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Hi I adopted Harley last year from a shelter that saved her for about 3 months. They say she was about 2yo (she is 3yo now). She is a mostly submissive dog but sometimes she will growl while cuddling with me and my gf. The gf has been around for about 3 months now and loves to get pet and hugs from her. When she lays down she asks Harley to come here and while she is crawling on her she growls and even quivers her lip. I’m afraid that she would bite and want to get ahead of this behavior.

Hi I adopted Harley last year from a shelter that saved her for about 3 months. They say she was about 2yo (she is 3yo now). She is a mostly submissive dog but sometimes she will growl while cuddling with me and my gf. The gf has been around for about 3 months now and loves to get pet and hugs from her. When she lays down she asks Harley to come here and while she is crawling on her she growls and even quivers her lip. I’m afraid that she would bite and want to get ahead of this behavior.

Updated On April 10th, 2020

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | spayed | 3 years old | 55 lbs

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Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

Veterinarian

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I agree you should get on top of the behavior. Canine aggression is a complex behavior as it can stem from dominance, possessiveness, fear, anxiety, resource guarding or a combination. Most people are not familiar with reading canine body language and training. Because of this, I recommend to work with a professional trainer. Researching on your own will also be helpful. Familiarizing yourself with canine body language and dog training can help you to recognize what your pet is trying to say. You can find many books written on the topic and there is a trainer named Victoria Stilwell who I think is particularly helpful. You can also try to increase the bond between Harley and your GF. Have your GF be the one who feeds Harley, and plays with Harley. Have a favorite toy that Harley ONLY gets when the GF hands it to her and plays with her. This does not mean Harley will automatically correct her behavior but it can help. Best of luck.

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