August 3rd, 2010
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Dogs communicate in many ways that are too subtle for the average human to notice. Yawning, lip licking, and looking away are a few signals of anxiety or discomfort. Unfortunately, we don’t always respond appropriately to subtle signals, so dogs sometimes find themselves having to escalate to a growl.
Growling is a clear message that a situation is uncomfortable. It’s also an indication that a bite could happen if things don’t change. Consider it fair warning. You can train your dog to react better to the situation eventually, but for now, say thank you and stop whatever it is that made the dog growl. Punishing growling suppresses the growling, not the anxiety, and eliminates a useful warning signal. So don’t punish growling. Irith Bloom is the owner of The Sophisticated Dog, a company offering pet-friendly training services to clients in Los Angeles. |
Are there different kinds of growling? Both my dogs (one doxie, one terrier mix) do a “growly chortle” . I’ve always interpreted the sound as a “hey, look at me” mostly because when they do the chortle nothing is happening to them. Am I not reading this correctly?
Linzey
Thank you for getting this important word out! I tell this to people all the time. If you punish the growl, you’re leaving the dog with no way for him to communicate his high stress level before the bite. Otherwise, he’ll go straight from a milder sign (e.g., whites of eyes showing) to a bite because he’s not allowed to growl.
I’d like to know how to handle it when my dog growls at my kids when they come near me. They aren’t threatening her (she’s a jack russell terrier) they’re simply walking past her to get to me and she growls. I yell at her to stop because I don’t want her to bite my kids just b/c they’re coming near me. And I know she’s just being protective of me. Any suggestions on how to handle this?
thanks,
Eunice
Growling is most assuredly a form of communication. I’ve found that if I gently pat my (growling) dog on the head, while saying, “Good Dog!”, the growling stops and the dog’s attitude stops. I am not rewarding the growling, but am acknowledging the dog’s attitude and behaviour in a positive manner.
Growling is a useful tool. I wasn’t sure what to do when my senior dog would growl at me when I wanted her to move off the chair.
Some strangers get real upset when a dog growls at them. I’m not really sure why, I guess they are afraid of being bitten. The reaction of the person being growled at often makes the situation worse. For example the above person will jump back or make a sudden noise. When far away from the dog the person will make a threat, implying your dog is aggressive for growling and should be euthanized.
You’ve got to be kidding me! Now I’ve read everything! Dogs growl for different reasons, not just because they are ‘uncomfortable’. If I back away when the dog is growling at me, I am rewarding him. If he’s guarding a bone or other object that he shouldn’t have, if he growls, he’s telling me that I can’t take it away. Baloney! My hubby’s heeler used to threaten me until she got used to me, and I sure didn’t back down to her growls! If a dog is growling because he’s insecure or honestly intimidated, then yes, I’ll back off until I can figure out another way to approach him and let him know that I’m not a threat. Where I work, there is a young dog that has personality issues. She will growl at me or others as they walk by. If we walk away from her, we will embolden her to take further action. She’s already terrorized my boss, who has owned dogs for eons. I am NOT backing down from her growl when it is totally unprovoked. I can’t believe that a supposed ‘dog trainer’ would advocate allowing a dog to always get away with growling at you. This action from a dog should not be covered by a blanket statement such as this lady has put out.
I agree with Countrygirl. My dominant Appenzeller can be intimidating to strangers with his growling. He will go to people he doesn’t know and growl, all the while wanting to be petted. He will bring his tug toy to me and growl, which indicates to me that he wants to play. I don’t particularly that I like this behaviour, but this herding breed is also very much a guardian breed, aloof with strangers so perhpas it’s inherant. I’ve met heelers that do the same thing.
wow. I don’t think there’s any need for hostility or personal attacks.
Unfortunately, dog training is much more complex than any one piece of literature can cover. My hats off to fellow positive trainer, Irith Bloom, for opening up the conversation for such an important topic.
There’s really not much room for debate on one thing: growling is an indicator. Whether that’s justified or not is not for us on the receiving end to decide. It is, however, up to us to teach the dog (constructively) how to react instead. If a dog growls to indicate they are uncomfortable with a situation, it doesn’t mean you need to curl up in the fetal position and expose your jugular. It just means don’t press the issue. Plain and simple. Take note of where you need to start training and go from there.
If you choose to address a growling dog by not backing down (and it sounds from your tone, Countrygirl, that you may be the type to “assert” your “position” in the face of a growler), then don’t be surprised if that dog decides to amp up his warning system to get his message across. Punishment doesn’t teach the dog to like something, it teaches them to avoid doing something: in this case, growling. Given the choice, it’s much safter for someone to teach a dog to like something than it is to get rid of their growl.
