🐕 Golden Retriever Chat 🐕

[ShrekDawg]

Chase's reactivity is fear reactivity, but lately I'm thinking there is a little something else. I know fear is at least 95% of it, and he is about 95% better than he was. What's left puzzles me. Like with my sister, there was no fear at all, it was just "don't touch me". And I have noticed he always growls when I'm sitting down and he is in my lap (technically half of him is in my lap). I didn't get the pattern at first and I was confused why he was perfectly fine with that person before and after. And the other day he aggressively lunged at someone's face (I wish he would stop lunging at the face, and he is very tall, only a few inches shorter than me on his back feet. I mean, I wish he'd stop lunging period, but especially at the face) who leaned over me while I was laying down and he was on me. The protectiveness isn't that bad and something I can correct, but what in the world was the other thing? The reason why I wasn't that worried about her picking him up was because someone else had picked him up a while ago and he was fine with it, other than just being slightly nervous. So I was expecting the same reaction, just a little nervous. He wasn't nervous at all, It seemed like he just got mad. I am honestly glad that happened though, nobody got hurt and my sister is understanding, and now I know to be more careful. I really thought he was pretty much completely better, but I'm glad I know that I still have to be very careful and I know now that just because he isn't afraid doesn't mean he won't react. Do you know what that might have been? It really looked like he just got annoyed that she did that. I'm just shocked that that is how he reacted with simply annoyance.

I’m not sure. Dogs do have emotions too though and can get annoyed with things too so that’s very possible. The other stuff honestly sounds like he is resource guarding you which is not good but IS fixable with a lot of work I think.

 

[ShrekDawg]

And honestly I haven’t seen big dogs resource guard their humans very much. Usually it’s little dogs that do that from what I’ve seen hah usually any size dog can resource guard food, bones, toys, etc. etc. but as far as their owners, I usually see it in little dogs so that’s interesting lol but yeah

 

[Squawkers]

I’m not sure. Dogs do have emotions too though and can get annoyed with things too so that’s very possible. The other stuff honestly sounds like he is resource guarding you which is not good but IS fixable with a lot of work I think.

I know he can get annoyed, I was shocked at how he reacted. Most dogs don’t lunge at people when they get annoyed. Yeah, he is much better than he used to be though

And honestly I haven’t seen big dogs resource guard their humans very much. Usually it’s little dogs that do that from what I’ve seen hah usually any size dog can resource guard food, bones, toys, etc. etc. but as far as their owners, I usually see it in little dogs so that’s interesting lol but yeah

Funny, I had never noticed that. Probably because nobody really trains their little dogs as much. They don’t think it’s needed.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I know he can get annoyed, I was shocked at how he reacted. Most dogs don’t lunge at people when they get annoyed. Yeah, he is much better than he used to be though

Funny, I had never noticed that. Probably because nobody really trains their little dogs as much. They don’t think it’s needed.

Ahhh okay sorry. That makes sense. It sounds to me though like he gave plenty of warning before escalating which is good. He did not just randomly lunge. She didn’t put him down or stop touching him or whatever and THEN he lunged. He could have lunged first. Not that what he did is right. I’m not saying that. But I’m just saying it’s better for training that he showed some restraint. There’s more hope? I guess. Idk.

And yeah true!!!! Plus they think it’s funny cause they’re so small and can’t do as much damage.

 

[Squawkers]

Ahhh okay sorry. That makes sense. It sounds to me though like he gave plenty of warning before escalating which is good. He did not just randomly lunge. She didn’t put him down or stop touching him or whatever and THEN he lunged. He could have lunged first. Not that what he did is right. I’m not saying that. But I’m just saying it’s better for training that he showed some restraint. There’s more hope? I guess. Idk.

And yeah true!!!! Plus they think it’s funny cause they’re so small and can’t do as much damage.

