growling wolfdog

Michiel · 08-09-2007, 13:41

Dear all,
Our wolfdog is now 2 years and 3 months old (from June 2005). and seems to be doubting about the character mood he should take for the future. In the last years he loved to greet enthusiatically all people (men and women) and all animals. Since a couple of months he started growling. Some situations in which he growles and not growles:
- sunday evening after 22pm is a time for lying away from us and growling when we (my girlfriend and I) caress him;
- all mornings in the week are time for playing and licking and being a bear for hugging;
- he can ly with his head (almost every morning) on the legs of my girlfriend, be caressed but then sometimes starts growling;
- he listens to commands but when my girlfriend calls him (not the command "to come" but just a calling) to come but not as a command he never comes or comes with his ears and head down. When I call him he is always very happy to come;
- he does not growl when children caress him, fall on his head, or do other things;
- he does not growl to men but he growls more and more to women;
- growling to women: he tends to growl at women he does not know + my girlfriend (his boss from the moment we got him, though he recognises me as the leader of the pack). He does not growl at women he knows but are not part of the pack;

We 'punish' him when he growls against people or dogs (other animals are still his biggest friends, especially birds). We punish not too severely but he is shown growling is inappropriate behaviour.
Now we wonder whether all male wolfdogs of this age show this behaviour or whether it is quite common? Does this behaviour go away in some time (just like similar as it came)? What are ways to deal with such behaviour: training, punishments, socialising, etc.
He still goes with us to busy streets, overcrowded places, restaurants, hotels: not a problem at all. He is not afraid or impressed with what happens around him as he is used to this, i guess, since he was 7 weeks old. He only does not like it anymore when women want to caress him.

Thanks to all for giving any advise.

best regards, Michiel

08-09-2007, 13:41	#1
Michiel Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Pribram Posts: 4	growling wolfdog Dear all, Our wolfdog is now 2 years and 3 months old (from June 2005). and seems to be doubting about the character mood he should take for the future. In the last years he loved to greet enthusiatically all people (men and women) and all animals. Since a couple of months he started growling. Some situations in which he growles and not growles: - sunday evening after 22pm is a time for lying away from us and growling when we (my girlfriend and I) caress him; - all mornings in the week are time for playing and licking and being a bear for hugging; - he can ly with his head (almost every morning) on the legs of my girlfriend, be caressed but then sometimes starts growling; - he listens to commands but when my girlfriend calls him (not the command "to come" but just a calling) to come but not as a command he never comes or comes with his ears and head down. When I call him he is always very happy to come; - he does not growl when children caress him, fall on his head, or do other things; - he does not growl to men but he growls more and more to women; - growling to women: he tends to growl at women he does not know + my girlfriend (his boss from the moment we got him, though he recognises me as the leader of the pack). He does not growl at women he knows but are not part of the pack; We 'punish' him when he growls against people or dogs (other animals are still his biggest friends, especially birds). We punish not too severely but he is shown growling is inappropriate behaviour. Now we wonder whether all male wolfdogs of this age show this behaviour or whether it is quite common? Does this behaviour go away in some time (just like similar as it came)? What are ways to deal with such behaviour: training, punishments, socialising, etc. He still goes with us to busy streets, overcrowded places, restaurants, hotels: not a problem at all. He is not afraid or impressed with what happens around him as he is used to this, i guess, since he was 7 weeks old. He only does not like it anymore when women want to caress him. Thanks to all for giving any advise. best regards, Michiel