What now!!

[heidiho]

Well i have been hand feeding damien,but lately i have been going in the other room and letting him eat,and he will go eat and then after about a minute he comes up to me,then i tell him to go back and eat and he does,but this morning i put his food down and went and sat on couch well he comes up to me,and lays down,ears back and i pet him and say good boy go eat and he friggin growled,i was in the living room,he came to me,food was in kitchen..Why would he leave his food come over to me[i wasnt anywhere near the food] and growl??????WHY WHY WHY WHY....God i just dont think this is gonna go away.I honestly think something did happen when he was with his littermates,he is just a nervous wreck when eating he wont relax...............

[Goldenmom]

Heidi, do not go there again! All of us here have been through this with you over and over and over. Drop it. You need to learn to deal with it, given all kinds of advice from here. You were to keep hand feeding him for a LONG time, not just a week. This is going to take months for you to trust him, not days or a week. You have to be consistent, not do whatever you want, when you feel like it.

Heather

[heidiho]

I know that i have been,i will live with it if it doesnt change,i just wanted to see if we have made progress,my only question is why is he running over to me after i put the food down????I am still hand feeding,i am not going there again,just curious why he is leaving his food dish to come to me and then growl.....I will continue with hadn feeding for however long that is not the issue,was just wondering if anyone had any thoughts.....

[Karin]

Well, maybe he is not growling? Ciara is a large dog too and she makes deep throated "noises", that anyone that does not know her would mistake for a growl. I myself was worried about this at first. She is only talking in the only way she knows how. Over time I have learned much about communication with her, one on one. We understand each other..

This is internet talk, what you percieve as growling, (we can't hear it) may be something different afterall.

Big dogs have a big voice. Even in play they cannot sound like a Poodle.

Watch for body signs at the same time. Damien is young and you need to dive into this relationship if you want to cross the species barrier of communication. Be careful and firm. Not all noises are a threat though.
My .02 cents.

[Goldenmom]

You are absolutely right Karin. One of my golden girls "talks" and it sounds like growling also. Sometimes kids back up, but I say she is just "talking" for attention.

Heidi, does he curl his lips, can you see his teeth? is the fur on his back up? Tail down or wagging or nothing?

Heather

[heidiho]

No believe me it is a growl,long story i cant get into again,we are working through food aggression right now,just wondering why he would not just keep eating,i was not even in the same room and he came to me and when i started petting him he growled.....Last 3 times he has been eating he will stop come over to wherever i am and lay there ears back i pet him tell him good boy go eat then he leaves and finishes eating,well obviously we got a long way to go,will not let him eat on his own again,was just seeing if it has gotten any better,it is just this is something new now,wondering why he did that.....

[heidiho]

Goldenmom,here is exactly how it happens,i put food down make him sit and stay til i say ok,he goes to food bowl,i go to the bathroom,do my makeup a minute later he comes up to me,tail down ears down,i will pet him he looks up at me [looks nervous]then i will say go on baby go eat,then he goes back to food bowl,have dne it 3 x,it just happened to be this morning i sat on couch,which he cant see me from where he is eating in kitchen,i put food down,sat on couch he went i could here him eating then he came to me layed in front of me,ears down,looking at me with his head down eyes up,i started to pet him said good boy and he friggin growled at me,i swatted his nose & said no and put him in crate for ten minutes,took him back out and hand fed the rest,he just looks sooooooooo nervous when eating ,i swear something did happen when he was with littermates,i will handfeed for however long it does take,but i just dont get it.............He is sso wary while eating,oh well ,not trying to get into all this again,just why COME OVER TO ME AND GROWL when i am not even near his food is all i want to know..

[Karin]

I would think he would be more aggressive with the hand feeding than not. You are invading his food.
I would put his food down at meal time and go off to your own business. Ignore him..when he is hungry, he'll eat. He is at an awkward stage and is pushing your buttons. If he grumbles..ignore him. If he comes to you wanting affection, give it and praise him.
He is a smart dog. He's got you wrapped.