Also note, many people are not skilled dog trainers. They are normal, everyday dog owners. I would never advise my clients to take an aggressive approach towards their growling dog. It’s too risky. It’s much more user-friendly to advise someone to counter-condition a dog’s response.
for the record, I agree that there are different types of growls. It should be implied that the growl the author is speaking of is not a play-growl. It’s all about the context.
Linzey: There are different types of vocalization that are “growly” in sound, and for some dogs, some of these noises can certainly be friendly communication. If you think your dogs grumble at you to say, “Hi there!” you are probably right.
Kris: Thank you!
Eunice: If your dog growls every time your children approach you, she is most likely doing something called “resource guarding.” Since children are involved, I strongly recommend you consult a professional trainer or behaviorist in your area (you can try http://www.karenpryoracademy.com/find-a-trainer and http://www.animalbehavior.org/ABSAppliedBehavior/caab-directory for a start). You may also want to check out a booklet by Jean Donaldson called “Mine!”, which is available here:http://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DTB740&AffiliateID=47012&Method=3 .
Eunice: Sorry, the link to “Mine!” got messed up. Here it is again:
http://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DTB740&AffiliateID=47012&Method=3
Jerry: The original title of this tip was actually “When your dog growls, say thank you,” but the editor decided to change it, partly because I expect she worried people would take it too literally.
I applaud you for taking the attitude you have, but I would caution you that patting the dog on the head may actually be viewed as aggression on your part, so you may want to stick to verbal praise only, given from a distance, especially when you don’t know the dog well.
Fiendly: Alas, some people think a dog growling means he will inevitably bite, and their reaction can make the situation worse. Whenever possible, I create distance between the person and the dog quickly, while saying something to diffuse the tensio, such as “I’m sorry my dog growled at you, and I’ll be on my way now.” If you say your dog is scared, and that’s why he growled, people tend to be more sympathetic.
Countrygirl: It’s interesting that you read my tip to say you should let dogs get away with growling, when my actual words were “You can train your dog to react better to the situation eventually, but for now, say thank you and stop whatever it is that made the dog growl.” In the moment, a growl can signal a bite, so the safest thing is to stop what caused the growl and assess the situation so you can train for it under controlled circumstances in the future.
I appreciate it if a dog who is uncomfortable growls to let me know. I like the rattlesnake / copperhead analogy. A rattler will rattle letting you know you’re getting too close. I say thank you and move away. A copperhead on the other hand doesn’t make a sound but when you get too close you get bitten. If you punish a growl away all you’ve done is change the rattler into a copperhead.
Look for the reason the dog is growling and work to help the dog become more comfortable in that situation.
Yukon: It sounds to me like your Appenzeller is not growling, in the classic sense, but is making a vocalization that sounds like a growl and has a completely different meaning. Dogs often play-growl at each other during play, and the meaning is different within that context. Your Appenzeller apparently uses an unusual “word” to say “let’s play” with humans.
Kahuna K9s: Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments! I couldn’t have said it better myself (but didn’t see your comments until after I had posted the bulk of mine).
Brad: Exactly! Very well said.
Great article, Irith. I’m saddened by the comments from people who don’t understand how important it is to concentrate on the CAUSE of the growling and not simply respond to the growling itself, which is a SYMPTOM. If you correct a dog for growling, you are simply putting a band-aid on a festering wound. It may look better, but underneath it is still infected… and getting worse. That’s how you create a dog who “bites out of nowhere.” More info at http://www.examiner.com/x-47531-Orlando-Dog-Training-and-Behavior-Examiner~y2010m5d31-Thank-your-dog-for-growling
Countrygirl is right in that if you back down you will be reinforcing the growl, but Irith’s point and my own personal practice too is that initially you *want* to reinforce that important communication. Dogs who bite “out of the blue” tend to be dogs who have been punished for growling. Dogs who give warning are doing exactly that: giving warning. It’s a polite way of say “Hey! I rather not bite you so please back off!” Dogs who learn to growl and chase people away such as the one with “personality problems” Countrygirl describes, do need help, however, changing those patterns. There are a number of good, non-confrontational methods out there for accomplishing this as I know Irith knows. Engaging in a power struggle with your dog, on the other hand, as Countrygirl suggests is a dangerous idea.
