How Do You Stop Your Dog from Growling at You?
The most important misconception about growling is that it’s bad. That it is a ‘misbehavior,’ which needs to be corrected.
It absolutely depends on the dog and the situation, but punishment is never a good response to growls.
To quote one of the most popular sayings in the progressive and evidence-based dog training community:
By punishing the growl, subsequent situations may lead directly to a bite with little or no warnings at all.
I’ll take that warning, please and thanks!
So, what should you do if your dog growls at you? Glad you asked…
Your Dog Is Being Protective
Dogs may also growl when being protective.
And when your dog is being protective of you, someone in your family, or simply their territory (or something else such as livestock), her growl is a warning: “Leave my people (or stuff) alone or there will be trouble!”
In some cases, this is actually a variation of resource guarding – except you are the resource that is being guarded!
These types of growls may be seen more often in certain guarding breeds, such as the Malinois or Great Pyrenees, for example. But even the gentlest toy poodle may growl when being protective.
You should never punish your dog for growling.
Growling is an essential part of a dog’s language. When dogs growl, they are trying to communicate their stress about something happening in their environment. That could be them guarding a toy, seeing a stranger, or even just excited to see someone they know. When we punish a dog for growling, this cuts out this line of communication.
When you punish a dog for growling, you are only eliminating the growling behavior, not the actual issue. If your dog feels like they can not growl, they will go to the next best option: snap or show aggression. For example, if you punish your dog for growling when you reach towards their food bowl, the growl will disappear, but they will still be resource guarding the bowl. Without the growl to communicate, they could escalate to the next form of communication, like snapping or biting.
Watch me correct after dog growls//What to do so your reactive dog isn’t aggressive
Growling is part of normal canine communication. People usually think of a dog’s growl as a warning or as a sign of defense. Often, growling means that the dog needs space or is uncomfortable. However, growling is a complex vocalization that also occurs in other situations.
It is important to understand why your dog is growling, how you can prevent them from escalating their behavior, and when to intervene.