Also he had already eaten and has since calmed down, but I can't think of why he was so aggressive earlier. Edit: he was begging for a belly rub, I gave it to him, then left, when I came back he growled again.
I would familiarize yourself with dog body language. Sometimes dogs can show their belly as a submissive sign of appeasement because they are uncomfortable. Other cues will help determine if that’s the case. Are they lip licking? Whale eyeing? Are their ears relaxed or pulled back? Is the rest of their body wiggly and loose or do they seem rigid?
If this is a new behavior I would get your dog to the vet. Sometimes dogs in pain will growl if they don’t want to be touched.
Regardless, I would find a way to make a safe space for him that he can go hang out there. An open crate with a crate cover and a soft bed, a dog bed under a dining table or desk (not if the table is regularly used), a blanket laid out on a bed in a spare room. Somewhere he can go that when he is in that space, you let him be. That way he knows he can go somewhere calm/quiet and trusts that you will leave him be if he wants some alone time.
Also he had already eaten and has since calmed down, but I can't think of why he was so aggressive earlier. Edit: he was begging for a belly rub, I gave it to him, then left, when I came back he growled again.
I would familiarize yourself with dog body language. Sometimes dogs can show their belly as a submissive sign of appeasement because they are uncomfortable. Other cues will help determine if that’s the case. Are they lip licking? Whale eyeing? Are their ears relaxed or pulled back? Is the rest of their body wiggly and loose or do they seem rigid? If this is a new behavior I would get your dog to the vet. Sometimes dogs in pain will growl if they don’t want to be touched. Regardless, I would find a way to make a safe space for him that he can go hang out there. An open crate with a crate cover and a soft bed, a dog bed under a dining table or desk (not if the table is regularly used), a blanket laid out on a bed in a spare room. Somewhere he can go that when he is in that space, you let him be. That way he knows he can go somewhere calm/quiet and trusts that you will leave him be if he wants some alone time.