I can’t remember who said it but, “A growl is a gift”. We never want our dogs to skip the growl and go straight to the bite. I have fostered a lot of dogs and most had resource guarding issues. It’s an easy example to show when we appreciated the growl, especially when we don’t know if the dog has bite inhibition. Building positive associations (like tossing cheese to a dog who is afraid of strangers when a stranger passes by even if he isgrowling) is important.
http://evolution-dog-training.blogspot.com/2009/09/resource-guarding.html
It really depends on the type of growl or situation in which the growling is taking place here.
For instance, we have a food aggressive shepherd who will stick her nose in her bowl while eating and growl if anyone comes near it. I do not tolerate her behavior in this instance. The bowl is removed, and she must wait until she has calmed down before getting it back.
I’ve also got a mutt with some serious social issues that we adopted a few months ago, who on occasion has turned and growled, baring her teeth when we have walked near her or touched her. I do not tolerate this behavior either. If we allow it to continue, she escalates. It is much better to nip it in the bud before she has a chance to become aggressive.
There are other types of growling that we do not correct – play growling, or growling if they are confused or injured. These are not aggressive behaviors. The dogs are simply communicating in one of the vocal ways that they can. This article really should have specified the type or situation in which growling should not be corrected. It’s misleading to think that allowing a dog to growl no matter what is OK.
I don’t seem to be able to post comments, so this is a test. If this comes through, I will try to post more relevant comments.
Emily: I must repeat my point yet again, since it is apparently not coming across. A growl is a signal, and while you can and should figure out why the growl happened, and train for a better response from your dog to the same situation in the future, in the moment you want to avoid having the dog bite.
What’s more, regardless of why the growl happened, you should never “correct” a growl. As I said in the original tip, and as several others have pointed out in their comments, punishing a dog for growling can teach a dog to suppress the growl and simply go straight to a bite. This does no one any good.
These are short tips, and it’s impossible to cover every nuance or situation within the very strict word count allowed. Bottom line: When a dog growls (bearing in mind that there are different types of vocalizations), there is a chance the situation will escalate to a bite. Eliminate the growl by punishing it, and you lose this useful warning signal.
Leah, Sarah, and Kendra: Thank you for your excellent comments! As you surmise, my point is that it’s important to (a) keep everyone safe while figuring out the cause of the growling, and (b) deal with the cause rather than the symptom. Excellent suggestions all around!
To all: These are short tips, and it’s impossible to discuss every possible variable within the very strict word count allowed. Thank you for helping me clarify things in the comments!
I have a 9 mo old Blue Heeler. He has been fairly easy to train in all aspects other then he is extremely timid with strangers. People want to reach out to pet him and he cowers, growls and snaps. I have tried to expose him to more people since up to this point he has been exposed to a limited number. If I am present to tell him NO he will stop immediately and lie down while doing a small throaty growl but if I am out of the area he barks viciously until the other party is out of sight. I have received a lot of verbal input as to how to break him of this possibly dangerous habit. I have tried introducing him to the stranger in a quiet controlled manor which works for that time but later (after being pet and played with by the stranger) he reverts. Another has a “dominate and get tough with him” approach which was done outside of my prescience. Needless to say I was very unhappy this was done.
I would like some constructive input from anyone that may have dealt with this problem, as to the best way to make my dog more comfortable with strangers. It seems that when small children are around and running his herding instincts snap in and cause an over reaction also. Please help me I don’t want anyone hurt and would surly hate to have to put my dog down due to a biting problem.
wow lotsa comments on this one..alls i know is i have trained my neighbors dog not to bark outside.,by when hes quiet give him a dog snack/crunchy dog bisquit or two.then when he sees me hes happy and quiet.the other neighbors i dint tell this too.hes a barker,but so are mine.but thats okay.i want to know if someones there or coming.my neighbors dog growls like an ewok/r2d2..in star wars to say hello.its so cute.treat them like lil kids works with us.but alas mine dosent like people approaching him.my older chocolate lab.he was recued.was a police/fire dog.adult friendly and loves to be ordered around.but aproach him if your a stranger..whatchout!hes outside seldom.i whatch him close.keep kids away.and men in hats n hoodys he freaks.but if u let the dog come to them first.it works wonderful.some dogs just dont like kids.and thats ok too.like us we dont haver to like everyone.i trust my dogs instinct the older one.he can sense trouble.strangers.drunks.men in hoodys..or naughty kids yes there are some.but hes great with my teenager and grandkids.and the neighbor dogs and mine are all friends.my older one dose not growl..hes nipped one neighbor no blood but she smelled like weed.and him being a former police/fire dog could be why.
what if my dog is just growling when he’s playing tug-o-war with his rope toy? he enjoys the game so much. When I stop because of the growling he whines and brings me his toy and tries to put it in my hand.
