Growling/Barking, not sure why???

[DianeP]

Does your Sheltie ever seem to bark or growl at nothing? Lately, Mindy’s started this thing where she will low level bark and growl at times when we can’t identify any trigger (noise, person, etc). She’s a pretty vigilant dog so we are used to her alerting us to things but this seems really weird. If we try to approach her at these times she will sort of bark at us and back away. Anybody else have a similar experience? Thanks!

 

[ghggp]

Oddly enough, Liam will do this as well... Low-level growl or soft bark.
It usually means he did hear something... we have neighbors that live close on either side of me.
I believe he is alerting...

Not sure about why she backs away from you. That seems a bit strange.

 

[Margi]

Their ears are incredible. Benson would bark at a dust mite landing on the floor...but he never growls. Of course all barking is accompanied by running around hysterically so he could be growling and I can't hear it!

 

[Piper's mom]

Maybe she's trying to tell you something? I get that the odd time and while know it sounds stupid I'll ask my guys what do you want , show me...and then I'll follow them. Seems to work here.

 

[Caro]

Deska did this all the time. If he was bored, nothing much was happening, so he'd react to something small that I couldn't hear just for the sake of doing something. Or he'd do the low growl if he was resting and couldn't be bothered getting up to bark at something.

The backing away, sounds like play behaviour - she could be doing this for attention.

 

[Hanne]

If we try to approach her at these times she will sort of bark at us and back away

Minnie will do the same - as she will say to me:
"I have shown you where there is something strange
- now you have to take over"
I am in line with Piper's mom - ask Mindy

Minnie just is not that good at "cutting it out of cardboard" for me,
- as my German Shepherd dogs were,
they gave me more accurate instructions

 

[Shelby's mom]

All the time.....we live rural in a wooded area. Shelby always hears or sees something we do not and of course she has to alert us to it. She also will bark at ours or her reflection on the front door window - she thinks someone is there.

 

[Wendy C]

We came downstairs one morning and Cooper kept staring at the closed basement door and growling, running to me and back to the door. Have mercy this creeped me out as hubby was still sleeping...do I open the door? I finally did and the dog was barking at the water softener going lol ! My hero!!!

 

[DianeP]

I swear Mindy can hear a pin drop a mile away! We live in a condo and we only have one next door neighbor who we share a wall with. It seems like Mindy can tell when our neighbor is just thinking of moving around. I am trying to use the cc method of giving treats whenever this happens but she still has a hard time getting over it and will bark for a couple of minutes. Gives me a heart attack sometimes because I don’t hear the noise and her bark startles the crap out of me!