Morning growling

Hello,
   
We have a rescue Shih Tzu (for two months now) and most every morning he growls at my wife when she comes near him. The dog is attached to me due to the fact that I work from home but this behavior is concerning. In the evening, when my wife returns from work, the dog is all over her with wags and licks. The only time this growling happens is in the early morning. This morning we repeated sternly "no growling!" and put him outside. Later in the morning he was fine and doing his routine of sit, shake, come, etc. for my wife.
   
Thoughts??
   
Robert

Hey Robert,
   
So first things first, how old is your dog?
   
Obviously the growling is a sign of intolerance for your wife. Its interesting that it is only in the morning though. Have you and your wife noticed any commonalities in her morning routine that trigger the growling? You said that it was when your wife approaches her but is it always in the same room, at the same time in the AM? Has your wife eaten breakfast yet?
   
The reason i ask is maybe it's something more specific. Since she's a rescue dog maybe her previous owners had a part in it, and she developed some weird tick that sets her off that your wife doesnt know she is triggering.
   
Also in the PM when the dog seems fine, is your wife approaching the dog like in the AM or is the dog coming to her?
   
Maybe keep a log of all the morning happenings in the house and see if there are any red flags that come up.
   
**Important**
   
A lot of articles i read suggested taking your dog to the vet for a full evaluation just to eliminate any health or medical issues as being the cause. Your vet can also refer you to a behavioral specialist who will be able to pinpoint the problem and help your family work at establishing a healthier relationship with your dog.
   
Good Luck.

Hi Sarah,
   
Thank you. Great questions. We did take Cyrus to the vet before we agreed to adopt him and they said his health is good, he is somewhere between a year and a half and two and a half. We will keep a log to see if we can pinpoint what is going on with our routine. The growling is always in the morning, and by the time Debbie gets to the kitchen he is fine with her. He does come to the door when she comes home after work and never growls at any other time. Thanks for your good insights!
   
Robert (aka, Jake123)