What To Do If The Dog Growls At You

Fortunately for us humans, dogs generally tend to see us as the pack leaders, and to assume a submissive role towards us, thanks to the long taming process they have undergone. However, some educational processes  turn out to be totally inadequate for dogs,  tending to distort these roles. Here are some tips to know what to do if your dog growls at you.

Things to know when your dog growls at you

First of all you have to learn to distinguish the types of sounds your dog makes. Often, when he barks or growls, his intentions are misunderstood.  So, first, you need to learn how to interpret your dog’s body language and help people who come to your home to relax in the presence of your pet.

A popular proverb says that dogs smell fear: not because they actually smell it, but because they are very good at interpreting a person’s attitudes and moods;  if a man loses his leadership position towards a dog, well, let’s say he will have to face more than one problem.

Also, you must keep in mind that the level of possessiveness varies greatly from one breed to another: for example, Rottweilers are very docile and affectionate dogs with their owners, but they are not at all with strangers, and are overprotective towards some children. For this they need to socialize a lot during the early stages of their life (with other animals and with humans), as well as practicing daily outdoor activities, to “burn” their excess energies, which otherwise could turn out to be difficult to manage.

Dogs growl for many reasons; trying to eliminate this instinctive behavior is not good at all, because this would lead them to bite and attack without warning. In addition, situations such as illness, painful wounds or fright are manifested by dogs through growling,  their normal defense mechanism. For this reason, you must learn to understand what problem lies behind your pet’s growl: this behavior is an obvious sign that something is wrong.

However,  there are situations where, for no reason, you must allow your dog to growl at you or strangers  (including other pets), especially if this behavior is triggered by possessive or dominant attitudes. Overall, a dog that growls at its owner is the result of an incorrect process of educating the animal: by not considering its owner as a leader, it challenges it or attempts to intimidate it.

When he eats

Many dogs tend to become possessive of food, so they don’t allow anyone or anything to come near their bowl, particularly when they are eating.

When there are puppies

Females are very likely to become overprotective of their puppies, and will not allow other people or animals to approach or touch them. It is an instinctive reaction, a behavior to defend the puppies from any danger. However, this attitude could lead to aggression.

When he plays

Some dogs tend to be very possessive, especially towards objects such as toys and balls, and do not allow anyone, not even their owners, to touch them.

If he growls at children or people outside the family

Even though dogs feel compelled to protect their home, they still need to monitor their behavior towards strangers. Growling is justifiable only if the stranger displays a threatening attitude towards one of the family members or the animal itself; the risk of aggression increases with small children, who cannot correctly interpret the body language of dogs.

What to do in these cases?

Generally speaking, you have to teach your dog from the time he is a puppy  what his place is within the social structure of your home. You have to think that educating a dog is like raising a child, so being too permissive and not correcting the wrong behaviors could lead to behavioral problems. For example, you could pet him while he eats, take his bowl away or put your hand in it, spend a lot of time touching his toys or pillow.

If you have adopted an adult dog, or if your dog exhibits these attitudes, you can correct them. First of all, you must not show a weak attitude towards the dog: the dog growls at you to intimidate you, so you must not allow him to frighten you, because you would lose your role of authority, and if not corrected, this attitude can lead to a aggression by the dog.

As soon as the dog growls, you must get his attention with something that makes noise; you can say out loud “No!” You must show an imposing attitude, as a pack leader: dogs do not understand words, but they can understand the tone of the voice and recognize the expression on the face. You have to give it time to get used to it and, if a dog is possessive, you have to try to solve the problem by asserting yourself.

Do not use violence,  especially since, if the dog seems angry, the most likely thing is that he will defend himself. You can use something that makes a loud noise (a friend of mine fills some cans with balls and, when her dogs misbehave, she throws them on the ground saying “No!” This method has been very effective for her pit bulls) .

Even if he is playing (play is a positive activity for both your pet and you), your dog needs to know that growling is not allowed as a manifestation of possessiveness or territoriality. Always keep in mind that, when it comes to educating a dog, controlling negative attitudes is much easier than correcting them.