CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR

Our OES is 17 mos. old. I shaved her for the first time almost 3 weeks ago, then she was boarded a week later. She is now acting differently. I don't know if it is due to the being shaved or not. I board her at her vets office, so she was in familiar surroundings. But she has been very timid in surroundings she was not before. Acting almost afraid of certain situations. Then, she was on the couch as usual the other night. I needed for her to get up. Normally she gets up with the "up" command. Well she was being stubborn and just layed there. I needed to leave, so I put my hands behind her and easily pushed as I said up and she growled at me. I gave her a minute and commanded again and she got up. Then this am she got ahold of something my husband left laying around. Well she knew what she did. I said "no" very sternly and pointed to the item. She growled at me again. What are anyone's thoughts on this.
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Could be a bunch of different things, but it's unlikely shaving her would have this kind of impact. My first thought is that it's a typical age for temperament problems to show up.

Have you talked to her breeder about what's going on? It's helpful to have input from someone who knows the line in terms of health and temperament.

Kristine
My first thought as being boarded ! did something happen? is this the first time? She might just be mad at you for leaving her.
I agree with Kristine -

I'll just add I hope you growled back ;)

That said - my husbands 9 yo Irish Setter will growl on any number of occassions at me, he also moans, sighs and pretty much sounds like a cranky old person. He has been doing it all of his lie. I have never felt he was going to do anything but growl and he never has - he just seems to have to make sure we know he is not happy about having to change his position or give something up.
OES Mommy wrote:
My first thought as being boarded ! did something happen? is this the first time? She might just be mad at you for leaving her.


Hm....

It's quite possible that she was not thrilled with and quite probably a bit scared by being left at the vets but that really doesn't explain her sudden (one suspects based on the description) resource guarding. Dogs don't hold grudges, at least not like humans do - certain things can make them feel out of sorts and insecure, but they don't consciously plot revenge, especially days or weeks later. They are very much in the moment kind of critters. So the bigger question is: did she ever show any tendency towards resource guarding before?

If yes, then the added stress might have served to trigger it more readily. If no and she suddently starts growling at one of her owners...? That's kind of unusual.

Kristine
I appreciate your inputs. She has been there before, to groomer, vet, boarding the whole nine yards. As far as I know the same people are still there. At least the ones I dealt with. I guess something could have happened while being boarded, but nothing was said and how would one approach with that question this late. In all my contacts with the breeder prior to purchase and with emails with other people who have purchased (some several years prior and several dogs) they all said their dogs had good temperments. That was one thing I really was and still am concerned with since we have a grandson who is almost 2. She has never shown any temperment issues with him.
GUEST wrote:
I appreciate your inputs. She has been there before, to groomer, vet, boarding the whole nine yards. As far as I know the same people are still there. At least the ones I dealt with. I guess something could have happened while being boarded, but nothing was said and how would one approach with that question this late. In all my contacts with the breeder prior to purchase and with emails with other people who have purchased (some several years prior and several dogs) they all said their dogs had good temperments. That was one thing I really was and still am concerned with since we have a grandson who is almost 2. She has never shown any temperment issues with him.


WHether something happened or not doesn't really matter - knowing won't change what you have to deal with.
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