URGENT *Growling

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#1
This question is REALLY urgent.

We got an 11week old Boston Terrier puppy Saturday. He loves people (follows us around, rests his head and goes to sleep on you, etc), however, today and yesterday he has begun to growl. He growled when my mother picked him up yesterday, when my brother picked him up today, and when I was playing with him and he stood on me, he growled then as well.

We took him to the vet today, and discovered he has mange and a common parasite.

The issue at hand - My folks are debating returning him tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon. I am doing as much research on behavior training as possible, but wanted to know your opinions. Do you think that we got a 'lemon,' or is this something common that is fairly easy to correct? Are my folks right in their idea of returning him?

As of now, the growling is as bad as it has gotten. He has NOT bitten anyone, and has only growled at us the three times. What would the proper training route be if keeping him is a good plan?

Honestly, I'd hate to return the little guy because he is generally a very friendly, people dog.
 

milo

Labrador lover!!!!!
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#2
Maybe he's frightened and doesnt no where he is so he's getting very scared and starting growling at you and your family, if you sit down with him and play withone of his best toy's then he might start to relax and not growl!!
if you get you and one of your family members to play with you then he will get to know you and evern trust you and your family!!!
Hope that helped!!!
Nice talking to you and Good Lucky!!!!! :D
 
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#3
Oh, this one is hard. On a very practical note, an 11 week old puppy with parasites and mange that is a growler just screams back yard breeder or puppy farm in the loudest possible way. The parasite I'm not so worried about; any puppy can pick one up and they do generally need to be wormed when they're little. The mange is a bit more problematic, but your vet can best advise you there. Are you sure it's not a skin allergy? Bostons are prone to those and relief is often is as simple as a proper diet.

On the other hand, the humane and dog loving side hates seeing a pup, that you're already becoming attached to and is already attached to you, returned to what has to be an awful situation. Can the growling behaviour be curtailed? Yes, and it really shouldn't be that difficult. Gentle correction for the wrong behaviour and enthusiastic attentions for proper behaviour works wonders and given that you describe him as generally friendly I would think that you should be able to accomplish the change.
 

tl_ashmore

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#4
I have a Boston Terrier. She also had a skin allergy where she would lose her hair and scratch all the time. I changed her food, and we haven't had any problems at all.
 
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#5
Take into account that he's been whisked out of the only home he's ever known, away from his littermates and mother and thrown into a living situation with strangers. It's understandable that he's a mite disgruntled. Bostons ARE Terriers, after all! :D
 

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