Is it ok for my 3 month old dog to RANDOMLY growl at me?

At 3 months, puppies are learning how to behave. He is making a transition from his litermates to your family. It's a BIG transition. Puppies growl, bark and bite one another. He has to learn this isn't how it works with you.

Be patient, be firm and be consistent. Redirect his behavior to appropriate things and praise him when he's being good. Stop playing with him when he gets too wound up.

And with any dog, basic obedience is always a good idea - for socialization, manners and just general bonding.

If he's really and truly aggressive, you'll know it.

Find a trainer to help you understand why the dog is behaving this way. A dog that is really randomly growling and snapping is probably brain damaged. I'd guess that the dog has reasons and the growling is not random. I'm guessing fear issues, or guarding resources. You need to learn about how dogs learn new behaviors. Do not punish or yell at the dog, you risk making the behavior worse.

Visit this site to learn how to help a dog that is afraid.

www.fearfuldogs.com

But if you can't figure out why the is acting this way and can't predict when it's going to happen you need someone who can show you. Dogs usually give lots of other signals that they are not happy, they may be a subtle as just freezing up. It's clear language to a dog, but people don't understand it and so think that when the dog escalates its reaction (hmmm....freezing up didn't work, maybe I better raise my lip a notch, oh no, that didn't work, better growl, yikes they're yelling at me and are going to attack me, I better bite them!) the dog is acting without any reason or provocation.

www.fearfuldogs.com

This is never okay, even if it is random.

At 3 months old, he is exploring his world, and determining where he stands in the pecking order. He is also a puppy, so some of this could be play. However, he needs to understand that it's not the right way to play.

Check out your local kennels, parks, colleges, or shelters for puppy kindergarten classes. These are great for getting the dog socialized, begin training the basic commands, and also work through common puppy issues.

In the meantime, he bites, even in play, give a loud yelp and walk away. Ignore him. He will learn that when he bites, his buddies all leave him and he is alone. Do the same with the growl - just walk out of the room.

When he's playing nicely, with his own toys, then play with him.

No- this doesn't sound OK.

Puppies will growl and try to bite, and if he were still with his mother, she would correct him, but what you are describing sounds like more than the usual puppy behavior. It is possible he was abused before you got him, or that he has other issues.

Get him checked by the Vet to make sure there are no physical problems, and if he checks out OK, take him to a good training class. Good luck!

You may need some help here.

At 3 months old tho, most likely its playful behavouir. It may be a play bark/growl, and the bite may be play biting.

Is he play bowing (front end down, back end up?) tail wagging? How is he holding his ears?

There's alot of body language that comes into play when determining if a dog is being aggressive, or friendly.

There are ways to teach appropriate play. Play barks and growls are ok, but biting is NOT. When he does bite, yelp OUCH! (use the same tone as a pup if he would get hurt) If he continues to bite, yelp OUCH! again, then get up, walk away and ignore him. This teaches him "you are being too rough, its not fun anymore, game over"

Encourage play with toys instead of your hands. Praise him for using his toys.

I have a Lab/bloodhound mix and she did the same thing...

it wasn't always completely random, but she did it around her bed, rawhide or toys. I would give her a firm "no" and walk away. I wouldn't allow other family members to make eye contact with her until she went back to what she was doing before.

Also, have your dog spayed/neutered , this agressive attitude does fade a little bit after you do this.

You must always be consistent!

Hope this helped :D

Sounds so cute! And normal...wants to play. Get him some "safe" large puppy toys. Animals can choke to death same as people. Is this your first puppy? Talk it over with a good vet. First year+ your pup will be teething, make sure you keep shoes, clothing; everything you value totally out of reach. Good luck!

First, check that pooch for physical pain. It is not normal for such a young pup to be so hostile. Maybe tics in the ears or some other parasite. Get him to the vet for a checkup.

If that is not it...Muzzle's work great. The really zap a spirited dog into submission. Also, I've used electronic bark collars with great success. No, these are not cruel. My dogs used the collar for just a few months of getting shocked. Now, they are trained to bark when appropriate. What is cruel is when I see my neighbors telling their dogs to shut up and they probably beat the animal for barking.

I bet your dog has ticks in his ears.

Not acceptable behavior at all !! but the good thing is your dog is young and You just need to teach him what is acceptable behavior. Just remember, take care of the problem now when he is a puppy and don't wait until he is a mature adult and can inflict serious damage.

I second Nekkid Dog. It's not "normal" for a puppy that age to be displaying aggression. However, it's not impossible.

Try what ND said and see if you get results from that. If not, seek a professional for help.

Have you ever had a puppy before?