Last night when we returned from play day, the pups were exhausted. My hubby got in the shower and me and pups all hopped in bed. Well, Sam was in my hubby's spot. When he went to move Sam from his spot, Sam growled at him. Well, it became a stand off and finally Sam got off the bed and my hubby got in. Anyway, he has never exhibited this behavior before but often does get in hubby's spot and he has to move him. Normally, he just acts silly when we move him but not this time. I know he was completely exhausted from the play day. Once hubby was settled in, we allowed him back up but at the foot of the bed and he was asleep in a matter of minutes. Any suggestions to avoid a reoccurrence? We really don't mind them sleeping with us but they need to know their place for sure...I know this exhibits him trying to establish a higher rank in the pack so I want to make sure he knows his place.
Sam - growling at my hubby!!
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You might wait to see if he does it again, I know its not an excuse but they were probably extreamly tired and I know that when Im really tired I can bite about anyones head off for no reason. But I'm not an expert at all what so ever. But if he keeps doing it maybe it might be best to keep him off the bed.
Just a guess, but could he have been protecting you? Dozer growled at my hubby and tried to nip at him this weekend, but we were playing, and Dozer thought he was hurting me. He hasn't done it since, and him and hubby are fine now. Guess there will be no huggin and kissin at my house for a while!! =))
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Milo does the same thing when we try to move him. It's definately a dominance thing, just be sure that he knows his place in the pack. Letting him on the bed is fine, but make sure he sits before hand..that way it's kind of a reward, not just a given. It will take time and remembering on your part, but it's helped with Milo.
You may have to at least keep him off that side of the bed. Give him a spot if you want him on the bed and that is where he can be. Duke knows that when its night night time he sleeps in the middle curled up, and he goes right there. He moves to our feet after a while but he knows that at the start of the night he gets to cuddle up with us. Maybe you need to do that, where ever you want him thats were he gets to be and if he doesn't like that then off the bed he goes. I know that seems a little mean but he needs to know that hubby rules over him. Just like when I am trying to get Duke to do something Adam can't interfer cause then Duke only listens to Adam and not me. I would make sure that if he jumps up on your hubbys side of the bed and your hubby is around then he is the one to correct him and if your hubby isn't around then you reinforce it, if you are cuddling in bed just you and the dogs maybe you should take your hubbys spot and let the dogs have your side so they know that even if your hubby is gone they still can't sleep there.
Again, i'm no expert just a thought.
Again, i'm no expert just a thought.
A stern "no" and whatever method you usually use that he knows he did something wrong.Skylar\";p=\"67011 said:
If my dog growled at me I'd be pretty pissed, that's unacceptable toward any family member. I wouldn't ask him off the bed....I'd make him get off. And he wouldn't be allowed back on the bed that night. Just to drive the point home that he did something really wrong.
I agree that claiming the bed is usually a dominance issue, (although it could be overprotective behavior to like kris said) but assuming it's dominance, then your husband may have to start taking a bigger authority role in the family. I'm not sure how he is with the dog now, but sometimes dogs will not listen to one half of a couple because they only recognize one as their superior because the other one doesn't take a big enough role in training and establishing authority.
With Duke its not about being dominiate he just wants to cuddle. He just has a hearing problem.....selective hearing or he just sits there and stares at me. We are working on it though, but i can tell that when Adam tries to step in it makes me look like I don't matter. So you really have to be careful that when your husband is correcting him and he doesn't listen that you don't step in otherwise it will make Sam think he only has to listen to you.
Honestly, if it hasn't happened before I imagine it was because he was tired. I know when Duke gets tired he doesn't have much patience for us.....if we are trying to get comfortable and we move to much he will let out a big sigh and jump off the bed and go lay on the couch. So maybe thats all it is. If he is almost two and you have had him for a while and its never happened before I don't see why he would start to get that way now. I would just wait and see before you kick him off the bed. that is just my opinon. 
Yea, we have had him since he was three months old. I really hope that is all it was. He growled at me one other time and that was the day we had Skylar put down. It was a very emotional day for all of us and we all got little or no sleep that evening before. I sat on the couch to hug him and he growled. The moment he did it, I told him "No Sir" and he bent down and licked my hand but got up and moved to the chair and turned his head from me. I chalked it up to the whole situation of getting no sleep and he was probably tense about where Skylar was and all.
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Definitely give Sam the benefit of a second chance, it really does sound like he was tired after his play that day....Yea, it was a dominence issue, and as was already stated your hubby should be the one to reprimand him, it's hard not to jump in, but I found with ours that if its directed at someone other than myself(usually Marq), it's best if he is the one that does any discipline....When I first got Samson, it was just him & me, so he ruled the roost and the bed, that was HIS territory, so when I started seeing Marq, we had some major problems from the get go, Samson considered Marq a major threat and would snap and lunge any time the 3 of us were on the bed..Took close to a year to work that out and judging from wht you are saying, this is something that just occured, so I kinda think it's a one time only thing....Boy, I tell ya, I feel like I need a degree in Psychology at times to figure all this stuff out
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