Why do dogs growl

Reward your dog when, at your request, he has stopped barking. Only reward the dog when he is quiet and gradually increase the amount of time that the dog needs to be quiet for him to receive a reward.

As the barking or growling problem decreases, make sure to direct your dog to more appropriate behavior, such as play, and the problem should lessen over time. Why Dogs Bark and Growl. September 19, Socializing your puppy can help Acclimate your puppy to a variety of different people, environments, situations and noises to help lessen anxiety as your puppy grows.

Close Font Resize. Keyboard navigation. Readable Font. Our experts are here to help. Get in touch with us directly any time, any way. Message us. Discover our range of dog food. Buy Now. Many people believe that dogs growl due to aggression, however there's so many different reasons why your dog may be growling.

Read our guide to find out the different types and what they mean. Why do dogs growl? Aggressive dog growling Aggressive dog growling is all about an expression of power. Dog growling as a warning This deep, rumbling type of growl usually occurs when a dog feels threatened or possessive.

However, when in doubt, act as if the growl is a threat. Particularly with young children, teach them to treat all growls with caution. Stress growls are a warning signal. Their purpose is to tell others to back off before the dog is forced to take further action. They use growling to prevent the situation from escalating. And that gives growls great value. A dog that attacks without warning is incredibly dangerous. Hopefully, you now recognize that you should never correct growling.

If you punish your dog for growling, you will only inhibit growling. For example, punishing your dog for growling in the presence of other dogs will stop the growling.

However, your dog will still feel uncomfortable around other dogs. Even worse, the lack of growling might fool you into thinking otherwise.

Meanwhile, your dog is still stressed and just might snap without the benefit of a warning. 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. After all, other dogs bring about your anger.

Dog Treat Recipes. My Dog Is. Common Reasons Dogs Growl Aggression is one of the reasons a dog will growl at a person. If they received harsh training of any kind, aggression could be somewhat of a learned response for them. The good news in circumstances like this is that with proper training and effort, aggressive behavior can be modified to reduce the incidents. Another reason your dog may growl at others is anxiety. Dogs show anxiety in a variety of ways; pacing, panting, ears back, barking, hiding and growling, and others.

Some dogs feel anxious during severe weather and they are more sensitive to exhibit bad behavior as a result. Other causes can include things that might startle them, like loud or piercing noises such as fire alarms or car horns. In those instances, try to remove the stressor or remove the animal from the stressful situation to help alleviate their anxiety.