The growl: more than a warning .... Good news!


Probably the most misunderstood signal in dog language, the growl is more of a warning, it must be seen as good news!

Since canine language is not as elaborate a language as that of humans, who possess a variety of words and attitudes to signify their displeasure, the dog uses barking, crying and growling to indicate that a situation is displeases him or bothers him.

For us it's easier to say: "stop, stop, no, I don't want, you hurt me, I'm scared, I don't like it, I'm uncomfortable, I'm angry, I hate you , you're going too fast, I jumped, I don't understand, you're going too far, it's mine, don't touch me, you stole something from me, etc ''.

To a dog, growling can mean all of these expressions and more. But it is often frowned upon. We see it as a human being, as a sign of pure aggression, a sign that the dog is bad, vicious. It is often not perceived as an element of communication but a permanent state.

A growling dog is not necessarily aggressive. All dogs have used or will use growl sometime in their dealings with other dogs, such as in their play. And that doesn't mean they have a behavior problem.

If we see it as a communication, then the growl becomes good news in the sense that it tells us that something is wrong and that the dog has told us instead of biting! A growling dog is often very well inhibited. He does not take the act of biting quickly and without having used other signals before.

But what to do when a dog growls? Above all, do not punish and scold him as this could cut off the conversation your dog has started with you and hide this communication. It would then be much more unpredictable and dangerous not to know his intentions. But it will take ACTION quickly to change this behavior.

A growling dog is therefore telling you that something is wrong. It will then be very wise to try to make him accept a situation with total respect for the animal. To do this, two techniques will have to be used: systematic desensitization and counter-conditioning.

Systematic desensitization aims to change a negative emotion into a positive one. Match something the dog loves (food, a toy, an activity) with something that makes a dog growl. This intervention does not increase the behavior by rewarding it, but since it is presented BEFORE the behavior occurs, it rather changes the emotion associated with it.

A dog who is afraid of something may growl to inform us of his discomfort and worry. For example: a dog who growls at the approach of the claw clipper means that he is afraid of it and does not want his claws cut. If you present very appetizing food at the same time as the claw clipper and BEFORE the dog growls, he will tend to think that the claw clipper is a good thing. Gradually bring the claw cutter to its paw, activate it and then cut a claw while presenting food. Fear will have given way to the joy of having your claws cut!

Counter-conditioning aims to teach opposite behavior, replacement behavior. For example: my border collie dog would growl when people arrived on our property. My dog ​​loves to play frisbee and he can forget everything when playing it. I then associated the arrival of people with the game of frisbee. Now when people come to my house my dog ​​is looking at them, can bark to warn me, but no longer growls. He looks at me and wants to play frisbee. Foreigners are now announcing something positive for him. He remains vigilant on what is happening with us but he accepts them so much more easily now!

To apply these techniques, which are often complex, you will probably need to consult a dog behavior practitioner. Do not fall into the trap of hiring a mediator who will want to punish your dog and "establish a hierarchy" between you and the dog. This may increase the negative emotion and escalate the bite growl.

Patience, gentleness and science of behavior, will be much more useful to you in the circumstances!
The growl: more than a warning .... Good news!