Growling in 5 month old - aggression?

Hi all

Something weird happened today and I'd appreciate your opinions.

Pup (JRT/staff cross) is now 5 months old. She has done puppy socialisation classes; has the beginnings of obedience, is normally a sweet, affectionate pup. She has been very mouthy and bitey from the start but that was finally settling down. We have only done positive training with her. We try to ignore bad behaviours and reinforce good.

When she was smaller sometimes she yelped when picked up. Last month, I had her checked over by the vet and she could find nothing wrong. We have had dogs all our life, and have never had a problem picking up puppies or dogs.

Now she has stopped the yelping (and this maybe happened once every couple of weeks - not a daily thing) but a couple of times, has done a little growl. Once at my 20 year old when she was sat on his knee, perfectly happily, and he just gently stroked her. This was near her face and all I could think was she is teething (her gums look quite red and angry) and maybe it was this. Shortly afterwards she growled at the 14 year old, again when sitting on his knee and again, he just moved slightly.

Today she growled very loud and quite a long time at me. Again, when sat on my knee - had been very affectionate all day. I picked her up gently (as I had quite a few times in the day) to move her behind me, so I could stand up and lave hr on the chair behind me. When she growled, I put her straight down on the floor and said "No!" firmly. There was no air snap that I saw.

I have looked and looked online and can find no answers Some sites say a puppy is too young to show true aggression - but at 5 months (20 weeks) is she an 'adolescent' and so is this "true" aggression?

How can I handle this? I am hoping as she is so young - and is usually such a nice little dog - this is something we can deal with now, before it escalates. Any advice? Is this true aggression or is she still a baby? I am thinking the growling (which is new) seems to have replaced the weird yelping. Also she is half JRT. I have had staffies before but never a JRT. Is she just 'talking'? And being vocal?

I'm panicking a bit. What do I do? Am determined to make this work, and do my best for her. She is a rescue we got at 9 weeks but was only one week in rescue and they felt it wasn't a cruelty case - just thoughtless backstreet breeder. Even so I am now beginning to wonder if something happened to damage her and how best to handle this?

I don't think you need to be overly concerned. She's still young and in effect a toddler. Your doing the right things in correcting the unwanted behaviour, just make sure everyone does the same. It is very unlikely to be aggression at this age.

Be firm and ignore the growling after a stern no. She will learn what's acceptable as long as everyone does the same with her.

Not sure what the yelping was about though, perhaps she was handled roughly before you got her

Sounds like she had been trying to communicate that she was uncomfortable to you through yelping, and when that didn't work she used the growl. Be very careful not to "punish" her for growling and if you discipline all communication methods you could result in a "flash" biter.

Not all dogs like being picked up - terrier's are famous for panicking. Does she climb onto your knee or do you call her to you? Could you maybe sit on the floor with her, or have her next to you when showing affection rather than on your lap?

Thanks, Ian. That's reassuring.

Rachel every time it has been when she has chosen to climb on someone's knee when they are already sitting down. I don't want to ban her from the sofa/chair, but I am not letting her sit on knees for the moment. She is fast asleep next to me now. She sleeps in a crate downstairs at night.

My other staffies in the past have always been allowed on the furniture and when they got too big to sit on our knees, either did it anyway or put their heads in laps. She is not growling when being picked up, now I think of it, but when she has chosen to put herself on your knee then you want to move...

I am actually beginning to wonder if she is not about to come into season. No sign yet but it wouldn't surprise me - my last dog (bull terrier) was always knocked for six every time she came into season.

Pup is from a rescue and already booked in to be spayed in March.