Hi guys. So my 10 month old female (fixed) growled at me today. Sorry if this is long, but here goes...first and foremost shes had UTIs and we dont know the cause yet, going to the vet tomorrow. I took her to the groomers yesterday to have her shaved in between her legs and around her privates as a preventative measure for the UTIs. We were out playing in the sprinklet this morning and i noticed a few fleas on my arm. I wasnt sure if they were from the dog or just picked them up in the yard. We dried off, came i side and she layed down. After awhile, I got out her brushes and was brushing her...i checked her ears, arm pits, belly all for fleas, all clear. When i went to check her back leg, by the hip, I separated the hair and she growled at me. It was definetly a warning growl. So i stopped, put the brushes away and left her alone. Im not sure how to constructively deal with this or what I should do. Could it be fear over being groomed the day before? Or could her hips be painful? I am wooried bc I have a 4 year old daughter. I didnt react when she growled. I just stopped. I would hate to teach her not to growl and then have no warning for if shes going to bite. What should i do??
Warning growl
- Thread starter Sadie2016
- Start date
Unfortunately it will have to wait a week or so until payday. Were spending $700 tomorrow to figure out her other ailments. She isnt limping or showing any physical signs that shes hurt. That and with it being only a day apart from her groom Im thinking that she was fearful of the process and its turned to aggression. Shes never growled at me unless she gets to rowdy during play. When she does the game stops and toy get put away, period. My vet said its pointless to check for dysplasia at this age because her growth plates havent closed all the way. Is that accurate??
Was this in the area where she was shaved? Has she ever been shaved before? I think the groomer was probably rough with her or burned her skin and/or she was frightened by the experience.
Get some yummy treats, sit on the floor with her and try offering a treat while you pet the sensitive area. Try petting different parts of her body, too. I'll bet this was an isolated event and that you can work through it by making it a pleasant experience.
It's best to have an OFA xray at the age of two, but you can have preliminary ones done. They just aren't conclusive because young dogs have joint laxity and as your vet says, their bones are not finished developing.
Get some yummy treats, sit on the floor with her and try offering a treat while you pet the sensitive area. Try petting different parts of her body, too. I'll bet this was an isolated event and that you can work through it by making it a pleasant experience.
It's best to have an OFA xray at the age of two, but you can have preliminary ones done. They just aren't conclusive because young dogs have joint laxity and as your vet says, their bones are not finished developing.
NinaA
New member
Groomer can be harsh and much too rough. She may be hurting. Also, checking for a UTI cause should not cost $700, believe me, I've dealt with them in Moonlight for years. But, you do need to do a culture which involves drawing urine from the bladder with a needle. My girl has done it so many times she throws herself down on the floor and spreads her legs when the vet tells her to. Repeated UTIs can easly be caused by different bacteria and each one reacts to a different antibiotic, so if you don't have the right antibiotic for the right bacteria, the UTI comes back. We've been in a study on this for some time. Also, once it gets cleared, you need to wipe her clean with a baby wipe two to three times a day. I started doing this while giving lots of belly rubs. Now, you wave a baby wipe at her and she throws herself down and spreads those legs. I won't tell you what my husband calls her. But the whole thing has become a fun process for her.
You also might try (along with Jane's - above) suggestions, massaging her legs and feet, talking to her about how good she is, all the time, and if you find razor burn, which hurts, rub a little Neosporin into it. Also, while doing all this, check to be sure her vulva is not swollen and/or ulcerated, which is another side effect of a UTI or vulva problem and can be sensitive.
You also might try (along with Jane's - above) suggestions, massaging her legs and feet, talking to her about how good she is, all the time, and if you find razor burn, which hurts, rub a little Neosporin into it. Also, while doing all this, check to be sure her vulva is not swollen and/or ulcerated, which is another side effect of a UTI or vulva problem and can be sensitive.
AngusMcDubhsMom
New member
Just want to say Jane and Nina had good advice. I too thought she might be a little sensitive from the grooming and could be a bit sore in that area. I once had my late Gracie at the groomer when she had a skin issue and the poor girl came home with basically a razor burn on her back. The groomer did show it to me and apologized.
Good luck tomorrow.
Good luck tomorrow.
It wasnt in the area that was shaved. They shaved in between her legs, around her privates, but kept the "pants" on her back legs. I thought maybe they had been too rpugh and hurt her hip somehow. She let me pet her, it was specifically when i separated the hair and i did it very gently. And the $700 vet bill includes them using a needle to get a fresh urine sample, the UA, the culture, and injecting her with dye and taking a ton of xrays to see if theres anything wrong anatomically, and the cost of her antibiotics...so the price seemed reasonable for all of that...actually it seemed a little low to me. I dont know if they put her on her back to shave in between her legs and opened her legs too wide and hurt her hip. I am so frustrated, it seems like one thing after another with my poor girl. I will try treating her while i pet the area and make it a fun/pleasant experience. There was no razor burn from what i could tell and she isnt limping...i think they were just too rough with her and she was either sore or tired of being messed with.
I know you said that it was in a specific area that you touched and she growled. Our girl who just turned 2 just learned how to growl and she will growl whenever the mood strikes her. No reason just a low growl...Our big boy Jake growls when you go to take something from him as he thinks it is play time. My husband the first time it happened swatted him and a loud NO but we found out this is how he plays...he is not going to bite or it is not a warning just play for him. If your girl had bitten maybe that would be concerning but just be cautious and give her positive feedback as you do massage and play with her. Sometimes groomers are just too rough and our newfies are very sensitive creatures. They are not like other breeds...they are special...
I completely agree, they are so special! I wanted to try shaving her myself, but time was a concern and it needed to be done. I will continue to work with her and hopefully it wont happen again. I didnt want to discipline her for fear that she wouldnt give a warning before biting, that is more scary than anything in my mind!