*sigh* when I read the large # of comments of “not backing down” camp I also have a greater understanding of why so many people get bit by the family dog each year.
Irith KNOWS what she is talking about.
Listen to your dog when it growls because it is upset or unhappy or worried so that it never learns that growling doesn’t work. Then stop and figure out WHY it was growling and work on a program of systematic desensitization and counter conditioning.
If you don’t understand the words I just used, hire Irith or someone who does.
Hi,
I just stumbled on this website and was impressed! So much useful information…
I just adopted a Terrier Mutt from a shelter; she is about 2 years old. She was bred and I have no idea when she had her pups, or even if it was just once. When I got her the stitches from being neutered”?” were still in.
She is a sweet pup and I’ve had her now about 10 days. However, she growls and one time snarled at other dogs…My problem is is that my daughter is a rescue Mom, and fostered cares for these little animals, Cairns and Westies, three of them are so used to me that they run up, and unfortunately jump on me , while Shea, my “angel” in there on a leash. I can understand her reaction she feels threatened and also might want to defend me (maybe). Nevertheless, I must somehow correct this action. Any suggestions?
Thanks Sue
Sue and Nancy: Please contact me through my website so I can give you a more thorough reply. Thank you!
Julea: It sounds like you respect your dog’s right to decide who he wants to greet, rather than forcing him to meet everyone, and that you manage situations he is in to keep everyone safe. Well done! I also like how you have taught your neighbor’s dog to be quiet at your approach. I assume you checked with the neighbor and the neighbor is OK with you (a) feeding the dog treats and (b) the type of treats you use? Good job all around!
Cherie: That kind of growling during play can be completely fine, as long as it doesn’t signal his getting so out of control that he will forget himself and put his teeth on you in the course of the game. Does he seem to get overexcited after he starts growling? If so, then stopping is probably the right thing. If not, you could probably play tug right through it, although it’s always a good idea to take breaks during play of this sort.
Bottom line: As long as you take the occasional break, and your dog stops the game when you ask him to, things should be OK whether he is growling or not. Bear in mind that I am not there to observe his behavior, though, so I am essentially guessing based on what you have written.
Andre: Thank you so much for your extremely kind and insightful comment!
Here is a nice article from Pat Miller on the topic:
The “Gift” of Growling
Funny, all of the behavior professionals that have commented on this topic agree with Irith. Coincidence? I think not.
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Thank You for the Behavior Tips
Casey: Thank you for the excellent comment!
Shaunda: I’m glad you’re enjoying the tips.
Hi there ‘ i have a q? please . why does a dog attack an other dog ? in its owners car. my dog walker’s dog attacked my dog. I did not know this but it was doing this to other dogs on a reg basis. why? And how do you cure this. She thought is was funny .
PEOPLE, my God. Unless a dog is playing or makes odd vocalizations that sound similar to a growl but aren’t a growl, then the dog is quite obviously uncomfortable. Comfortable dogs don’t go around growling. Something has to be wrong to make them defensive and/or offensive, where their perception is justified by reality or not.
I don’t know how many times it has to be repeated for people to understand. A growl is a warning. An attempt at communication to tell you that the dog isn’t comfortable. Why in the world would you punish your dog for communicating before escalating to biting?? A growl is FANTASTIC. A growl gives you a much needed warning so you can set about rectifying the CAUSE for the growl. The growl is simply a SYMPTOM of an underlying cause. Fix the cause and the symptom will go away.
I’ve had to retrain my fair share of dogs TO growl because they’ve been punished for growling in the past and instead, they go RIGHT to biting.
If you’ve really studied up on dog behavior, it shouldn’t even progress to a growl. The dog’s body language (stiffening, ears pulled back, whale eyes, panting, lip licking, and more) all indicate that a dog is not comfortable. If you don’t know how to read your dog, then your dog will progress to a growl and possibly, but not always, to a bite.
THANK you for dog for giving you a heads up that they might bite instead of just biting with no warning.
Just happened on this site in my never ending quest to educate myself about my sweet female gsd. Love her dearly but also know she is strong and can harm herself and others if not trained. Being said, mine/her problem is I’m overly anxious and she picks up that scent and reacts. By react I mean several different reactions;over reacts when dogs/people walk by while she is indoors whines runs to me with fur up on haunches and some growl/whines. Tried yawning, not responding you name it. Still the same.