Is your dog growling at you? This can have many reasons, from fear and dominance behavior to pain. We’ll show you how to handle the situation best and why it’s even important that your dog growls.

“A dog that growls is not dangerous. It is communicating. Knowledge should replace hysterical behavior.” – Dr. Dorit Urd Feddersen-Petersen, Behavioral Scientist

5 Common Reasons Why Your Dog is Growling

It’s a shame that dogs can’t speak – then they wouldn’t need to growl. Because one thing is certain: when your dog growls, there’s a reason for it. They want to communicate with you, convey something important. So, it’s up to you to figure out what it could be, and that’s not always easy.

Here are five of the most common reasons, illustrated with everyday examples:

1. Pain:

Your dog stepped on a thorn while playing in the garden. That nasty spike in their paw hurts a lot. As usual, you want to clean their paws before they enter the house. Normally, it’s not a problem, but today they growl at you softly when you get too close to their painful paw.

2 .Fear:

Every week, the garbage is collected. Your dog stands by the window and growls. Perfectly logical for your furry friend. After all, they vividly remember how the garbage truck honked loudly next to them a few months ago. Since then, the loud monster hasn’t been entirely trustworthy.

3. Startle:

Your dog has settled comfortably in their bed in the kitchen. They’re exhausted from the long walk, almost dozing off. Crash. Right at that moment, you drop a pot, making a huge racket on the tiles. Startled, your furry friend growls at the pot.

4. Frustration:

Your dog is happily chewing on a pig’s ear. But someone keeps talking to them, petting them, or playfully pulling on their treat. Quite annoying! So, they take their “prey” and hide under the sofa. Yet, even here, they find no peace. Again, someone comes and disturbs them while eating. Who can blame them for growling softly at the next intruder?

5. Dominance Behavior:

Your dogs sleep in bed with you. It has always been that way and worked fine. However, with your new furry family member, there’s no chance of a peaceful sleep. The moment you move and disturb them in their position, they growl at you. In their eyes, they’re the pack leader. How could you even think of challenging their position?

How to Find Out Why Your Dog is Growling

To find out why your dog is growling, there’s really only one thing to do: meticulous detective work. Take enough time and observe your dog closely. In which situations do they growl? Is it an entirely new situation, or is it always the same one?

A little tip: To understand your dog even better, try recording videos of them. Record, for example, how they behave towards other dogs. Watch the video later and pay close attention to their body language. Your dog will probably emit warning signals before growling. For instance, tail wagging doesn’t always mean joy. Primarily, it signals excitement, whether positive or negative.

Whether it’s a fixed gaze, flattened ears, raised fur, pulled-back lips, licking the nose, bending the front or hind legs, tucking the tail, wagging the tail, barking, whining, or growling, your furry friend has many ways to express their positive and negative feelings. You just need to know how to interpret them because, unfortunately, they can’t speak.

Why It’s Good That Your Dog Growls

With the diverse causes, it’s challenging to find a one-size-fits-all solution against growling. What is crucial, however, is that you don’t add more stress to your dog in the acute situation. Shouting or jerking the leash abruptly won’t help in this case. On the contrary, the dog is likely to feel even more stressed. In the worst case, the situation may escalate, and they might snap.

In reality, it’s good that your dog growls and doesn’t bite immediately. If you forbid them to growl, they won’t have a way to articulate themselves. How will they react in a threatening situation next time? They might snap directly at you or even bite.

Of course, you shouldn’t unconditionally accept growling, especially if it affects your and your dog’s daily life. But you should learn to interpret it and then respond to your dog accordingly.

The causes and triggers for a dog’s growling are diverse and not always apparent at first glance. For example, you probably don’t perceive the garbage truck as threatening. Your four-legged friend, however, sees it differently. So, don’t forget: Just because you don’t see a situation as a big deal doesn’t mean it isn’t for your dog. This misconception is entirely human and unfortunately happens to many dog owners.

How to Prevent Growling

Because when you know why they growl, there are, simplified, two possibilities. You can try to avoid certain situations from the start. Don’t disturb your dog constantly when they’re eating. Or go for a walk in the woods when you know the garbage collection is due. These are simple solutions that can save you and your furry friend a lot of stress.

However, if you can’t avoid situations, show your dog, with a lot of patience and sensitivity, that these are not threatening. Teach them that you’re helping with their injured paw without causing more pain. Or let them sniff the fallen pot so they don’t associate it with fear. Such behavior modifications, however, take time, a lot of time.

Be Cautious if Your Dog Growls at Strangers

You should also be careful if your dog growls at strangers. Often, these individuals don’t know how to handle it. If they react incorrectly by yelling at the dog or approaching it, the situation can quickly escalate. Your dog feels cornered, and suddenly, they snap. The bite doesn’t have to be severe, but something can still happen. Or imagine an anxious passerby backing away from your growling dog, stumbling, and breaking a leg. It could be expensive for you. Fortunately, your dog liability insurance usually covers the costs. If you don’t have one yet, you can now compare and save on over 340 dog liability insurance policies online.

It’s even better if you can de-escalate the situation before anything happens. Usually, it’s enough to calmly continue walking, possibly in the opposite direction. If your dog is not on a leash, talk to the third person and ask them not to further distress the four-legged friend.