Better a Growling Dog...

When our own dog growls at us we have the tendency to feel angry and disrespected. And feeling the need to assert dominance over our pet, many owners might go so far as to punish the dog by beating him or subjecting him to some other harsh penalty such as locking him up in a cage or leaving him outdoors for the night. But did you know that it is actually inadvisable to punish your dog for growling at you?

Growling is a dog's way of communicating displeasure. It usually precedes snapping or biting at the source of the displeasure – such as your hand coming too close to the food bowl, especially if your dog is not used to this. Growling is your chance to step away before the dog's displeasure escalates to physical aggression. If you punish your dog for growling at you by reprimanding or beating him you are setting yourself up for trouble. When you punish your dog for growling, he will learn not to growl, consequently not giving any indication of what is likely to follow – a snap or bite. Veterinarian and behaviorist Dr. Ian Dunbar refers to this as “a bomb without its tick”. It goes off without warning.

Before I started to study canine behavior, I had a Chow-Chow patient with a skin problem. I approached the animal and seeing no indication of him being upset or anything, I bent down to inspect the animal, parting the hair around his head and neck to check his skin for lesions. In a flash, he was on me. Teeth sank into my wrist and then into my thigh before the owner managed to pull him off and away. Never the slightest growl, just the sudden attack.

Granted, I was less sensitive to dog warning signs for aggression then, but this incident left me with something to think about when months later I would learn that punishing for growling is a big mistake. This knowledge combined with a suspicion that the Chow-Chow had been subjected to abuse now lead me to believe that the animal might have been beaten for growling at his owner, and had consequently learned to eliminate growling from his repertoire of communication behaviors.

Your dog growling at you in a way communicates a certain distrust of your intentions towards your dog, and could indicate poor conditioning to handling or to being approached by humans. It is best addressed by gradual counter-conditioning. A behaviorist or experienced trainer should be able to help you with this.

In the meantime, if your dog growls at you for any reason, it may be better to just simply step away from the dog.