Veda is a snot!

Veda and Piper get along great and play well together when Veda is in the mood which is almost always. However, if she is laying on the couch with a bone or toy and Piper even comes within a one foot radius of her, she gets the big eyes (what we call vedas face when she is pissed) and will starts this deep growl. shes never snapped at her or shown teeth but the growing makes me mad and embarrassed cause angels (cavaliers) aren't supposed to be anything but loving, (right!?!?!) ha!

anyway, anything i can do to help this? i used to grab her snout and and give a firm "NO" but that isn't doing anything at all. Ugh, she is such a hoarder!

Hi there

Please, please never grab her snout and say "no" I knew someone who used to do this to their lab cross pup, when their child did it the dog turned and bit their little boy's lip. They thought they were doing the right thing by the pat on the nose. We take toys off Rio when he misbehaves or he has a time out like he had when he was smaller. It could be a playful growl. I am still learning myself about dogs and how they play. Our neighbours dog is a cross of anything and everything and is a rescue, he has eaten his way through my neighbour's bedroom and house and when he and Rio play together he is very much the bully. He tugs Rio's long ears, tries to bite his tail and gets on top of him at times trying to mount him even though, they are both neutered :O and he tries to bite his neck too

We have stopped the two of them playing together.

Just wanted to tell you about the snout thing, at the end of the day a dog is still an animal and can turn.

No, a cavalier is first and foremost A DOG.

They can catch and eat birds, mice and snakes. They growl and will fight to defend themselves and others. Many people anthropomorphize cavaliers due to their innate softer qualities. They aren't always sweet. If my cavaliers growl over a toy- I am right there to take it away.

As others have noted, this is very normal dog behaviour and shouldn't make you mad or embarrassed, but it is a signal that the dogs need to be managed so that this doesn't turn into a real problem.

It's an indication that for your dogs, it would be wise to only give treats, toys or chews that cause this kind of behaviour to them separately, in crates, or under careful supervision. This can quickly escalate into a full on dogfight with injuries. I have two males that will fight in this way so they only get items like this under careful supervision. Veda is letting Piper know that a foot nearby is threatening to her and is using the polite dog way of conveying this -- a growl. If my dogs start doing this then I politely take the item off both of them (if they each have a toy/chew) or off the dog that growled, and that bit of 'fun' is over. I mark this unwanted behaviour by saying 'too bad!' so that they connect the unwanted consequence with the unwanted behaviour.

It is always absolutely essential to remember -- especially in multiple dog homes -- that you own a DOG, with millions of years of canine instincts deeply embedded in their nature... not a 'furkid'. :lol: About the only real similarity is that just as human children fight (they are hardly little angels either, and they can reason and think in ways dogs *cannot*!) so can dogs. The best solution is always to avoid the problem in the first place and manage dogs responsibly and respectfully.

I'd really recommend buying one of Dr Ian Dunbar's guides to dog ownership and training as it is very useful to have guidance on all these kinds of issues right to hand.

No, a cavalier is first and foremost A DOG

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Sandy, I can't tell you how many times I repeated this mantra to myself!! Jake does what he does....because he's a dog!! Our trainer was very firm on this. When a dog barks, growls, lifts his leg, digs in the yard...it's because he's a dog. You can manage their behavior and/or sometimes re-train them but they will always be dogs and do the things that dogs do.

haha, i was only kidding when referring Veda and Piper as "angels" as i know they are actually dogs. (i can tell cause they don't have wings......... kidding.. again.)

Anyway, thanks for the help! I'll definitely check out that book. I have used the "go to your spot!" as a reprimand for a more serious growl to which she just walks to her kennel, with her head down. I leave the door open so as not to use her kennel as punishment but she knows to stay for awhile if she has upset me.

Poor little Veda, she is not a "snot" just sorely misunderstood. I can remember my little sister taking my favorite outfits and wearing them or eating special snacks that I had put away for myself when I was young. She has just had enough of that and is standing up for her rights as prima donna diva princess!!! :jump: