Is Growling a Bad Thing?

 

When people hear a dog growl, it can mean a lot of things. When it is your own dog, most people will say “NO” and be done with it. They don’t understand the meaning of it, but they see it as a behavior that is not suitable. They punish the growl and, in some cases, when the dog doesn’t stop, they will physically punish the dog.

Growling is a natural behavior for a dog to be doing when he or she is uncomfortable or feels threatened. It is a sign you should not ignore nor punish.

When you don’t know the meaning of a growl and understand this is a form of communication, it can turn into worse things, like a bite.

A dog has many ways of communicating. This can be done through body language or through vocalization. Dogs who growl can be saying that you need to back off.

Dogs who are uncomfortable can show you in many different ways, but these subtle signs are usually missed. This is when a dog resorts to a growl. This way of communicating is clearer to everyone around the dog. Growling can also be combined with showing teeth which make a dog look scary.

When a growl is being punished, the dog learns that this form of communication isn’t working to get his message across and will resort to a different way of showing he is unhappy.

This can be a snap or even a bite. When incidents happen where it has been said that the dog bit out of nowhere, this isn’t always true.  A dog doesn’t want to bite, it is unnatural to behave aggressive. A dog is never looking for a fight, but they can be provoked. And when the subtle signs are being missed, bites can occur. A dog is never intentionally looking to inflict pain, but they won’t have any other choice when the people are not listening to what he has to say.

When a dog is trying to communicate their discomfort, the communication goes through steps of a ladder also known as the Canine Ladder of Aggression. Subtle signs can be looking away, lip licking. When these signs are not being seen, the dog will climb the ladder for more clearer signs. Like the growl. When this growl is being punished in any way, the dog will learn to skip this step next time, because he has learned that no one is still not listening.

Next time, you hear a story about a dog who bit out of nowhere, remember this. The dog has tried and failed to communicate and this was his last resort.

Accidents can happen, but be mindful and observing when things are happening around your dog that he might not like. Take your dog out of the situation. It can save you a whole lot of trouble and it will give your dog more peace when he knows he is being heard and understood.