Scenario One: Ifyour dog growls at a pesky puppy for chewing on the adult dog’s ear, and thepuppy moves away, you don’t have to do anything. If your dog growls at yourpuppy for chewing on his ear and the puppy doesn’t listen or move away, you canremove either your dog or your puppy from the situation. In this case, it maybe the pup who needs some training help rather than the older dog.
Growls are functional communication. They give usinformation. Communication between dogs and people is sometimes less thanclear. Growls are one very clear signal and something that we can act on toprevent problems. Please don’t punish your dog for growling. Instead, say aprayer of thanks that you learned he was uncomfortable before something worsehappened.
Scenario Two: Ifyour dog growls at a child that is being disrespectful by putting his face inthe dog’s face or hurting the dog by pulling his tail, for example, you want totake two steps. The first is to teach your children how to be respectful of thedog (or if the child is too young, use baby gates to keep them both safe). Thenyou will want to work with a behavior specialist to help your dog become lessconcerned about what the child was doing through counter conditioning andteach the dog something they can do when they are uncomfortable such as walkaway.
Scenario Three: Ifyour dog growls at a stranger walking past you on the street, you want to movehim away from that person first. Then you can take note of the specifics (is itall strangers, or just tall people with hats, for example), so that you can workwith a qualified behavior specialist to counter condition people so your dogisn’t as afraid. When the fear goes away, so will the growl.
A dog growling, that low rumble, no one wants to hear it! Itis not uncommon for a student or client to ask me how they should correct theirdog for growling at someone or something. Let me tell you now: Please, please,don’t punish your dog for growling!! Here are 3 reasons why not.
But people tend to react with horror when a dog (particularly their own dog) growls. By the way some people react to a growl, you’d think that the dog had just gnawed someone’s arm off. They want their dog to never, ever growl or give any unpleasant communications. They expect their dogs to go through their life always saying either happy things or nothing at all. Of course, most humans are unable to live up to that standard themselves.
Never punish a dog for growling. Be thankful for it. Punishing the growl does not address whatever problem caused it. All it teaches him is a) that you, his owner/friend/leader can’t be trusted to help him when he needs it and b) not to give warnings. The last thing you want is a dog who stays silent when he’s angry or afraid, never giving a warning, and goes straight to biting.
That is not to say that a growl should be disregarded. When your dog growls, you need to assess the situation, determine the underlying cause, and address it. If he growls when you touch a certain area on his body, for example, it may be that he’s hurt and he’s telling you to be careful.
A while later, I heard Sierra’s owner and another handler discussing the e-collar (shock collar) Sierra was wearing. Sierra’s owner mentioned that she had “buzzed” Sierra when she growled at my dog.
If he growls at a child, that’s your cue to get him away from them immediately and then work on training a better response to kids, before the dog’s fear and anxiety escalates and he does do damage.
Unfortunately, when you punish your dog for growling, you also exacerbate the underlying issue. For example, if your dog growls at another dog and you punish the growling, your dog will likely think the other dog caused your negative action. Now your dog’s discomfort will be even stronger. After all, other dogs bring about your anger.
How can you tell the difference between happy growls and stress growls? Look at body language. For instance, if your dog is giving you a submissive grin or play bows, then it’s likely any growling is just fine. If your dog seems stiff and is staring with a hard expression, that growl is serious.
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There’s no mistaking the low menacing rumble of a dog’s growl. Dogs use this vocalization in all kinds of situations from guarding their favorite bone to playing tug-of-war. But what is the underlying motivation for growling? Is it aggression, fear, bossiness, or something else? And what can you do about it? Read on to learn why dogs growl, what it means, and how to handle it.
Stress growls are a warning signal. Their purpose is to tell others to back off before the dog is forced to take further action. Most dogs don’t want to attack or bite. They use growling to prevent the situation from escalating. And that gives growls great value. A dog that attacks without warning is incredibly dangerous. Appreciate growls for the insight they give into your dog’s state of mind and for the time they give you to intervene, help your dog, and prevent injury.
Watch me correct after dog growls//What to do so your reactive dog isn’t aggressive
My teenage border collie Merlin and I were at a morning practice session at my agility club. We’d been working for a long time, and Merlin, getting bored, decided that he’d rather go hang out with the other dogs. He took off after the nearest dog and got in her way. “Come play with me!”
The other dog (let’s call her Sierra) did not appreciate my obnoxious pup’s invitation and gave a sharp growl. No big deal, just her way of saying “get out of my face, punk. I have an agility course to run.”
After apologizing to Sierra’s handler, I took Merlin back to our corner of the training field for a break. Aside from me being slightly annoyed that my normally perfect dog *cough* had acted like a brat, it wasn’t a big deal so we moved on.
A while later, I heard Sierra’s owner and another handler discussing the e-collar (shock collar) Sierra was wearing. Sierra’s owner mentioned that she had “buzzed” Sierra when she growled at my dog.
It’s unfortunate, but such thinking is all too common. It’s this idea that growling is a terrible behavior that must always, always be punished.
The truth is, growling itself really isn’t a bad thing. Growling is not aggression; it is a dog’s way of avoiding aggression. A growl is a warning. It’s the canine equivelent of saying “knock it off” or “something’s not right.”
Sierra had not overreacted to Merlin. In fact, she had also given other warnings (stiffened posture, ears going up and back), which Merlin ignored, before using a growl. My pup was being rude and Sierra was well within her rights to tell him to get lost.
But people tend to react with horror when a dog (particularly their own dog) growls. By the way some people react to a growl, you’d think that the dog had just gnawed someone’s arm off. They want their dog to never, ever growl or give any unpleasant communications. They expect their dogs to go through their life always saying either happy things or nothing at all. Of course, most humans are unable to live up to that standard themselves.
That is not to say that a growl should be disregarded. When your dog growls, you need to assess the situation, determine the underlying cause, and address it. If he growls when you touch a certain area on his body, for example, it may be that he’s hurt and he’s telling you to be careful.
If he growls at a child, that’s your cue to get him away from them immediately and then work on training a better response to kids, before the dog’s fear and anxiety escalates and he does do damage.
Never punish a dog for growling. Be thankful for it. Punishing the growl does not address whatever problem caused it. All it teaches him is a) that you, his owner/friend/leader can’t be trusted to help him when he needs it and b) not to give warnings. The last thing you want is a dog who stays silent when he’s angry or afraid, never giving a warning, and goes straight to biting.