The Magic of the Growl
So, you had a fight with your best friend, and you haven’t spoken for a while. When you run into her at an event, she comes over to talk to you and you’re not ready. Do you tell her you’re not ready to talk, make a snide comment or just slap her across the face? Since you’re out in public, you probably start by asking her to give you some space, might escalate to making a comment that refers to your level of hurt after the fight and you most likely don’t go as far as slapping her.
Your dog does the same thing, just in a different way and, unfortunately, in a way that we don’t easily recognize. Every trainer has gotten the phone call from a distraught client claiming that the dog “bit out of nowhere.” Usually unlikely, the dog has more likely been begging for space from a particular person, scenario, dog, etc. for months. If we could read and respect that request, many bites would never even happen.
Take the growl. Dogs growl as communication and as a warning, commonly when they’ve already given many requests for space. Those requests are done through body language: the dog turns his head away, he lips his lips, he yawns, he backs off or tries to leave, tries to look small, lifts one paw and so on. (For more on this, check out a great book, listed on our Resources Page). When unheeded, the dog may then growl to get our attention…and he does!
People dislike and are usually frightened by a growling dog—and should be. However, a dog should never be disciplined for growling. It’s communication and serious communication that should be respected and listened to.
And here’s the magic…once you get a growl, you can figure out what is making your dog so uncomfortable--and fix it. Give him more space, don’t allow a child to climb on him or pull his hair, don’t allow another dog to rush him. The answers will be right in front of the growl.
Need help in figuring out how to make your dog more comfortable? Look for a Certified Professional Trainer to help. You can find a directory here: https://www.ccpdt.org/dog-owners/certified-dog-trainer-directory/