Growls Are Good.
Let me be clearer: Growling is good when compared to not growling, and biting instead.
When a dog growls he/she is asking for help. They need an out. Growls are a dog’s way of telling you, another dog, another person, child, or animal, I do not like this. I cannot handle this. Go away, or let me get away. NOW.
A dog that chooses to growl instead of bite, should not be punished. Punishing a dog for growling doesn’t teach the dog that growling is unacceptable behavior. It only suppresses the dog’s natural form of expressing their fear and discomfort.
Punishing a dog for growling takes away a very critical warning signal. Dogs who are punished for growling learn to not growl anymore, to avoid being punished. So if you have successfully managed to stop your dog from growling, you have only suppressed your dog’s behavior. The fear and stress are still present within your dog! You haven’t addressed the underlying cause for growling. Now you have a dog who is just as stressed as before s/she growled, but the dog has no safe means of express his/her discomfort. The growl may be gone, but now you run the risk of having a dog who could bite without warning.
Instead of punishing a dog for growling, we must learn to see the growl for what it is – Communication.
Growling is a valuable (and productive) form of canine communication. There are many reasons dogs growl! Growling is a behavior that more dog guardians should understand, appreciate, and respect rather than punish.
Give Your Dog a Mental High-Five for Growling.
I suggest giving our dogs a mental “high-paw” when they growl because our dogs haven’t done anything wrong. In fact, they did something right! Growling is normal canine communication! By choosing to growl your dog is clearly and appropriately expressing his/her fear, discomfort, anger, frustration, and stress level in that moment. Without the growl, a bite can happen when we (or another animal) fails to recognize the dog’s warning signals.
Growling is a dog’s way of saying, Back Off! Go Away! I’m very uncomfortable!!
What many people don’t realize is that aggression is caused by stress. The stressor may be related to pain, fear, intrusion, threats to resources, and past association or anticipation of any of these things. An assertive, aggressive dog attacks because he’s stressed by the intrusion of another dog or human into his territory. A fearful dog bites because he’s stressed by the approach of a human. An injured dog lacerates the hand of his rescuer because he’s stressed by pain. –Pat Miller
Is Your Dog In a Grumble Zone?
In our Family Paws Parent Education program, we refer to crowded, close quarters as “Grumble Zones.” These areas in the home have an escape route, but a child, cat, or another dog may be blocking the escape route. This can lead to a potential “grumble”. Grumble zones are important for families to consider if you have multiple dogs, cats, or children in your home. You can see examples of these here.
Is Your Dog In Pain?
Growls can occur during a defensive reaction if a dog is in pain or any form of discomfort. The growl can happen when a dog anticipates being moved or touched. Questions that need to be asked? Could your dog have an upset stomach, tooth ache, stomach ache, or arthritis? When is the last time my dog had a full check up, including blood and urine analysis?
Is Your Dog a DINO?
Some dogs need more space. They are referred to as DINOS (Dogs In Need Of Space). We have a DINO dog. In the past she would become reactive in certain circumstances if I did not properly manage her environment. Dogs who need more space (and display this through various behaviors) are not “mean” dogs. The have learned to communicate to people, dogs, cats, or other species that they either need some more space, a slower introduction to a newcomer, or a gentler interaction with another dog. Growling is how dogs communicate this. Growling is meant to avoid aggression.
In general, the more behaviorally healthy and mentally sound a dog is, the more relaxed that dog will be in varying situations. This means the dog is less likely to aggress quickly. Since dogs are not able to verbalize their thoughts, they communicate through very specific and deliberate behaviors. But we have to know how to read and recognize these behaviors.
Let’s look at the image below. To the untrained eye, it looks like our dog and cat are just hanging out. Ah, not so. Hocus really does not want Albert in her space. Albert just wants to be near Hocus. But she is tired, and wants to relax right where she is, without anyone (including me) in her space. She IS communicating. All of the canine clues that she’s sending out are not being heard. This is a perfect opportunity for me to step in and help Hocus by calmly calling Albert away from her.
Other Canine Clues
When Hocus begins to emotionally respond to something that makes her feel threatened or uncomfortable, she will display physical signs of this. I call these her Canine Clues. It varies based on the situation, but these are some of her common canine clues:
First she will close her mouth. Ears will fold back. Then maybe she will close her eyes, or look away. She then she gets very still (she freezes). If she is standing, her tail will raise very high and start to wag vigorously. If she is sitting her tail is motionless. If I am unable to intervene at this point you would see her whiskers stiffen. If I am not able to intervene quickly and positively at this point, her emotional response to the perceived threat will continue to escalate and present itself in more physical forms. I will then see a slight forward or backward wrinkle of her lips, or the top of her muzzle will begin to twitch. When I see any kind of stillness, flick of a whisker, or her lip wrinkle I am already behind the ball. I am late to the “Help Me” Party, and I have failed to help her. She is now screaming BACK OFF.
