If your dog charges or growls at your spouse, don't punish this behavior. It's like teaching a child never to say “no” when he's scared. Boundaries are important in life, so respect your dog's boundaries too. Instead, your spouse should turn away and ignore your dog.
Share consequences with her dog for the growling (she kept a leash and prong on the dog while not crated so she could issue corrections) Remove furniture priviledges (couch, bed, etc) until dog is consistently not resource guarding. Have her husband hand-feed her dog all meals, preferably during training exercises.
There are multiple reasons that a dog may exhibit aggression toward family members. The most common causes include conflict aggression, fear-based, defensive aggression, status related aggression, possessive aggression, food guarding aggression and redirected aggression.
Fear. If your dog typically growls at strangers, specific people, such as children or men, or when the dog is in an unfamiliar place, the growls are most likely due to fear. A dog may also growl in situations that trigger fears, such as during thunderstorms or fireworks displays.
General aggression of people or things usually points to socialization or trauma. But when asking 'why is my dog aggressive towards me but not my husband” you need to consider is it just you. When your dog is only afraid of you and not other people it can be due to lack of understanding your dogs way of communication.
They Have a Protective or Anxious Nature
It is typical for some dogs to act protective and be wary when somebody approaches their owner. Generally, this results in barking, growling, and perhaps even some snarling.
Your dog growls at someone approaching the bed because something about that approach is stressful for him. If you can change his association with and his emotional response to the person approaching, he will change his behavior.
The most common reasons dogs growl are fear, possession aggression, territoriality, and pain. Some dogs also growl when playing. Play growling is often seen when two dogs are having a safe, healthy play session. In this case, the growling does not necessarily indicate aggression.
The first step in changing your dog's relationship with your husband is to carefully structure their interactions, in order to make them more predictable for your dog. At the same time, teach your dog to associate your husband with good things, like treats and rewards.
"The goal is to teach the dog that it will receive a favored treat or reward that is even more appealing than the object in its possession." Approaching calmly, offering a food reward and taking the possession, praising the puppy and returning the object teaches the puppy that your actions are not to be feared.
Dogs typically bite just one person in the household because they have a bad past experience, aren't well-socialized, or the person doesn't know how to interact properly with dogs. It could also be resource-guarding behavior.
Many breeds are very protective, and many dogs have “their person” – so they will have a tendency to growl when someone else is approaching as a way to ensure that their special person stays safe. You may also see the behavior if they are friendly with other dogs and a new, unknown pet comes around.
There is a possibility that your pet considers your husband as a resource. Seeing you (or anybody for that matter) near your husband may make your dog feel insecure or uncomfortable, as they might think that their precious resource might just get exhausted or is under threat.
Your dog may be afraid of your husband because of a man that scared them in the past, and it's hard for our dogs to separate the two. Many dogs will move past this fear once they learn that not all men are as bad as the one that initially hurt them, but it can take time.
Growling during play does not mean your dog is aggressive. It simply means they're having a great time. Your dog might even growl during a particularly pleasing cuddle or patting session. Many dogs growl talk to communicate contentment or as a greeting.
Dogs also growl at someone when they are afraid. It warns whatever the dog is afraid of that he wants this interaction to stop, and if it doesn't the dog will be forced to protect himself. If your dog is aggressive toward your husband but not you, he may require more socialization time with men.
Guarding people, places and things is normal for dogs (and for most people!) and growling is a dog's way of giving a warning. The aggressive display may stop with a growl (especially if the perceived threat goes away) or it may be a precursor to snapping and biting.
There are a number of possible reasons. First, closeness between people can confuse a dog. Hugs, for instance, are abnormal in the canine world and can be viewed by dogs as threatening. Dogs may also view intimacy as play, which means they want to play, too.
According to experts, many breeds of dogs are prone to jealousy in response to their owners' attention being diverted. Their naturally affectionate personalities can prevent them from stepping back, which can often lead to your dog displaying jealous tendencies towards you or your partner.
In short, dogs do get jealous, and those feelings of jealousy are strikingly similar to human jealousy. You may be able to read some of your dog's emotions through their body language, such as happiness or sadness.
Your dog may be showing possessive behavior if they do the following: Growling. Snapping. Whining.
Stop whatever it is you're doing or the person/animal eliciting the growl is doing. If you know that your dog growls right before a bite, then move away and get safe. If you know the growl doesn't mean a bite is imminent, stop what you are doing.
Growling is part of normal canine communication. People usually think of a dog's growl as a warning or as a sign of defense. Often, growling means that the dog needs space or is uncomfortable. However, growling is a complex vocalization that also occurs in other situations.