Yeah that’s true. I personally don’t mind the growling itself, as long as he stops when I tell him to. I feel like that is his way of communicating that he doesn’t like something, I just think the lunging like that is unacceptable. Trying to think carefully about what happened, and I remember her bending down over him, grabbing him to pick him up, then she kind of huffed and laughed and said he was too heavy, and around then was then he started growling. She pulled her hands back at the growl, but she was still kind of standing over him (maybe why he pushed further with his reaction??) then he kind of spun from under her and looked at me for a few seconds and then he turned around and started barking and lunged. I think everything until the lunging was understandable. He was uncomfortable with her picking him up so he warned her, but why did he lunge like that? She pulled her hands back, but maybe it was because she didn’t back up more?

Exactly. That’s why small dogs are so annoying.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Yeah that’s true. I personally don’t mind the growling itself, as long as he stops when I tell him to. I feel like that is his way of communicating that he doesn’t like something, I just think the lunging like that is unacceptable. Trying to think carefully about what happened, and I remember her bending down over him, grabbing him to pick him up, then she kind of huffed and laughed and said he was too heavy, and around then was then he started growling. She pulled her hands back at the growl, but she was still kind of standing over him (maybe why he pushed further with his reaction??) then he kind of spun from under her and looked at me for a few seconds and then he turned around and started barking and lunged. I think everything until the lunging was understandable. He was uncomfortable with her picking him up so he warned her, but why did he lunge like that? She pulled her hands back, but maybe it was because she didn’t back up more?

Exactly. That’s why small dogs are so annoying.

Yes. I think it was because she was still over him. That’s an uncomfortable thing for a lot of dogs.

And true but well trained are nice lol

 

[Squawkers]

Goodness, I’m kind of messing up the golden retriever thread Most goldens are very sweet and loving!! my family’s last golden was the typical golden, super sweet and wouldn’t hurt a flea. (Well, she had extremely high prey drive and killed a few cats and the neighbor’s puppy that got into our yard) my parents had a male golden too, his name was duke. I never knew him, but I have heard that he was super sweet with everyone!

 

[ShrekDawg]

Goodness, I’m kind of messing up the golden retriever thread Most goldens are very sweet and loving!! my family’s last golden was the typical golden, super sweet and wouldn’t hurt a flea. (Well, she had extremely high prey drive and killed a few cats and the neighbor’s puppy that got into our yard) my parents had a male golden too, his name was duke. I never knew him, but I have heard that he was super sweet with everyone!

Oh gosh

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

I bet that was yucky

Yeah

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

Chase's reactivity is fear reactivity, but lately I'm thinking there is a little something else. I know fear is at least 95% of it, and he is about 95% better than he was. What's left puzzles me. Like with my sister, there was no fear at all, it was just "don't touch me". And I have noticed he always growls when I'm sitting down and he is in my lap (technically half of him is in my lap). I didn't get the pattern at first and I was confused why he was perfectly fine with that person before and after. And the other day he aggressively lunged at someone's face (I wish he would stop lunging at the face, and he is very tall, only a few inches shorter than me on his back feet. I mean, I wish he'd stop lunging period, but especially at the face) who leaned over me while I was laying down and he was on me. The protectiveness isn't that bad and something I can correct, but what in the world was the other thing? The reason why I wasn't that worried about her picking him up was because someone else had picked him up a while ago and he was fine with it, other than just being slightly nervous. So I was expecting the same reaction, just a little nervous. He wasn't nervous at all, It seemed like he just got mad. I am honestly glad that happened though, nobody got hurt and my sister is understanding, and now I know to be more careful. I really thought he was pretty much completely better, but I'm glad I know that I still have to be very careful and I know now that just because he isn't afraid doesn't mean he won't react. Do you know what that might have been? It really looked like he just got annoyed that she did that. I'm just shocked that that is how he reacted with simply annoyance.

Reactiveness never goes away.
If it just started back up though is he in pain?
If she went over his boundary and he didnt like it any dog would.