- Beaux, the black cat creeping up behind Hocus
- Albert the grey cat in Hocus’ space
- Hocus is “pinned” to that spot, unable to back up because the stairs are behind her.
- She is tired, and does not want to get up from her chosen place of rest.
- She has just returned from a long romp in the woods; the stress hormones in her body are high.
I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.― Maya Angelou
I have no problem admitting that when our dog growls at one of our cats or another dog, it upsets me. Thankfully, it rarely happens these days, because I have learned how to better manage Hocus, the cats, and also Hocus with new/unfamiliar dogs. But life happens. And growls can happen when the perfect storm creeps up. If she does growl, I can feel the fear and anxiety hit me in the stomach immediately. That’s how I know how easy it is to yell at a dog for growling. But I don’t. I know better now.
Yelling “HEY! Cut it out! Stop it!” at the dog is our natural response when they’re doing something that makes us afraid or uncomfortable. Growls and lunges make us feel awful! We just want it to stop!
But if you step back and think about it, responding this way is really just telling the dog to shut up and stop doing what’s making us feel awful at the moment. We don’t help them by yelling at them. We only added MORE stress to a stressful situation.
And, if you are in the habit of hitting, yanking, poking, or “tttssst”-ing your dog, he/she will quickly learn to not growl in front of you. Why continue to do a behavior that you are going to be punished for? By punishing the growling behavior, you teach your dog to avoid doing that behavior. Well done! The next time your dog feels uncomfortable, he or she might skip the growl, and bite instead.
Growling is meant to avert aggression, not cause it. ~Nicole Wilde
The Fear Doesn’t Have to Make Sense.
Our belief or personal opinion about what’s threatening the dog does not have to make sense to us. The perceived threat is very real to the dog. My fear of roaches is ridiculous to my entomologist friends, but the fear and my response to the perceived threat (The Roach) is totally appropriate to me. Usually I flee, but under the perfect storm I will fight. -Sorry bug friends, trigger stacking happens in people, too and we lash out. Our dogs’ fears and perceived threats are not unlike my issues with the “R” word.
In the past our dog learned that growling and/or air snapping worked for her. Each of these behavior increased distance between our dog and the perceived threat. So today, if our dog is placed in a situation where she is unable to cope, I know that the growling and/or air snapping behaviors will happen again. Why? Behaviors that work (and were reinforced — the animal leaves her space) are likely to repeat.
Growling and air snapping is a distance increasing behavior. Dogs do what works for them.
For example, let’s say Hocus is chewing a high value treat or bone and another animal (cat or dog) has the opportunity to get too close for Hocus’ comfort, a growl will most likely occur if The Perfect Storm is at hand. (We refer to this as Trigger Stacking.) When the growl or lunge happens, the other animal quickly leaves Hocus’ space.
What has happened here? The growl has effectively increased the distance between Hocus, her prized possession, and the perceived “intruder” threat has left. Growls work. That’s why dogs choose to use them.
Growls Are Better Than the Alternative.
There are far worse things than a growl. Think of it this way: Would you rather your dog warn you, a child, or another animal with a growl, or would you rather your dog skip the growl, and go straight to lunging or biting?
I’d prefer a lip curl or a growl, compared to a lunge, air snap, or bite. But we ultimately want to help our dog to feel like he/she doesn’t need to growl, or lunge at whatever is making our dog feel threatened.
Clearly, no one wants their dog to growl, but we don’t want the dog to NOT growl if something makes her uncomfortable. Growling is communication. So it’s very important information that needs to be heard in a successful canine-human canine-feline, or canine-canine relationship.
Thanks for the Head’s Up!
If we encounter an unplanned negative situation and Hocus growls or becomes tense, like the images above explain, I make a mental note along these lines, “Oh wow, so that really freaked you out and made you very upset. Ok. Noted. Looks like we have to work on how that (insert the perceived threat) makes you feel threatened. Got it. Thanks for expressing that. Now I know. Next time I won’t put you in that situation or I’ll know what to avoid.”
Thank your dog for growling, then calmly remove your dog from the situation or remove the perceived threat away from your dog.
Shake It Off!
After I make the mental note and thank her, I then shake off the stress that I’m feeling, and I encourage her to shake it off too. I encourage her to play, run, or be goofy! Help your dog shake off that stress and switch gears in their mind. We have to remember that seeing that kind of behavior does affect us; it’s alarming and scary to witness, but we don’t have to stay in that fearful place and neither does our dog. Get out of that situation. And Get Loose together!
