Dog growling is a normal canine behavior, but it can turn into a serious issue. It is important to be able to establish the cause for growling. Determine if help is needed or you whether only need to train your dog to stop growling, if the behavior has become irritating.
Types of Dog Growling
Typically, there are two main types of dog growling: playful and aggressive.
When a dog wants to play or is overexcited, he will growl. He will also growl when he is afraid of something or when he wants to emphasize his position. The playful growling is not dangerous, while the aggressive one can present risks, especially for households with children. It is important to distinguish between the two types of growling.
Causes of Dog Growling
As mentioned earlier, the dog may growl when he is in play mode, is excited about something or is fearful. The dog may also growl in the following situations:
- When his food bowl is taken away
- His toys are hidden
- When he is asked to move from a spot
- When he is asked to stop behaving a certain way
- When you want to groom him
- When meeting new dogs or when visitors come to your place
It is normal for a dog to growl occasionally, but when he is growling excessively, you are facing a problem that needs to be corrected. Also remember that excessive growling that has a sudden onset may signal a health problem, so you should consider visiting the vet.
Controlling a Growling Dog
Dog growling is easier to prevent than to control. The best way to prevent growling in a puppy is to start socialization training as early as possible. Your pet will learn how to interact with other dogs and will be faced with situations that can make him growl. The puppy will be taught to give acceptable responses to situations that typically make dogs growl.
However, if your pet has already developed this negative behavior, you should try enrolling him in socialization training classes. Even if it will be more difficult for an older dog to learn how to behave, the training will teach him that the growling is not an acceptable behavior. Make sure you rule out any medical problems that may cause growling.
On the other hand, you can try training your dog at home. First of all, you need to identify the triggers that make your dog growl. If for example your dog growls when his food is taken away, say a sharp "No," and hide the food bowl. The dog must know that you are in control of the situation. Alternatively, you can use the 5 minute "time out," which will probably not work at first. Your dog may growl while you send him away to his isolation room, but this will work if you persevere. Your dog will learn in time that you don't accept his growling.
Meanwhile, try exposing your dog to as many other dogs as possible. An isolated dog is more likely to develop other behavior problems and become very aggressive when meeting other dogs.