Hi, I really hope you can offer some advise. We (my husband and I) have a 4 year old German Shepherd (Cyrus). He is the most loving, well natured, friendly dog and loves children. I am currently 5 months pregnant and he has started growling at me. This is now the second time since my pregnancy he has done this. It is not all the time and he doesn't bare his teeth at me. Last night I came home form work and he greeted me as normal and was happy to see me. When I stroked him 5 mins later he started growling, I told him off and he walked away, I wlaked passed him and he started growling again, he was then ok with me for a while, my husband fed him and I gave him his traets as per normal (he won't eat his tea without them !!). I went to see him before going to bed and he started growling again.

I really don't know what to do and am starting to feel a little scared of what he might do, and how he may react with our new baby - please help !!

Thank you

Suze
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Personally I would do eveything with him- you be the one to feed him- do some obedience with him basic sit, down ect. Make him work for his food and treats. Just to show him growling is not allowed.

Have you started to prepare him for baby? Do you allow him on furniture/bed and if so are you going to allow it once baby is here? If not then do all the things you will do when baby is here. Get him use to baby crying, you and hubby olding a doll (baby), even putting a blanket on the floor with baby toys ect. Better to start now, cause once baby is her he may not get as much attention like he does now so personally I would start acting like the baby is here just to help him adjust but be patient and calm about it.

What are the reasons why he is growling? Have you noticed anything different that you maybe doing or something that is triggering him besides your pregnancy?

I would totally ignore him when you get home and give him attention when you say so NOT him. Only give attention on your terms don't allow him to tell you when he wants it.

Def work on the baby thing... best of luck... Iam sure someone will come along with more help

This is a strange one, can't say I've heard of anything similar -maybe somebody else has. My first thought would be that he is reacting to your different smell -as dogs are so sensitive to smells and can detect things we never could, I'd imagine the pregnancy hormones probably makes for a slightly different scent, and that there is something about that he is reacting to. However that is just a guess. The thing is, you should never tell a dog off for growling as it is their only SAFE way to warn us that they are unhappy about something. A dog that isn't allowed to growl only has one option left and that is to bite. I honestly don't know what the answer is though. You may want to get a vet referral to a good behaviourist to be on the safe side.

I had exactly the same thing when I was pregnant with our akita male.  It is because you give off a different scent throughout different parts of your pregnancy and your dog can see you and hear you but your scent has changed.  He is just feeling a bit confused so I would ignore the fact that he is growling.  I would, however, take over the 'good things' in your dogs life like feeding and treats.  My dog had absolutely no issues with the baby at all after growling at me constantly but he was major protective of the baby and still is even though she is now 10!!  Sometimes he has a humph because I snuggle with her when she should obviously be snuggling him!!

OH's opinion was he was growling because he was aware I was carrying a devil child and was giving us warning!!lol.

Hi,

I can understand why you would feel apprehensive and worried as it must feel very strange to have your previously happy friendly doggie start growling at you.  I have actually heard of this quit a bit and cooincidentally am going to see a doggie this weekend who is doing the same thing to his 6 months pregnant owner.

He may well be sensing changes in you that are unsettling him - please don't tell him off for communicating with you - growling is not something that should be discouraged or he shouldn't be let know that growling is not acceptable.  It is communication and very useful communication at that.  Remove their vital communication and you end up with a dog that supresses how they are feeling and may end up missing the growling and progressin to the next step.  What you need to do is deal with the root cause of the problem which remove the reason for the growling in the first place.  If he has got to his current age without growling at you and being a well mannered and happy doggie, there is obviously a reason for the way he is feeling and behaving that needs addressing!

Is it just you that he has growled at or is it just worse with you?  Has he ever growled at people before?  Does he seem any different in any other ways just now, lethargic, less playful, off his food?  Does he have any health problems?

For the time being I would stop approaching him and let him come to uyou, this can remove some of the pressure, it sounds like all of them yesterday were when you were approaching him (or he thought you were).

I would give him a day or two where you just leave him be in terms of approaching him, if you want to have contact with him or do something with him, call him to you - have some goodies on you and reward him for responding.  Build up good associations.  I would take over the feediing of him if I were you so that again another good association can be buit up with you.

I would then start trying to build up psoitive associations with him in siuations where at the moment he is uncomfortable (ie, maybe with you approaching) so walk towards him and before he is uncomfortable chuck a treat or two in his direction and then walk away.  If his bed is in a narrow are like hall or something then maybe move it a bit so that he can have space when you are passing, ether that or drop a couple of treats as you pass.  I would gradaully progress like that.

I would probably also maybe take him to the vets for a check up, as any new change in behaviour like this behaviour really should be checked over at the vets.  Just because it is only being directed at you doesn't mean it couldn't have a medical cause as sometimes if you are feeling poorly or sore you take it out when feeling most stressed and if your change in appearance hormones and scent are making him worried then it maky be just that he is directing at you.