Set Them Up for Success!
Of course we don’t want dogs to continue to growl all the time. We want to change the way they feel about a perceived threat. We do this by setting them up for success. We do this through positive training techniques. We do this by managing the environment very carefully. We do this by using counter conditioning / active desensitization techniques.
How I Set Our Dog Up for Success
I practice full, awake supervision when she is around other animals that might trigger her. I am aware of the possibility of Trigger Stacking, so I work around that and prevent that from happening. I am proactive when I know there could be potential triggers for my dog. Now that I know better, I never put my dog in situations where she is unable to cope. She now makes better choices that work for her, and the perceived threats are diminished because we helped to change the way she feels about them!
Learn Your Dog’s Canine Clues.
If you can learn to recognize the Canine Clues you will understand your dog’s language, and be able recognize when your dog is uncomfortable and unable to cope. Set your dog up for success by preventing those circumstances. Positively respond to the message your dog is sending. Thank your dog for the message. Then work with a force-free, science based trainer or behaviorist to work on changing the way your dog feels about that perceived threat. Rule out any medical issues, and ensure your dog is healthy and free of pain or discomfort.
This week is National Dog Bite prevention week. We are focused on increasing the safety and harmony of kids and dogs, but I would also love to see an increase in the safety and harmony of all animal companion species in the home. Cats and dogs, canine companions, and dogs and other pets can become harmonious house mates if we know what to look for, manage them appropriately, and set them all up for success. This is how be become Conscious Companions.
We are continually faced by great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems.
- STRESS SIGNS IN DOGS
- Ladder of Aggression
- Learn to Speak Dog and Teach Your Kids
- My Dog Growled at My Child – Now What?
- Help my dog growls at my baby!
- Growling at the Kids
- You are entering the GRUMBLE ZONE!
- The Gift of Growl
- Thank your dog for growling
- Why Growling is Good
- What to Do If Your Dog Growls or Snaps
- Adverse Effects of Punishment
- Reactivity and Aggression in dogs – Managing and Treating
- Guide To Living With & Training A Fearful Dog
- An Ethogram of the Shelter Dog
- Dog-to-Dog Ethogram Part One: Assessing On-Leash Interactions
- EBOOK: OUT AND ABOUT WITH YOUR DOG – DOG TO DOG INTERACTIONS ON THE STREET, ON THE TRAILS, AND IN THE DOG PARK
- DOG-DOG ENGAGEMENTS BETWEEN UNFAMILIAR DOGS – WHY IT’S SO RISKY (DVD)
You can learn more about dog language in this video, “Understanding Dog Body Language – Learn how to read dogs behavior better”: https://youtu.be/8bg_gGguwzg
Want to learn all about cat behavior? Check out “WHAT IS MY CAT SAYING? FELINE COMMUNICATION” here:https://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=CT100
What’s In a Growl: Why growls matter for both people & dogs: http://bit.ly/2rpLBTT
Learn more at ConsciousCompanion.com
4 thoughts on “Growls Are Better Than the Alternative”
Great info. Sophie growls occasionally, even at me when I am petting her. I stop abruptly, trying to communicate that I get the message. She is a dog who sometimes just wants her space, not Velcro like our Vizsla, Cooper.
Coni, thank you for sharing! If you would like we can talk about the behavior that Sophie is doing and discuss some options to prevent the growling. Feel free to email me at email@example.com
In the meantime, check out this article about behaviors that we want to look for (before a growl happens): https://consciouscompanion2012.com/2013/08/02/ladder-of-aggression/
Pingback: Ladder of Aggression | Conscious Companion
OK, this is interesting. I know “a bite isn’t necessary when a growl will do” however, my 11 year old 32 lbs female Keeshond has taken over the past year or so to growl at other animals that she perceives to be strange. She has a 5 year old male companion and 3 cats living with her, she’s good with them (well OK, sometimes she teases the cats by rushing them, but I KNOW it’s her game, she does it especially with our shyest cat, it doesn’t work with the other two) But I have been making the mistake of saying Freyyya when I anticipate she’ll growl. For instance, we went to a dog park and right away she ran up to the dog bigger than her and growl, then she followed it with an air snap. As if she anticipates it will bother her when you can see it wasn’t doing anything wrong. How would I handle this? I found myself warning people before I let her loose that she’ll do that but won’t act on it, she always runs off after she does it. It’s as is she’s a “bitch” I’m sure she has an unfounded fear that I am not sure where she developed it from. She did that once as a 13 week old puppy when she saw a fisherman dressed in full fisherman attire. We were shocked as she was fully socialized, We assumed the yellow outfit made her feel threatened and removed her from that situation and softly told her it was OK.