I don't have a problem with a dog who occasionally growls. Growling often follows early warning body signals which in some cases can be missed, though not with Loki .. I often see the tension before the growling starts. Growling is not aggression, though it may develop into aggression, managed correctly it is a dog’s way of avoiding aggression. A growl is a warning. It’s the canine equivalent of them saying "I'm really not happy with this situation!" If we are there then how we as owners deal with it then influences what happens next. Loki has bitten Ross in the past and has also bitten Orin, on both occasions we were not close enough to deal with it and help manage things as they unfolded. When I am there I may want to lash out, kick, scream and shout but I know it's totally the wrong thing to do, we always need to take charge and calm things down, not add to the tension. Forcing a dog into a situation that makes them uncomfortable will never improve things, we have to accept that like us they all have their differences, likes and dislikes. We have to accept not every dog wants to have a wide circle of friends, be they canine or human, some dogs are happy with their immediate friends and family.
When Loki is tense and uncomfortable, when he is a proper stress head then logically shouting at him will not defuse things it will only make him more stressed. The best plan of action is to call the other males away, or distract them. It's just difficult to know how to respond when Loki starts getting tense as soon as Ross walks into the room, there is no way I'm shutting Ross out for anyone. Luckily Ross being who he is he takes little notice. We are trying to keep as calm as we can at all times, though sometimes it is hard. Ross and Orin are just best buddies and sometimes I feel sorry as Loki tries to join in the games, but they don't want him to be part of it. I guess they are aware of his unpredictable nature and never know which version of the dog he is today.
Anyway hopefully we will continue to progress and as Orin gets older he will calm down and stop the puppy pestering, which by the way he only ever does to Loki. He treats Loki exactly as a young Ross did, but Orin does respond quicker and come away. I do wonder what they know, what they think, if only we could ask....
