My senior dog growls at sounds. How can I correct this behavior?

I suggest you have your dog examined by your vet because many times older dogs will start to growl and be "grouchy" when they are hurting (ie: arthritis) or because their vision or hearing is going. If she felt better overall then she may not be as apt to be upset. You are correct, the best thing you can do to be safe it is to keep them separated. The easiest way to do this is to baby gate off a section of the house for your dog to be in so that there is no way for them to come into direct contact with each other. Without gating your only option is to use a basket muzzle (not a cloth muzzle) on her so that if she does try to bite - she can't make direct contact with her teeth. ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/Company-Animals-BASKERVILLE-MUZZLE-size/dp/B004OB3M2Y/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=B004OB3M2Y&qid=1558944063&s=pet-supplies&sr=1-1 ) Finally, you can try pheromone therapy - it may help but I honestly haven't had great results with these products but they won't hurt to try. ( http://www.dapdiffuser.com/ ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

I would take steps to curb this behavior. If you are her primary caregiver, have them take more of a role in her life. Have them feed her, play with her and be more interactive. Puppies do growl in play but it sounds like this isn't the case with her. The idea is to have whoever she seems to have an issue with become the people that good things come from. Treats, toys, play, even her food should be provided by them and therefore get her to trust them.

Poor pup! This level of anxiety about noises isn't normal, so I would consider talking to your veterinarian about prescription anti-anxiety medication for him. This could dramatically improve his quality of life, just like treating chronic pain with medication. If your veterinarian isn't well-versed in behavior issues, you could see a veterinary behaviorist instead - you can search for one in your area here: www.dacvb.org In the meantime, there are a few other things you can do that may help. I would suggest getting a white noise machine to help mask noises from the upstairs apartment and keep him from being able to hear every little thing that happens. He might also benefit from a DAP pheromone diffuser and a daily calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure.

Dogs usually growl to let us know they are afraid, in pain, or need us to back away from their possessions or territory. SInce Borris is growling at everything, it appears that he is a very insecure dog and needs to growl to warn others to stay away from him. This is problematic as one day this may lead to snapping at a person or other animal. It is important to have him examined by your veterinarian to make sure he is not in pain, and has no health problems such as progressive loss of vision, or any other condition that makes him feel vulnerable so that he has to warn all the time. Once health reasons are ruled out I suggest you consult with a dog trainer or behaviourist and have him assessed. The specialist and you can then work with Borris to lose his fear and be more relaxed and happy. Your vet surely can refer you to a veterinary behaviour specialist. It is money well-spent.

It is not uncommon for dogs to develop such jealous type behaviors and it is important to recognize the potential dangers in such a situation. A calming diet or supplement can help and i recommend you create a separate area, indoor crate or kennel that she can use with chew toys, beds and food /water. Practice when you are home alone initially and then put her in before people call if possible. If she is calm enough, get the other person to feed and walk her also so she has a more positive association

You can look in to a bark or shock collar to help correct him when it happens. they also make collars that emit a spray when barking to deter the behavior. This will often improve when he gets older also. Since he is young, you can tell him no and try to distract him with a treat or a toy so he looses focus on the sound.

You are probably confusing him as this would not be the normal noises humans make. He may also mistake that noise for growling, so may perceive it as a threat. So I would not "purr" at him as you never know and he may jump into your face some day thinking you are threatening him.