Growling

Firstly I'm sorry I haven't been very active lately, I will be online more often again. My Mum's dementia is worsening & took me awhile to accept it. My baby Rebel is growing all the time & is such a good boy. I'd wrote before how a neighbour scared him & he was nervous with some people. Well my little star has been great meeting people out & about. However he has started growling at visitors. I understand it's just his way of saying back off I'm a bit unsure. But my worry is he is going to be a nervous adult dog. I want him to be a happy secure boy, which he is most of the time. I don't react when he growls, just act like everything is normal. When he eventually greets the person he is fine after that. What can I do

I ask guests to just come in & ignore Rebel. Saxon runs up to greet everyone. Rebel stays back & barks at them. The growling is new

I think you're spot on that it's worry and I also think you're right to work on this now.

If he's happy meeting people out and about, could you pop him on the lead and take him out of the house to meet new people? That might help him feel less that they are coming into his space and also have the meeting in a more open environment. Very often, worries can be helped by increasing the distance and immediacy of the worrying thing - you're not worried by the bull in the field 50m away behind the gate but your heart rate would rise if you took away the gate and if the bull came closer.

Am I right that you do clicker? If so, that's another option. Teach 'look at that!!!' using the clicker and then ask him to look at things that worry him. Clicker can be brilliant for building confidence. The thing that was worrying turns into part of a treat dispensing game, and it give the dog something active to do that is positive and that he feels gives him some control over his surroundings. For me it's one of the strongest uses of the clicker.

Thanks Liz, all your ideas are brill. I think taking him out is a great idea & so is increasing distance between him & the visitors. I don't do clicker but I'm definitely going to start. Rebel would take to it i think as he does 'look at me'

Cant add to already good advice