If I was a K9 I'd be wanting to get out there, slash on the nearest tree or post, and then explore/patrol my grounds. But she wants to come back inside (without a pee) and lie down and beady-eye me for hours unless she sleeps. She knows I care for her, already.

At 6 pm, it's another complaint about your like of caring about her stomach.

Nope. She gets good food and likes it. She already knows I will feed her food she likes, just like I do for her brother.

As for the growling when you absent yourself during the day, she is obviously insecure and jealous of your running around. Nothing new here, typical female!

HA HA

No.

Funny, but no.

 

[Dick Rector]

I agree with TinTin, having had dogs all my life. It is just her way to say 'did you forget to feed me'.

 

[paulseawind]

I agree with TinTin, having had dogs all my life. It is just her way to say 'did you forget to feed me'.

Yes, DR, I can see that one and if it was isolated to that alone (feeding) then it'd be obvious. They don't get fed on the dot of 6pm, that's for sure. They wait for me. Last night, for example, the male came and put his head on my leg and just looked up at me. He's a gorgeous guy and rather a handsome animal. Those are heart-melting moments. He is such a sweetheart.

But, what do you make of the morning growling? I get up, visit the bathroom, she wants a pat for sure but I do not give. I eventually open the door, the male runs out like he's just been let out of jail, and the female goes out but wants back in straight away. I don't understand. She has stopped growling by this stage. I don't get it. So, I let it slide and she's a good girl all day. I often go to each of them and just touch my big toe on their paws (very very softly) and talk to them. They seem to like that.

Who knows what she is saying. I need Dr Doolittle to visit me. (Rex Harrison?)

I have had dogs all my life too. I can't imagine a completely happy life without at least one dog in the family. I love them. Forget cats, birds, goldfish, horses. Etc. Dogs are the go. The only other animal I would consider is a horse, actually. But they stay outside all the time.

 

[geedee]

The dog seems to love you just enjoy it,even dogs have different moods and characteristics.

 

[tintin]

Paulseawind. With my comments, I was just trying to be funny (You now see why I never made it as a stand-up comic!). Each animal, like each human, is an individual with its own quirks and personality, its likes and dislikes: it's up to you to figure them out.

In my case, my 4-legged friends have always been cats, and presently, I have 2 of them. One of them, Mimi, a 9-year old Turkish Angora, whom I rescued from the wild 7 years ago, was diagnosed couple of months ago with cancer of the large intestine. He was operated on and he is now in chemotherapy. According to the vet, unfortunately, the cancer has most likely already spread, and the prognostic is maybe a year or a little more, but I had to help Mimi: he's my dear friend and he depends on me. Since he is not on Social Security, the bills are through the roof (so far, almost like a business class RT, Boston-Denpasar!), but for me, the alternative did not exist!

 

[Markit]

Tin I've got 2 cats for replacement I can't stand here. The wife brought them home from some beach about 4 months ago and said they'd only stay 2 weeks until she'd fed them up to fighting weight.

My original 2 cats (eat bugs,lizards and the occasional cobra) hate them and my big, brave Bali dog won't leave the house cause they leap out and attack him from every bush or tree.

Shall I post them? In pieces or whole?

 

[tintin]

In the US also, I have met many would-be he-men who think that, in order to display the masculinity they are lacking, need to show complete disdain toward cats, thinking this should impress the peanut gallery. That much I picked up from the rest of your totally garbled comments.

 

[paulseawind]

Tin I've got 2 cats for replacement I can't stand here. The wife brought them home from some beach about 4 months ago and said they'd only stay 2 weeks until she'd fed them up to fighting weight.

My original 2 cats (eat bugs,lizards and the occasional cobra) hate them and my big, brave Bali dog won't leave the house cause they leap out and attack him from every bush or tree.

Shall I post them? In pieces or whole?

Over here, if you don't want a cat you can put it in the bamboo stand about 1km from my place. I have never done that as it's way too cruel but the locals do it.
If you want a cat then go to the bamboo stand and choose one.

And, on the other hand, cats here are holy animals, I was told. Glad I was sitting down at the time because I would have fallen over, seeing how Balinese treat animals.
A deceased feline should be seen out 'properly', by way of a special ceremony.
One of my drivers said if he finds one, he will take it home and make the ceremony and then expect really good luck soon after.
Primitive, hey!

I don't put cushions out on the outdoor seating because the cats (used to) sleep on them, which drives the dogs nuts the following morning once they get the scent.

One time, just after I got the dogs, there was a cat on the seat. I saw it and it dived/dove under the seat. Then I let the dogs out.
They went wild trying to get it. I was able to set the cat free before they did. It shot off like a New Year's rocket with the dogs in hot pursuit. Geez it was quick.
It went up a tree and survived. It must have stayed up there for 3-4 hours.

Silly thing is next morning the dogs sniffed the heck out of that same chair, looking for the cat which was well away by then.
They sniffed that chair every morning for the next few days.
I found that very amusing.

 

[paulseawind]

Paulseawind. With my comments, I was just trying to be funny (You now see why I never made it as a stand-up comic!). Each animal, like each human, is an individual with its own quirks and personality, its likes and dislikes: it's up to you to figure them out.

In my case, my 4-legged friends have always been cats, and presently, I have 2 of them. One of them, Mimi, a 9-year old Turkish Angora, whom I rescued from the wild 7 years ago, was diagnosed couple of months ago with cancer of the large intestine. He was operated on and he is now in chemotherapy. According to the vet, unfortunately, the cancer has most likely already spread, and the prognostic is maybe a year or a little more, but I had to help Mimi: he's my dear friend and he depends on me. Since he is not on Social Security, the bills are through the roof (so far, almost like a business class RT, Boston-Denpasar!), but for me, the alternative did not exist!

TT, sorry I didn't say but I did latch onto the humour in your remarks.
And sorry to hear about Mimi's situation.
Someone once lamented to me about dogs - they don't live long enough. Too true. Cats - similar I'd guess.
I had a g/fr with a cat named Ziggy. I really liked him.

I had a Golden Labrador and I killed her with love - slowly, and unknowingly. Over time, I fed her lots of things and she just grew and grew. To 46kgs at the last weigh-in. The vet used to chastise me and I'd obediently say "Yes, OK" but never take his/her advice. Apparently a desexed female labrador is a recipe for disaster. In the Aussie movie about TV personality Graham Kennedy, someone gave him a Golden Lab for Xmas. GK's comment was "I don't know why I got this - apparently they don't know when they've had enough". It was a jab at GK's perversions.
My Lab died one Saturday afternoon at around 6pm. I cried. And loaded her into the 4WD and took her to the Vet who disposed of the body. I really loved her and often said "If everyone in the world had a personality like hers there would be no wars". I was destroyed then and probably should not have taken the wheel of a car, but I did. I just went home and sat and waited for the next day to come around.

At least you know what is on the horizon.