Your best friend is growling and you don’t understand why? We sometimes mistakenly equate a dog’s growling with aggression, but it can mean something else. In fact, our companion has a whole bunch of ways to express himself, including growling. If your dog growls, it is because he has a good reason and that he wishes to make you pass a message. A growl often goes hand in hand with a context and an emotion that the animal will feel, communicated in the form of a growl. Discover thanks to our article why the dog growls, and how to decipher its growls in order to better understand your pet.
He growls when you approach his bowl
This is a frequent instinctive and defensive reaction to protect what belongs to him, in this case his bowl and the food it contains. This situation generally occurs in young dogs that are still being trained or in adopted dogs that have experienced a lack of food. More simply, the dog protects its food because it is afraid of running out. Therefore, from a young age, teach your dog to wait before receiving his bowl and install his food in a quiet place where he can eat in complete serenity. In general, it is not recommended to put your hand near your dog’s bowl or to take away his food while he is eating. Indeed, he must understand that his master is there to give him food and not to take it away! Finally, make sure that your favorite companion eats enough and reward him from time to time for his good behavior with a treat!
He growls when scolded
Your pet has done something wrong, you scold him and he growls at you? It may be that your pet is simply afraid! Indeed, some dogs will simply lower their head and flatten themselves as much as possible on the ground and others will let you know that they don’t agree with your reprimand. By growling, your dog is warning you that he is afraid and that he can defend himself if he feels attacked. Therefore, we recommend that you do not reprimand the animal in a physical way (rolled newspaper, slap on the back or any other violence) because he will assimilate this to aggression and this will break the bond of trust with his master, thus making him more inclined to growl.
He growls at a member of the household or a stranger
In the first case, it is very likely that your dog is trying to protect you and is sending signals of his jealousy and possessiveness through growling. Therefore, it is essential to get your dog used to being in contact with all the inhabitants of the home, through games, petting and eating. In this way, the dog will learn to share and will not overreact to any member of the household.
In the second case, if the dog growls at your guests, he is simply defending what he considers his territory. Similarly, if he growls in the street when you pass strangers, he may be feeling fear or distrust and is showing it by growling. The same advice as before, it is important to socialize him early on to avoid any problems.
It is therefore important to analyze the contexts in which your dog growls in order to better understand him and better cohabit.
