Back Chat

[~Jilly~]

Bella seems to have started what I can only describe as back chat.

If she's doing something she shouldn't be and you tell her 'no' she sort of grumbles or barks sometimes as if she's saying 'don't tell me what to do'

9 times out of 10 she goes back to doing whatever she was doing anyway so the 'no' command doesn't really seem to be working either

On the most part she is very good, she will always settle when you put her in her crate and doesn't play up, she will also respond very well to most commands, i.e. 'sit'. She doesn't always come when called but that's something we're practising. It's just this stopping doing something when she's told, she's never been overly responsive to 'no' but now the 'arguing' has started I'm not sure how best to handle it

She is 12 1/2 weeks old.

[Penel]

Best to ignore it completely - lots of dogs do this - grumbling and moaning - just take no notice and carry on with what you wanted them to do.
12 1/2 wks old is very young to expect them to do things right - perhaps lower your expectations a bit !

[AmandaA]

Len does this, its like he is telling us that he can do it, or if he is asked do you want to go for a walk  

[Sue H]

You may have a 'talking dog' there ... some people misunderstand and think the dog is growling or whatever .... you need to do some experiments to see whether this vocalisation is directed at a potential aggressor, a threat or is just their way of saying 'I have a chew/bone/piggywig and I FEEL GOOD !!!!'

We have found that is what Bramble is saying - he has quite a vocal range when we cuddle him up and he has a piggywig etc - he sounds like someone who is having the last bit of air squeezed out of their lungs and he puts his head on your chest and just GROANS but it is with such satisfaction ....!!!

[Jo & Dennis]

Holly does this too. We have real cocker conversations, hubby and me end up in fits of laughter and Holly joins in by her grumbles turning into excited woofs!.

She will come on my knee and start to grumble talk, and I grumble talk back and so it goes on.

It happens mostly when I come home from work and for all the world its like she is telling me what she has been doing all day with her Dad and I am telling her what I have been upto, it usually ends up with lots of cocker kisses laughing and excited woofing!!

I think we must be totally MAD - what did we do before we had our little Holly Oooooooh we do LOVE HER TO BITS.