My puppy growled at my boyfriend while eating. Should I be worried?

Question

My young puppy was eating and my boyfriend (who lives with us) came downstairs. Dune acted like he was startled and started growling and barking at Delton, who has spent a lot of time with Dune and has been here since the beginning. Was this an aggressive response that we need to work on? Or was it just a young puppy started by something different? Is it something I should be worried and talk to a trainer about? Thanks in advance. Pet's info: Dog | Goldendoodle | Male | unneutered | 2 months and 26 days old | 35 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

It sounds like Dune may simply have been startled and reacted fearfully - growling and barking are common signs of fear in dogs. If he settled down quickly and has been acting normal again since then, I wouldn't necessarily worry. If this behavior continues to occur over the next few days or weeks, then I would recommend consulting with a veterinary behaviorist or a good reward-based trainer who can evaluate him in person and help determine why this is happening, so that you can put together a training plan to work on it. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here (www.dacvb.org) or a qualified trainer here (www.ccpdt.org)

My puppy growled at my boyfriend while eating. Should I be worried?

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