My Pet World: No bed privileges for a dog that growls at its owner

Cathy M. Rosenthal, Tribune Content Agency on Mar 9, 2022

– Mark, Baltimore, Maryland

Dear Mark,

While she may have been exposed to something traumatic before you adopted her, it’s also just as likely she may not have been exposed to anything traumatic at all. Dogs can sometimes develop fears without having any known trauma. That’s because dogs are extremely sensitive to the sights, sounds, and smells around them, and sometimes they are reacting to something you and I can’t hear, smell or see.

To find out if she is afraid of your stove or all stoves, take Joni to a friend or family member’s house to see if she reacts to the stove being turned on there. If not, then it could be some scent or sound your stove is giving off. If she does react to the other stove, then you know it’s probably all stoves in general and can begin desensitizing her to being in the kitchen and near one.

To begin, train her to relax. This involves saying “relax,” when you find her in chill mode, marking the behavior with a clicker or reward word, like Bingo,” and giving her a treat. When you think she understands what “relax” means, sit in front of the stove, and call her to you. Identify where you can sit without triggering a response and inch closer to it over time. Play with her, groom her, or give her a new toy. If she is relaxed, reinforce the “relax” command with the marker word and treats.

After a few days, have someone turn the stove on and then off. Do this for a few days in a row to see how she is doing, all the while doing something to keep her distracted. After about a week, turn the stove on and leave it on to see how she responds. If she has been doing this for six years, it’s an ingrained habit that will be difficult to break. But I believe with desensitization, time, and patience, that she can learn to relax around the stove, kitchen, and people cooking in it.

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(Cathy M. Rosenthal is a longtime animal advocate, author, columnist and pet expert who has more than 25 years in the animal welfare field. Send your pet questions, stories and tips to cathy@petpundit.com. Please include your name, city, and state. You can follow her @cathymrosenthal.)