If it is down to your pregnancy it doesn't mean in any way that he is n0t going to be good or trust worthy wityh the baby, however there are plenty of things you can and should do to prepare him for the arrival of the baby, as it is a big change and will be astressful time for all, incuding for a sensitive breed like GSDs.  Do you ahve any plans for ways to ease him into the changes?

Hi, thank you all for your thoughts and advise. Yes it is only me that he is growling at, so it is either the pregnancy or something that I am doing or have changed. I thought about how things have been different since I became pregnant. The only thing that has changed is I used to go for a 3 mile run 4 times a week with Cyrus and I haven't done this, and I used to feed him a couple of times a week. Started tonight with some positive thinking and actions, we went for a nice long walk and I have fed him his tea, and no growling !! Fingers crossed it continues.

I haven't really thought about preparing him for the new arrival, needless to say this is my first time owning a dog and first baby and didn't realise I should be doing anything. It is certainly something I will look into and act on now with hubby's help. I am determined that nothing will change between me and Cyrus, he is and has been our little boy for the last 4 years and that will never ever change, he is part of the family. The only thing I have done is to keep him out of the nusery, not that he went in that room much anyway.

Thank you al again for your help. I feel much more relaxed and positive now.
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> I am determined that nothing will change between me and Cyrus, he is and has been our little boy for the last 4 years and that will never ever change, he is part of the family

Everything in your life will change, even in ways you never realise once you have a baby.

The preparation needs to consist of getting Cyrus used to the inevitable changes, he is already uncomfortable in the physical changes in you.

Is he very set in his ways with everything very routine?  You many have to make things more fluid (walk and feed times, where he is allowed in the house), as babies and a strict routine flies out teh window.

for example you won't be walking him unless it is with the pushcair, so start training him to walk on a  head collar, even if you have never used one before.

Have you got your pram yet?  If not try and borrow one and practice walking him with it.

I have walked up to two medium size dogs happily with a  puschair and my freind with dobermnas did two hour walks with a Dobe and pushchair (using headcollar) for several years, not to mention with me and my five accompanying her.

I always find that when the dogs get their toes run over by the pram wheels, it makes them heel a lot faster!!
I tried the doll dressed like a baby and all sorts to get mine used to the baby but dogs aren't daft.  They knew it was a doll(and thought I was weird).  Thing to do is when you are still in hospital, get your OH to bring home the dirty washing and let the dog have a good ole sniff at the babies stuff and then leave it lying around the living room.  Just so that babies scent is getting known round the home.
Also, don't start any routine with your dog at this time.  Go out if and when you feel up to it but you are the decider on when you do that, not your dog!  When the baby comes along, you night not feel like going out so if you have him in a routine, he might expect it~!

Hi, thank you all for your thoughts and advise. Yes it is only me that he is growling at, so it is either the pregnancy or something that I am doing or have changed. I thought about how things have been different since I became pregnant. The only thing that has changed is I used to go for a 3 mile run 4 times a week with Cyrus and I haven't done this, and I used to feed him a couple of times a week. Started tonight with some positive thinking and actions, we went for a nice long walk and I have fed him his tea, and no growling !! Fingers crossed it continues.

I haven't really thought about preparing him for the new arrival, needless to say this is my first time owning a dog and first baby and didn't realise I should be doing anything. It is certainly something I will look into and act on now with hubby's help. I am determined that nothing will change between me and Cyrus, he is and has been our little boy for the last 4 years and that will never ever change, he is part of the family. The only thing I have done is to keep him out of the nusery, not that he went in that room much anyway.

Thank you al again for your help. I feel much more relaxed and positive now.

That sounds great and really pleased you feel more positive, it's lovely that you won't let things change between you and him, I know lots of new mums who havent let having a baby change the relationship between them and their dogs.

It will be different for you and him though - if he walks nicely on a lead then there will be no ned to add more change in, but if not then it may be helpful to get him used to some kid of equipment to help you walk him andthe baby together or maybe you won't need to be walking them together.  Thjings like baby gates are invaluable when you have a new baby and a dog for each other to get used to.  I would purchase one or two of them, you'll need them in the future with the baby any way get him used to them and to being on the other sid of them.

You can get sound CDs that have various children/baby noises on them that can be really useful as things like crying can really unsettle some dogs.  The you can put the cds on very low while building up a positive association with the noises for he dog, if he lieks treats then have some of his favourite treats to pair with the noises on the CD so that he is happy and relaxed withthe noises as possible.

Haivng as many of the things that you will need for the babay out and about as far in advance as you can.  Get him used to the pram and chairs that the baby will be using, some prams and pushciars can be quite scarey for some dogs so getting them used to as many things as possible before hand will  make the transition easier for him.  The fact that he is possible worried by changes in you does not mean that he won't accept the baby in any way.

Let us know how you get on with him
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I was a wee bit worried when one of my puppy owners told me they were expecting twins.  the dog they had from me would be just under two when the babies were born, 4 months on they seem to be doing great and the dog is very good with the kids.

Segregation and supervision will be your watchwords from now on.

So baby gates and dog free zones will be a must.  If the dog is allowed in the bedrooms now, probably  good idea to not allow it from now on, and as others said he will need to be happy to be behind the baby gate at times. 

Can be very hard to charge a baby with a dogs nose in the nappy, trying to clean it etc.  Knowing quite a few shepherds it can be very difficult for them to accept separation from the owner.

Health professionals and family members can be very negative about the 'danger of animals' around babies, and as a new Mum you can be quite fragile, so proving to other people that you have ensured the baby will be 'safe' can take a lot of pressure off.

I have brought two children up with dogs in situ, with the first I got our dog as a puppy when she was a year, then had number two child when she (the dog) was 2 1/2, and second dog arrived as a puppy when second was a  year old.

They were two different breeds, the first a shepherding breed, much more highly strung than the second, both adored the kids but the first could get stressed with too much going on and other people's children, and I learnt to read her to allow her escape from the goings on, and quiet time when she needed it.

To be honest until the baby is mobile it is common sense, you don't leave baby unattended and most dogs get used to the baby.  The time things can charge is when the toddler can invade the dogs space, and also once the child gets to an age where the dog may become less tolerant, like loosing puppy license, when some dogs may feel they can tell the hairless puppy off.  So just because baby and dog get on you have to re-evaluate management as the baby develops to mobile toddler , to young child etc

http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/1873483228/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

Your dog and your baby - meant to be a good book, may be useful. I know quite a few trainers and behaviourists recommend it to new mums. I've not read it, so if anyone knows anything bad about the book please let me know

Lindsay
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Ps there is another book on Amazon which looks very old fashioned! Also, "The Canine commandments" by Kendal Shepherd will be very useful, for now and the near future.

Again, thank you all so much for your help and advise. Luckily i have young nieces and nephews so Cyrus is used to children and babies - he loves both (he would rather be playing with children than doing anything else!!) Obviously it will be different when the baby is in his home full time !! He is used to having his ears pulled and fingers up his nose (my nephew is obsessed with doing this!) and all the other things little ones try to do to dogs - he just lays there !!

He does like a routine for feeding, but with walking is used to it being on our terms and has been walked with bikes, prams toddlers etc since being a puppy - he really is such a good dog and copes with change really well.

I will be sure to read the book suggested above to help.

Since Thursday night I have been feeding him and walking him and no more growling so fingers crossed.
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That's great news, Cyrus sounds lovely

Well so much for the no growling - I spoke too soon !! Got up this morning and he started growling at me again. Tonite when coming home from work it is worse still - he is acting as if he wants to come and see me and wags his tail, but he gets so far towards me growls and runs off and hides. My husband has tried sitting next to me and calling him, he will come over and is fine with him but as soon as he looks at me he growls - we really are at a loss as to what to do - does my husband stay being normal with him, I have been staying calm and either walking away or sending him out of the room. I feel more for Cyrus as he seems really confused about me and I just wish I could help.

Nothing else in his behaviour etc has changed.

We have him booked in at the vets on Friday.

Any further ideas?

Hiya,

Bless him he does sound very worried and it can't be much fun for you either.  I think getting the all clear at the vets is the first important move

If that is all clear then it would be worth trying him with DAP, have you heard of DAP collars,a synthetic phermeone, that is a rplicant of the pheremone that is produced by lactating bitches to help puppies feel calm and content, thiscan be of great benefit to 'some' doggies as adults, useful for things like SA, and fear ful behaviours, sound phobias etc?  There is also another product called Zylkene which is a milk based protein and it binds to receptors in the brain and can help anxious/fearful doggies to feel a bit more secure and confident.  It's a natural product and doesn't cause drowsiness and is worth a try.

I would also suggest getting someone reputable, expereinced and qualified in to assess the situation and offer you any pointers and they will be able to help you find a way forwards and give you a better idea of what is triggering things and how to deal with it Some times, even if you are experienced it can be hard to see the wood for the trees when you are emotionally involved and a professional outside will be looking at things from a diferent perspective.  If you do go down this route though, make sure it is someone who is up to date and uses positive reward based methods.

I would try not putting any pressure on him to approach if he is being worried, try not cajooling him to come and see you after he has growled as this may make him feel more pressured and then may put him in a postion where he feels the need to growl more or may make him feel more apprehensive of you.

would maybe go and get some goodies when he has settled and just toss some igently in his direction so that he is getting a good experince with you without him feeling pressured to come up too close.  Try not looking directly at him or focussing to much on him, maybe just gently toss the treats in his direction as you are watching tv or something.  Hopefully this will help him feel less worried by you if you release nay pressure and build up some positive associations.

Hi,

Well been to the vets and they can't see anything wrong with him. They suggested the DAP collar which we now have and Cyrus is wearing. Apart from that the vet wasn't really much help, he just suggest leaving a very short lead on him and everytime he growls lead him out and put him in his kennel or outside for half an hour, and use treats to reward him when he is good. Also to make a fuss of him when he is not growling (which I can't do as he growls everytime I am near him!!)

Going to give it a couple of weeks with the DAP collar and see how things go !!

Thank you again for all your help and advise.
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